No
Disneyland, Ocean Park and Victoria Peak; none of those stuff that people
usually go to. We booked a flight, didn’t even plan about the trip and just
went with the flow. Getting lost on the gritty alleys of Hong Kong. To get to
the core of Hong Kong. Whatever that is.
Twenty years
ago there was no Disneyland but only Ocean Park. The fambam went there to,
well, experience the cold weather of January and to check out the famed spots
of Hong Kong (check here for discounted tours, transportation and activities in Hong Kong). What I remembered were the double-decker buses, staying at
Chungking Mansion for a night (blame fully booked hotels) and the distinct
smell of legit Cantonese dishes.
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| Bamboo scaffolding |
So after two
decades, I went back with I hold on to as my old recollections of Hong Kong. Me
and my favorite travel buddies went there to get a grip of its culture and whatnots.
Hong Kong Mass Transportation
We arrived at
Hong Kong International Airport at around ten in the evening. We dashed to the
public bus terminal right outside the arrival area and checked out which bus
route should we take. We shelled out HKD 39 (US$ 5.01) each for the ride and
took note of our bus stop. It was easy, convenient and cheap.
We also used the subway train a lot. The MTR or Mass Transit Railway is the rapid railway system in Hong Kong that is the most common mode of mass transportation. The network consists of nine railway lines across the city with one line that directly connects to the airport. Prepaid and single trip tickets are both available. Hong Kong’s train system is fast, efficient and very convenient.
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| Hong Kong MTR |
Buses are also plenty. Different bus routes cover almost all of Hong Kong. One of the popular ones is the double-decker bus. Fare is fairly cheap but expect a little delay during rush hour as traffic may be heavy at those times. You can use a prepaid card or octopus card when riding the bus or prepare an exact amount of cash for the fare.
Hung Hom
We stayed at
Hotel SAV, Hong Kong on our first night which is located on the not-so-popular area of
Hung Hom at the Kowloon District. After settling in, we combed the almost
deserted neighborhood for a place to eat, at midnight.
We found a
roadside noodle shop and downed some bowls of noodles and bottles of Tsing Tao
beers. It ended on a drinking spree with locals having their own midnight snack/beer
sesh along the alleyway.
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| Roadside noodle shop cum beer stand |
The next
morning, we strolled around and felt as if we’re on a new neighborhood. The
deserted midnight scene completely revenged itself in the morning with loads of
locals filling the narrow streets of Hung Hom. It was different but we still
loved the unadulterated parts of the area.
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| Hung Hom |
Wan Chai
I love Wan
Chai. I felt like this is old Hong Kong. Well, that’s just me. The narrow main roads
were lined with shops and restaurants. When you traverse to the alleys, that’s
when you get to explore some hole-in-the-walls and old Chinese shops (furniture,
toys and more). The place is so vibrant that getting lost at day or night will
be pleasant altogether.
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| Wan Chai |
Popularly
known as TST (to avoid tongue-twisting moments), the lively area of Tsim Sha
Tsui can be considered as the most popular destination in Hong Kong for
shopping. I am no shopaholic but this place amazed me with the amount of
tourists bustling the streets and shops. They mean business when they shop.
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| Tsim Sha Tsui |
Nathan Road
is filled with huge shopping malls with almost anything that you’re looking
for. Chungking Mansions (yes, that movie by Wong Kar Wai) is also at this road
and you’d find the cheapest accommodations here. Halal restaurants and other
shops occupy the first level of the building while different accommodations
occupy the other floors (just make sure you’re dealing with legit agents when
looking for a place to stay at).
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| That famous movie |
We had a few
quick stops here for some window shopping and people watching. It was busy and chaotic, but fun. We walked
further and reached the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and the Clock Tower.
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| Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower |
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| Hong Kong Cultural Centre |
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| Victoria Harbour |
Mongkok
We should go to the Ladies’ Market at
Mongkok,
someone suggested. And so we did, just to see it and check out the huge evening
bazaar that filled almost all the streets of Mongkok.
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| Ladies' Market at Mongkok |
And everything, like
everything, you need (or thought you just might) is here, like the famous Lost In Hong Kong shirts in all sizes and colors.
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| Mongkok |
Central Station
We’re at the
Central Station of MTR when we saw this huge ferris wheel, and so we headed
toward its way to check it out. It was the Hong Kong Observation Wheel that
features lush gondolas that provide a stunning view of Hong Kong. We’re too fixated
on it from afar that we didn’t have the drive to check it out close by. We just
took quick snaps of it and went back to the train station for our next unknown destination.
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| Hong Kong Observation Wheel |
Hong Kong Park
Sometimes we
would ride the MTR not knowing where to go and during one of those trips we
landed at Admiralty Station where we discovered Hong Kong Park. And it was an
escape from the maddening urban landscape. It was green, peaceful and
refreshing.
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| Hong Kong Park |
Yau Ma Tei
We wanted a
legit old school theater experience so we set out to find one this particular
morning. And then we got lost in the area of Yau Ma Tei. Public markets, hawker
stalls and old bikes. We went here for the theater and ended up chugging cans
of beer along the sidewalk still figuring out where the heck Yau Ma Tei Theater
was (oldest surviving pre-war cinema building in downtown Hong Kong).
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| Yau Ma Tei |
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| Excuse me... Can I ride on the bike Miss? No... No... No... Uhm... Ok :) |
Again, it was
one of those days when we didn’t know which area to invade that we ended up on
a not-so-famous area in Hong Kong. We alighted at Sheung Wan Station of MTR and
went out for a quick walking trip. This time, we ran across Man Wa Lane or
popularly known as the Chop Alley.
The road is
famous for stalls of chop-makers (rubber stamps and traditional Chinese seals);
old school style.
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| Man Wa Lane |
Hong Kong Tram
We walked
further and reached the Western Market where a tram station is situated. Trams are
one of the earliest forms of public transportation in Hong Kong (which, by the
way, is the only one in the world that is exclusively operated with
double-deckers) that became a major tourist attraction (they even made a Party Tram just to accommodate the
demand for tourists).
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| The Party Tram |
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| The regular trams |
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| On your first day in Hong Kong, please do try the trams |
We occupied
the upper deck which gave us a good vantage point for the trip. The tram was
slow but it lets you understand and see the bigger picture on the different
areas in Hong Kong. We didn’t have a specific destination but we had a
wonderful experience.
Lan Kwai Fong
I’ve
never seen so many people crossing the streets but on the streets leading to
Lan Kwai Fong.
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| All roads lead to Lan Kwai Fong |
Considered as the most popular party place in Hong Kong, this
place is loaded with restaurants, bars and clubs that is the common go-to place
of the workforce and tourists.
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| Party crowd |
In
hindsight, I wouldn’t want to change a thing on our recent Hong Kong trip. We
spent countless hours figuring out where we were and what to do that we always
end up loitering on the unknown alleys and streets of Hong Kong, with no
particular destination, we were just there to experience Hong Kong. And we’re
yearning for more! Next time, we’d dedicate a day on each MTR line and get off
on every station. Now that’s a plan eh?
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| Let's get lost... In Hong Kong! |
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