Never Enough Time - 3 Days in Hong Kong...

From pretty much the moment you land at the crisp, clean and some how unhurried airport of Hong Kong it becomes apparent that the time you thought would be enough to explore the city is nowhere near what you need to see a small portion of the sights.

But never fear – even with the healthy dose of jet lag you will almost certainly have arriving in the city (either for a trip of its own or as stop over on the way farther east or west) you will find more time to see the sights than you expected.

The great thing about Hong Kong is that the sights are everywhere. This is not one of those cities where you meander to the hotel and then have to go and find the things to do. In Hong Kong what you mostly want to do is see and experience the city, and in that you can’t take more than a few steps without doing exactly that.

There are many, many of the main things to do in every tour guide and review I’ve read about Hong Kong that I never managed to do on this trip – and yet I left feeling completely happy with the brief jaunt I had with the city and have put all those ‘have to see’ things on a list for a later trip which will inevitably happen at some point.

Like so many others, I found Hong Kong as a pleasant stop over point on my way father east into the south pacific on my most recent Round the World trip – and decided to give the city a three day sprint. And even with out seeing the giant Buddha (which apparently is spectacular) the outlying islands (also heard were great) or even making it on to Hong Kong Island proper – I still am thrilled with what I did manage to do and see, and don’t feel that I really missed out. There is always next time.

I arrived with no real expectations for Hong Kong as a city – and only a vague notion of what I might should expect as my first Asian city to arrive in. From pretty much the first moment to the last Hong Kong surpassed my every hope and expectation and I left excited to try out more of its eastern neighbours.

Quick Tips:

If you, too, are on a blitz trip of Hong Kong I recommend highly that you do two things. The first is to stay on Kowloon Penninsula rather than Hong Kong island as it really does leave Hong Kong as it should be seen right on your doorstep. Your arrival from the airport will inevitably wind you through the maze of crazy, packed Asian streets you imagined with you first thought of visiting a bustling Chinese city – and there is certainly no disappointment (or lack of photo opportunities) there. It makes it very easy to leave your hotel and go for a wander through the city – getting a real feel for what it’s like and how to navigate your way around it.
The second suggestion is to spend just a little bit more money and stay in a nicer hotel. It is true that you can get dirt cheap accommodation in Hong Kong – but here you will certainly get what you pay for. I Strongly suggest that you research your choice very, very well before you purchase. (I recommend Hotelclub.com for their excellent deals on hotels and their fairly reliable reviews of where to stay) We very nearly booked several different cheap hotels which looked good at first sight but quickly became apparent that the reviews had been doctored and on great thing about this is that the ‘more expensive’ option is still very reasonable. We paid around £20 per night for what was an excellent hotel with spectacular service, a great location and a free shuttle bus down to the harbour. I strongly suggest you pick a mid range hotel rather than a cheap one. Seeing them in person am extremely grateful we opted for the more expensive choice.
Pick a place near to the markets if you can – as this is a must see and a great thing to do at your own pace if the sweltering heat gets to you, or the jet lag is taking it’s toll worse than you anticipated. You can learn a few words in Chinese if you want to be accommodating, though the phrases we learned virtually never got used. Pretty much everyone communicated either in pretty good English or time tested market gestures which make purchasing goods as easy as if both people did speak the same language.

Best Way To Get Around:

Probably the best and most surprising thing to me about Hong Kong was the pleasant and almost chilled vibe the city gave off. Yes – it was very, very crowded. Especially in the markets. But I never once felt the hassle of a crowded place. There seems to be an art to getting on with that many people near by which the residents of Hong Kong have perfected – I never felt that mindless bustle you get in crowded cities – and if anything people seemed to stroll where they walked. So I highly suggest you do wander – it’s that kind of city. This may be partly to do with the fact that we were there off peak season (April seems to be a really good time of year to go – the weather was warm, especially to Scottish visitors – but never unbearable and the tourists that were there seemed to be mostly from other Chinese cities.) but it was so relaxed feeling. Days of walking through the busy Kowloon markets and pretty much everywhere we went in Hong Kong with bags and I never once felt worried about them. Unlike European cities I have been to when they are busy like Barcelona and London, you never feel the bustle of other people – I can’t say enough how pleasant a surprise it was walking around Hong Kong.

