Hong Kong: Thrive In A Day
Don't you love delays? I do *said no one ever*. Shanghai to Hong Kong is, as my friend described it, a flight route equivalent to, "a marriage from hell'. Delays are far too common on this route, and that was no different on my way to Hong Kong. Seven hours in Pudong airport meant I would have to see Hong Kong in a day. It's a huge city, but here's how to do it.
Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers of any city in the world (architecturally, most aren't necessarily too stunning, but combine them as a whole the skyline is truly incredible), and a population of almost ten million living basically on a rock. After spending our first day dealing with those delays, and our second day out on my friend's boat (which I highly recommend you do in Hong Kong), we were left with only one day to walk around and experience the entire city. We started in Mong Kok, the population center of Hong Kong.
The somehow organized chaos of Hong Kong's street vendors
Mong Kok is the most densely populated area of land in the entire world and frankly it can be intimating. From a "touristic" standpoint, there is not too much to do around here. We went to Ladies' Market, which is a night market but walking through it in the morning while all the vendors were setting up, weaving through massive crates and drapes, had its own unique nature to it. Just walk down and around Nathan Road and Mong Kok will provide you with countless options for street food and trinket shops. Unless you decide to get some serious shopping done, maybe at the Langham Place in the Cordis, you really wouldn't need more than thirty minutes to cruise around the streets, get some red bean pastries and look around at the absurd amount of tiny apartments scattered in massive buildings in every direction.
Ladies' Market during the day while vendors were still setting up, flanked on both sides by the famously dense housing of Hong Kong
From Mong Kok, go down to Tsim Tsa Shui, which is located at the tip of the "mainland" Hong Kong. This area is much more upscale, littered with five star hotels and Louis Vuitton's, and boasts the best view in Hong Kong, out over Hong Kong Island. From just above the Star Ferry Terminal, you can capture amazing shots from an elevated promenade, and it is stunning. Walk over to Harbor City for arguably the best shopping, in my opinion, in the city. The diversity of high-end selection here goes beyond the typical stores you see in every mall (which Hong Kong has a LOT of), and I wish I had more time to shop there.
The promenade of Tsim Tsa Shui offers fantastic photo opportunities, especially once the construction is completed
We went from the promenade area of Tsim Tsa Shui to the W for some cold beverages by the pool since it was absolutely toasting outside. Afterwards, we walked around the Elements mall, went up to Civic Square and were surprised to find a peaceful recluse with water features and palm trees right above the mall. And for lunch, we ate at Tango, which, if you're a fan Argentinian food, or just food in general, served as an absolutely amazing break from the Asian food (love it and all but it gets old). I'll share more on my meal at Tango in the next blog post, so be sure to check it out.
Best spot in the city to cool off
Star Ferries have maintained their old-school vibes, but the reversible benches are truly a marvel of modern engineering
After cruising around Elements Mall for some more shopping, we took the shuttle provided by the W to Ocean Center, where we boarded the Star Ferry. Getting your token to board is cheap and simple, and the seats are genius because they are reversible depending on the direction the boat is going. Cruising through Victoria is absolutely stunning, so just sit back and enjoy the five minute ride over to Central.
Twelve of these little ferries transport 70,000 people a day, and have been operating since 1888!
Once you get to Central, walk through the area without stepping foot on the streets. Boasting a massive system of elevated walkways and the world-famous escalators, you can go through this entire area without touching the filthy streets (just kidding, streets here are crazy clean). Central is a beautifully developed region in Hong Kong, with comprehensive signs guiding you wherever you want to go. It is also very diverse, so you'll see dozens of types of restaurants and bars along with people for that matter.
An urban jungle on Hong Kong Island, with a roller coaster of freeways serving as a ceiling
Looking out over the hundreds of skyscrapers in the city
Walk from the top of the escalator to the Peak Tram, but I have extremely mixed emotions from here on out about the tram. The walk is seriously beautiful. It is the most unique thirty minute walk I have ever done, under huge bridges, through churches, and along a waterfall (actually sewage but we'll call it a waterfall, okay?). As soon as we got to the tram station, we were met with hundreds of people waiting in line, resulting in an almost two hour wait in ridiculous heat to go up a hill. We decided to screw that and go find a cab. We were not smart. Getting a cab is fine but you HAVE to specify that you want to go to Victoria Park at the Peak, not the Peak Mall. And ask before you get in the cab how much it will be. If you pay more than $300 HKD, you are being ripped off (I won't reveal how much we paid). The Peak Mall sucks. It's filled with tourist groups being rushed through narrow hallways. There is an observation deck facing the other way which has its beauty but what you really want to see is the world famous view of Hong Kong. For that, you have to go to the top of this weird, U-shaped building (not worth remembering the name because it sucks). Yeah I'm not going to sugarcoat anything here. This building f***ing sucks. I even held off on writing this part of the blog to let my emotions cool down, and I'm still getting heated at how stupid this building is and how much of a money trap it is. This area between dumb as hell U shape building and Peak Mall really does not provide any views of Victoria Harbor. So you've already either paid an absurd amount in a taxi or waited a ridiculous amount of time in line to take the tram, and once you do so, you have to pay an entrance fee at the damned U-shaped building ($50 HKD) to get to the terrace and finally see the view. The view IS fantastic, and pictures really don't do it justice. But our frustrations did not end there! On the way out, there is no clear sign for how to exit the actual building, just signs for the tram, which we did not want to wait in line for. We went up and down this building trying to find the damn exit, and we finally just got out through a side restaurant and exited out the side. As an architect, I was beyond pissed. Exiting a building is the second most important part of a design after entering, and they failed miserably here.
Huge crowds are a part of the experience, but don't let that bother you-this view is world class!
Rant over. The view from up there is beautiful, just don't get ripped off like we did. We went back to the hotel, changed, and got on the subway over to Central. After walking around a bit through the actual streets of Central, we went to our dinner at Mott 32. I will just say this: Mott 32 is the best Chinese meal I have ever had (followed CLOSELY by Jin Xuan in Shanghai). Do yourself a favor and read that post, but I warn you, you will be starving by the time you finish reading it.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by Temple Street and made a one way walk through this night street. Honestly, street vendors garner zero excitement from me anymore. They all sell the same things: glasses, some clothes, some souvenirs, and a place to buy skewers here and there. But, if you are in to that type of stuff or have never experienced a night market for yourself, I would definitely recommend Temple Street, or if you're willing to go out further, Ladies' Market.
Hong Kong is big, but if you follow that plan, you will hit the most important parts of the city, and you will thrive while doing so (just don't get screwed over by taxi drivers).