Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, is a city and special administrative region of China in the eastern Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. Hong Kong was once owned by the British. The former British colony became a special administrative region of China in 1997, when Britain’s 99 years lease of the New Territories, north of Hong Kong island, expired.
Hong Kong is made up of the Kowloon peninsula and 263 islands. The largest is Lantau Island. The second largest is Hong Kong Island. As we were only there for the week, we only had the chance to explore the Kowloon peninsula, Lantau Island, and Hong Kong Island. These are the 3 main areas of Hong Kong and the 2 most popular islands to visit.
To get from the Kowloon peninsula to Hong Kong Island or Lantau Island, you can either catch a boat, drive/taxi across the bridge, or catch the underground train. If you are flying into Hong Kong, the International airport is located on Lantau Island. We caught the train, followed by the underground train all the way to Hong Kong Island, where our hotel was located. The public transport is excellent.
Transport
The transport is excellent in Hong Kong. You won’t need to hire a car. Plus I would advise not driving on the roads over there, as they are very busy and congested. Hong Kong is one of the busiest cities in the world. Getting to and from the airport, there are frequent trains that take you onto the Kowloon peninsula.
On the Kowloon peninsula and Hong Kong Island, there is a great underground train network, called the MTR. To get around Lantau Island, there are public buses that you can catch. If public transport isn’t your thing, there are taxis and Uber. If you prefer to travel by water, there are water taxis and the famous Star Ferry, which take you from one island to another.
If you are planning on using public transport, it is worth getting the tourist Octopus card. You can purchase one at the airport. You pay a deposit for the card and get your money back when you hand it back in at the end of your trip. All you need to do is top it up on the machines, located in the stations with money. This card will get you a discount on travel.
Accommodation
We stayed in a lovely hotel called Dorsett Wanchai, located in Wan Chai, on Hong Kong Island, next to the Happy Valley Racecourse. It was a lovely hotel to stay in and just an 8 minutes walk away, from the nearest underground train station (MTR).
Places to See and Do
Here are my top recommendations on what to see and do in Hong Kong:
Kowloon Peninsula
Snoopy Cafe
I am a big Snoopy fan. So when I read about this Snoopy Cafe, it headed straight to the top of my list of places to visit. We stopped and enjoyed lunch in the Peanut-themed cafe. The tables were covered in the different Peanut characters, the cakes were Peanut themed and even my rice even came in the shape of Snoopy! It was one big dream for me! If you are a big fan, like me, this is a must! The cafe is located in the Tsim Sha Tsui district, on the Kowloon Peninsula.
Star Ferry
Star Ferry, since 1888, is the most famous way to travel between the Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island. The journey is a short 10 minutes crossing, which crosses Victoria Harbour. Not only is the crossing experience in itself, but it also provides great views of the Hong Kong Island skyline. I recommend doing the crossing twice; once in daylight and again at night.
The ferry runs from 7.20 am to 10.30 pm, costing just HKD $2 during weekdays and HKD $3.40 during the weekend. You can use your Octopus card to pay.
Where to catch the ferry from:
Kowloon peninsula: TST Star Ferry pier. Catch the MTR to East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit L6. Walk to the Clock Tower along Salisbury Road; or use Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit E.
Hong Kong Island: Central Star Ferry pier. Catch the MTR to Hong Kong Station, Exit A2 or MTR Central Station, Exit A. Or catch the ferry from Wan Chai Star Ferry pier. Catch MTR to Wan Chai Station, Exit A1.
Symphony of Lights
The Symphony of Lights is the world’s largest permanent light and sound show, according to Guinness World Records. Every night, at 8 pm, people gather around the Clock Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui and watch the 15 minutes show, over Hong Kong Island skyline. It is a fabulous show to watch and not to be missed!
Sky100
Sky100 is Hong Kong’s largest indoor observation deck, providing 360 degrees views of the city. I recommend a visit in the daylight as well as at night! The observation deck on the 100th floor, of the International Commerce Centre, in West Kowloon. We booked tickets in advance, through their website. However, you can purchase some on the day if you prefer.
To find out how much it cost and their opening hours, head over to their website: Sky100.
