Some of my friends are planning trips to Hong Kong soon, and have been asking me to recommend places to visit. I am no Hong Kong expert, so I will just share where I went. It was a short 4 days for my friends and I, but we did manage to cover quite a few places which I think should not be missed. :)
1. Night Markets
I stayed at the Royal Plaza Hotel at Mongkok, and the location is pretty convenient because it's just above the Mongkok East MTR station. The hotel's still undergoing renovation, but most parts of it are ready. My friends and I decided to get a room with 2 king-sized beds so that we are all staying in the same room. The room's really nice because it's new and nicely furnished. Temple Street and Ladies' Street are within walking distance, so we spent our first night walking through the rowdy and vibrant night markets. It was really quite a treat, especially with a cool weather of about 18 degrees celsius. :) Night markets are a signature of Hong Kong, and you should never leave without visiting one. To my surprise, the stuffs sold there were quite nice, and of course very affordable. My first purchase in Hong Kong was a pair of high-cut canvas shoes that cost less than S$20!
2. Stanley
Stanley happened to be my favourite place in Hong Kong because it is not as crowded as main Hong Kong city itself. You need to take a bus to Stanley via a really narrow two-way road. But at Stanley, you get to see the beautiful sea and everything seems to slow down. Plus, there is the Stanley Market where you can stroll through and see if you want to buy anything. We noticed an abundance of children's wear shops, so you can leave the place with bags and bags of clothes for your kids.
We spent quite a bit of time at the beach because the view was just so serene and breath-taking. I love to visit such places on a vacation because it totally relaxes my mind.
3. Victoria's Peak
Truth be told, there is nothing to do on the peak. But if you've never been there, you should at least make a trip there once. Most people take the tram up to the peak because it would be insane to attempt to go up via the stairs. Tram tickets are available one-way too, so I reckon some people choose to go up by tram and come down by the stairs. I am very sure 90% regret that decision by halfway mark. =P
We reached the Peak Tram station at 4pm+, and the station was so crowded. We had to wait in queue for about 30 minutes before it was our turn to board the tram.
At the peak, you get really pretty views of the skyline of Hong Kong. You can opt to pay a higher price to get access to the top of the peak, but we were pretty happy to have the view at a slightly lower ground. They looked gorgeous enough.
We managed to catch the sunset which was over in a split second. It's a strike off our must-do-list in Hong Kong.
Errmmm.. that's about all you can do at the peak. =P
4. Open-Top Double Decker Bus Ride
We didn't plan to do this, but it so happened that the bus from the Peak Tram station to our next destination was an open-top double-decker bus! It was such a delight riding on the top deck of the bus, with the cold wind blowing into our faces and all the pretty city lights everywhere. I think everyone should do this in Hong Kong - It was way too awesome.
Baby Jayne was intrigued too. :)
Caught this cute moment between Papa Isaiah & Baby Jayne. =P
5. Symphony of Lights
The Symphony of Lights happens every night at 8pm in Hong Kong. I thought it's such a brilliant idea - Merging light performances with symphonic music. The light performances are created by the silhouettes of different skyscrapers of Hong Kong skyline. The best viewing locations of this nightly spectacle are along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront between the Avenue of Stars and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the promenade at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wanchai, and from sightseeing ferries in the Victoria Harbour. Best of all, it is completely free-of-charge. Of course, that also meant that the crowds can be quite scary. We took a Stars Ferry ride from Hong Kong island to Tsim Sha Tsui, which is a common public transportation used by the locals everyday. That's a nice Hong Kong experience too. :)
6. Avenue Of Stars
When we visited the Avenue of Stars on our final day in Hong Kong, it was really warm. The temperature was still cool but the sun was blazing.
Saw a super cute Chinese junk boat!
Hubby saw the handprints of his favourite Canto singer - Sam Hui!
7. Mid-Levels Escalator System
The Central – Mid-Levels Escalator system, is the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system, stretching for over 800-metres and rising 135-metres through the streets of a steep hillside linking these districts of Hong Kong Island. It was opened in October 1993, having cost HK$245 million to build, six times the original estimate. The system is not a single continuous escalator but a series of 20 escalators and 3 inclined moving walkways, connected in places by footbridges, and with 14 entrances and exits. To ride the complete length of the escalator system one-way takes about 20 minutes. Hubby wanted to go see the escalators because he saw it in 'Running Man'... =P Turned out to be quite interesting. The slopes were so steep it's amazing. But I guess that was the reason why the escalators were built in the first place.
Image from www.traveljournals.net
Top view from the escalators.. :)
Check out this interesting stretch of stone road with steps carved into the ground so that it is not slippery.
Baby Jayne had fun walking up and down the interesting slope...
That pretty much sums up my 4 days in Hong Kong (Ocean Park included and covered in an earlier post). Hopefully it can be a nice reference when you are planning your own itinerary. My next few posts will focus on other food & delicacies you should not miss when in Hong Kong. My first Hong Kong food post was on dim sum here.
I think Hong Kong is an awesome place to visit. :)
