The NYC of Asia: HONG KONG!

One of the most densely populated cities on Earth, massive skyscrapers that seem to be on top of one another, trendy neighborhoods like SoHo, outrageous real estate prices, located on an island and even home to it’s very own Times Square…think I am talking about New York City? Well, I’m not! This is the NYC of ASIA, this is Hong Kong. A city buzzing with excitement, and packed with people, endless food options, and trendy fashions. Hong Kong has been a city I’ve been dying to visit for quite some time, and when we moved to Asia, I knew we would plan a visit ASAP. So when Luke had yet another public holiday off, and a few vacations days stored up, we knew we HAD to make the trip. We decided to spend three nights (Thursday-Sunday) in the city, and plan out everything we wanted to do. I normally hate making too many plans, but for a city like Hong Kong, it can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start and what you want to see/do, especially on your first visit. I did a ton of research, and decided on what I thought (and still think!) was the best itinerary for us as first time visitors. So here is the perfect Hong Kong itinerary:

Day One

We arrived on a Thursday around noon. First thing we did is check into our hotel to drop our bags off, and get freshened up. There are a TON of hotel options, in all different areas of the city, at all different price ranges. We chose a hotel that was middle of the road pricing, but had great reviews, called Royal Plaza Hotel. Many of the hotel rooms can be extremely small, but this one was actually a decent size as well. It was located in the Mong Kok area of Hong Kong, which is on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong (not actually on Hong Kong island) and with the awesome Hong Kong transportation system, you can get pretty much anywhere in the city in 10-25 minutes. The next thing we did was buy our tourist transportation passes so we could use the MTR (Hong Kong talk for their subway system), and get everywhere we needed to. It is extremely easy to use, clean, safe and super efficient. Staying at the Royal Plaza Hotel was also a great choice for us because it was right next to two different MTR stops.

After we got settled in, it was time to get the ultimate view and make our way to the famous Victoria Peak on Hong Kong island. We were told to plan to do this on your first day, so just in case the weather is bad, you can re-schedule for another day. I highly recommend doing the same, and taking the Peak Tram to get to the top of the lookout. The tram has been running for over 120 years, and it is an awesome way to get to the top. Once there, the views are just incredible. You can really see how big the city truly is, and the green, lush peaks mixed with the blue of the harbor waters, and the massive skyscrapers are quite the sight. There are also tons of restaurants, souvenir shops, facilities and even nature walking trails. It is a fabulous introduction to the city!

After taking in the sights at Victoria Peak, it’s time to get dim sum! If you are going to eat one thing in Hong Kong that is truly a piece of the city, you HAVE to eat dim sum. It is quintessential Hong Kong, and the best place to get it is at Tim Ho Wan. This famous dim sum restaurant is the cheapest Michelin Star restaurant in the world, so not only will you get amazing food, it will only set you back a few dollars! Their steamed pork buns and shrimp dumplings were so savory, well-seasoned and mouth watering…I am still dreaming about them.

Next, check out the interesting, unique and just plain COOL, markets on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. Most of the markets were actually right in the area of our hotel, so it was perfect for us to check them out in the evening on our way back. Our first stop was the Goldfish Market. There are places selling bags and bags of…you guessed it…goldfish! Along with all different other types of fish. Apparently fish tanks are a HUGE part of Hong Kong culture, and because apartments are shoe-box sized, fish make the perfect “pets”. It is also good “feng shui” to have eight fish, one of them with black coloring, so people are constantly buying new fish. Very interesting and so unique to this city!

After the goldfish, we checked out the Flower Market. Rows and rows of shops with all kinds of exotic flowers lined the street. It made me wish I wasn’t at a hotel so I could have kept some!

Last, we checked out the Ladies Market, which is a market that basically sells everything: souvenirs, electronics, inexpensive clothing, etc. It gets pretty crowded, but was a neat experience to check out.

Day Two

See the city on foot, and get a taste of local Hong Kong cuisine. We chose to do a walking food tour of the city, with Hello Hong Kong tours, focusing on the Central and Shueng Wan neighborhoods. I know, I know, tours are not really my favorite thing, BUT I will say, this tour was SO worth it! A “tour” doesn’t even really describe it, it is more like seeing the city with a local friend and having them order all the best local dishes and show you around the city for a few hours. It was such an awesome day!

We started around 9:30am with a local dim sum breakfast. We went to a place that still does traditional dim sum on a trolley cart, that was packed with locals. Super loud, super busy, super authentic, and super DELICIOUS!

