Ocean Park
I was glancing through all the pictures that were taken while in Hong Kong and I realized most of our pictures came from our third day at Ocean Park. Actually, it's no surprise cos I was snapping non-stop, hogging onto the camera and well, we all know that pictures are great for memory sake. I know I've talked quite a bit about it previously but I feel it had so much to offer to everyone (erm, that's if you're game for the rides as well) and it was very educational. So I thought maybe I'll share some love and more pictures.
We scheduled to visit the park on a Monday cos, it was a weekday and technically, should not be crowded. But, we were so wrong cos, during show time which was about 3pm, the large theater was FULL house, the queues for the various rides were getting longer and by evening, we queued for about half an hour for the cable car (and experienced some pushing and jostling meanwhile) just so that we could get to the exit of the park. But I felt we still made a correct choice by going on a weekday cos it could only mean that it would have been worse on a weekend.
We were greeted by the beautifully sculpted sandcastles of the various animals that one could see at the park. The people who sculpted the castles must have been very patient and had an eye for detail. I just wonder how long it takes to construct them.
A view of what's to come from afar. My bf and I went on almost every ride except for the kiddy ones. The roller coaster or The Dragon as it is named at the park wasn't that exciting. Perhaps, after having sat on the roller coaster at Dreamworld in Gold Coast Australia, this was just so-so. Oh ya, most of the rides were maybe a minute or less. So that people won't get too sick on the rides? I don't know.
More pictures of us on the rides. We sat on the ferris wheel, the Abyss (which in the above pix, is the long tower), the raging river and a few others. My bf was particularly frightened sitting on the Abyss and refused to sit on it again. All because it brings you all the way up of the tower and while indulging in a bird's eye view of sea and HK it suddenly drops all the way down, making you feel as though your body was being pushed upwards whilst coming down in super fast speed, your heart left high up in the sky and yelling your lungs out fearing for your life. Hee hee. I enjoyed this ride, no matter how much I screamed.
Oh, queuing for the cable car back to low lands was worthwhile. We had the entire car to ourselves which could actually sit 6 people for about 15 minutes. I really enjoy looking down at the scenery, the buildings and most importantly, God's creations. The cars moved pretty quickly but it got quite scary a few times just looking at how steep the cable lines were. It was a great experience, high up in the sky, especially with a loved one sitting next to you. :)
Speaking of the park being educational, we checked out the marine life, basically the sea lions, seals, all sorts of fishes and anything that lived under water. I got very excited checking out each individual and smaller aquariums. I don't remember the names of many of the creatures but they do look very unusual and unforgettable.
What's more.. there was an entire section on frogs. Gosh, I really never knew there were SO MANY species of frogs (apart from the 4 pictured above). It was exciting initially, hopping from one tank to another trying to spot the frog that often camouflaged against the leaves, branches and the environment and especially checking out how each of them looked. But after awhile, I got so sick of playing spotting and started feeling so disgusted at how many of them looked. Nevertheless, its an educational park for a reason.
One segment that I enjoyed quite a lot was the show time for sea lions and dolphins. It lasted for about half an hour but it was interesting to see how the animals did their tricks and man's love for these animals. My bf took most of the pictures during this time cos my finger just wasn't quick enough to snap the dolphins spinning in the air.
It's been almost two weeks from the trip and I'm missing it. Entrance fees to the park may seem a bit pricey if you think it was all rides you were going to take, but I learnt much more, appreciating the marine life animals and so on whilst having fun. I didn't exactly know what to expect except from what the website mentioned initially but eventually, I was greatly pleased.
I'd like to go back there again. I was surprised to know that Ocean Park is a not for profit organization and has its mission educate and entertain. If you intend to go to the park, get there early and set aside the entire day there. I'm sure you'll love it cos I definitely did!
We scheduled to visit the park on a Monday cos, it was a weekday and technically, should not be crowded. But, we were so wrong cos, during show time which was about 3pm, the large theater was FULL house, the queues for the various rides were getting longer and by evening, we queued for about half an hour for the cable car (and experienced some pushing and jostling meanwhile) just so that we could get to the exit of the park. But I felt we still made a correct choice by going on a weekday cos it could only mean that it would have been worse on a weekend.
We were greeted by the beautifully sculpted sandcastles of the various animals that one could see at the park. The people who sculpted the castles must have been very patient and had an eye for detail. I just wonder how long it takes to construct them.
A view of what's to come from afar. My bf and I went on almost every ride except for the kiddy ones. The roller coaster or The Dragon as it is named at the park wasn't that exciting. Perhaps, after having sat on the roller coaster at Dreamworld in Gold Coast Australia, this was just so-so. Oh ya, most of the rides were maybe a minute or less. So that people won't get too sick on the rides? I don't know.
More pictures of us on the rides. We sat on the ferris wheel, the Abyss (which in the above pix, is the long tower), the raging river and a few others. My bf was particularly frightened sitting on the Abyss and refused to sit on it again. All because it brings you all the way up of the tower and while indulging in a bird's eye view of sea and HK it suddenly drops all the way down, making you feel as though your body was being pushed upwards whilst coming down in super fast speed, your heart left high up in the sky and yelling your lungs out fearing for your life. Hee hee. I enjoyed this ride, no matter how much I screamed.
Oh, queuing for the cable car back to low lands was worthwhile. We had the entire car to ourselves which could actually sit 6 people for about 15 minutes. I really enjoy looking down at the scenery, the buildings and most importantly, God's creations. The cars moved pretty quickly but it got quite scary a few times just looking at how steep the cable lines were. It was a great experience, high up in the sky, especially with a loved one sitting next to you. :)
Speaking of the park being educational, we checked out the marine life, basically the sea lions, seals, all sorts of fishes and anything that lived under water. I got very excited checking out each individual and smaller aquariums. I don't remember the names of many of the creatures but they do look very unusual and unforgettable.
What's more.. there was an entire section on frogs. Gosh, I really never knew there were SO MANY species of frogs (apart from the 4 pictured above). It was exciting initially, hopping from one tank to another trying to spot the frog that often camouflaged against the leaves, branches and the environment and especially checking out how each of them looked. But after awhile, I got so sick of playing spotting and started feeling so disgusted at how many of them looked. Nevertheless, its an educational park for a reason.
One segment that I enjoyed quite a lot was the show time for sea lions and dolphins. It lasted for about half an hour but it was interesting to see how the animals did their tricks and man's love for these animals. My bf took most of the pictures during this time cos my finger just wasn't quick enough to snap the dolphins spinning in the air.
It's been almost two weeks from the trip and I'm missing it. Entrance fees to the park may seem a bit pricey if you think it was all rides you were going to take, but I learnt much more, appreciating the marine life animals and so on whilst having fun. I didn't exactly know what to expect except from what the website mentioned initially but eventually, I was greatly pleased.
I'd like to go back there again. I was surprised to know that Ocean Park is a not for profit organization and has its mission educate and entertain. If you intend to go to the park, get there early and set aside the entire day there. I'm sure you'll love it cos I definitely did!