My top ten things to do to Hong Kong.

I’ve been to Hong Kong three times now and the city is wonderfully Chinese, Western and colonial in its architecture and general culture so its a wonderful mix of tastes, sights, sounds and amazing experiences.

View of Hong Kong island and the harbour from the Peak!

I’ve always stayed on the Kowloon side but the Island has a lot to offer and is the old colonial back bone of Hong Kong and feels that way as well with its double Decker buses!

The best thing is going up the peak tram for spectacular views over Victoria Harbour. The harbour is    really one of the wonders of the world and is quite spectacular naturally and architecturally and it is at its best in the evening when everything is lit up. You can have a meal at the top of the peak as there are lots of restaurants all catering to different tastes or you can sit overlooking the harbour with a drink as the sun goes down.

Hong Kong is actually made up of 263 different islands, a lot of them are uninhabited and inaccessible. I’ve been to Lantau and the main island along with Kowloon.

Lantau is very near where the airport is and about a 50 minute drive into the centre of town but also very easily accessible by MTR which is the local underground.

The climate in Hong Kong is mild year round although when Ive been in July and August its always been slightly muggy and humid which you will find most times of the year as well.

The best way to describe is that Kowloon is the more Chinese part of Hong Kong in terms of architecture and the island is much more western with big bank buildings and so on. Hong Kong is a great place as a stopover or somewhere to start/finish a cruise and has a lot to offer. 

Celebrity Millennium is a ship that has been sailing from Hong Kong regularly the last couple of years, here are some itineraries that a stopover in Hong Kong can be built into and some fantastic cruises as well! Celebrity Millennium Asia cruises

So below are some of my top ten things you can do in Hong Kong for a short stay.

10: Big Buddha on Lantau island – personally not my favourite destination in Hong Kong but its a landmark of sorts. Watch out for the slightly tacky chinese village when you get there! The Ngong Ping 360 cable car is worthwhile for the views though and the giant buddha is pretty impressive too. Ngong Ping 360

9: Ned Kellys last stand click here is a great pace to go of an evening for a drink and some Jazz. Not exactly local as has an Australian theme but a great night out nonetheless!

Temple street night market

8: Temple street night market, a hagglers dream but you need to haggle hard. Lots of cheap tourist tat on offer but also some bargains as well! In fact shopping in general is amazing here even in the big shopping malls like Causeway bay, it goes from the very cheap and cheerful to the high end designer shops but either way shopaholics will be entertained.

Kowloon Park

7: Kowloon Park, this park is a remnant of colonial days and is a great place to wander. Every type of sport imaginable is available here including lido style swimming pools. Other than that its just a good palce to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

6: Day trip to Macau – if gambling is your thing then its possible to fit in a day trip over to Macau to check out the Vegas of the far east!

5: Afternoon tea at the Peninsular – one of Hong Kong’s oldest hotels and most opulent. Its still the done thing to pop in for an exquisite afternoon tea  The Peninsula afternoon tea

4: The food! Dim Sum originated in Hong Kong and the variety of local and international foods on offer is

amazing.

3: Hong Kong Symphony of nights, a free thing to do of an evening (every evening apart from in the event of bad weather), the worlds only permanent light show lights up the Hong Kong  island skyscraper, best place to see this is just around the corner from the Star Ferry terminal below (or from a harbour view hotel room on the Kowloon side obviously)!

The star ferry

2: The Star Ferry, essentially this is a very cheap thing to do but one of the must dos on any Hong Kong itinerary. This over 100 year old ferry crossing takes you on a 10 minute ride towards the skyscrapers of Hong Kong island from Kowloon (or vice versa).

1: The Peak and tram – I’d plan to have lunch or dinner here and stay up for the sunset. The tram ride up is awesome and a bit gravity defying, not necessarily for the faint hearted. Spectacular views to be had of the skyscrapers below and all around. There is also lots of parkland to wander around as well or even walk back down if you are feeling up to it!