Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities in the world. And no, I don’t say that about every place I visit. But where do I even start?
I have been to Hong Kong several times. A giant financial hub and global trade center, Hong Kong is also home to one of Asia’s most touristic cities, and it also hosts a giant international airport, so it’s quite easy to arrive there from anywhere in the world.
How I Got There
As usual whenever I travel, I either take a United flight or search for the cheapest flight on kayak.com. I wrote an article about how I stick to flying on United as much as possible to cash out big with my miles.
For these trips, I typically fly from Taipei on either Cathay Pacific (again, via kayak.com) or Eva Air (yay, Star Alliance!)
Here are my top 3 things to do in Hong Kong.
1. Eat Dim Sum at Tim Ho Wan
Have you heard of Dim Sum? It’s well-known around the world for a reason. It is DELICIOUS.
(Brb, after saying that… low key paranoid that this is the part where you try it for the first time and you’re like, um, no it isn’t Wilson.)
Dim Sum
Hong Kong sits in the Canton region, and to be able to eat Dim Sum (hungover) in the “origin” was incredible. Tim Ho Wan (this one on Google Maps near Sham Shui Po subway station) is perhaps one of the most famous Dim Sum places.
Dessert
Eat ice cream from a Watermelon
And while we are on the topic of food, I hopped over the a dessert store next door and ate ice cream from a watermelon. How exotic.
2. Victoria Peak
So obviously this one’s a big one. I’ll be honest – I’m not a fan of touristy places because they feel very disingenuous, and Victoria Peak is certainly a very touristy place. But once I got to the top, none of that mattered to me.
The view of the skyscraper and the bay was breathtaking. I think that shows how much Victoria Peak is of a must-see.
Victoria Peak
There’s a day view and a night view. We went in the morning.
There are many ways to get to Victoria Peak. This site gives good options. We took the Peak Tram from Central MTR Station and had no issues.
3. Go Partying in Lan Kwai Fong
Nightlife in Hong Kong is spectacular.
The heart of Hong Kong nightlife of clubs and bars are located here (google maps link): Lan Kawi Fong (LKF)
On the way to Lan Kwai Fong
Hong Kong has a great mix of foreigners and locals. The women and men you will see at LKF are very good-looking. Hong Kong-ers (err, is that what they’re called?) know how to party.
Honorable Mentions
I love how taking the boat using your Octopus Card is a simple $3HKD trip across the bay from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon.
Locals use that mode for general transportation. I use it because it’s cool.
Hong Kong Island to Kowloon by Boat
Also, my friend Steven and I made it to the Casinos in Macau. We took a ferry (about 1 hour from Hong Kong). That was 100% worth a day trip.
Where I Stayed
I stayed at a hostel in Causeway Bay called Yesinn.
Pros: Location was incredible. Right next to the Causeway Bay Subway Station, right next to Time Square (yes, that’s actually what it’s called), right by the water, and surrounded by bars/restaruants.
Cons: There’s not a lot of space for $20USD/night, but quite frankly, that’s Hong Kong real estate – everything is super tight and crowded.
There’s competition everywhere near the area since it’s the Tom Brady for Hong Kong tourism, and it’s hard to go wrong with any other place in my opinion, but I couldn’t recommend Yesinn more.
By the way, I wrote a separate article on How I Choose Where I Stay when I Travel.
If I Had More Time, I would have…
I would have loved to hike in Hong Kong. I’ve read everywhere that there are incredible trails all over the islands.
Real talk. I can’t believe I didn’t make it to Lantau Islands to see the Big Buddha. Next time tho.
Closing Remarks
Traveling to Asia will present potential cultural shocks. But Hong Kong, a westernized and tourist-friendly city like Singapore, will make you want to go more than once. At least that was the case for me.
I owe it to Hong Kong for helping me discover my passion for traveling when I had an internship in Shenzhen, China one summer and crossed passport control to arrive in Hong Kong every other weekend.
Hong Kong introduced me to the world of a fun, international city. I learned a lot that summer, and I never looked back on my travel adventures.