Having said that – the public transport is meant to be some of the best and most efficient in the world. It’s also pretty cheap. There are a lot of options if you will be using it a lot, including top up cards that let you ride all the different modes of transport. We however lucked out by having a very straight forward airport transfer to and from our hotel (at around 90 Hong Kong dollars so about £6) and free shuttle buses into town and to the harbour. Making use of these and our feet we never actually had the need to use the public transport. Also the harbour cruises and ferries are a must do just to experience Hong Kong harbour.

It has been a long time since I left on a trip of quite the scale of the one I am undertaking this year. Beginning in London and making a full circle around the globe to several (at least) countries I have never been to before, Hong Kong was the first stop on that list.

When planning a trip of this size, the first consideration on the first stop is almost invariably cost. Even though I've been saving for this particular journey for over a year so I wouldn't have to scrimp quite as much as I usually do - still you don't want to spend too much in the first place you stop.

When I first started to look at where we would stay while on our short stop in this Far East city - I was utterly seduced by the incredibly cheap priced accommodation I kept finding. I was so enamoured by the prices, in fact (3 pounds a night in some places) that I very nearly booked on the spot.
Luckily I remembered the cardinal rule of booking a hotel in a strange city before you arrive and decided to check into it a little bit more.

I can't really advise you Not to stay in one of these extremely cheap hotels - it may be just the thing for your trip, and might even add a little bit of local adventure to your stay. But after hearing the reviews of places like 'Chunking Mansion' and seeing not only the photos but the place in real life - I spent every moment of my time in Hong Kong deeply, deeply grateful I spent a little bit more money and stayed somewhere nice.

I was very lucky to find Metropark Kowloon on Hotelclub.com (a wonderful site for booking and finding hotels) for a very good rate. It's true that it wasn't 3 pounds per night, but as the price was per room (Around 40 pounds per night) when my travel mate and I split the cost it became very reasonable.

I spent most of the time while packing up, selling off our belongings and getting ready to set off on this journey wondering if I should have booked a cheaper place in Hong Kong. But I cannot tell you what a relief it was once we were 12 hours into a flight to know we had a nice place to stay when we landed. (Or hoped that we did.)

Metropark Kowloon (there appear to be two Metropark hotels, and this is the superior one of the two) was a wonderful place to stay, and made our time in Hong Kong even more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise.
The staff were spectacular - it's the best service I have received in a long time from the moment we arrived at the airport until being dropped back off.

The hotel offers an airport transfer shuttle for 96 HK$ (so about 6 pounds or $12US) which is completely worthwhile. You're almost certain to arrive in Hong Kong a little jet lag and disoriented, and after going through customs and getting your baggage, it was a wonderfully pleasant relief to arrive at the well marked area and find that we were on the hotel's guest list and were quickly stickered and taken off to where the shuttle was awaiting us. All with standard Hong Kong efficiency and smiles.

It took about an hour to get to the hotel from the airport, but it's a very comfortable bus and a scenic ride for anyone who’s never before experienced Hong Kong.

Kowloon, as it turns out, seems to be a great place to stay in the city - being very close to the markets and areas that feel like real Hong Kong, and yet a quick bus ride away from the harbours and Hong Kong Island.

The staff at Metropark were wonderful from start to finish. We were checked in quickly and without a problem, and our bags carried up to the room for us. (It's worth noting here that you should make sure you have some smaller change in HK$ when you get off the plane. Tips seem to be generally expected here, and we were stuck giving the staff huge tips because we had nothing smaller - though I admit it was almost worth it being able to set the rucksacks down for a few minutes.)

The hotel is beautifully put together, and extremely clean. The rooms were a good size for what we heard of Hong Kong hotel rooms, plenty of space for both of us, and a closet which we could easily fit all our bags in.
The shower was small - but very adequate.

There are several restaurants and bars in the hotel - and I do recommend you splurge one night and take advantage of their fine Chinese restaurant The House of Tang, which was superb.

And maybe the best thing the hotel offered (aside from its location which was literally about 5 minute walk from the famous Ladies Market - and within easy walking distance of all the others) was the free shuttle bus down to the harbour which runs every hour - and picks you back up from the same central locations.

It was so efficient in fact; that we never even had the opportunity to try out the renowned public transport.

I would happily recommend the hotel, and will likely look to stay there again the next time I visit the city.

We arrived in Hong Kong fully planning on taking advantage of all the cheap little food places in the city and noodle bars and markets. We spent a bit more than we had originally planned on our hotel (and so glad we were that we did) that meals were meant to be cut back to even the score.

