Traveling Hong Kong the Eat, Pray, Love Way

How else do you do a Hong Kong travel? To for a fact be mentioned that American writer Elizabeth Gilbert authored a bestselling "chick-lit" in 2006. It sold a million copies, translated into 40 languages, and turned into a big hit travel-romance movie. Apparently, it is a travel bible to many country drifters.

It's gratifying how we all can take a trip to places as fascinating as those in the book without having to spend largely for tickets and hotels for a taste of Muhgal architecture and feel- good mantras, or for a dominion inhabited by Roman-numeral boys. :)

Hong Kong is a pretty good choice. While an eat, pray, love kind of adventure can be done in many other countries, a Hong Kong travel can be far less expensive and doable compared to those in the west side of the globe.

Options are abundant. But if there's a way to do it remarkably, it can be specified into 3 unforgettable should-do's:

Eat

Dai pai dong is a Hong Kong style open- air food stall. It's a term usually used to refer roadside food stalls with foldable tables and chairs and no air conditioning. Although it literally means as "restaurants with big license" denoting the size of license bigger than the other licensed street vendors. 

Dai pai dong food stall

Legally, the term can only refer to the 28 stalls with "big licenses" -- those in Causeway Bay Central, Sham Shui Po, Wan Chai, Tai Hang, and Tai O. Although food stalls of the same kind are scattered widely around the country.

It characteristically has an untidy atmosphere. But to experience a pure Hong Kong dining together with pure Hong Kong locals is a sure bet. It's not everyday that you get to eat those dai pai dong congees and yuanyuang the way Gilbert has given up a love-handle-free potbelly for a daily sellout with gelatos and linguine pastas in 4 long months in Italy.

Yuanyuang drink

Most dai pai dongs offer authentic Cantonese food. English is hardly spoken so a little more of hand pointing will serve as your tongue.

Pray

For an experience of a Chinese solitude, try the ancient and fluid movements of tai chi in a peaceful side of the city, say, in a park or at the waterfront facing the Victoria Harbour. 

Tai Chi in Hong Kong Clock Tower

Tai chi movements are said to balance the body's internal yin and yang, for the mind, soul, and body. There are tourists and locals who do this outdoors under the morning light. Even Andrew Zimmern did it, too in a Bizarre Foods Episode! 

Love

Love is a widespread phenomenon and odds are that Hong Kong established activities that can foster this. 

Less expensive than a Harbour Cruise is a late-afternoon Duk Ling ride for only HKD100. It is a Chinese sailing junk that sails the harbour, holding out a 360-degree view of the captivating skyline. It sails regularly three times a week for about 2.5 to 4 hours. 

Duk Ling Cruise, Victoria Harbour

Duk Ling is to Hong Kong as much as Taj Mahal is to India. And the most romantic thing, if at all,  is riding in one of the red- sail sampans, the ones that look like an iconic bat wings in red colors flashing against the scenery of the modern skyline. 

Plan it or wing it, the important thing is to make the most of the experience. Because it's one thing to "know" how to do these things, but it's another thing to "live them up".

We may not always be able to visit every part of the country in a travel, but sometimes less is more, especially when you know how to do just that. It's the reason why I always want to travel the eat pray love way-- minus the divorce and the erratic affairs. Teehee!

Now let's cross over to the sides of Hong Kong. Attraversiamo!

References:

wikipedia (dot) org

discoverhongkong (dot) com

Photo Credits:

google (dot) com (slash) images- 1st photo

commons (dot) wikimedia (dot) org- 1st photo 

scoopweb (dot) com- 2nd photo

theredheadriter (dot) com- 3rd photo

businesstravellerasia (dot) com- 4th & 5th photos

3 Things Guidebooks Don't Tell Budget Travelers About Hong Kong

Life in Hong Kong starts at 10 AM. That's when the streets get busy, and people start loading up sidewalks and escalators.

busy Hong Kong street

They live fast paced. That is, you have to always keep right in roadways and escalators. And keep up with few minutes of standing in these public places on end.  Or you'll get impinged. But that's Hong Kong.

Travelers hoard to where it's public and familiar, and to where it's economical. And most of these travelers want to get the cheapest deal, often. Even I, too, dream of returning home from Hong Kong full of markdowns every time especially on bargain clothes and keepsakes. 

You're paying too much for their budget finds

But how cheap can we go? Chinese are skillful salespeople and even the best hagglers don't always get the lowest price. Because here's a fact: you can find exact items being sold in Hong Kong's budget markets in your own hometown at probably the same, or even cheaper price. 

The only difference about the price of these jades, ceramics, jewelries, and keepsakes sold in Hong Kong and in your hometown is the currency. Do a little math and the amount is hardly disproportional. Trust me.

Shop in Hong Kong without expecting too much that you're getting the rarest and best-est items. And while you can still negotiate the cost as much as you can, remember that the difference isn't much.

Every penny counts

Newspapers in Hong Kong are free, but not the plastic bags in most groceries and convenient stores. It's either you hug your purchased items in your arms or buy something to contain them in. In case you're not the type who minds spending coins.

Hong Kong public vehicles on the other hand don't give loose change on fares. You might want to care for your petty cash, anyway, so you can give an exact amount and avoid spending the needless extra.

The cheapest airport transfers are not from the Chinese

Just when you think the middle eastern folks are simply hoaxing at your "very tourist orientation" about Hong Kong, it's the airport shuttles and taxis which you should try to avoid.

The Pakistanis, Indians, and Arabs offer relatively inexpensive airport transfer service. They are usually stationed outside the buildings of hostels (e.g. Chung King & Mirador Mansions).

