The Peak

I've been trying to convince Jake to take me on a date at the Peak Lookout, since it's such a romantic restaurant perched on top of Hong Kong. Unfortunately, it was such a hassle to go all the way to Central and then take the tram to the Peak again on our anniversary night. We settled for this photo instead. Maybe next year?

However, we did get to share some freezing moments on top of the Peak viewing deck overlooking the city. But first, I just have to share our trip around Central and our tram ride from Causeway. Since trams are a novelty in Hong Kong, we decided to ride one for our trip to Central instead of taking the MTR to soak up some "culture". We rode on the top deck and had fun sightseeing at every stop. It was such an experience to hear the ding ding bells and to only pay two dollars for the whole ride.

Once we reached our stop at Pedder Street, we headed to Queen's Road for some serious shopping. The girls and I split up with Jake, who didn't want to waste two hours of his life inside four floors of H&M, and proceeded to indulge ourselves in some retail therapy.

I'm slightly envious of Jake, though. He got to roam the Central shopping district and went to The Landmark, IFC Mall, and got to see the topless male model inside Abercrombie and Fitch. I missed my chance for a photo op with an Abercrombie male model! Oh well. We did get to see the Christian Louboutin shop and only managed to steal some wishful glances from the window.

After the shopfest, we thought we'd walk all the way from Queen's Road going to the Peak Tram station. Big mistake. It was an uphill battle and we spent about twenty minutes in what would have been a 3-minute bus/tram ride to Murray Road. The shops and sights we passed along the way were worth it, though. We passed inside a residential area and a private road on our uphill walk.

We also passed by Lan Kwai Fong and Wyndham Street and got to see the funky side of Central along the way. I loved the streets filled with bars and restaurants winding uphill and downhill, depending on where you were headed.

We relied on these signs to encourage us that we were getting closer to our destination.

Finally! After an emergency stop at a Lan Kwai Fong bar to get $35 Cokes (we had no choice!) for our thirsty group, we emerged at the landing of the Peak Tram station. From here, you can buy tickets to ride the ancient peak tram and reach the peak summit and look-out. I think there's a cheaper way to go there via bus and by walking but we opted for this ride.

It was Jake and Mitch's first time to head up to the Peak!

Upon reaching the top, you can head straight to the Peak Tower before heading up to the Sky Terrace. There are a lot of shops and restaurants in the tower, and you have to pay extra to gain access to the Sky Terrace. There's also a Madame Tussaud's wax museum and Jake posed with Bruce Lee who was out on the front to greet the guests.

It was freezing on the Peak Tower! But we were rewarded with an awesome view of the cityscape.

I've always wondered who lives on the buildings behind us. They look so warm, inviting, and posh from the tower. I can just imagine their view from the windows--and to live on the Peak! I'd give anything to stay there for a night.

We also went down to the garden road with the outdoor restaurants. There's a pathway to the side where you can also enjoy the view without paying the Peak Tower entrance fee. There's a Chinese garden and gazebos scattered along the trail. It's actually a nice hang-out place, if you don't mind the freezing temperature.

I'm still holding out hope for a Peak Lookout date. It's now officially two years in the making!