Our second stop was a family owned Wonton Noodle shop. Delicious shrimp wontons were being individually made and wrapped when we walked in, and we enjoyed a hot bowl of noodles. Luke had beef brisket and I had the shrimp wontons, both were superb.

Walking along the streets to get to our next destination, we noticed all of the bamboo scaffolding along the new construction buildings. It is insane! They only use bamboo and plastic ties to hold it together, and it is not fixed to the ground in any way. They are building SKYSCRAPERS with this stuff, it is crazy! I have never seen anything like it, and I can see why it is considered an “art” in Hong Kong.

Our next stop was a traditional Chinese medicine shop, where ancient remedies and prescriptions are still being sold. We saw some crazy things in there: deer antlers and crushed pearls to cure migraines, dried abalone for anti-aging, dried lizards for fertility, even certain dried silk worms to help treat cancer. It was all so interesting to see and learn about, not to mention to see how crazy expensive some of the remedies were.

On the way to our next location, we took the famous Hong Kong “Ding-Ding” (tram), where we got great views of the city and a nice break for our legs. The next restaurant was another family-owned place that dates back to the 1800s, and specializes in roast meats, all cooked traditional style. We sampled the roast duck and pork, along with rice and the homemade sauces…to die for!

The tour ended with a Chinese take on an English speciality, the custard tart. It is a Hong Kong favorite, and was a great way to end the day- with something sweet!

It was definitely a FULL morning, but it was one of the best ways to learn about Hong Kong’s cuisine, history and get great local insight on the city. I highly recommend doing it! Yes, we ate A LOT, but we also walked about 6km (it’s all about balance!).

After getting some rest in the afternoon from all the walking and eating, it was time to get ready for an evening on the harbor. We chose to book an evening harbor cruise on a traditional junk boat with Aqualuna, and it was an unforgettable, magical experience.

I honestly could not have imagined anything better: watching the Hong Kong skyline go from day to night, all the buildings lighting up in their neon colors, the sun setting on the harbor, sea breeze blowing my hair, all while enjoying a glass of wine with my husband. Best of all, Aqualuna does not pack crowds and crowds of people, the spots on the boat are super comfortable and spaced out, and they have an open bar. It was perfection, and one of the BEST things we did in Hong Kong. It is not just a recommendation is a MUST-DO!

After our amazing harbor cruise (it lasted around an hour), we headed out to the Lan Kwai Fong area known for the best nightlife in Hong Kong. Not to mention, the BEST people watching we’ve seen in a while (and we live in Asia, so that’s saying something!). We had an amazing steak dinner and cocktails at Lily & Bloom, then we hit the town! It was a blast!

Day Three

Time to get out of the city and “zen” out with the Big Buddha (called the Tian Tan Buddha) on Lantau Island. To get there, you can take the MTR about thirty minutes outside of the city, and walk to the Ngong Ping 360 cable car. I highly recommend getting your tickets online in advance, because there are a TON of people in line, and the wait can be brutal. Once on the cable car, it is a gorgeous 25 minute ride up to the top, and on a clear day, you can see for miles around.

Once at the top, you will find restaurants (there was a Subway and a Starbucks, so crazy and kind of ruins the whole “zen” vibe), shops, and of course, the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. The Buddha is beautiful and an awesome sight to see. It is one of the most important Buddha sanctums in the world, so it is definitely worth seeing.

After our visit to Lantau Island, we made it back to Kowloon and wandered the streets. I just loved the streets of Hong Kong. They felt so foreign to me, seeing all of the Chinese writing, neon and endless sings!

To end the trip: we enjoyed a lavish last meal in Hong Kong with yet another incredible, memorable view. Book a table at Hutong or AQUA, they are both owned by the same restaurant group, they are just one floor apart, and have the BEST view of Victoria Harbor in the city. We chose AQUA, because it was Italian food, and by the end of the trip, we had eaten so much Chinese food we needed a break. We were able to get a table right next to the window and enjoy the Symphony of Lights laser show that happens nightly at 8pm in Hong Kong. It was amazing!

So there you have our trip, and the perfect Hong Kong itinerary! We enjoyed the city so much, and loved exploring it. Now that we have all the “sightseeing” out of the way, I would love to go back one day and explore individual neighborhoods. I loved the NYC feel of Hong Kong, mixed with the high-tech buildings and history that’s pure Asia.

Happy Travels,

Courtney