Portuguese-influenced Macau, with its glitzy casinos and the lure of easy money, coupled with rides in Hong Kong's Disneyland and the blessings of the Big Buddha, is a great way to bring in the New Year. Hong Kong, which translates to 'Fragrant Harbour' or 'Incense Harbour', is an autonomous territory on the Pearl River Delta of East Asia. Macau lies across the delta to the west and the Chinese province of Guangdong borders the north. Famous for its skyline and malls as also its old-world temples and natural harbour, Hong Kong is the perfect confluence of the East and West. Patralekhaa on why she chose to ring in 2017 there...

Overcoming my phobia
I grew up with Mickey and Minnie cartoons and a room full of soft, cuddly toys. They were my best friends till I was sent off to boarding school. Distance only made the heart grow fonder and for years I dreamt of going to Disneyland and shaking hands with them. I finally fulfilled the dream when Raj (beau Rajkummar Rao) and I took a trip to Hong Kong towards the fag-end of 2016.

I'd have liked to make a start with the Disneyland in California. We have US visas but it was too far to travel when we had just a few days off. So, we decided to go to Hong Kong instead and the day we landed, made an internet booking.

It's only a 30-minute train ride from the Hong Kong MTR station to Penny's Bay in Lantau Island, with the last leg aboard the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express. We were at the theme park by 10.30 am and among the last to leave at 8 pm. We'd been told we'd finish the tour in three hours, in 10 hours we only saw parts of the seven theme parks, including Main Street, USA, where you catch the grand parade of Disney characters, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point and Toy Story Land. I have to make another trip to complete the tour, in particular explore what the jungles have to offer.

Tomorrowland offers a blueprint to the future with its Iron Man attractions and its space ships. I'm not a big superhero fan but my boyfriend had a blast. What was memorable for me was the Space Mountain, an indoor roller coaster ride aboard a train which climbs hills, zips through tunnels, goes into a dome and approaches the end in a plunging series of dizzying turns. I suffer from vertigo and after one crazy ride as a child, was terrified of them.



This time I didn't realized I had queued up for one till we were inside, and then it didn't make sense to back out after having wasted 15-20 precious minutes. And so there I was speeding along, my heart in my mouth, wondering if this was the end! I came out, shaken and stirred, but victorious because I'd finally won a hard-fought battle with a lifelong phobia of heights. I was so exhilarated I even ventured into another ride in Fantasyland. This one was less frightening till you returned backwards. Another one took us up against gravity, ending in a free fall. We also took a 4D simulator ride where you're thrown into the sea, actually feel water sprinkling on you, imagine you're drowning till the Iron Man arrives to save you.

I loved the vibe in the park - everyone is an excited child there - and walked out feeling six feet tall after all the adventures of the day. And today, I am thinking of a trip to Auckland, New Zealand, for a sky dive from 16,500 feet. That's how brave I feel having conquered a lifelong phobia!


Material to spiritual
The day after our Disneyland tour, we took a train to Lantau Island. The 34-metre Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, sits in the mountains. Facing north, drawing pilgrims to the remote Po Lin Monastery at Ngong Ping. You have to climb 268 steps to reach the top for a closer view of this bronze statue opposite which is the 'Buddhist World in the South', home to devout monks.

Besides the Buddha, who has always given me positive vibes, I enjoyed the cable ride. Our cable car had a crystal bottom. As we rode over hills, we could see birds flying and when we were crossing the sea it came alive below us! We spent four days in Hong Kong. I did some shopping - the usual girly things like shoes and bags. I also picked up some fridge magnets to remind me of the visit.


Casinos calling
From Hong Kong it was a day-and-a-half in Macau, the city of casinos. It is among the world's richest regions and became the world's largest gambling centre in 2006. I was introduced to roulette around six years ago but have come to realise that gambling is not my scene despite the adrenaline rush it brings. In fact, it tires me out quickly. Still, after Disneyland, the bright lights and the glitzy Venetian casino made me feel like an adult. We stayed the night, felt like royalty and then when day dawned returned to our wonderworld with memories galore.

After 10 years, Shraddha Kapoor is enjoying a week-long family vacation in Hong Kong and Macau with parents Shakti and Shivangi and brother Siddhanth. They left Mumbai for Hong Kong on June 30 and are now in Macau.

“We had been planning this holiday for some time now but it just didn't seem to materialise. This time we were adamant that even if someone paid us Rs 200 crore, we would turn down the offer for our holiday,“ Shakti told Mirror from Macau. “We were all tired and needed this much-deserved break.“

He informed that their last family vacation was a decade ago. “We went to Canada with the kids,“ reminisced the 57-year-old actor. “Shivangi and I took a cruise a few years ago but Shraddha and Siddhanth didn't accompany us. They've been busy with their respective careers.“

Siddhanth turns 31 today and the Kapoors brought in the day with a big bash last night. “We have the best suite in the best hotel in Macau. Siddhanth thought we'd got the hotel wrong till we told him this was our birthday gift to him,“ laughed Shakti who's enjoying his break with the family.

The proud father is elated with his daughter's recent box-office hit, ABCD 2. “It's been a great year for Shraddha and we are grateful to Siddharth Roy Kapur. Thanks to him, we got VVIP treatment at Disneyland. We got special seats during the parade and no one let us spend a single penny at the park,“ he informed gleefully.

The family, which returns on July 7, has promised to plan at least one family trip each year. “But you know how it is once you're back in Mumbai, no holiday for the next two-three years. It's back to work from Wednesday,“ he sighed as he signed off.





Sonam Kapoor plays Milli, a free-spirited,beautiful, brave, warm and compassionate character in Khoobsurat, directed by Shashanka Ghosh, where she teams up with Fawad Khan in the lead role. The actress recently went all the way to Disneyland to meet some of her favourite characters like Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel. And Milli (Sonam), the endearing misfit, is hoping that like the fairytale princesses, she too will find her Prince Charming soon.

Over there, a surprise was in store for Sonam. Mickey and Minnie Mouse clicked selfies with her. The Bollywood fashionista also met up with Cinderella and enjoyed the iconic spring parade, besides having a blast on the rides! Talking about this, Sonam said, “It's a huge privilege to be India's first Disney girl. I had a great time at Disneyland Paris and took my mother along as well. My sister Rhea (a co-producer on the film) and I have grown up watching, their movies and I also share my birthday (June 9) with my favourite, Donald Duck. As a family, we, have always enjoyed the kind of entertainment and values this studio is associated with and now I am a part of their legacy with Khoobsurat.“

“Disney is known the world over for heart-warming stories that entertain the whole family and with Khoobsurat, India will get its first modern-day fairytale. Sonam embodies the character with ease and panache. The movie will be a magical love story between two opposites set in a royal family and a complete feel-good entertainer, which will take you through a roller-coaster of emotions,“ says Amrita Pandey (VP and Head, Marketing and Distribution, Studios, Disney India).

Khoobsurat, produced by Walt Disney Pictures in association with Anil Kapoor Film Company, releases worldwide September 19.