Busy Dizzy in East End

Best Of IgoUgo

Overview

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Visiting Hong Kong is a very different experience from the one to the typical Asian city – no other city combines so perfectly two so different identities, allowing you to feel at home but still be able to ‘visit’ an Asian city at any moment you wish to. Macau’s influence is discernible mainly in the form of small local restaurants which serve exquisite Sino-Portuguese meals; it is worth looking for them. A usually overlooked activity is trekking in the New Territories: the mountainous topography and the pleasant climate of the area transform it into an ideal place for such an activity. Shopping is a hard work here: there are at least thirty shopping centres in the island and more than that ...Read More

Visiting Hong Kong is a very different experience from the one to the typical Asian city – no other city combines so perfectly two so different identities, allowing you to feel at home but still be able to ‘visit’ an Asian city at any moment you wish to. Macau’s influence is discernible mainly in the form of small local restaurants which serve exquisite Sino-Portuguese meals; it is worth looking for them. A usually overlooked activity is trekking in the New Territories: the mountainous topography and the pleasant climate of the area transform it into an ideal place for such an activity.

Shopping is a hard work here: there are at least thirty shopping centres in the island and more than that in Kowloon – a thorough comparison of prices before buying something is almost impossible to achieve. Look around for institutions belonging to groups with interesting backgrounds – there are many of those, The Hong Kong Swatow Christian Church, on Elgin Street, down of Caine is a good example; their version of Chinese contains eight! tones – if it is open at the time of your visit you may hear fascinating stories.

Quick Tips:

Despite the unification, there are still passport's checks and visa requirements while crossing from the mainland to Hong Kong. Hence, you should plan carefully your trip among the cities to make it visa-efficient. The connection of Hong Kong with Macau is simple enough; only the crosses with the Mainland are cumbersome. Buses require exact change; an octopus card solves the problem. There are several kinds of those cards but the most convenient for a short visit is the Airport Express Tourist Octopus that includes one airport express single journey, three days of unlimited rides on the MTR and 20HK of usable value. They can be bought at the airport and in every MTR station. If you are using the Central-Mid Levels Escalators then look carefully for the free two dollars recharge of your Octopus card; the gift is valid only within the same day and only from the nearest MTR station. It is worthwhile to use the Peak Tram only in the way up; you can walk down through well marked trails while enjoying an awesome view of the port and Kowloon – you should decide that before buying the ticket, since if you buy a return one is cheaper.

Best Way To Get Around:

Bus: there is a simple code you should know: single and double digit numbers do not cross the harbour, while 1xx crosses through Hung Hom; 6xx through the Eastern Cross; 9xx uses the Western Cross. Axx goes to the airport and you are allowed to bring your baggage, Exx is similar but does not allow baggage. A21 will charge 33 HK from Kowloon to the airport. MTR: Including the KCR light train to the mainland, there are seven lines of subway; creating thus the most comprehensive and comfortable way of transport in the city. To save forty HK in your way to the airport, you can travel with the Orange Line, called also Tung Chung, till the Tsing Yi station and only there board the Airport Express line for sixty HK. Trams: there are two routes, from Kennedy Town to Happy Valley and from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan; a single ride costs two HK. TurboJet ferries to Macau: leave from Shun Tak in Hong Kong Island and from Tsimshatsui in Kowloon. Tickets cost anything between 75 to 260HK, the way longs one hour; if you are in a hurry an helicopter will do the same way for 1300HK. Read Less

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Shopping

Western Market

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction

Victoria at Night Photo - Hong Kong, China

Quote:

Markets are always good places to learn about the local culture. What do the denizens eat? How do they eat? What do they buy and bargain? How do they treat foreigners visiting markets? All these questions are pleasantly answered just by taking an easy stroll to the nearest market.However, Hong Kong is nowadays house mainly to large shopping malls. Those along Tsim Sha Tsui’s shoreline (on the mainland side of Hong Kong) are notorious in their size and the variety of products they offer. Free internet points, shops selling the latest gadgets, international food chains, and shops selling every imaginable item create an eclectic mix that attracts crowds from every spot in th...Read More

Markets are always good places to learn about the local culture. What do the denizens eat? How do they eat? What do they buy and bargain? How do they treat foreigners visiting markets? All these questions are pleasantly answered just by taking an easy stroll to the nearest market.

However, Hong Kong is nowadays house mainly to large shopping malls. Those along Tsim Sha Tsui’s shoreline (on the mainland side of Hong Kong) are notorious in their size and the variety of products they offer. Free internet points, shops selling the latest gadgets, international food chains, and shops selling every imaginable item create an eclectic mix that attracts crowds from every spot in the planet. Yet, these ultra-modern monsters are somehow disconnected to the local culture.

In sharp contrast, some old style markets have grown up and have more than that to offer to the casual visitor. This is the case of the Western Market at the western end of the Des Voeux Road, just by the MTR’s Sheung Wan Station, a prime location in Hong Kong Island. At first sight, it looked to me as a scaled down and colored up version of Harrods in London; probably it looks as exotic to the locals as a Papuan market would be in Paris. Intrigued by the apparently misplaced structure, I decided to visit it.

The Edwardian structure was originally called the Sheung Wan Market, honoring thus the name of the area it was placed in. It was built in two stages. First, in 1858, the South Block at Queen's Road Central was built; this part was demolished in 1980. Then, the North Block, smaller and more compact in design, was built in 1906 as the Harbour Office, roughly at the midterm of the Edwardian Era, when Hong Kong was rigidly under British control. Accordingly, it has four corner towers and its brickwork features two alternating colors. Built on a granite base, it has an attractive granite arch over its main entrance.