Consider paying about HK$112 airport transfer by these middles eastern folks (for a group of 4, that's roughly HK$28 each) compared to the HK$90 single journey from Kowloon to airport, or the HK$100 single journey from Hong Kong Island to airport.

These middle eastern folks make sure you're well-accommodated. Besides, it feels as if you own the car. You know, comfort and privacy.

The next time you're in Hong Kong you know that opportunities to spend wisely are abundant. That is if you know where and how to spend your cash. 

Photo Credits:
sassyhongkong (dot) com- 2nd photo
spafinder (dot) com- 3rd photo
quintavaledmaria (dot) wordpress (dot) com- 4th photo

Traveling Hong Kong: The Food

Honest to goodness, Hong Kong food is largely bland. And I hate it, most times. 

I come from a tropical country whose history is influenced by Westerners rapt with seasoning and condiments.  So, my food choices. 

Hong Kong food normally tastes like stew, a simple mixture of a solid food ingredient cooked in liquid. The aroma? An indistinctive steam of water. No onions, salt, and pepper creating a palatable combination. 

But with less sodium their food, too, is apparently healthier.

Despite the rather insipid eats they also have food which tastes internationally competitive.

Must Eat

Street Food

The Korean Grilled Squid is an appetizing try. My three travel companions and I took the ones in Ocean Park.

What convinced us to buy? The ambrosial smell of a squid meat marinated in soy sauce and what-magic-ingredient included. It's very inviting.

The squid looks cut flatly in half after grilling. The brown-purplish color will tell you it's ready to eat.

It tastes like tender piece of chicken. Its semi-soft meat stretches like shreds of mozzarella cheese in every bite.

The name isn't very suggestive of Hong Kong, but it's sold all over Ocean Park, Disneyland, and Hong Kong Food Districts for roughly HK$30 each.

:: Traveler's Note: Korean Grilled Squid is a popular snack for people of all ages in Korea. It's portable and cheap protein, and can be eaten like popcorn, enjoyed as an anju paired with drinks. [Source: Koreanfood (dot) about (dot) com (slash) fishandseafoodrecipes] ::

Budget Eats

If you're traveling on a slightly narrow budget but still want to eat good food at a reasonable price, try the ready-to-eat meals in Hong Kong. They cost around HK$9 to HK$15 in most convenient stores.

eat-everywhere meal

They come in pork, chicken, and seafood. You can also choose from those served with rice and those served solely as edible veges.

There's no other food like home-cooked meals but these meal packages taste almost equally the same. I tried those with rice drenched in tomato sauce, topped with chunks of chicken and enormous slices of onions, garlic, and carrots. It's like tripe soup except that it is white meat that fudges as I chew. Some flavors have a sweet-sour blend while others taste a bit tangy.

Most Hong Kong locals prefer these meals for its convenience. So why not a traveler?

The meals are in laminated or zipper pouch food packaging and are readily cooked for 5 to 10 minutes using the microwave at the convenient stores.

Microwavable meals from Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Utensils are provided, too.

Dining

If you'd like to go for a casual but more decent type of dining in an upscale setting, try to have a buffet dinner at Cafe TOO in Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong.

Cafe TOO Japanese Kitchen, Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

Cafe TOO offers ten cooking theatres that feature different cooking styles. Unlike other restaurants in Shangri-La, Cafe TOO is a casual buffet type of dining. A co-op for international cuisines-- French, Japanese, Thai, and others. Options are abundant and the choice is yours.

Asian Cuisine

They cook for tongues hungry of sumptuous food.

Chefs serving European Cuisine

Our table was near the dessert kitchen. We had a seemingly absolute affair with ice cream in macadamia and strawberry flavors, ganache cake, and Japanese manju.

Cafe TOO sweets corner

We also went for French Wagyu steaks that extensively tasted like flesh swamped in sesame oil, and Japanese Sushi that tasted like a fresh gang of seafood meat and vegetables wrapped in moist rice.

Japanese Sushi

This chocolate cake had me almost drooling.

heavenly cake!

The faint breeze of Thai curries and Indian sauce served with Naan bread fill the air at one side of the restaurant. And what I hear are part chefs cooking, diners talking, spoons thumping on glass wares, and part good sense of burpiliciousness in my stomach that makes me want more.

I also tried Oshikuro, a traditional Japanese dessert made of red bean soup, rice cake, and chestnut. I, so far, have never tasted a dessert as inebriating as that in my life. But that's just in Cafe TOO.

Oshikuro's delicious look and not-so delicious aftertaste was in a way fun for an experience.

Japanese Oshikuro Dessert

Most of the food are all in all, fit for a king.

Bizarre 

If you also want to try something strange and off-menu, Hong Kong has snake soup in Ser Wong Fun, stinky tofu, turtle jelly, 1000- year old eggs, and bugs on sticks. Their taste is by their name implied.

Click here for more bizarre food guide.

:: Traveler's Note: Did you know that there is only one Jollibee Branch in Hong Kong that offers all-pinoy recipe? It's in G/B Eurotrade Center, 13-14 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong ::

Island Shangri-La Hotel lobby

Whether an international dish or an authentic Cantonese cuisine, the general rule in choosing food to eat on your travels is stated in Andrew Zimmern's law,

"If it looks good, eat it."





Photo Credits:
cherryeveryday (dot) com-2nd photo
groupon (dot) com (dot) au-9th photo
japan (hyphen) talk (dot) com-11th photo

References:
philippinecountry (dot) com
shangri (hyphen) la (dot) com (slash) hongkong
japan101 (dot) com