Victoria Peak: A Scenic Vantage Point of Hong Kong's Modern Skyline

A must visit when you're in Hong Kong, Victoria Peak is the most scenic vantage point to appreciate the city's modern skyline and see the beautiful chaos below while you're peacefully up The Peak. Not only is the trip to Victoria Peak a scenic one, it is also historical as you get to ride The Peak Tram - a great way for you to experience, one of Hong Kong's oldest transportation modes.

Ratings:
Attractions: 5/5, great view of Hong Kong's modern skyline especially at night
Food: 3/5, we had a decent dinner at Hong Kong Day restaurant in The Peak Galleria but food wasn't our priority during our visit at Victoria Peak
Prices: 4/5, affordable price for a round trip on the Peak Tram with Sky Terrace 428 - HKD 83.00

Directions to Victoria Peak
Our Victoria Peak Tour was our second stop on our Day 1 of our Hong Kong trip. We came from Ocean Park HK before heading to The Peak so here are the directions from Ocean Park HK to Victoria Peak:

- from Ocean Park ride Ocean Park bus 629
- get off at Admiralty Station - this is the normal stop when going to The Peak Tram because this is the closest train station to it.
- Walk to The Peak Tram (note: Peak Tram Lower Terminus is
at Garden Road near St John's Cathedral

The Peak Tram

We wanted to see the night lights from The Peak so we decided the tour there to be the last item for our Day 1. Because of the spectacular view of Hong Kong skyline at night, most people also choose to go there at night, so The Peak Tram Lower Terminus was very crowded when we arrived.

heavy crowd waiting to board the Peak Tram for a night view

We lined up to get return tickets with the Sky Terrace 428 tour. Get your HKD 83 ready for this. After getting our tickets, we queued up at the end of a very long and twisting line of people. Our waiting was made pleasurable by the old tram models, equipment and photographs that are on display in the station. We got more than enough time to read the history and take pictures.

When the tram finally arrived, it was like a celebrity. Tourists took out their cameras and snapped photos of the tram.

The arrival of The Peak Tram

There were not enough seats to accommodate everyone so you have to make sure that you still have energy to stand for the whole journey. Standing up is no problem at all though because you get to have a better view of the mountainside, the Victoria Harbor, and the night lights as you make your way up the mountain.


It took us around 20 minutes to reach the top and when we stepped out to The Peak Galleria. We just took quick pictures at the wax statues at the entrance of Madame Tussauds because we didn't really plan on visiting the museum. After our quick photo session, we felt our stomachs are already growling having spent the first part of our day in Ocean Park. So, we looked for a place to eat at The Peak Galleria and we found Hong Kong Day.

Hong Kong Day Restaurant
Before going up to the Sky Terrace, we had dinner at Hong Kong Day restaurant in The Peak Galleria.

We ordered Wanton Noodle in  Soup (HKD 25), Fried Rice with Minced Meat and Pan-Fried Egg in Black Bean and Chili Sauce (HKD 36), and Stir-Fried Pork with Rice and Vegetables (HKD 36). The food is decent and the ambiance is good. We wanted to take a break from fast foods having eaten at a fast food in Ocean Park HK.

Wanton Noodle Soup

Stir-Fried Rice with Meat and Vegetables

Fried Rice with Minced Meat and Black Beans in Chili Sauce

Sky Terrace 428

After dinner, we now headed up to the main attraction at the Sky Terrace 428 to admire the Hong Kong skyline from above.They handed out headphones for an audio historical tour of The Peak and it really helped a lot for us to understand the past and present of this place.

The main attraction from this altitude is the lights from below

It really was a breathtaking experience as you marvel at the numerous buildings and lights from below,. The Victoria Harbor, with its waters separating the modern land masses, looks like a peaceful eye of the storm, in the midst of the technological chaos that's happening in the city.

Tips for Wandering Peasants

• if you want to follow our itinerary, you can go to Victoria Peak at night to see the amazing lights of the Hong Kong skyline. You just have to find a place to go in the morning and afternoon - like Ocean Park, which would take you almost all morning and most of the afternoons to explore.
• if you're going at night, you might as well go queue up as early as 4 or 5 pm to avoid the crowd.
• I really recommend going here at night. It feels so calm here during night time and the illuminations from below are a sight to see!
• going here in the morning might save you the hassle of the large crowd at The Peak Tram.

Location





Useful Links and Info
The Peak website
The Peak tickets and rates

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Mango Tree Bistro: Terrific Thai Food at Trinoma

If you're in Trinoma and got a sudden craving for Thai food, go to Mango Tree Bistro for a delectable experience. Thai foods have always been my favorite ever since I first tasted Khao Kluk Kapi - fried rice with shrimp paste, meat, spices and green mango. It was just an explosion of flavor and it instantly became one of my favorite foods.

Ratings:
Food:  5/5, the taste is very authentic
Prices: 4/5, reasonable prices for dishes that are good for sharing
Place: 5/5, the place is very spacious and stylish

The Food
We got a large order of Khaopad Gai (Php 380). It is made up of stir-fried rice, with chicken, tomatoes, cucumber and lemongrass. We really liked this and we're surprised that the serving size is more than enough for us. In fact, I think four people could share a large order of this dish. Squeezing a lime over it and adding condiments such as chili powder and fish sauce makes it taste even more like an authentic Thai food.

Khaopad Gai (Php 380) - large order for sharing by 3-4 persons

Of course, our dinner at a Thai restaurant won't be complete without Thailand's most popular street food - Pad Thai. So, we ordered Mango Tree Bistro's Phad Thai Goong (Php 420) - stir-fried rice noodles with prawns, tofu, eggs, peanuts, chili and bean sprouts. This is surprisingly good and the flavor is very rich because of the sauce. I liked the way it was presented - with the eggs scrambled in a mesh over the noodles, and the peanuts and bean sprouts on the sides. It tastes so good that the two of us wolfed down an order that was supposed to be shared by three or four persons.

Phad Thai Goong (Php 420) - for sharing by 3-4 persons

The Place

Located near the entrance at Trinoma Garden Restaurants, Mango Tree Bistro is quite spacious. It is dark-themed with black couches, tables and chairs, and stylish lighting.

With this kind of space, you can have your lunch meetings here. When we came in for dinner, they were playing jazz music which I really liked. In fact, there's a song that caught my attention - a bossa nova version of Guns n' Roses' Patience by Sixth Finger.

The staff are also attentive. We got our order within ten minutes upon ordering. This place is really cozy and is good for quiet and relaxing dinners.

Tips for Wandering Peasants

• an order can usually be shared by two to three persons if you're not big of an eater.
• their Pad Thai is really good!
• I heard their sticky Mango sticky rice - Khao Niew Ma Muang (Php 250) is really good. Maybe this is why the restaurant is named after this fruit after all.

Location
Mango Tree Bistro TriNoma
3/F Trinoma Mall, EDSA cor. North Ave. Quezon City

Trinoma Branch is near the entrance at Trinoma Garden Restaurants which at the corner of North and Mindanao Avenues.
Other Branches:
Mango Tree The Fort
7th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street Central, Global City, Taguig

Mango Tree Bistro Greenbelt
Ground Floor, Greenbelt 5, Makati City

Useful Links and Info
Mango Tree Bistro PH website
Menu from Official Website 
Menu with prices from zomato.com

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