After 32 hours non stop travelling... with our three year old. This was Hong Kong we got to see first. Through the floor to ceiling windows at the 28th floor.. And then we woke up to this amazing view!
The trip to Hong Kong happened in mid October 2013, and it just never felt right just to post the photos here. I wanted to tell our story of falling in love with this city as well. But even now, three months down the line I can' put all the thoughts and feeling together to describe this place. Hectic? Overcrowded? Amazing? Surreal? One off in the world? You name it... But before we get there...
There are lots of families who would probably consider us mad, but that was what we did - booked tickets to spend entirely two weeks in Hong Kong. That aside, we took or three year old with us. Don't take me wrong, I don't make rules. Every family has their own way, and our way is that our little one travels with us around the world. We love it, and whilst the trips with him are definitely far more laid back and less intense, should we have travelled without him, we still get to do plenty I find. In fact many childless couple do much less during their trips... :) Family portrait below in the reflection of the sunglasses...
So if you are still reading... Hong Kong!
The place is amazing, and quite honestly this is the first city in my life which I found sooooo overcrowded. It's not particularly child-friendly, with lots of stiff hills and stairs, and almost no ramps, of lifts, or escalators. You are not expected to walk it on foot, but that is the only way to truly explore the city. So we had to embrace ourselves.
I specifically didn't read anything about the city not to set the expectations. Neither high nor low. Again it was just my own way to discover this crazy city, not something I would personally recommend despite the fact I would not have done any different, would I had a chance. The downside is you loose time by "inventing the wheel" but to me it proved the best way to get introduced, and then without prejudice fall in love with the place. Am I being wishy washy? :)
We stayed in Hong Kong side in The Jervous serviced apartments (highly recommended if you are like us a re looking for a flat to rent on holiday rather than a hotel), not far from Central, the ferry terminals which can take you anywhere. Here is the trick. Taxis are everywhere in Hong Kong, but they only stop at the designated taxi stands, or at hotels, so unless you have one close to you, or lucky enough to jump in the taxi which has just dropped another passenger - walk! Taxis are in fact very cheap. £2 will give you 10 minute ride. Not bad, hah?!
Or use one of those funky old type tramps, a must do activity! Sitting on the upper deck would give you amazing opportunity to look at the city from slightly different perspective.
Hong Kong is built up, it has not a single spot on the ground where you would not find some sort of business entrepreneurship. Whether it's megamalls, or some MDF box type shops selling brick-or-brac. If you have a minute, get down to Hong Kong park where you will find some photographs of the city as it was some thirty years ago. Great place to spend some time with your little one and it only costed HK$398 millions to build. A few steps away there is Zoological and Botanical Gardens where a main attraction point is definitely a pair on the photo below. The sounds they make are hilarious, all they want is your attention!
for another green type attraction - head to Kowloon side, where Kowloon Park, or 九龍公園 is not to miss.
Once you are in Kowloon, get down to the Avenue of Stars which is a great location to watch Symphony of Lights, a multimedia show which starts at 8pm every evening and involves more than 40 skyscrapers on the other side being lit up!
If you feel tireless get down to the Temple Street night market on Kowloon side - great place for souvenirs.
Get the star ferry to Hong Kong side - they only take 5 minutes to cross the harbour!
I don't want to give away everything about Hong Kong, as if you ever make your way down there, you ought to discover it yourself. I can only say that the place is absolutely stunning and it's probably one of the few places in the world where busy and crazy cosmopolitan coexists with some pretty unique, rural and secluded spots.
Stanley, Ocean Bay and Repulse Bay are great beaches, with my favourite being ShekO!
Lantau and Big Budda, and 5.6 kg of cable car route to get there - a must do tourist activity! (Tip - book in advance to skip queue (and save yourself an hour) to the booking office, but you will still have to queue afterwards (allow another hour!).
Food choices are amazing, whether you opt for local take away, or a fancy restaurant downtown. For me without a doubt the best meal was at street cafe at Mui Wo Ferry Pier (梅窩渡輪碼頭)... We had only 50 minutes before the ferry would depart for Hong Kong Central, and those were the most delicious 50 minutes in my life! (If you happen to get there, the place is the closest to the terminal!)
There is so much to do there, two weeks were not enough. A mix of feeling, emotions and memories for my personal memory box. We will definitely be coming back.
Hong Kong, I love you....
Yours
Tasha
xx