Along the years it ceased to serve as a market. Yet, instead of being demolished it was renovated in 1989 by Hong Kong’s Urban Council and subsequently declared a historical monument. In an attempt to be faithful to its origins, it was transformed into a traditional trade, arts and crafts centre; as such it was re-inaugurated in 1991. Unluckily, nowadays it is enclosed among taller buildings, thus it is impossible to take a good picture of its wonderful exterior. The old-fashioned two-deck tram traveling frequently in front of it adds an early 20th century touch that a century later is almost unachievable elsewhere.

The aforementioned restoration process was wonderful and created a magical spot in the island; the four floors building hosts now a variety of specialty shops, selling from arts and crafts to fabrics and souvenirs; a restaurant, an exhibition gallery, and a Bavarian bakery can also be found there. The market is open daily between 10 AM and 7 PM. The shops feature typical Chinese characteristics, even when we are talking about a strangely placed Bavarian bakery. Things become more conservative when the local tailor and the Guangdong-style desserts shop are visited; stylish souvenir shops offer traditional souvenir items, not less attractive – maybe even more – than those being sold within the nearby ultra-modern super-malls plaguing the area. Traditional handicraft stalls and several stylish cafes add to the charm. Incredibly, the top floor is occupied by the Grand Stage where people gather to dine and dance, mostly to the tunes of century old music.

However, the old market is not gone, it simply changed location. In remembrance of the past, nearby is the Modern Market where fruits, jade shops, poultry stalls and a friendly cluster of inexpensive restaurants with menus written only in Chinese are available, pretty much as they were in the original Western Market structure. Some things never change; despite their apparent vulnerability, most food markets survive their original countries and cultures. In some fashion or other, the Western Market – pretty much as Kashgar - would probably be there forever.

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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 2, 2009

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Walking

Victoria Peak

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction

Day View from Victoria Peak Photo - Macau Café, Hong Kong, China

Quote:

At 552m above sea level, Victoria Peak is the highest point in Hong Kong Island, it can be reached by tram or foot; from its top the views of downtown, the port and surrounding mountains are exceptional in every direction. Reaching the PeakReaching the Peak from the downtown, use bus 15C ($3.2HK) from the Star Ferry to the Peak Tram Lower Terminus. The tram completes the way almost to the peak’s summit. It dates back to 1888 and it is wonderfully maintained in its original splendor. Despite its age, it manages to climbs almost 400 meters in a 27° slope, till its end point a few meters below the summit. The trip costs 20HK$ for one way or thirty for a return t...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 21, 2008

Victoria Peak
128 Peak Road.
Hong Kong
+852 2807 6543

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Walking Hong Kong

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction

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Like Rio de Janeiro and La Paz and to some extent Amsterdam, Hong Kong offers to the walker a spectacular added value, since the city is placed amidst a magnificent landscape; the first sight of those cities is never easily forgotten.In Hong Kong, the walker enjoys a hyper-urban environment displaying an exciting culture while walking amidst a beautiful shoreline shadowed by majestic mountains and slim skyscrapers. Regardless the official but meaningless defi...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 19, 2008

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Eating

Pacific Coffee Company

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Pacific Coffee Company Photo - Pacific Coffee Company, Hong Kong, China

Quote:

The Pacific Coffee Company branches look like an upmarket version of Starbucks; they are strategically located at central spots and in most of the main malls in Hong Kong, thus enjoying an excellent espresso while exploring the town is a breeze. The most remarkable branch is at the Victoria Peak, where the traveler can enjoy a cappuccino while watching the harbor and downtown Hong Kong from high above.No DoubtDespite the relatively expensive coffee and foods, it is worth to approach them due to the coaches, the excellent background music, the warm lighting and smart furniture, the courtesy internet and newspapers, the television tuned to CNN … did I mention the wonderful...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 21, 2008

Pacific Coffee Company

Hong Kong

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Macau Café

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:

Macau put a spell on its neighbors; everybody in the Guangzhou Province and in Hong Kong would testify that Macau offers a magical fusion cuisine of Sino-Portuguese origin, with such an attractive twist that its survival is assured even long after the Portuguese departure.Some of Macau’s delicacies have crossed the Pearl River Mouth and can be comfortably tasted in the Macau Café in central Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. The place is a fast food restaurant aimed mainly for busy locals; do not expect to hold long conversations with the waiters regarding the dishes details. "See, Buy, Fly" they seem to say silently in the spirit of Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport duty free sho...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 22, 2008

Macau Café
Shop C G/f Hon Kwong Mansion, 25-29 Hankow Rd.
Kowloon, Hong Kong
2730 0682

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Little Quiapo

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Night View Photo - Little Quiapo, Hong Kong, China

Quote:

Hong Kong tastes different from any other South East Asian city, no other city offers so many exciting fusion cuisine options.The Philippine’s influence is discernible mainly in the form of small local restaurants which serve exquisite Sino-Portuguese meals; it is worth looking for them. Serendipity is the best strategy to find the most interesting dining opportunities and that was the case of my encounter with Little Quiapo. LocationIn a small alley next to the B Exit from Central Station, Little Quiapo serves "Fast Filipin...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 22, 2008

Little Quiapo

Hong Kong

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Sleeping

Chungking Mansion

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel

Quote:

Hong Kong grew up to be the biggest of the former European colonies in East Asia. In many aspects it still resembles a city-state. It has one of the biggest ports in the world and is a global financial center. Few places are most representative of our Global Village. Following this trend, and in more than in one sense, Chungking Mansion is the epitome of Asian accommodations for budget travelers. Nowhere else did this concept grow up to such monstrous dimensions....Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 19, 2008

Chungking Mansion
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong

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