A day in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, situated in Southern China, is the world’s fourth-most densely populated region. You do not need a Chinese visa to visit Hong Kong (HK). The people of 170 nations all over the world may travel to Hong Kong without a visa in general. I entered the “country” with its own regional government and currency from China and the immigration process while boarding the train was fairly quick and easy.
Before entering Hong Kong I spent half a day meeting up a friend and discovering one of the biggest cities in China – Guangzhou. Learn more about my visit to China from my previous blog posts and the video – CHINA by TRAINS in only 10 days.
Hong Kong is divided into three major regions – The New Territories, Kowloon and the Hong Kong Island. I decided to book my accommodation in the Kowloon area next to the Victoria Harbor which separates Hong Kong Island from the mainland. It is definitely cheaper to stay in Kowloon than on the island itself and just make the trip by metro or ferry across the bay. A night in a tight and crowded hostel dormitory room was about 10 € (not too bad).
A day in Hong Kong
On the morning of my first and last full day in the city, I took a ferry across Victoria Harbor and started discovering. After reaching the island the path took me through fancy malls and markets filled with Gucci and Armani signs. It felt a bit similar to arriving in Singapore some years before but this time I was prepared. I wore actual shoes and a shirt instead of flip-flops and a tank-top as I used to travel in tropical countries.
I made my way towards the first destination – Victoria Peak. The easiest (and the most expensive) way to get there and back is to take the tram. Return ticket for the Peak Tram is 99 HK Dollars (about 11 €). Besides visiting the viewing platform in the shopping centre it is possible to have a walk around the peak. The path gives great lookout points on the island itself and so when in Hong Kong it is definitely worth to go check it out.
There are a couple of famous Instagram spots around in the city. One of them – Oceanic Mansion (Montane Mansion) – is a metro ride (ticket 11 HKD = 1,25 €) away from the centre. Besides taking photos in the courtyard of the living quarters, you can also find some of the colourful Hong Kong basketball courts to grab your Insta shots.
To summarize
I ended my day back in Kowloon where I visited the Temple Street Night Market. This “must visit” market was a bit disappointing, to be honest. I have experienced many more exciting night markets in South-East Asia. The vendors just sell a bunch of useless items and there were not many food stalls around.
A day in Hong Kong costs a bit more than a day in a South-East Asian country but it is still possible to do it relatively cheap. On my first night, I decided to spoil myself a bit though and grabbed a couple of 9 € beers and a 10 € snack plate in a random bar in Kowloon.
Hong Kong is a business centre and quite a multicultural city. There is not much to do for a typical tourist but it is still worth to spend a day or two if you are passing by. Seeing the skyline of the Hong Kong island is pretty impressive sight itself.