The problem with that logic was that by the time we arrived in Hong Kong airport it was 3 pm in the afternoon - and we had been on a plane since 9 am the morning before. Real food had become something of dreams that we had once remembered, and the collection of airport bits and pieces and plane food that had made up our sustenance in the past 24 hours was starting to make us feel insubstantial indeed.

More over - by the time we got through customs, got our baggage, booked the shuttle bus and took the one hour drive into the city to the hotel the sun was setting and many of the shops were closing up. We were shattered and dirty and the last thing we wanted to do just then was wander around the city hoping we could find something to eat.

Our wonderful room and warm shower enticed us entirely - and before we knew what we were doing we were happily phoning down to the reception to reserve a table in the hotel's Fine Chinese restaurant, The House of Tang.

Utterly aside from the fact that if you are in a hotel in Hong Kong and have the opportunity to eat somewhere with a name as spectacular as 'House of Tang' - you should take it, it was easy and one of the best meals we had in the city.

After a luxuriant shower and shedding our backpacker persona amidst the sound of Hong Kong television (which is delightful) we redressed and made our way down to the restaurant on the second floor of the hotel.

It was virtually empty when we arrive (ah - the benefits of travelling in the off season...) and we were seated immediately.

As with everything else in Metropark Kowloon (and Hong Kong entire) the service was impeccable. My time in the UK has obviously lessened my standards for what service should be - as I found myself in amazement at their speed and attentiveness.

Though the menu isn’t' cheap compared to other places you can eat in Hong Kong (and there are many, it must be said) it was well, well worth it for the lack of hassle on the night we arrive, the pleasant welcome it gave us to Hong Kong - and the wonderful food we got to have.

The food was spectacular. It cost us about 25 pounds each, so a pricey meal for us, but not only did we get excellent quality Chinese food with fantastic service, we also got to eat with proper chopsticks.

Not to mention that as a guest of the hotel you get a discount at the restaurant, which made it much more affordable for us.

The staff were very helpful in explaining what the food we were unfamiliar with was - and we topped the evening off by sharing a Chinese beer with the meal.

We went back to our room stuffed and happy - and never regretted the money spent for a moment.

If you can afford to splash out one night, House of Tang is a good place to start.

Despite my good intentions to live off cheap boxes of Chinese noodles in my brief stay in Hong Kong, I found myself again and again drawn to the delightful looking restaurants that appeared often before me.

After a long day of drinking odd jelly-filled aloe vera drinks and walking through the steamy heat of Hong Kong, I was desperate to get a good solid meal in our last evening before embarking on the Symphony of Lights water tour.

While wandering down the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour in late afternoon (thrilled by the cool air now coming off the water and the pleasantly chilled locals and visitors wandering down the path) we passed the incredibly tempting Café Muse.

Beautifully put together and with glass walls surrounded by an artificial waterway, when I saw the ‘dinner buffet’ sign it was too much to resist.

I had always wanted to have Chinese food in China, and though I had already satisfied that travelling itch several times over in the past few days, it suddenly occurred to me that I had never experienced a Chinese buffet in China.
I quickly got my fellow traveller to succumb to the idea and our small budget for our last dinner disappeared into our pockets and the credit card came out in its place.

Walking in, we instantly wondered if we were under dressed. It looked fairly casual from outside, and we had been walking around Kowloon in the heat most of the afternoon. Walking in, however, we soon noticed that much of the staff were in very nice suits, and though the restaurant was largely empty – it was in pristine shape with a quietly dignified atmosphere.

This was not like the Chinese Buffets I was used to. I set myself and my camera down in one of the seats with a nearby view of the artificial waterway running past. The candle on the table was quickly lit by a smiling waitress and I found myself wishing I had carried a slightly nicer shirt in my bag to change into.

The staff didn’t seem to notice this in the least, however, and turned out to be some of the most pleasant and attentive service I have ever yet received. Our drinks were brought out very quickly (I highly recommend that you buy the jug of juice they advertise and share with a friend. It’s literally a fish bowl filled with delicious juice that you can drink on all evening, even if they didn’t offer free refills.)

The buffet itself was wonderful and included so many kinds of fish and meats that I lost track as well as all types of vegetables, noodles, rice and soups.

There were also tradition things you would expect like egg and spring rolls, sushi, and fresh crayfish and shrimp with a variety of dipping sauces.

I quite literally ate until I was delightfully sick and could eat no more. And I didn’t’ even get a chance to try out the large table filled with Chinese deserts.

