Ozone Bar - the highest bar in Asia!

This is not somewhere to go if you're afraid of heights! You need to take three lifts to get to the Ozone Bar, which is situated on the 118th floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It has a classy yet relaxed feel to it; soft music is playing whilst the staff mix drinks and deliver them to your table with a smile. 

At the foot of the Ritz-Carlton hotel

Incredibly there is an outdoor section. There are thick glass windows stopping anyone or anything from tumbling below, but as you sit there gazing out over the view you can feel the breeze on your face as there is no roof.  

Looking out over the sea and Hong Kong Island

The density of Kowloon

Although many posh places in Hong Kong have a dress code (which can range from 'no beachwear' to 'no open-toe shoes' and 'no sleeveless shirts for men'), I have been to the Ozone Bar twice and the dress code doesn't seem to be too strict. Both times I have been wearing open-toe shoes. I obviously just look the part!   

Mixing it up!

A Champagne Mojito

 No great surprise that drinking here is not cheap, but it's not extortionate either. All the people I've been with have agreed that it's not much more expensive than drinking in London. And it's worth the little bit extra for the amazing view!

The view from the other side of the bar

Ritz-Carlton Hotel
International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Dinner - 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Monday to Sunday) 
5 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Monday to Wednesday) 
5 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Thursday to Saturday) 
12 p.m. to 12 a.m. (Sunday)

Terracotta Warriors in Hong Kong

There are certain things you should see before you die and personally I think seeing the Terracotta Warriors is one of them. And now I've done it! 

Luckily for me there's currently an exhibition at the Museum of History in Hong Kong and I took advantage of it. It has a wonderfully elaborate title: The Majesty of All Under Heaven - The Eternal Realm of China's First Emperor. 

Terracotta seated musician

When we first walked into the darkened space we were 'greeted' by a digitalised warrior who appeared on the screen with us. He started attacking us with spears. The whole thing was extremely amusing, but I'm not sure what the old couple next to us made of it! 

Then there was a massive screen, the size and shape of a skateboard halfpipe, which showed a five minute video of the time when the warriors were built. Obviously a lot of thought, dedication and money has gone into making this exhibition interactive, accessible to all ages and interesting. I thought it was well worth a visit!

Terracotta kneeling musician and bronze swan

Terracotta civic official

The very impressive bronze chariot No1

Exhibition open until 26th November 2012. Entrance tickets cost HK$10 (free Wednesdays will not apply) and the museum will extend its opening hours during the exhibition period remaining open from 9am to 10.30pm daily (closed on Tuesdays and public holidays).


Hong Kong Museum of History, 100 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.
Museum Website: www.hk.history.museum  
For enquires, call 2724 9042.

Holiday at Home: Part 2

The Hotel


Recently Nick & I had a 3-day weekend and couldn't decide where to go. We have previously stayed in a luxurious 5-star hotel in Macau and wondered about doing that again. In the end we decided that Hong Kong had both sightseeing and luxury to offer, without the hassle of travel. 

The Gold Coast Hotel

We booked ourselves into the 5-star Gold Coast Hotel for two nights. The Gold Coast is situated beyond Kowloon in the area of Hong Kong which borders China. Despite Hong Kong being relatively small (426 sq miles or 1,104 km²) we calculated that by public transport it would take us about 90 minutes to get there. We therefore  treated ourselves to a taxi from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station (for those of you living in HK it costs about HK$150 from TST) to cut down on the journey time a little. 

Inside fountain

To our surprise we were greeted by porters and doormen with white gloves on! The main lobby was vast with comfy seating, glass lifts, the main restaurant (where we had our delicious Jazz Buffet - check out Holiday at Home: Part 1 for more details) and beautiful golden fountains. We certainly feel that we've moved up in the world a little since our days of hostels in Germany! The room was fairly standard, but extremely comfortable with a mini bar that wasn't too extortionately expensive. Best of all it offered a view of the nearby beach, but more on that next week...

The beautiful gardens

This hotel is also used as a wedding venue and it doesn't take much calculation to work out why. Along with the decadence inside, there are beautiful gardens at the back of the hotel.