Hong Kong in 2 Days (Part 1)

We had three nights and two full days stop over in Hong Kong. The Rugby Sevens just concluded when we arrived at the gigantic airport. Our immediate impression was that of awe at the very efficient transport system. The beautiful skyline at the Avenue of the Stars board walk  is stunning at night.


Where We Stayed

We booked a tiny-but-nicely-designed double room at Just Inn via Booking.Com. We were pleased by its convenient location along Lock Road, which was not far from the busy shopping street of Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui.  We also like its close proximity to Victoria Harbor Ferry Station.


It was rainy during our stay. We had to cancel a visit to Lantau Islands due to the weather, so we missed the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car and the Golden Buddha. However, the husband and I had enough time to enjoy the sites of both Kowloon and Hong Kong Islands.




On a trip like this, we would usually explore it ourselves. Given the weather and the limited time we had, we decided to take the hop-on-hop-off Big Bus Tours. It was definitely worth it! We had a promotional upgrade to a Deluxe Day Tour (48 hours) for merely purchasing a Premium (24 Hours) and these include two sets of return ferry access, sampan boat ride in Aberdeen, and peak tramway tickets.

During our visit, the tour prices were:

Premium Tour (24 hours):  US $ 49 per adult
Deluxe Tour ( 48 hours):   US $ 58 per adult
* However, it's cheaper if you purchase it on a fixed date from their official website--click here


Places to see in Hong Kong Island

My friend, Bambi de Guzman - Robert, who grew up and lived in Hong Kong for many years helped me out with the itinerary. Here are some of her travel suggestions that we happily visited.
L: Bank of China (BOC Tower) designed by I.M. Pei / R: Lippo Center designed by Paul Rudolph, Wong & Ouyang
Admire the architectural gems in the Financial District and watch fashionable young professionals out and about in designer bags and stylish outfits during a busy week day.


Golden Bauhinia Square at the Convention and Exhibition Centre

Stroll along the beach in this upmarket residential and resort town. Take a quick trip to Stanley Market for shopping afterwards.



View Boat People (often referred to as sea gypsies in Hong Kong) and their pets living on boats in the traditional fishing village of Aberdeen aboard a sampan for a 30-minute ride.  The Sampans or "baby boats" are available at the Aberdeen Promenade. We were amazed by the maneuvering skills of the woman boat captain driving it effortlessly.

The boat captain and I
Approaching the fishing village
In the Sampan
 If you're up for it..

It was a great recommendation from our friend, Bambi to try it. Sadly, we didn't. The menu prices exceeded our meal budget for the day. :( We searched for a local restaurant across Aberdeen Promenade and we ended up having lunch at KFC! Can you believe it? We heard celebrities visited the Jumbo Kingdom, the likes of Tom Cruise and Queen Elizabeth II. Hmm..Perhaps next time?  If ever you do visit Hong Kong--please try it, for me. 

The Man Mo Temple






Interesting strips and clusters of restaurant, bars and cafe with endless choices of cuisine in Lan Kwai Fong  and nearby booming SoHo District reminds me of New York City for their beautifully designed hangout spots and Happy Hours between 5-8pm.



The 800-metre Central Mid-level Escalators are made up of small escalators, inclined walk ways and foot bridges joined together to functionally access streets built on the steep hillside. It is considered the world's longest covered escalator system and is definitely  interesting to try. Dare to go the maximum distance you can reach. The escalators only go one way- either up or down depending on the time of day:

  • 06:00 - 10:00 AM Downwards
  • 10:00 - 22:00   Upwards
Take the stairs on your descent back to Queens Road Central. It's a great workout to burn the sumptuous lunch from Hollywood Road or Staunton Street /SoHo District. 

Lastly.. Ride the Peak Tramway  standing up.



Peak Tram Station
Enjoy the gorgeous views at the Peak Tower, a shopping and leisure complex near the summit of Victoria Peak.  There's Madame Tussauds Museum, Ripley's Believe it or Not Odditorium, Sky Terrace, Peak Tram Historical Gallery that you might be interested in. If we had a bit more time, we would have loved to explore nature walks on Mount Austin Road from the Peak Tram Station.

Click here for more information on the Peak Experience. Here we were approached numerous times by groups of students for interviews as part of their school assignment and we happily participated.

That's it for our first full day in Hong Kong.
Have a great week!
XOXO,
Arni

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7 comments

  1. Wow Arni, you're really lucky to visit al these places and you'r photos are really alluring! I love all those modern buildings and I find it really funny that the scalators only go one way, changing with the time of the day :)
    Looking forward to read more about your brief stay in HK
    Have a wonderful week!
    xo Irene

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  2. I love these posts you do Arni - they are so useful! We are planning a trip to Australia in the next few months and we are deciding which Asian country to stop-over in. My first choice is Hong Kong but my husband isn't too keen, I might just forward this to him to sweeten the deal! I love the inside of the sampan!

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  3. Looks like a ton of fun! I went to HK with my mom a few years ago but we spent all our time shopping - now i wish we did a bit of sightseeing too.

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  4. Wow! I am always amazed by your travels and pictures! Really? Floating restaurant?? Neat!

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  5. My husband loved Hong Kong. He went with his MBA class about 11 years ago. Those are great pictures! I really like the night one.

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  6. I have been to Hong Kong a few times because we love it so much and have friends there too. I enjoyed your post as it brought back such happy memories. The Man Mo temple is wonderful.
    http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/

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