Started 2026 how I mean to go on – with pandas! I spent the 1st of January 2026 visiting the pandas at Shanghai Zoo, yep, there’s 2 places in Shanghai that you can see pandas^ The Shanghai Zoo currently has 2 pandas on show, but over the years have hosted many pandas, including some that have gone on to live internationally. Let’s get on in to see the pandas:
I managed to pull myself away from the pandas a few times to go and see what else Shanghai Wild Animal Park has to offer – they have a huge range of animals here and the park is giant, so spread out, lots to see, and lots of steps to count for the day (I totalled 25,000 that day)!
The final pandas of 2025 – to end the year I was back in China for a week in Shanghai and so I spent the 30th of December squeezing in one last panda visit. My first time to the Shanghai Wild Animal Park! And for sure it won’t be the last visit, I had such a great day overall, including a fantastic time visiting the pandas. I had hoped the 2025-born twins might perhaps be on show with their mum, but I was out of luck on that front. I did however see the other 4 pandas and honestly had a fabulous end to panda viewing of 2025 … tempted to do the same for 2026!
Now for sure I didn’t think I’d be back at Hong Kong Ocean Park for a third visit to the pandas and a second visit in the same year! But here we are XD When planning my trip to Japan, and once it became Japan and South Korea, it felt like I needed a third location to round up a nice 2-week trip, and the lure of twin panda cubs brought me again to Hong Kong!
Despite having been to Hong Kong twice before, I’ve very much been a strictly panda and Disney visitor, I’ve yet to see any of the main tourist spots of the city – but this time I had an afternoon to start seeing the city. I did a little shopping, finding the fantastic Uniqlo x Ocean Park panda collection, picked up some fun themed magnets, and headed for my first experience on The Peak Tram – what a great afternoon! Then I headed to my hotel, the Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel to be in perfect position for starting off a strong following day at Ocean Park^ Didn’t choose a panda room this time but had an amazing view of the front entrance of Ocean Park and of course a super comfy room, had a great nights sleep there.
Continue Reading “Snapshots of a HONG KONG afternoon”