Hong Kong: Drink

Hong Kong is a world-renowned party destination, and my experience here proved that to be completely true, at least from what I can remember, that is. Whether you're jumping off sixty foot boats, getting your ass grabbed by gay Indian men at the city's highest outdoor pool, or mingling with models in clubs, thriving in Hong Kong's party life is as easy as it gets.

Wet Pool Party

W Hotels are known to throw pretty good parties all around the world, and this was no exception. But frankly, it was somewhat of a dangerous scenario to put me and my buddies in a bathing suit by a pool, surrounded by people who were not in bathing suits meant to be swam in, but rather to be photographed in. Three wet guys running around, doing cannonballs, and splashing people left and right was not necessarily ideal for the girls wearing high heels, makeup, and done-up hair, but for us, it was an absolute blast.

W Hong Kong has this party a few times during the summer, and I highly recommend you go during one of the days. Getting in was somewhat annoying, as you had to go to the 8th floor (totally random floor) to get wristbands, which, even though I purchased mine in advance, were not immediately ready for me and my friends. Then the elevator situation was a bit of a buzz kill as it took forever to get back up to the 76th floor. But once you're in, it really is a fun time. We got a bottle of wine to start the night out with a good buzz. Perfectly cold wine, a warm night and a refreshing pool to go along with a fantastic DJ and vibrant crowd made for a more fun than expected experience. The only quip I would have about the party was that the pool was under-used and in fact was a nuisance for some reason to many people. Psychologically, if you're going to a pool party, there should be an inherent expectation that you will get wet, so if I splash your leg just a tad, do not give me that look. Yeah I'm talking to you. I don't know who you are, but don't get annoyed. Or maybe that's just the youth in me speaking out. Who knows, but all I know for now is that pool party=wet, so deal with it and thrive with it.

Good times partying in the city's highest pool

There is also an after party at the bar in the W Hotel which we did not attend, but seemed like it would be a good time. Instead, we used the pool party as somewhat of a pre game to going out, so at around 12, we went returned to the hotel room, showered and changed. On to stop #2.

Dragon-I

A Hong Kong legend. Dragon-I has been a staple in the nightlife scene for decades now, and although many say it is loosing its edge, we still had a great time. The place is littered with models, some paid to be there, others there to be exposed. And, even though this place is super-bougey, everyone is having a great time and were definitely not shy to share a shot or two with the birthday kid from California. And it is super international, which goes hand in hand with the demographic of the city. But seeing the best and most beautiful from people all around the country added a visual enjoyment that made me literally sit and look around at each person. It was a ten minutes well spent, as the eye-candy really is everywhere in Dragon-I.

Getting into this club essentially requires buying a table. The prices vary according to which night, so ask around and see how much it costs. We were worried that we would be over-paying for the night at Dragon-I, but it was honestly very worth the price, as we had a great time. The alcohol was fantastic and the service was quick, efficient and a perfect level of friendly.

The only photo taken on my night out at Dragon-I

Located in LKF (Lan Kwai Fung), and on Wyndham Street, Dragon-I is perfectly situated to club-hop, as this is hands down the best place in Hong Kong to party all night. After Dragon-I, we went to a club called Drop, which was intimate and played amazing music (that anecdote is according to my friends because...well let's just say Dragon-I got the best of me).

Ozone

The world's highest bar will also come with a high price tag, but it is definitely worth it, at least for the experience. While the décor inside is fantastic, you come here to sit outside and look down over the entire city. It's so high that it almost didn't phase me, it almost felt like I was just looking down while on a plane.

Drinks and a view (which unfortunately can only be viewed through glass, making the glare pretty bad, but I promise the view is incredible!)

We got a beer, whiskey and a pink margarita, all of which were fantastic. Miguel Fernandez is the bar manager here and he makes some seriously mean cocktails, so definitely ask him to surprise you with something. We also munched on some truffle popcorn which had fantastic flavor but was slightly stale. Frankly, I could have been drinking duck blood and eating insects (both of which I have done in my time in Asia) and I would have been thoroughly enjoying myself.

Pro tip, the lights in Hong Kong go out at 11 pm, so be sure to try and get in slightly before then so you can both see the city with the lights on and watch them turn off.

Boating

I'm putting this on the drink section because frankly there's no better place to drink in my opinion. Our friend has a boat in Hong Kong, and we took it out for a day, hopping between bays, never without a Corona in hand.

Hong Kong surprised me with its natural beauty. Previously, I thought it was a rock covered with skyscrapers, but beyond the city is a lush, tropical environment with beautiful beaches and incredibly warm water (not very clear though, but granted a storm had just passed through which may have affected that). We spent the day jumping off the boat, swimming to hidden beaches and just lounging around, and it really was the best way to relax after a night out partying in LKF. If you can, I would definitely recommend renting a boat, or at least going on a sail boat tour around the city to fully detox (but with a beer or two).

The ideal way to recover after a night out=a day on the water!

These are the places we went to during our time in Hong Kong, and I promise if you go as well, you'll be thriving (just don't thrive too much like I did, otherwise you might not remember all of it).