6 days in Hong Kong - 4/9/13 -4/14/13

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Intercontinentallobby/The Peninsula/Nathan road Nathan road, Part 2 View from the Sheraton

Intercontinental hotel lobby

From Bangkok we landed in Hong Kong.  Took the tramway then a taxi straight to the Intercontinental Grand Stanford hotel located in Tsim Sha Tsui, an urban area in southern of Kowloon.  Tsim Sha Tsui is a major tourist hub in metropolitan Hong Kong, with many shops and restaurants that cater to tourists. Tsim Sha Tsui is one of the main shopping areas in Hong Kong with many luxurious shopping malls.

 

Flowers in the lobby.

 

Beautiful flower arrangements made with roses and Hydrangeas.

 

More arrangements through out the lobby.

2 days later they changed all the flower arrangements to an exotic look.

They use orchids and birds of paradise! Beautiful right?

Okay so we checked, put our luggage away and decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood

1881 Heritage

First stop:1881 Heritage building that was recently renovated.  It used to be from the 1880s to 1996 the headquarters of Hong Kong's Marine Police.

The compound is a declared monument since 1994 as it is one of the four oldest surviving government buildings in Hong Kong.

 

 Several buildings have been preserved and restored, and the site now features a shopping mall, a heritage hotel, and an exhibition hall.

 

While doing the renovation they have to built around centuries old trees in order to preserve them as see in this picture.

Nice arcade columns

 

Built in the early 1880s in a combination of Victorian colonial and neo-classical architectural designs.

This whole area is now a Cartier store and it is truly beautifully designed.

 

A Victorian era horse carriage on display reminiscent of the British era.

 

The Peninsula

Next stop is the Peninsula hotel.

The Peninsula Hotel or ‘the Pen’ as it is known locally is a Hong Kong landmark. It first welcomed guests in 1928 and has been serving them through Hong Kong’s ups and downs ever since. Afternoon tea at the Pen has become a Hong Kong institution but I am getting ahead of myself here...

The Peninsula Hong Kong, or the "Grand Dame of the East," remains one of the world's most magnificent hotels to this day.

Before you walk in the lobby a fleet of 14 rolls Royce are parked in the front. In 2006, 14 Rolls Royce Phantoms in the hotel’s signature green were purchased to update the fleet and represented the largest single order placed for Rolls Royce in the company’s history. 

The Peninsula’s fleet of Rolls Royce Silver Shadows is mentioned in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun.

After noon tea at The Peninsula is a legend.  People come from all around the world to have afternoon tea which I was told is a really unique experience.

 

There is always a long line and it is really impossible to get in unless you are really patient and willing to wait for hours.

 

Afternoon tea is offered at the Peninsula everyday from 2p.m. – 7p.m. The Lobby does not accept reservations and there is always a line no matter what.

 

Afternoon tea is one of a few traditions left in the city from the colonial period. Once the hottest ticket in town for Governors, Generals and visiting royalty, the Peninsula Hotel remains the height of luxury in Hong Kong and Asia and the imperious Peninsula Tea Set has changed little in the last eighty years.

 

Afternoon tea takes place in the palatial Lobby set in the colonial style with tall ceiling, all marble floors, gilded columns and expensive looking paintings,

 

Portion is huge for two people. 

This the traditional selection served on a three tiered serving platter filled with plump and crumbling English scones with clotted cream, finger sandwiches, and an assortment of desserts and of course served with Tea.

 

Nathan road

Nathan Road is the oldest road in Kowloon, with the first section completed in 1861. It was originally named Robinson Road, after the 5th governor of Hong Kong, but because there was a similarly named street on Hong Kong Island, the street was renamed in 1909, paying homage to the 13th governor, Sir Matthew Nathan, who served from 1904 to 1907.

Today, it's one of the busiest and most popular commercial roads in Hong Kong and is a favorite place for visitors and locals to hang out and explore.

Huge Chinese Banyan trees lining up Nathan Road

 

Pretty amazing how these trees can survive by thriving on concrete wall.

 

These trees are huge and are centuries old.  Look at how small people are next to the root of the tree.

 

And yes they are protected.  Each tree has a number!

 

As we walked further lots and lots of shops are on Nathan road.

 

Neon signs are everywhere... except we can not read it  with a few exception.. MacDonald is just down the street.

Next.. Nathan Road, Part 2

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