Wong Tai Sin Temple
Wong Tai Sin Temple is a Taoist temple, established in 1921. It is one of the most famous temples in Hong Kong. The temple commemorates the famous monk of yore, Wong Tai Sin. He was born in the fourth century and became a deity at Heng Shan. In 1915, Taoist priest Liang Ren-an carried a sacred portrait of Wong Tai Sin from Guangdong in southern China to Hong Kong. Now housing this precious portrait, the Wong Tai Sin Temple is where worshippers pray for good fortune through offerings, divine guidance, and fortune-telling.
The temple is located in Chuk Un. It’s open from 7 am to 5 pm. To get there, take the MTR to the Wong Tai Sin Station. Leave the station through Exit B2 and walk directly towards Wong Tai Sin Temple.
Nan Lian Gardens
The Nan Lian Garden is a Chinese Classical Garden, located in Diamond Hill, Kowloon. The garden has an area of 3.5 hectares. It is designed in the Tang Dynasty-style with hills, water features, trees, rocks, and wooden structures. It is beautiful to walk around. The gardens are open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday. Sundays they are closed.
To get to Nan Lian Gardens, take the MTR Kwun Tong Line (Green Line) to Diamond Hill Station. From there, take exit C2 and follow the signs to the gardens. It will take around 5 minutes to walk from the MTR station to the gardens.
Chi Lin Nunnery
Chi Lin Nunnery is a large Buddhist temple complex, located in Diamond Hill, Kowloon, next to Nan Lian Gardens. It was founded in 1934, as a retreat for Buddhist nuns. It was then rebuilt in 1998, following the traditional Tang Dynasty architecture. The nunnery is open from 6.30 am to 7 pm.
For directions, follow the same directions to Nan Lian Gardens. The Chi Lin Nunnery is opposite the gardens. I recommend doing both on your visit.
Mong Kok
Mong Kok is the place to go shopping and to try the local street food. Mong Kok translates in Cantonese to, ‘crowded corner’. The translation is not wrong! It was the busiest place we visited in Hong Kong. The pavements were congested with people, the roads were gridlocked with traffic and there were people having picnics with their families on walkways and bridges. It is known as one of the busiest districts in the world!
Mong Kok is the place to go if you love shopping. A place is full of high street shops, large shopping malls, and market stalls. Here, they have a market stall selling almost everything you can think of. This is in including live animals and a goldfish market. My favourite part was the flower market. There were so many different types of flowers to see. There was stall after stall. I had never seen half the type of flowers before!
If shopping is not your cup of tea, you can still enjoy Mong Kok. It is a great place to try local street food. Apparently, I have been told, the stalls here, which sell the food are all safe to eat from. They have to be approved by the food hygiene industry before they can sell on a stall here. We enjoyed a bottle of freshly made Sugar Cane Juice. This had quite an interesting taste to it. Not sure if I would rush back to purchase another one. However, I know the locals love it. I will let you make your own mind upon it. I also enjoyed a steam bun filled with blueberry. Again, this had quite an interesting taste to it. Street markets are all about trying new things. If you are feeling more adventurous, you can always try some pig intestines on a skewer. I gave this one a miss!
To get to Mong Kok, catch the MTR to Mong Kok station.
Temple Street Night Market
Temple Street Night Market was an experience! It was a very lively night market! Music has been played, families sitting outside, enjoying the street food, and a perfect place to go for a bargain. You can even go and get your fortune told, by of the many fortunate tellers, dotted along the street. The best time to visit is between 7 pm and 10 pm.
To get to Temple Street Night Market, take exit C2 from the Jordan MTR station and walk along Bowring St, or exit C from the Yau Ma Tei MTR station and follow Man Ming Lane.
Hong Kong Park
Hong Kong Park, an 80,000 square metre park, is the perfect place to go to relax and to get away from the busy hustle-bustle streets of the city. It is just one of the many beautiful parks in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Park has beautiful gardens to walk through, benches to sit and relax on, and a sports centre if you are feeling sporty. If you are feeling brave, you can walk along the stoned path barefoot. It is meant to massage your feet. I had a go and I have to say, it was pretty painful!
To reach Hong Kong Park, catch MTR to Admiralty Station. Then take exit C1.