Though not all that different from a traditional Chinese Buffet in the US, it was one of the best ones I have ever been to – and a perfect way to fill up if you’ve got a long day of walking the streets of Hong Kong ahead of you.

It was a bit pricier than I would have liked to have paid in cheap Hong Kong at around £15 per person, but hungry and in need of a good meal I could not have been happier with the location, décor, service and especially the food

After spending almost two hours embarking on our spectacular harbour cruise which included a view of the Symphony of Lights from Hong Kong Island, we were a little less than quick on our feet heading to meet our hotel’s free shuttle bus back to the hotel from the stop on the harbour. So close were we, in fact, that had the light not turned green at the moment it did, we probably could have knocked on the door of the bus and gotten on while it awaited the light to change.

As it was, however, the bus shuttle off down the road towards distant Mong Kok and we were left with a 30 minute wait for the next one. And despite being tired and quite ready for a shower and some more delightful Hong Kong television to settle us in for the evening, it was no bad thing to spend another half hour on the wonderful harbour.

Even late in the evening on a Friday night, the atmosphere on the harbour was still extremely chilled and pleasant will all manner of people enjoying it. We passed by Starbucks on our quest for a nice coffee to hold us on our wait, and found ourselves going into what the sign said was called Pacific Coffee Co.

To be fair, this is obviously a chain, and very little was different on the menu or in the décor than there is in any Starbucks or Costa I’d ever been in. But it was a chain I was thus far unfamiliar with, and therefore I was ready to give it a try. And not least of all because of the magnificent seating outside the café which gave us a wide and wonderful view of the passers by, the black night water of Victoria Harbour, and the sparkling lights of Hong Kong city beyond.

As with every other experience we had of Hong Kong, the service was impeccable (there was only one other person in line, but it was 930 at night at the staff were very friendly and helpful) and the place beautifully maintained.

We ordered a frozen coffee and vanilla “snowball” latte respectively and took our not too pricey drinks (a little less than you would pay for the same in Britain) out to the seating outside.

After a full sweltering day in the crowded markets of Kowloon, the fresh air off the harbour was an absolute delight, and we drank it in watching the other Asian tourists enjoying the Chinese walk of fame (with stars and hand prints in the cement from the likes of Jet Li and Chow Yun Fat) along the harbour – and the twinkling beautiful lights of Hong Kong Islands cityscape beyond.

The half an hour we thought we had to kill waiting for the bus buzzed by in this breezy atmosphere, helped by the frosty vanilla loveliness of my drink from the coffee co. In the end we found ourselves rushing back to the bus stop yet again.

I highly recommend this non-Starbucks coffee place if you have a bit of time while enjoying the sites of Kowloon’s harbour.

Quite possibly one of the best local things to do in Hong Kong is the overflowing markets of Kowloon. Not that you will find an incredible array of extremely local products, or even necessarily anything that you would want to buy. But the markets in Mong Kok are an institution in Hong Kong and the heart of Kowloon.

After finally getting a bit of a grip on our jet lag and having a lovely meal at our hotel we set off to explore the city at our doorstep.

Maybe the first thing that struck me about being in the city known for its bustling streets and crowded path ways was the ease in which we walked around. Never for a moment did I feel uncomfortable with my baggage, money or cameras in tow. I didn't feel pushed a long or bustled into - there was a wonderful flow to the walking in Hong Kong, and in fact I found it more pleasant to wander about than any European city I've been in recently, including Edinburgh.

Not once did someone bang into me, or walk past as if they didn't see me standing there. I was so impressed with the atmosphere and general pleasantness of walking around such a crowded city.

The markets seem to be much closer than they appear on many maps. Given the maps we were looking at it seemed as if the walk would take a long time, but in actuality walking through all of the markets (even to distant Bird Market) was only about a 20 minute walk.

Like any big bustling market the Ladies Market (the first and most famous of the Hong Kong markets) is filled with people who are eager to offer you their wares. Most notably - knock off watches and hang bags. At least they are honest about the items, letting everyone know right off the bat that they are getting knock offs - but at the same time every stand on both sides of you are going to be filled with eager locals trying to convince you to buy Their bags and watches.

The good news about this is that, unlike markets in middle eastern towns or many European ones like Barcelona and towns on the Costa Brava - they pleasantly take no for an answer. A friendly not to let them know you're not interested and they will instantly move on to the next person. Though it does get a little bit tiresome saying 'no' by the end of this market - at no time did they hassle us. And there are some very cheap shirts and things if that's what you're after.

