What other things, do you think expert travelers don't tell you, about Hong Kong being a frequented destination?
Most tourist spots are come-at-able by dint of transportation vehicles, running round-the-clock.
But if you wish to tour around the huddled city by convenience, go for the
MTR (Mass Transit Railway), the rapid transit railway in Hong Kong.
MTR comes in different ticket types:
Single Journey Ticket
Same Day Return Ticket
Round Trip Ticket
Octopus Card
Airport Express Travel Pass
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| Airport Ticket Counter opens at 7AM |
There are always, however, unwarranted exigencies in every travel. If you're lucky enough, you ride in a wrong vehicle to your destination. And sadly, there's no way you can take your fare back.
Such jeopardy is true, especially for first time travelers.
So I suggest the use of the
Airport Express Travel Pass over the other tickets. One ticket is good for 1 or 2 single journey(s) from the airport to your place of stay, and a 3-day unlimited ride in most MTR system lines and interchange stations. Isn't it a good remedy?
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| Airport Express Travel Pass |
There is also a HK$50 refundable deposit after the passes expire. You can read more about that
here.
My recent travel in Hong Kong together with three other travel junkies was not all-comfort. We toured the place byways-- a perpetual kind of touring
on foot.
We walked on streets and subways, hoarded by fellow travelers and locals, like we chastised our phalanges to death.
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| Across Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station |
Walks there are undoubtedly inescapable adventure. The trick is to wear flat shoes and boots.
Seriously, spare your
Manolos for other occasions.
:: Traveler's Note: Sometimes, the Airport Express Travel Pass doesn't get recognized by the electronic machines. You can go to the customer's service so they can help you promptly and your passes will work as new. Not a time to panic. ::
Must See
One week is not enough if you wish to discover Hong Kong without having to jump off from one tourist spot to another. It's still better to indulge in travel without the need to elope to catch the time.
Lantau Island
The
Hong Kong International Airport, colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport, caters to several international flights. It is also a good place for shopping, dining, and entertainment.
You can find a potpourri of brands, from clothes to cosmetics, food, and souvenirs. Aji Ichiban, for example, is one of the largest snack food franchises founded in Hong Kong. It sells goods like assorted chocolates, spicy dried fish, gums, and may-I-recommend puddings.
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| Aji Ichiban, Hong Kong International Airport |
There are also shops for chic clothes and bags, the likes of Louis Vuitton and Prada. But there are still more of that in the city so it's better to save your time in the airport for any last-minute shopping on your flight back to your native land.
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| Central, Hong Kong |
If you also wish to see the Lantau Island in a bird's-eye view, visit the
Lantau Peak. Glutton your eyes with a mountaintop view of an Island surrounded by seawater, in the same way that you'll get satiated with more sky view of the Hong Kong metropolis in Victoria Peak in Central, Hong Kong.
Tell me you don't want to miss seeing the world's largest Buddha. Whether you're a Buddhist or simply a sucker for anything superlative, the
Tian Tan Buddha or the Big Buddha is definitely a must-see. It's a 202-ton Buddha made in bronze.
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| Tian Tan Buddha, Lantau Island, Hong Kong |
:: Traveler's Note: Tian Tan Buddha is one of the five large Buddha statues in China. Its name is taken after its base being a model of the Altar of Heaven or Earthly Mount of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The structure was finished on December 29, 1993, the day of enlightenment of Gautama Buddha, founder of the Buddhist religion. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tian_Tan_Buddha] ::
Another place to see in the Lantau Island is of course, the
Hong Kong Disneyland. It's a place worth spending for more than a day. You'll barely get disappointed here than you will in Ocean Park.
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| Cinderella Castle, Disneyland |
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Disneyland Hong Kong
Every part in Disneyland is worth all the pictures and the admission fee, as opposed to the slightly underrated interior and structure of the Grand Aquarium in Ocean Park. That said, try to visit Ocean Park first before Disneyland. Save the best for last. |
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| Winnie the Pooh & Friends (Flights of Fantasy Parade) |
Kowloon
We stayed in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon for the entire trip. A realization is that, a Hong Kong- hospitality isn't so hospitable all the time. Or it's only because we had the misfortune of booking in a hostel with an arrogant receptionist.
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| Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon |
And here's a clincher-experience: we were asked to pay twice as much the amount we paid in our booking online.
:: Traveler's Note: The cheaper the price on the internet, the more doubtful it gets. Be sure to bring more than enough cash otherwise, pre-arrange your bookings in reliable booking sites. Agoda is one. And no, I do not get a commission for recommending them here. Another tip is that, if you're a budget traveler, choose Mirador Mansion hostels over the ones in Chung King Mansions. Do not do the same mistakes we did. ::
The bright side of things is that, some of the must-sees in Hong Kong are found in Kowloon. There is the
Ladies Market,
Jade Market, and
Temple Street Night Market for budget price clothes, presents, and travel keepsakes.
