Hong Kong: Best of Both Worlds
Everyone has a favourite city to visit. Mine is Hong Kong.
Living in Korea is interesting, make no mistake. But urban Korea, the parts that I live in, are very similar to North America. Yes, the language is different and the culture is different, yet everything is familiar. Hong Kong is both very different and very familiar at the same time.
Even though my first experience in Hong Kong was getting my wallet stolen, I still loved the place and went back 3 months later.
Hong Kong is made up of a peninsula and a group of islands. the southern end of the peninsula is called Kowloon and the main island across from it is Hong Kong Island. When people talk of "Hong Kong" it's usually Kowloon and the island that they mean.
Hong Kong's new airport, built beside Lantau island, is one of the best I've
passed through. They're efficient and friendly and the airport is well
laid out. Getting to and from it is so easy because of the high speed train
that connects the airport to Kowloon and HK. The mass transit card is called
an "Octopus" card and you can buy it in the airport and then
use it to get onto the train.
Hong Kong is very British still in many places, but it is also very Chinese. You can choose to travel in either culture at any time. Likewise, all information is bilingual and most people speak enough English to help you get around.
The outdoor markets, night markets and rabbit's warrens of shopping centers in Kowloon all have a very Asian feel. The restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui, an area just north of Kowloon cover just about any appetite you can imagine (except Polish - I've been craving perogies off-and-on for over a year).
The south shore of Kowloon is beautiful to walk along at night, and every evening, there is a light show, as a bunch of buildings on both sides of the channel between Kowloon and HK synchronize their lights to music.
Lan Kwai Fong on Hong Kong island has many clubs and live music. It's a place where the two cultures meet and mingle socially. I've written elsewhere abut my experiences in Lan Kwai Fong. I've gone back there each night I've stayed Hong Kong, and probably would again.
Although Hong Kong is expensive by Asian standards, it is inexpensive by Western standards (with the possible exceptiojn of accomodation, which can range from cheap and dingy to 5-star excellence). Food is especially cheap for the conscientous budget traveller.
If you do go to Hong Kong, make sure to take the dolphin watch cruise. The dolphins native to this area are naturally pink in colour. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a good photo, but they were around the boat a lot and we got more than our money's worth out of it.
Victoria Mountain is the highest peak on Hong Kong island and it gives the best views of Hong Kong. You can take a tram up the mountain. The peak itself is much higher, but the views from the plateau are spectacular enough. This place is also a good place to grab a bus down the far side to the south coast.
On the south side of Hong Kong island is a beautiful little town called Stanley. It is on an isthmus with a beach on one side and a port on the other. The restaurants there have great views of the surrounding island. If you arrive at the right time of year, you can often see dragon boat races. Make sure that you take the bus to Stanley. Like in England, the buses here are double-deckers. Sit in the top, near the front, especially if you like roller coasters. I love roller coasters, and that bus ride scared me more than once.
Other activities worth doing include visiting the giant Buddha on Lantau island. You need to give yourself at least four hours. Again, getting there is half the fun. The Buddha himself sits so high on the mountain that even when it's sunny below, you may be in fog when you see him.
