This week I’ve been playing Tour Guide in Hong Kong as my parents have come for a visit!
It’s been a great excuse to get out and see more of this vibrant city and do some of the ‘bucket list’ items that I haven’t gotten around to yet.
Fun times which means some fun photographs to share with you!
If you ever have the opportunity to enjoy High Tea at the famous Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, I suggest you go for it!
The Peninsula’s legendary afternoon tea is a ritual rooted in British custom, with the Duchess of Bedford originally bringing afternoon tea into vogue in 1830.
We gladly honoured this genteel tradition and enjoyed a wintery afternoon in the lavish surrounds of the hotel Lobby.
We started our experience by sitting back, relaxing and sipping on a Royal Mojito.
The Royal Mojito is an opulent twist on the world’s most popular cocktail – Bacardi Superior, fresh lime juice and crushed mint topped with Peninsula Champagne. Ah-mazing!
Here’s a tip – you can’t book a table for High Tea and the queue can get quite long!
If you don’t feel like waiting, take a seat and select a beverage to sip on prior to the commencement of High Tea at 2pm.
It’s worth it!
This elegant experience was enhanced by taking in the soaring columns and gilded plasterwork of The Lobby whilst listening to the beautiful string trio which played above on the balcony.
We drank endless cups of organic Moroccan Mint tea poured from vintage Sheffield silverware into fine bone china cups.
After much anticipation a three tiered silver cake stand was presented to us and we enjoyed buttery raisin scones with lashings of strawberry jam and Devonshire clotted cream.
The next tier that was devoured included a selection of finger sandwiches and savoury pastries, followed by the final tier of spectacular sweets.
The final delight of this quintessentially Hong Kong experience was a rich chocolate truffle for petit fours.
Incredible!
The afternoon was such a memorable experience and I love the fact that I got to share it with my beautiful parents!
Where: The Lobby, The Peninsula Hotel
Location: Salisbury Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon
How to get there: Take the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit E or take the Star Ferry from Wanchai or Central and walk along Salisbury Road
Cost: High Tea starts from $358 HKD per person and if you would like a glass of Deutz Peninsula, Champagne (of course you want a glass of bubbles!) add another $160 HKD. The experience is worth every cent!
In complete contrast to High Tea we hit the Happy Valley Races on a misty and wintery Wednesday night!
I love the races and the idea of a night time race meet was pretty darn exciting.
In typical Hong Kong fashion your Octopus card comes in handy for more than just catching public transport – a quick swipe and $10 HKD later we were through the gates and ready to place out bets!
The stands and beer garden were packed with a great mix of locals, expats and tourists which made for a stimulating environment.
My lucky horse ‘Peace on Earth’ wasn’t so lucky after all and came second last.
But somehow James’s horse came third and he won our money back (just!).
You can see a super short video of the end of the race over on the Starting With A Facebook Page.
I’m looking forward to the weather warming up and experiencing some more entertaining week night race meets!
Where: Happy Valley Racecourse
Location: 2 Sports Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong Island
How to get there: Closest MTR station is Causeway Bay, take Exit A and then walk. It’s probably easiest to take a taxi and it’s relatively inexpensive. Alternatively you could jump on a tram that says ‘Happy Valley’ and take a scenic (yet very slow) tour to the Racecourse.
Cost: General Admission is $10 HKD
Operating Hours: Race meets are usually held from September – July on Wednesday nights, with the first race normally commencing at 7:30pm
That’s just a snapshot of this week’s activities, but they are definitely some of the highlights so far.
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Love,