Ozone Bar
The Ozone bar is perched on the 118th floor of the Ritz Carlton Hotel, located right by the waterfront, in West Kowloon. It is one of the highest rooftop bars in the world! The bar is not cheap, however, the view right across Hong Kong makes it worthwhile. We enjoyed our final evening in Hong Kong, sipping an £18 cocktail each, and enjoying the skyline views of Hong Kong, for one last time.
To get to the Ozone Bar, catch the MTR Tung Chung Line, to Kowloon Station. Take the elevator at the ground entrance of ICC, which will take you to the lobby level of The Ritz-Carlton, located on the 103rd floor. From there, take the Ozone elevator to the 118th floor, where you’ll arrive at the Ozone Bar.
Hong Kong Island
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is one of the best spots to go, for a view of the Hong Kong skyline. However, for us, it was not just a memorable location for the excellent views of the skyline, there was also a very special memory there. It was the place where I got proposed to!
I have written a whole separate blog post on Victoria Peak, as there is a lot to see and do at the summit: Victoria Peak.
Ding Ding Trams
Ding-Ding Trams or Hong Kong Trams were my favourite mode of transport in Hong Kong. Their unique design is what drew my attention. They remind me of a squished-up tram! They kind of remind me of the night bus, off Hogwarts. They got their name, Ding Ding, from the sound of the bell. They are one of Hong Kong’s oldest modes of transport and the cheapest! They started back in 1904, as a popular mode of transport, to get up and down the island. Today, they are still just as popular.
The trams run east to west, west to east, along Hong Kong Island. You can hop on and off anywhere between the start and finish of the line. They travel from Kennedy Town Terminus to Shau Kei Wan Terminus. They are quieter to ride first thing in the morning, before rush hour. If you are unsure where the tram is going, it will say on the front of the tram in English and Chinese. They are very frequent, so if you will miss one, don’t worry, there will be another, a few minutes later. They are slow going, however, they are certainly one of the most scenic forms of transport you can take. If you have the time, it is worth riding the whole route!
To ride a tram, it will cost you around $2.60, which is about 27p. They are cheap! You can pay on your Octopus Card. You pay as you leave the tram and not when you get on. You get on the tram by the back door and leave the tram by the front door, paying as you exit.
Aberdeen Harbour
Aberdeen Harbour is a place to visit if you have some extra time. It is the largest town on Hong Kong Island. It is famous for its fishing and the Jumbo Restaurant. The Jumbo restaurant is a seafood floating restaurant, which took a long 4 years to build.
We only had a quick visit to the harbour area, which was beautiful to see. However, if you do have more time, you take a 20 to 30-minute boat trip on the traditional Sampan. The boat ride will provide you with excellent views of the mountains, skyscrapers, and yachts.
On our visit, we saw the Tin Hau Temple. The temple houses the protector of the sea, Tin Hau, along with other important deities such as wealth, mercy, and medicine. It was founded in 1851. The temple contains figurines, ornaments, relics, and a copper bell said to have been a gift to the temple by fishermen.
If you enjoy a good animal theme park, there’s a place called, Ocean Park. It is an animal park full of rides, shows, and a cable car. A place perfect for all the family. We did not visit, so I cannot comment on how good it is, but I have read it is meant to be good!
To get to Aberdeen Harbour, take the Hong Kong Station MTR, Exit D to get o Exchange Square Bus Terminal. Catch Bus 70. This will bring you to the Aberdeen Promenade.
Times Square
Yes, there is a Times Square in Hong Kong. No, it’s not the same as the one in New York. However, the colourful billboards and the number of people packed into a small area are similar. Just the Hong Kong one is on a lot smaller scale, compared to the American one.
Times Square is a shopping district. It is worth a visit at night, seeing it all lit up. It has one lively atmosphere to it! If you are feeling hungry, there are plenty of places to choose from.
The nearest MTR station is Times Square Station.
Central Plaza Viewing Platform
Central Plaza Viewing Platform, is a free observation deck, located on the 46th floor of the Central Plaza skyscraper. You get excellent views across Victoria Harbour, Kowloon, and Hong Kong Island. Personally, I feel this is something not to be missed on your trip to Hong Kong. We spent ages looking at the views, through the clear glass windows. You could even see where the old airport once stood. What use to be one of the world’s most dangerous airports to land and take off at!
