My first time to see the pandas at Ocean Park Hong Kong, and my first time in Hong Kong! I’m not sure why I didn’t really think about visiting before, but when I was booking this trip, getting back home directly from Chengdu was quite expensive with at least 2 stops, I looked at the different options to get home via Amsterdam/Paris, and Hong Kong came up – having never been, it was a no-brainer!
Ocean Park Hong Kong is a bit of a combination between a theme park and a zoo, they have both rides to go on, entertainment, and lots of animals to see. It’s split up into two different areas, the Waterfront and the Summit, and within each area there are different themed lands. I ended up staying at the Waterfront – to get to the Summit you can either take the cable car or the train as the two areas are separated by a mountain. I did try to go and take the train but it was closed when I wanted to go, and the queue for the cable car was over an hour, so I decided not to go. I was just particularly interested in seeing the pandas, so I didn’t go on any attractions, I stuck to seeing the pandas and most of the other animals living in the Waterfront area.
The pandas are located in the Waterfront, so easy to get to from the entrance of the park. This trip was in May 2024, at that time there were only 2 giant pandas at Ocean Park and they were staying in the Giant Panda Adventure building. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures building only had golden snub nosed monkeys in it when I visited, but now there are two brand new pandas also featuring there – the building has a lovely design with pandas all over the front, this did seem to confuse some visitors. Despite there being a staff member at the door saying ‘only monkeys, no pandas in here’, people were still leaving and asking her why they didn’t see any pandas in the building! And also on my visit, turns out Ying Ying was pregnant, so now there are two precious cubs to be seen as well – honestly what a few months Ocean Park had with their pandas^
There is of course also other panda themed things at Ocean Park – when you leave the Giant Panda Adventure area, you leave via a gift shop. They have many different panda souvenir options and I left with quite a few of them XD They had some deals on t-shirts, so I got a couple and am excited to wear them on future panda trips. I also picked up a magnet, my favourite holiday souvenir and there were plenty of soft-toys and kids games as well. I’ve seen now they have a huge range with the new pandas (both adults and cubs) so I’m excited to check these out next time. And there is of course the Club Panda Cafe, I didn’t eat here on my trip because I think at that time there didn’t look to be too many foods that looked like pandas, but now I think that’s changed with the new arrivals. Next time I’m having lunch there! And that will be soon – because I’m back in Hong Kong as this post goes live and I’ll be in Ocean Park seeing all 6 pandas tomorrow^
Le Le 乐乐
Le Le 乐乐 was the first panda I saw, he was out and about first thing when I arrived at the Giant Panda Adventure Building. He was born in 2005, making him 18yrs old on my visit. He then moved here to Ocean Park in 2007. Heading straight for the pandas when entering the park is recommended, it was super quiet and there were very few other visitors immediately at park opening, so I almost had Le Le to myself! The yard is beautiful, I like the different elevation options, the different terrains and climbing options, plus the stream in the middle. There are also plenty of viewing options – mostly along the ‘bridge’ which is glass-free, and then there is a section at the right side where you can view through glass. He was enjoying breakfast first thing, and then I also saw him eating later at lunch time, otherwise he had a good nap up on his wooden platform. You can see this from the viewing window quite nicely so I was able to get some nice photos of him up there and of his descent after nap-time! Later in the day he was brought into the middle yard – this has access for both of the pandas, so they alternate use of it giving some different options. This yard is smaller, but has an amazing close-up panda view. In here Le Le did some training with one of the keepers (even doing a super cute roll over, I love it!), chowed down on some bamboo then settled for what looked like an uncomfortable snooze on a rock?! He’s such a cutie and he seemed super chill and happy – and now he’s a dad to twins!
Ying Ying
And then of course is Ying Ying 盈盈! She was also born in 2005, and shortly after her 19th birthday in August 2024, she became a first-time mum to twins – such a special moment after a long time of trying for cubs. Ying Ying was in the second yard in the Giant Panda Adventure – when I arrived she was out and eating some bamboo. This yard is very nice, it’s a flatter terrain and with a pond along the front, with grass and plenty of foliage. It has both glass-free and glass viewing areas, giving good options for viewing. She then moved over to the middle yard and spent the morning there – it was quite amazing as she was so close to the window sitting eating and facing the public (something I’m really not used to haha). As well as bamboo she later had enrichment back in her larger enclosure, and spent most of the afternoon there – wandering around, finding treats, eating and exploring her hollow log-esque item over by the window, watching her climb in was super cute (like Tian Tian and her giant hollow log, it was a firm favourite!). She was super easy to watch – she was quite popular when in the smaller yard, with a smaller window, but she was pretty settled there so I was happy to watch from further back then could step towards the window when it got quieter. In the afternoon it wasn’t that busy at all, most people were just strolling through and stopping for a few minutes, so it was easy to get a good spot to watch her from. Can’t wait to see her again, and think it will be super cute when eventually we can see her with both the cubs together on show^
What else to see at Ocean Park – Waterfront
As I mentioned above, I only ended up seeing the Waterfront area mostly because I spent too long with the pandas – no surprise there! But there are plenty of other things to see in this area although not a huge number of other animals. Also sharing the Giant Panda Adventure are the red pandas, these guys were super cute – I saw them both sleeping and up and about, and also saw the keeper in doing some training with them, and them getting some enrichment. There is also the aquarium which was huge, I just had a quick walk through and almost had the whole place to myself. It’s kept dark so it was tricky to get any pictures but saw plenty of pretty sea life. The Whiskers Harbour area is more aimed at families and kids, but there was a cute meerkat walkthrough which I really liked – you walk through the middle and there are tunnels underneath the path and you can see the meerkats running along beneath you. The door at one side was closed, and there was a bit of a blockage as several really wanted to try and get through! The final area is the Old Hong Kong section, styled in the traditional manner where you can get a feel of the old city and get typical Hong Kong foods/snacks – I really didn’t leave enough time for this area so I just quickly walked through but I really liked the feel of it, completely different to the other areas in the Waterfront.
