Ocean Park Hong Kong

We headed next to Ocean Park Hong Kong after our morning city tour. Just like during our Disneyland tour, my excitement got higher and higher as we were nearing Ocean Park, but not until the rain started to pour. :(


Yup, it was raining hard when we arrived at the Ocean Park which is why I only got to take this photo of the welcome arch at the end of our tour.


I even thought that the park's operation was put to a halt because there were barely some guests and most of them were already leaving the park.


With the rain seeming to last for the rest of the afternoon, I already convinced myself that we'd have to call it a day and just get back to our hotel. But Mark, being the ever positive guy that he is, insisted that we still go on with the tour. We bought some disposable raincoats and secured our things in the lockers at the main entrance and then started off with our tour.


Ocean Park has two main lands--The Waterfront and The Summit--which houses different rides, attractions, and shows; and there are also two ways to travel to and from the two lands--via the Ocean Express or via the Cable Car.  We decided to ride the Ocean Express first, which shuttled us from the Waterfront to the Summit.


The 4-minute journey between the Waterfront and Summit is indeed an unforgettable ride. The train, which is designed to resemble a submersible vehicle, offers a vivid experience that simulates a journey through the ocean's depths.


It was still raining and there was a long queue at the Summit Cable Cars Station, so we opted to have our lunch first at The Bayview Restaurant while waiting for the rain to stop. Click here to know more on our dining experience. :)


The rain finally stopped when we got out of the restaurant and the queue to the Cable Car also decreased. Talk about being lucky! :D

 I knew that Mark's mom would beg off to ride the cable car because, like me, she's also a scaredy cat when it comes to heights. But she was just so eager that time and I had no choice but to also give in. So up we went!


It started to drizzle so the panoramic scenery below us was kind of hard to see. But I didn't mind at all because I was busy holding on to dear life, I mean to the railings, as we were inching up. Haha! Notice how both Mark's mom and I were trying to conquer our fear of heights. It's just not shown in the picture but just like Mark's mom, I was holding the railing so tight as I really felt it would be the end of me if I let go. Hahaha! :p


It was just Mark who was enjoying the ride. He even opened the window to get a clearer view of the surroundings.


I felt relieved when we were nearing the mountain top because we can finally alight the cable car. But I was definitely wrong! Just when I thought that we already passed by the highest point, it dawned on me that we were just halfway through the ride and that we were still about to go even higher!


We alighted at the Waterfront station and started to explore from there.


We started our tour after lunch so we weren't able to visit all the attractions and shows. Here are a few of the attractions that we were able to explore:

Amazing Asian Animals - The Waterfront

Aside from the Cable Car and Ocean Express stations, the Waterfront also has sections like the Amazing Asian Animals, Aqua City, and Whiskers Harbour, which house a number of different attractions.


1. Goldfish Treasures

Here we not just saw various types of goldfish but we also learned about their importance especially to the Chinese culture through educational artifacts.



2. Giant Panda Adventure

We kind of waited for quite some time for the pandas to come out. Apparently it's their siesta time so they were all inside the makeshift caves.


3. Gator Marsh



4. Emperors of the Sky

It started to drizzle so we geared up with our raincoats once again. We got to watch different species of birds in an educational session which definitely gave us a deeper understanding of why it is important to protect their wildlife habitat.



Aqua City - The Waterfront

1. Water Front Plaza

We were able to witness a number of thrilling acrobatic performances and exciting stunts here. This colorful area also sets the backdrop for many of Ocean Park's festive events.


2. Old Hong Kong

I'd love to say that this is my most favorite part of Ocean Park. I love how it is bringing back the culture of Hong Kong in the '50s -'70s. It is very much different from the present Hong Kong especially in terms of structures and environment, so I was glad that I somehow got to relive and experience the life, culture, and environment of Hong Kong back then.


3. Grand Aquarium

The journey to the Grand Aquarium starts at the sunny sea shore where you'll find different corals,  and stroll through a beach adorned with sand sculptures. As you go along, you will be quickly brought to the darkest depths of the ocean floor.


4. Sealife Carousel

We didn't get to try this ride. I just love how the young and old alike loved the ride on the massive Sea Life Carousel, featuring the marine animal stars of the Grand Aquarium.


Whiskers Harbour - The Waterfront

There are different rides here which are most suited for kids.


Whiskers Harbour Games

There are over twenty arcade games here which I'm sure the kids and kids at heart will enjoy. Mark and I got to try some of them and it was so much fun!


Just like The Waterfront, The Summit also has sections like Marine World, Polar Adventure, Adventure Land, Thrill Mountain, and Rainforest, which also house a lot of other attractions and shows.

Marine World - The Summit

1. Sea Jelly Spectacular

Here is where over 1,000 sea jellies of all sizes, shapes, and colors from around the world are housed. They are made more pleasing to watch because of the lighting, sound, and multimedia special effects used.



2. Pacific Pier

Here is where we got to witness the intelligent sea lions. It was kind of disappointing though because the show is in Chinese, so non-Chinese speaking guests where somehow at a lost of what's happening throughout the show.


Polar Adventure - The Summit


Arctic Blast

Mark and I got to try this ride. It's a roller coaster that runs amidst a snowscape-themed wonderland.


Thrill Mountain - The Summit

1. The Flash

Mark and I were already at the queue but I immediately backed out when I saw how the ride will go. It's like a pendulum which swings from side to side, until it makes not just one but 3 full 360-degree turns! I got scared with just watching the riders, plus I was also wearing a dress that time, so I begged off. Mark went on the ride on his own and was screaming non-stop during the full turns! Haha!


2. Hair Raiser

We already passed by this one and Mark was bugging me to ride this but I was doing all my best to deviate his attention away from this ride. Haha! I really didn't want to ride the Hair Raiser because I'm afraid of heights. Just the thought of me having to hurtle, plunge, and loop around with my legs in the air at a massive 4G, while suspended high above the South China Sea, already makes me wanna faint! Good thing it was already closed when Mark finally got to convince me to ride this. :p


Rainforest - The Summit

The Rapids

I was meaning to ride this one, unfortunately we got to The Rapids too late and it was also already closed. :(


If you're into extreme rides and adventures, you will definitely love it at Ocean Park. Aside from the extreme rides, the park also has a lot of kid-friendly rides and shops for souvenirs and refreshments so all of the family members will surely enjoy.


Because we got there after lunch and the rain just wouldn't cooperate, there were still a lot of sections, attractions, rides, and shows that we weren't able to explore during our tour. But nevertheless, we still all had fun and enjoyed our afternoon at the Ocean Park. Will definitely try out the rest of the rides and attractions when we get back. :)

More photos HERE :)

OCEAN PARK Hong Kong
Aberdeen, Hong Kong
Tel: (852).3923.2323
Fax: (852).2873.5584
www.oceanpark.com.hk

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