Hong Kong Day 2: Exploring Novotel Citygate Hong Kong

I managed to sleep for a few hours during this trip as compared to my past few trips. I went to bed at 11.45pm, woke up at 1.50am and stayed awake till 3am. The next time I woke up was already 6.40am.

Sunrise came early in Hong Kong. By 6.45am, the sky was already so bright. Since our itinerary for today was only Disneyland, we can enjoy a slower pace and no need to get out of bed so early. I rest for another hour before getting up to prepare.

I finished preparing by 9am. For this trip, I brought my slipper along because my toenail was injured and hurt when walking. To add an extra layer of protection, I had to put on a plaster. I wore the slippers out to the morning buffet and changed into sport shoe when heading out for exploration.

We headed down to Essence restaurant at level 1 for breakfast buffet at 9.10am. The selection was decent with a fusion-style Chinese and Western dishes. I was leaning more towards the Western dishes.

The swimming pool was located at level 3. From our room, I could see an outdoor area for guests to roam around. Captivated by the view, I decided to check out this area.

We enjoyed staying at Novotel Citygate Hong Kong so far, experiencing the best of both worlds with the stunning views of the hill and sea.

The breathtaking sight of the surrounding nature with its green hills, transformed the area into a serene hideout from the bustling city. This is the charm of Tung Chung. I always appreciate beautiful scenery whenever I travel.

The sun lounger was probably too hot to sit on it at the moment, the morning sun had heated it up.

I couldn't take my eyes off the stunning hill view. It was a rare and enchanting sight for a city girl like me. Staying in such a picturesque place made mornings worth waking up early for, allowing me to breathe in the fresh air.

This was the view that guests staying in the room opposite ours would see, I still preferred our room view. From this angle, you can catch a glimpse of the cable car on the left side of the hill.

We went back to hotel to drop off our loots. By the time we reached Tung Chung MTR station, it was already 12pm. I went to the customer service counter to purchase an Octopus Card at HKD200 (or S$34.84). We then took a train to Sunny Bay MTR station, just one stop from Tung Chung, to transfer to the Disneyland Resort line.

Disneyland, I am coming.

Hong Kong Day 1: Novotel Citygate Hong Kong + Banchan & Cook

I made my second visit to Hong Kong, a bustling city brimming with activities for travelers. Having been to Hong Kong before, this trip felt a bit like coming home, giving me the chance to explore new places that I yet to discover and revisit old favourites. It left me feeling even more captivated by the city's charm.

It drizzled the entire morning as we made our way to Changi Airport Terminal 3 and arrived at 11.30am for our flight at 1.05pm. As our boarding gate was a distance away, we took a sky train and walked to our boarding gate.

There was a 25 minutes delay and we set off at 1.30pm. The traveling time was about 3 hours 55 minutes. 

J used his soon expiring miles to redeem our tickets with Singapore Airlines (SIA), marking our third trip together. I love traveling with SIA, it has been a long time since I last enjoyed a full-service flight, complete with hot towels before takeoff and entertainment facilities. During the flight, I watched two movies: Thor: Ragnarok and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Meal was being served at about 3pm and I enjoyed Black Pepper Chicken with Steamed Rice and Seasonal Oriental Vegetables. The black pepper chicken accompanied by a flavourful sauce was delicious. The meal also included an appetiser, bread and juices. Udders Salted Caramel Ice Cream for dessert was served after we were almost done with the meal. 

Eating was a bit challenging due to minor turbulence and some shakiness as we flew over the South China Sea.

The view of Hong Kong slowly came to sight. We landed at Hong Kong International Airport at 5.25pm. Visitors are required to fill out an arrival card, which we completed on the plane. Customs clearance was efficient, taking only about 15 minutes. However, we had to wait a bit longer for our baggage, which took around 20 minutes.

My exchange rate was S$1 : HKD5.74.

After we collected our baggage, we walked towards the taxi station outside the arrival hall. There are three types of taxis available:

- Urban taxis (red) operate in most areas in Hong Kong

- New Territories taxis (green) mainly operate in the north-eastern part (i.e. north of Sha Tin) and north-western part (i.e. north of Tsuen Wan) of the New Territories. 