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| Ladies Market, Mong Kok, Hong Kong |
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| Man selling gems. (Temple Street Night Market, Kowloon, Hong Kong) |
You can also spot flagship stores of Ferragamo, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, and what-labels-you-know along street sides. Either you drool, or you find high end-ish imitations in iSquare mall or at the bargain stores settled around street corners. It's how you wear it that counts, right?
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| Our voguish poses down fashion street sides of Hong Kong |
Hong Kong is obviously east and west by influence. The western side you don't want to miss is the 1881 Heritage. The building has a Victorian colonial and neo-classical architecture designs.
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| 1881 Heritage, Salisbury, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong |
If you'll stand at the corner of the long Nathan Road facing Salisbury Road, a modern egg-shaped structure of the
Hong Kong Space Museum will meet you across. You will see more artifacts with historical interests there.
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| Hong Kong Space Museum |
Not far off the Space Museum is the
Hong Kong Cultural Centre. It's a modern geometrical structure facing the waterfront of Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It is where operas, musical productions, and well, cultural activities are done.
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| Hong Kong Cultural Centre at different angles |
By day, a lightly misty well-condensed view of the skyscraping buildings stand atop the calm sea of Victoria Harbour. Cold breeze wafts across layer of clothes. Palavers by tourists and locals , offering a photo shoot by the harbour, resonate within shouting distance.
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| Victoria Harbour, Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront |
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| Harbour Cruise |
By night,
Symphony of Lights illuminate the buildings in harmony. Searchlights and laser beams perform together with music and narration. It displays five main themes: Awakening, Energy, Heritage, Partnership, and Celebration.
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| Symphony of Lights (You can also catch this view while dining at the Inter-Continental Hong Kong) |
The show is at 8PM, every night.
The
Avenue of Stars stands close by the Cultural Centre. Hong Kong is dubbed, again, as the "Hollywood of the East" because of this. Handprints of celebrities are carved on the parkway. Including a life-size statue of
Kung Fu action star Bruce Lee.
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| Avenue of Stars |
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| Jackie Chan hand prints |
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| Chow Yun Fat of the famous classic movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon |
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| Bruce Lee hand prints |
Hong Kong Island
Also try to trip up
Victoria Peak. The only way to get there though is by riding a tram. It is the highest peak of Hong Kong, which means that it will take you minutes of travel up the ground.
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| Victoria Peak |
The road is winding. If you wanna get rid of the queasiness, be sure to tow mint candies and motion sickness bag on your pocket. Quipped that it's better to look seasick than throw up like a mad volcano. Gross!
Down south of Hong Kong Island is the
Hong Kong Ocean Park. It's not bad to play kid once in a while.
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| Thrill Mountain, Ocean Park |
Get a map to guide you.You cannot afford to try everything in one day. Only make sure to at least see every part of the park, and try those that you cannot experience elsewhere-- daring rides for instance.
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| Sky Fair Celebration, Ocean Park |
See the
Bank of China, too. Preferably at night, or you will not know why it's a place to see.
And if you still have more time, also visit one of Hong Kong's
Temples -- to discover its eastern influence, and maybe, find solitude.
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| Wong Tai Sin Temple |
Must Do
Hong Kong is not a hard place to learn living in. Except that its hostile hospitality can meet you at one time or another. But that's a circumstance to overcome by bits of familiarity here and there.
Try to
walk down the streets of Hong Kong and see the usual day in their lives without playing like the picture-snapping tourist.
Buy a local food from the convenient store nearby. That doesn't include delicacies and a guide-book-told-me to eat this kind of food.
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| Hong Kong Local food |
Pass through narrow alleys. It's like seeing Hong Kong from the other side-- filled with shallow baskets stacked on every side and words or people painted on building walls like mural.
Do something personal to your travel. It can be riding on a double-decker bus or dining at a restaurant. The important thing is that it must be something which you really want to do.
For my part, that's going Holly Golightly at the windows at Tiffany's. Except that I am blissful and I eat a Hong Kong dumpling than a danish.
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| Tiffany & Co, Hong Kong |
Must Bring
A
good kind of sensibility and an
appetite to discover Hong Kong beyond a tourist's eye.
References:
wikipedia (dot) org
discoverhongkong (dot) com
Photo Credits:
wholefooddiary (dot) com- 6th photo
commons (dot) wikimedia (dot) org- 8th photo
stdyinpnu (dot) blogspot (dot) com- 13th photo
kookstraveldiary (dot) blogspot (dot) com- 15th photo
regalhotel (dot) com-16th photopalmbookdeviantart (dot) com-20th photo
fineartamerica (dot) com-25th photo
hqwalls (dot) org- 29th photo
