Victoria's Peak (2.5 of 5)
Since the day we got here, Hong Kong has had a foggy haze plaguing the city. The forecast didn't look any better over the next week and with the Tram closing for maintenance starting on Sunday, the chances were dwindling to go up. The view at the top turned out to be just as expected - NO VISIBILITY past 20 feet... yes you read that correctly. It was the journey though that made the trip for us though. We took the Ding Ding train (which is a really old cable car) to Central Pier. From there, we got to ride an open top bus to the Tram which takes you up to the top. You could take a cab up, but really the tram is a lot of fun. The climb is so steep that buildings appear to be slanted - which turns out to be a neat effect. I'd go as far to say that without this tram, there is little left to the entire experience. The same cannot be said though for the Sky Gallery - the highest point where to see Hong Kong. Save the $25 HKD and go to the open terrace in the Peak Galleries which are free and offer just as good a view. When you are on top, taking one of the hikes is refreshing. If you don't have kids, try the circle hike. If you do have kids, hike to the playground that is a 10 minute walk.
HK Zoological & Botanical Gardens (3 of 5)
Once we came down from the Peak, we hiked it over to the gardens which was only 10 minutes away. There you will be taken into a little sanctuary in the heart of the city that houses many animals. It is essentially a small zoo that is free. You can see monkeys, lemurs, and jaguars. Much like the Nan Lian Gardens, there were only a few dozen folks scattered throughout. The same theme seems to reoccur quite often in our travels in that many locals don't seem to enjoy what they have in their own city. Unfortunately, I know we're guilty of this same thing in Calgary.