- Lantau taxis (blue) operate only on Lantau Island and Chek Lap Kok

We went to the third lane designated for blue taxi and we were the second in the queue. While there were plenty of red and green taxis already waiting, no blue taxis were available at that moment. We had to wait for one to arrive. Thankfully the wait was not too long, we got into the taxi within 5 minutes.

The taxi ride from the airport to our hotel was about 10 minutes drive and the fare was about HKD60 (or S$10.45). I spotted our hotel, Novotel Citygate Hong Kong, in front of the hill with the blue wordings.

We arrived at Novotel Citygate Hong Kong around 6.15pm. We were staying at the hotel for three nights at about S$659.61 ($219.87 per night), inclusive of breakfast. This 23 floors, 4-star hotel with 440 stylish rooms and suites offer either airport, cable car, sea or hill views.

Novotel Citygate Hong Kong

51 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung Hong Kong

Our room was situated at the furthest end from the lift lobby, right next to a large window. The lobby was a little dim with only spotlights from the doors and natural light streaming in from the window at the edge.

As we were outside our room, we were treated to this sea view from the large window at the side. With our time in Hong Kong limited to just two full days of exploration, one day in Disneyland and another day in central area, we chose to stay in Tung Chung, an area conveniently close to the airport and just two MTR stops away from Disneyland.

We stayed in standard room (28sqm) which was spacious by Hong Kong's hotel standards. It was a cosy room located minutes away from everything. Though it was a 10 minutes walk from Tung Chung station, the hotel was directly connected to Citygate Outlets mall, allowing us to shop along the way while heading to the MTR station.

The bathroom was quite spacious, featuring a well-thought-out layout. On the left, there was a bathtub accompanied by a rain shower. The basin was in the center and on the right was the toilet bowl. 

We were lucky to get the hill view room. The rolling hills were so close, making Novotel Citygate Hong Kong the hotel with the most beautiful view among those I've visited. The lush greenery of the hills captivated us, keeping our eyes glued to the window.

I was surprised by the number of residential properties in Tung Chung. The residents here enjoy a picture perfect view every day, although it is a bit far from the central area.

After half an hour of rest, it was nearly 7pm. Our plan was to spend the rest of the night at Citygate Outlets, the largest outlet mall in Hong Kong featuring over 150 international brand names under one roof, with some offering irresistible discount. We did not want to venture far and intend to enjoy the neighbourhood of Tung Chung.

Right after turning left from the hotel lobby, Citygate Outlets mall came to sight, connected from two levels. Our hotel was close to QB House (level 1) and Tommy Hilfiger (level 2).

We initially planned to dine at a particular restaurant but it appeared to be closed for an event. With time ticking, we decided to dine at the first restaurant we passed by.

The first restaurant that we passed by was Banchan & Cook, a Korean restaurant with a fusion of Western and Japanese style. It was already 7.30pm and we did not want to waste any more time searching for food, so we decided to settle here.

I had Mentaiko Pasta with Pork Katsu at HKD95 (or S$16.55) before service charge. The pasta was on a creamier side, resembling of carbonara with mentaiko sauce very subtle. The pork katsu, on the other hand, has a crunchy exterior and juicy interior.

The Red Bean Milk at HKD42 (or S$7.32) before service charge helped to ease my thirst, I have not been drinking sufficient water today due to traveling and my throat was a little dry. The red bean milk resembled red bean soup with red bean within and enhanced the taste.

Banchan & Cook

Shop 334, Citygate Outlets, 20 Tat Tung Rd, Tung Chung, Hong Kong

Operating hours: 11.30am to 10pm

We finished our dinner at 8.15pm and began on a shopping spree. The mall featured a range of well known stores including  mid-tier brands like Kate Spade, Coach and Michael Kors, as well as sport brands such as Adidas, Nike and Asics.

The connecting pathway to our hotel, we were back at 9.35pm. I was surprised that most of the stores were already closing shops by 9pm despite the mall closed at 10pm. There were still crowds in the mall with mostly residents heading back to their residential areas.