Around Asia - Stop 1 Hong Kong 🇭🇰

Hong Kong (HK) must be one of the most well-known places in Asia, mainly because of its relatively westernized nature and its prosperous economy.

If you don't know where HK is, here is a map to situate it for you!

Cultural background

I am not the best/expert at explaining HK's culture but here is my two cents to give you a better understanding of HK before we start the journey.

HK has been colonized by the Brits for about a century and then by Japan for about a decade before it was returned to be a part of China, an autonomous territory of China.

Its culture background made it a city that is rather expat-friendly with quite diverse culture.

Like most Commonwealth places, people drive on the right side of their cars and their English usually has some hints of the British accent.

Now let's get straight to fun activities you can do in HK!

Things to do

There is quite a lot to do in HK. As a tourist, your main options are bars/clubs, hiking/beach, and shopping. And of course there are all sorts of events every week and you just need to keep your eyes peeled.

I'll break it down in the order that I wrote earlier:

1. Night life

2. Nature

3. Shopping

1. Nightlife

Lan Kwai Fong

It is impossible to not talk about Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) when you talk about nightlife in HK.

LKF is quite near the central area of HK, which is named Central for your convenience. As you can see in the map, it is quite up north of the Hong Kong island, which is the 2nd largest island of HK in terms of area. This is not surprising since most businesses are located along the bay, and that is either the northwest part of Hong Kong Island, or South part of Tsim Sha Tsui, a region in Kowloon Peninsula.

So LKF is in the prime location for working professionals to social and get rowdy after work.

I would like to show you a pic of the legendary LKF but forgive me audience, I visited LKF right after I landed and was still suffering from jet lag so I forgot to take any pictures!

Please just imagine a sleepy EZ maneuvering through the lively crowd in LKF.

Got to say, however, LKF is rather crowded and dirty. Wasn't sure if it was my favorite party place.

But I still managed to visit two places in HK following my friends' footsteps, and I would recommend them to you:

1) Geronimo for those who want to chill at a bar.

2) PLAY for those who want to dance.

Apparently they are some local and expat's faves.

Wan Chai red light district

Well if you think LKF is for the young and hips then you might want to give Wan Chai a try for a change. According to my friend, Wan Chai has lots of gentlemen's clubs.

It not only has the reminiscence of the old red light district, but also is still open for business.

Unfortunately, I didn't pack a tour of this area during its "working hours" but it could be something you want to check out if you are into that scene.

Raves

Lots of raving opportunities in HK. There are Beach Raves and Temple Raves almost every weekend.

I was so jet-lagged that I slept through the Temple Rave... so here is the part that you need to use your imagination.

2. Nature

Hikes + Beach Day

HK is quite mountainous so you have quite a bit of options for hikes. There are Dragon's Back Ridge, Lamma Island, and The Twins, just to name a few. If you are on a tight schedule in HK, I would suggest going to Dragon's Back Ridge for 2 reasons: 1) its accessibility, and 2) its relative easiness.

>>>Dragon's Back Ridge

>Transportation: It's a short walk from Chai Wan metro (MTR in HK) station. Here is a great post that gives you step-by-step directions to the trail.

You may take a cute bus like this at the end of the beach trail to head back to the MTR station.

>Fun Fact: You need to go up lots of stairs in a cemetery first to get to the start of the trail. Be prepared for a rush of adrenaline, not just because of the steps, but also because of the thrill of 'walking among the dead'.

>The Reward? The View and The Beach!

To get to the beach, you'll need to take the slightly longer trail that is known as the beach route. However, even the beach route will only take you a little over an hour to hike. I would say it is well worth the hike.

Oh, remember to bring swimsuit so you can take a well-deserved dip after the hike.

Boat Trip/Party

If you are not a fan of strenuous workout like hiking, going on a boat is a great alternative. 

You can take advantage of HK's blessed geographic setup and sail away at the bay, not necessarily at the infamous Victoria Bay since there are lots of options around the islands.

If you can't find any boat events at the duration of your stay and are adamant about having a boat party, you best alternative is to gather a group of people and split the cost. The price of renting boats vary but if you have ten people in total, the cost can be as low as HK$100 per person per day.

3. Shopping

HK is no-joke a shopping paradise. Is there anywhere else in the world that does not have sales tax nor import tax?! I was in cloud nine!

The no-tax situation makes it a great place for getting all sorts of brand name goodies, obviously. What's more, you can also check out some local shops like the infamous SaSa for skincare and makeup goodies.

This is definitely the top of the iceberg for things that you can do in HK. However, if you are only going to be there for the weekend like I did, I'm sure the above mentioned three activities can keep you occupied.

Here is a summary of my recommended weekend trip plan. Hope you'll enjoy HK as much as I did!

Hiking & Beach on Saturday -> Yam Cha at a local cafe -> Lan Kwai Fung at night -> Shopping on Sunday -> dine at a local cafe + HK milk tea -> City view at the Peak