Most importantly the markets are a fundamental part of 'real' Hong Kong. Some of the fruit and vegetable markets don't speak much English - but they seem to make themselves understood, and understand well with a system of universal hand and facial movements.
All in all a wonderful experience to have while in Hong Kong.

You will encounter some very interesting smells passing through the fish and bird markets - and Hong Kong in general all seems to have its own unique fragrance which will miraculously make it into all of your bags and clothes.

There are a number of noodle bars and bakeries along these streets (which all basically join together and are very surprisingly easy to follow once you have even a basic map) which I highly recommend that you try while in the area. Nothing is in English here, but just take a risk and buy something to see what it is!
I should also warn you that the things that look a bit like coconuts that people are wandering the streets drinking out of with a straw are most certainly not coconuts. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I didn't actually find out what they were, but I did try one, and discovered that not only was it not coconut, I don't think it was any type of fruit. It has a very 'root vegetable' flavour, and was a deeply unpleasant drink. Still though, if you are curious, they are sold on most corners.

Have a good, proper wander through the markets of Kowloon and get a real feel for the city.

Generally I prefer to take a trip as it presents itself, not prebooking things to do – as you never know until you arrive exactly how you are going to want to spend your time in a new place.

But when I started to prepare for my latest big trip – this one taking me from one side of the globe to the other – I knew my time in busy Hong Kong was limited, and wanted to have an idea of that which I must do, before I left.

Though official tourism websites are often a bit skewed or hard to use, I quickly discovered that Tourism Hong Kong is a magnificent website filled with excellent information on what to do in the city, and the best way to do it. And best of all, it easily leads you to the appropriate website to book any events you hope to do while in the city.

I found most of the information I needed about my trip somewhere between there and IGOUGO’s other wonderfully worldly travellers. And amongst all the wonderful tidbits of info I found on the site was the thing that caught my attention and first made me feel really excited about my new Asian adventure, the Wings on Water Symphony of Lights Tour.

In truth, there is no real need to book this online. You might even be better waiting until you arrive. The website said that you needed to book (I believe it was 14 days in advance) but when we finally did arrive at Victoria Harbour on a beautifully lit afternoon, we discovered a host of companies all running similar tours, and some were even cheaper. It may be best to arrive and have a look around the harbour and see which best suits your needs.

But if your happier booking in advance, then the link from the Hong Kong Tourism website it one way to do it. When we arrived we had to find the office (which was a bit tricky. Head towards the pier where the Star Ferry leaves and find the McDonalds on _________ and walk into the mall like shopping area next to it. You must then walk to your left and find the board which lists the offices in the building and take the elevator up the appropriate floor. It’s not actually as complicated as it sounds, and if you are stuck, just stop at the tourist info a few yards away and they will point you in the right direction.)

You will pay there regardless of when you book, and though we were there in the less-than-busy season of March, there was more than enough room on our cruise.

We booked the Symphony of Lights Tour, a tour promising an hour and ½ cruise in the stunning Victoria Harbour, getting a perfect view of the Symphony of Lights show from Hong Kong Island and all the beverages (alcoholic and otherwise that you can drink.)

The cost was approx $300HK, so about £20 for each of us, a bargain we were happy to grab.

The night we booked was perfect, the thick, warm Hong Kong clouds hovering over the skyline across the harbour as we walked leisurely along taking photos of the setting sun. Others like us wandered enjoying the great harbour, and the unbelievable sight of Hong Kong Island across from us.

When the time came to board the boat – we stood with a group from Australia and South Africa and waited for the little red Asian boat to approach (exactly on time) to pick us up.
It wasn’t a yacht, but was bright and cheerful and there was plenty of room for all. We found our seat and prepared for the lightshow.
Never being sure if I am prone to seasickness or not, I held my breath, and discovered that even the rocking of the harbour water was fine on the boat, and I relished the breezy sea air that rolled over us on the boat.

The ‘free drinks’ thing may have been a little bit misleading, as the bar was very small and carried low quality products. The canned beer we got was practically water and more over the man who handed it to us obviously expected a large tip. We only complied once.

Still, the enjoyment of the boat, the night, and the light show that soon began over Hong Kong Island took over any desire for further booze, as I snapped away happily on my camera taking an obscene amount of postcard-quality photos of the evening.

Quite possibly the highlight of the entire Hong Kong trip, I can’t really recommend this excursion highly enough.