Wednesday 8 February 2012

Hong Kong-3

          Well, now its time for the cherry on the cake. No points for guessing that I'm referring to the gorgeous, spectacularly beautiful Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong's jewel and pride and one on the most well known harbours in the world. A night view of the place can leave an indelible impression on anyone, and a day view is also breathtaking.



Victoria Harbour is a natural harbour between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. The harbour's deep sheltered waters and strategic location in the South China Sea were instrumental in its success as a trading centre.


 Two of the most famous sky scrapers on the skyline are the IFC, International Finance Centre, and the Bank of China.






























Here's a look at Victoria Harbour ( pic from net) in all its resplendent glory and beauty.



                                                                            

Honk Kong-2

Day2:

  A good way to see Hong Kong would be to hop on a Big Bus Tour, which takes you around the city in an open top double decker bus. So with the wind on our faces, we set out to discover the old harbour region called Aberdeen and also a picturesque village named Stanley Village close to the famous Repulse Bay.






With a personalised running commentary on the various places in the journey, the Big Bus Tour was really good.







These pics were taken en route to Stanley Village. Some of the scenes were truely breathtaking as each bend in the road would reveal a different landscape with tiny islands dotting the South China Sea.






This is Stanley Village, a dreamy waterfront with a beautiful view of the South China Sea.









This is the famous Repulse Bay, so called because it was the den of ferocious pirates during the colonial days. The British Fleet drove them out in hoards, thereby " repulsing" them out of this natural crescent shaped beach.



It is also famous for another reason. The 1959 William Holden starrer, Love is a many Splendored Thing, was shot in Repulse Bay. The movie captured various facets of Hong Kong back in the colonial days and is also one of the most romantic movies of all time.








Then we were taken to Aberdeen, the old harbour that houses the typhoon shelters. We took a traditional Sampang ride along the stretch.




A famous landmark there is the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, with a traditional Chinese decor.




Its a great mix of old and modern. Private yatchs are docked alongside traditional fishermen's houseboats, and high rises provide a stunning backdrop to the old world beauty that is Aberdeen.





Also, take a look at this picture from the net showing a panoramic view of Aberdeen Harbour.