Hong Kong It is a diverse destination, rich, generous with the visitor, super interesting… It is worth visiting this city for a few days or a few weeks, it is never boring, you never miss out on doing it.
Today we are going to visit Hong Kong and dare to reduce the incredible amount of things to see and do in Hong Kong to a brief list to serve as a guide for a first visit. You're invited!
Hong Kong
The city is home to seven million inhabitants, on 260 islands. It is actually a Special Administrative Region within the People's Republic of China. It is not the only region of these characteristics, Macao, nearby, is another, for example. They are areas with "special" legislation and economies, not so communist.
In the case of Hong Kong we speak of a an area consisting of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. This entire area is rich in history and was always in Chinese hands until it was taken over by the British Empire in the XNUMXth century after the Opium Wars. If you like history, it is worth reading about these wars ... The truth is that after the signing of a treaty, Hong Kong passed into British hands for a long time.
If you are over 40 years old you will remember that in 1997 Hong Kong returned to Chinese hands. These messes that you see in the news today, the marches, the protests, the calls for greater democracy in the elections and others, derive from this situation.
The terrain of Hong Kong Is it very hilly so only a small percentage is urbanized. There are many reserves and national parks and the climate helps the greenery as it is humid subtropical, with regular typhoons and monsoons. That does not prevent it from being a super tourist destination.
Hong Kong Tourism
As we said at the beginning there is a lot to see and do here but for a first trip it seems to us that yes or yes these destinations and experiences should not be missing. In principle, Victoria peak, the emblematic mountain of the city that can be climbed by taxi, bus or in the PeakTram, which is much more fun. The views are great and if you dare you can even walk up.
The tram runs from 7 am to 10 pm with a frequency between 15 and 20 minutes. Above, the Peak tower open from 10 am to 10 pm Monday through Friday and from 8 am to 10 pm on weekends. The Sky terrace more or less at the same time. The tram costs HK $ 99 round trip, the pass that includes the tram and the Sky Terrace.
Take a ferry ride along the coast gives another incredible view of the city, as well as being the fastest way to cross Victoria Harbor. The Star ferry It is the most scenic walk and crosses in just 10 minutes. It works since 1880 and a good time to catch it is at 8 pm to watch the sunset and also contemplate the famous Symphony of Lights.
This Symphony of Lights is a show of lights and sound which takes place on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbor, at sunset. The Guinness Book of Records says it is the largest permanent music and light show in the world. If you bet at the Eyebar in Tsim Sha Tsui, it's even better.
Another of Hong Kong's most popular attractions is the Tian Tan Buddha or Big Buddha. It stands 34 meters above the Po Lin Monastery and is a huge statue on Lantau Island. The visit is great because you take a cable rail with a transparent floor, the Ngong Ping, and you have wonderful 360º views surrounded by mountains.
If you like Buddhism another option is 10 Thousand Buddhas Monastery. It is in Sha Tin and the staircase has 430 steps flanked by golden Buddha statues, each with its own expression. Another temple is the Man Mo Temple, hidden or not so much on Sheung Wan Hollywood Road. It is dedicated to the God of Literature and the God of War and is a very elegant temple.
Do you want a typical Chinese pond? Then you find it in the Wong Tai Sin Temple, a very large temple with many pavilions and a beautiful inner lake. Do you want to shop in the typical Chinese markets? Then you will love Hong Kong. First is the Temple Street Night Market with its restaurants and to enjoy fresh fish and seafood.
Then you can walk and shop around the Women's Market with more than a hundred stalls that sell everything, the Jade Market with pearls and jade and the market on Calle de los Gatos with its stalls of curiosities and antiques. And we can keep walking by Nathan Road or Golden Mine, which is like the backbone of Kowloon, linking the Tsim Sha Tui seawall with Sham Po. Little more than three kilometers with temples, restaurants, shops ...
Hong Kong is also a city with a lot of night life. While in other cities of Asia the night ends very soon here is another story. The night is enjoyed in lan kwai fong, a network of streets in the Central District with more than one hundred bars, discos and restaurants. Looking for a place with elegant style? Then you can go up to the Ozone, a bar on the 118th floor of the Hong Kong Ritz-Carlton.
Personally, I like to walk, get lost, know little-traveled streets or follow the crowd. If you like the same then an economical tour is to take the Hong Kong escalators, the famous tour from Central to Mid-Levels. Is about the longest outdoor escalators in the world, a great transport system that works at a certain time in one direction and another, to the opposite destination.
The areas that this system runs through have shops, neighborhoods, restaurants and are very picturesque for taking photos. It is a kind of hop on-hop off transport. I will not forget about disney hong kong or of Ocean parkAlthough they are not my favorite destinations, there are people who like it, so note that here in Hong Kong you also have these places of fun.
Personally, I prefer to explore the typical of the place a little more. For that I recommend taking a 20 minute ferry to Lamma Island It has good seafood restaurants and a super pleasant climate. You can be here half a day, for example, enjoying the shops, the streets and the beach. And if you have a whole day to a day trip, go to Macau is to kill two birds with one stone.
The city of Macau, with its casinos and its portuguese airIt is an hour from the ferry and is a wonderful experience. Hong Kong and Macau, for me, go hand in hand. Obviously there is much more to see and do, squares, museums, art galleries ... but I think this brief list of what to see in Hong Kong is very useful for a first trip.