Short Trip to Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong, 香港 literally means “Fragrant Harbour” or “Incense Harbour). Hong Kong is renowned for its deep natural harbour which enables ready access by international cargo ships, and its impressive skyline with a very high density of skyscrapers. Hong Kong is also nicknamed as the Pearl of the Orient.

Think of Hong Kong, shopping and eating will come to mind. It is indeed a shopping and eating haven for many of us.

Personally for me, I don’t really enjoy Hong Kong. Reasons being, things are expensive, place is congested, hotel rooms are really small and importantly, as a consumer, I don’t get the service attention & standard which I expect. I have been to Hong Kong umpteen times but most of the time I would just transit by to Shenzhen.

I used to stay at the Hotel Jen Hong Kong located in Sai Wan, 西環. The hotel is part of Shangri-la group, being a golden circle jade member does help. I was upgraded to a club floor and accorded late checkout at 4pm instead of the usual 12 noon. I must admit, the service standard is great and I enjoy my stay here.

Room size is acceptable. Quite spacious compared to some others.

The room faces the victoria harbour. Awesome view.

Evening cocktail with compliments at the Club Lounge.

Most people would go for their local dim sum at a traditional nostalgic restaurant or the traditional restaurant, known as 茶餐厅 to experience authentic Hong Kong food. The 茶餐厅 is usually jam-packed with people during meal time because of its limited seating capacity. Literally, you will be seated shoulder to shoulder with each other and it is very common for diners to share table.

Typical 茶餐厅 food. 茶餐厅 food is really nice and tasty. They are readily sighted in any Hong Kong streets and you need to visit to experience the food and the culture.

Dessert is another must eat item on your checklist.

Barley with beancurd

Glutinous Rice Ball with peanut fillings

There is this shop, Yee Shun Diary Company @ 63 Pilkem Street in Jordan that sells uniquely Hong Kong style signature dessert, 燉奶 (boiled milk).

The taste is subjective, it is a case of either you like or hate it. So, if you are a milk person, you will probably love it. As for me, I am ok with it. I can do with or without in my next visit.

How to get there?

The shop is a 2 min walk from Exit C2 of Jordan MTR Station.

There are quite a fair bit of sightseeing attraction that you can explore while in Hong Kong.

You can take a tram from Central up to The Peak and catch a magnificent view of the Hong Kong skyline at night.

Wildfire Chicken Wing Basket

Sausage Platter

Linguine with Prawns

Classic Pepperoni

Enjoying a great italian meal at the Wildfire Pizza Bar & Grill Restaurant at The Peak overlooking the wonderful views of the city skyline.

You can consider to visit Lautau Island to see the Big Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery. There are a couple of ways to get to Lautau Island; by bus, ferry or cable car. If it is your first time visiting, I would strongly recommend to go via cable car. You will get to enjoy a more scenic view with the ride.

View from Ngong Ping Cable Car.

The Big Buddha is getting closer as the cable car approaches the station at Lautau Island.

Here it is. The outdoor bronzed seated statue of the Big Buddha. You can choose to walk up 268 steps to see the Big Buddha up close & personal or remain at the foothill and admire the Big Buddha from afar.

If weather is in your favour, you can get to see a clear view of the surrounding land when you reached the top.

Opposite the statue is the Po Lin Monastery. It is one of Hong Kong’s most important Buddhist sanctums. You can also enjoy a meal at its popular vegetarian restaurant.

Another attraction place to go will be Cheung Chau Island. You can take a ferry from Central Pier #5 on Hong Kong Island. There are 2 different types of ferries – the ordinary which takes about 55 mins and the fast ferry, which takes about 35 mins. The ferries operate at 30 mins interval, alternating between the ordinary and the fast.

The Central Pier. 长州, here I come.

Cheung Chau Island is another idyllic scape from the city just a short ferry ride away. There are enough activities for you to spend a day even though it is a small island.

There are beaches, small temples, and you can even do short hikes to catch some splendid views in the island.

Oh yes, not forgetting, street snacks too.

Apart from what I have shared, there are also other attractions like Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park Hong Kong, Lan Kwai Fong, Ladies’ Market, Temple Street Night Market, etc.