Travel: Hong Kong

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The Feisty Tourist is making me nostalgic for travel photos. So I thought I’d share with all of you details from a trip to Hong Kong in February 2007.

Getting There: From Chicago there are two flight options to get to Hong Kong. First option: O’Hare to Tokyo (overnight) and Tokyo to Hong Kong (arrive morning). Second option (and my preferred): O’Hare to LAX (morning) and then to Hong Kong direct (arrive evening). I generally prefer arriving at destinations in the evening, and sleeping through the night so that I’m ready to go the next day - it also tends to reduce my jet lag. Upon arrival at the airport, there is an easy high-speed train into the city, which connects to the subway (the MTR).

Hotel: We stayed at the Four Seasons in Central, which was a great location. Kowloon is the tourist mecca in HK but Central is the business district and it’s also by all the ports so to ferry anywhere you want to go from Central. Plus, it’s a major MTR station for a couple of good lines. Hong Kong is crazy. You seriously have to go through 3 malls, down 16 escalators, up four ramps, and through 2 footbridges to get anywhere! It’s all connected above or below ground. We were right by one of the big malls, the IFC Mall.

Must Sees in Hong Kong

The Big Buddha: An aerial tram takes you on a glorious trip up to the Big Buddha, Nyong Ping Village, and Pin Lo Monastery. This was such a fun day trip and something I consider a can’t-miss for any trip to Hong Kong!

Victoria Peak: One of the must-do’s is to take a tram up to the top of Victoria Peak and look down at the city. This is harder to do than it sounds because of the enormous amount of smog, but we found a somewhat clear day and headed up.

Looks a lot like Manhattan doesn’t it? The top of Victoria Peak has a mall with several restaurants and, obviously, an observation deck.

Explore the escalators and Soho: Yes, there are commuter escalators in HK. It’s pretty amazing. They go from Central up to the mid-levels, where there are many shops, restaurants, and apartments. I loved exploring the escalator area!

Kowloon, Avenue of Stars and the Light Show: Hong Kong’s version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and at night, the biggest light show in the world. Take the Star Ferry over from Central for the complete experience!

Macau: For those who love passport stamps as I do this was a boon. We got 4 stamps for this! In Macau, we saw a lot of casinos and the ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral. Macau is the strangest place I’ve ever been. It used to be ruled by the Portuguese, but is now under Chinese rule. So all of the signs are in Portuguese with Chinese lettering. The main street of town looks just like the main street in Pisa. And the casinos add a Las Vegas vibe. Plus, the entire place is built into the side of a mountain so it looks from a distance just like Monaco! It was so unique.

It was Chinese New Year while we were there and the beginning of the year of the pig.

I have so many great memories of Hong Kong and I highly recommend it for a visit - great shopping, attractions, and easy to get to from the US!

E.