Central-Mid-Levels Escalator
The Central–Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system, is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world! In the morning, the escalators travel down the mountainside, and in the afternoon they travel up. The idea is, they move in the direction of the flow of people using them. The locals use them to commute to and from work each day. So my advice, unless you want to walk up the steep-sided hillside, I recommend taking a trip on them, in the afternoon. To ride the full length of the escalator and walkway system, it will take you around 20 -25 minutes. It is around 800 metres long. The system is so popular, it carries more than 85,000 people a day on it!
The escalators start at 100 Queens Road Central, at its junction with Cochrane Street. The first section is a moving walkway that takes you to Wellington Street. The start, is just a 6 minutes walking distance, from the Central MTR Station, Exit D2.
Happy Valley Racecourse
The Happy Valley Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing, in Hong Kong. Not only is it one of the few places you can legally gamble, but it is also a very popular tourist attraction. The racing gets held every Wednesday night, between the months of September to June. The races start at 7.15 pm and are normally done by 11 pm. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to go, as we were in Macau that day. However, as we arrived back in our hotel room, we could see the racecourse all lit up from our room window.
To visit, a ticket will cost you HK$10, which is about £1. This is for standing-room-only, at the race track level. The is also a seated public area where tickets are a little bit more, costing HK$20 per seat, which is around £2.
To get to Happy Valley Racecourse, take the MTR Island Line and get off at Causeway Bay station. Then take Exit A – Times Square.
Lantau Island
Tian Tan Buddha
Tian Tan Buddha is one giant Buddha, located on Lantau Island. The Buddha is a large bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. It was completed in 1993 and is located at Ngong Ping. It is one of the largest seated Buddha statues in the world! It stands 34 metres high and is something not to be missed when in Hong Kong. Just be prepared to walk up a lot of steps!
While visiting the Tian Tan Buddha, there is the Po Lin Monastery and the Wisdom Path to see. I recommend seeing both. There is a short walk to the Wisdom Path. However, it is worth the walk as it gets you away from the crowds and into the mountains. The path is lined with 38 wooden monuments, inscribed with the Heart Sutra prayer. If you follow the path a little further around, you will also see great views of the sea and mountains, on a clear day.
To get there, catch the MTR to Tung Chung Station and take Exit B. Then take New Lantao Bus 23 from Tung Chung Town Centre, which takes around 45 minutes or you can catch the Ngong Ping Cable Car to it. Unfortunately, the cable car wasn’t running when we visited. Instead, we got a taxi from the MTR station to the Buddha.
Tia O
Tai O is a historical fishing village, located on the western side of Lantau Island. Some people call it ‘the Venice of Hong Kong’. I recommend visiting Tia O and Tian Tan Buddha on the same day. There is not a lot to do in Tia O. However, it is still not a place to not be missed off your list of places to visit, in Hong Kong. The town is interesting and an eye-opener to how the poor live in Hong Kong. Their houses are made on stilts, from scraps of material. They rely completely on local sources to live off. Their homes are very basic and small. The locals make money from selling their freshly caught fish at the fish market and offering boat trips. Apparently, I have been told, you can sometimes see white dolphins (or pink dolphins is what the locals call them), off the coast. Sadly, we did not see any, nor did we do a boat trip to give us an opportunity to see them.
To get to Tia O, we caught a bus from Tian Tan Buddha and a taxi back to the Tung Chung MTR station. Another option is, you can take the ferry from Central Pier No. 6 to Mui Wo. Then from the Mui Wo Pier, take bus number 1.
For more information on Hong Kong, and the latest travel restrictions, please visit their website: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/uk/index.html
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Further Reading
My book, How I Tamed the Wolf, Living with Lupus is available on Amazon via this link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09M73X2JQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MWAF58981F0VVMNRV1WN
Other travel guides you may like:
Chicago – 48 Hours in Chicago
Miami – https://livingwiththewolf.co.uk/miami/
New York – https://livingwiththewolf.co.uk/new-york/
