WESTERN LIFESTYLE IN CHINA – A WEEKEND IN HONG KONG

We arrived in Hong Kong at 11 am and hopped on the airport express for 75 HKD (Hong Kong Dollars) which took us directly to Kowloon. From there we took the free airport shuttle to our hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. For those who are indecisive about whether to stay on Hong Kong Island or Tsim Sha Tsui don't let the glamour of the name “Hong Kong” fool you, Tsim Sha Tsui is a great area to stay for an even lower price compared to accommodation on Hong Kong Island. If you want to get back to Hong Kong Island, don't worry! For a small price of 2.50 HKD, you can take a quick ferry across the river and you can start to explore.

While on Hong Kong Island first thing to do is visit the famous Victoria's Peak which is located at the Central metro stop. To get to the top of the Peak, you will need to take the tram. This steep tram ride will take you high above the skyscrapers and will around cost 88 HKD. Once at the top you can enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the city. After our ride, back down the mountain,we took a relaxing stroll through Hong Kong Park which is located directly across from the trams exit.

With the morning and afternoon behind us, we started our evening by exploring the fashion and shopping district in Causeway Bay. Taking a short break from our adventure we stopped at a local restaurant and tried some of Hong Kong's traditional dishes, “Hong Kong Won Ton noodles”. After, we ventured back to Tsim Sha Tsui to check out their famous Temple Street night market. It had all of the things typical Chinese night markets offer; street food, alcohol, massages, and shops to practice your bargaining skills. The shops were endless, and so wasthe scent of different types of food. After a long and eventful day, we decided to call it a night.

We took the metro to Tung Chung to see the Big Buddha which is located on Lantau Island. We were excited to take the cable car with a glass floor, but they are closed for rope construction until June. Fortunately, they did offer bus rides to go to the Big Buddha for 35HKD. The ride did take around 30 minutes, but it was well worth it. The view of the Big Buddha from the bottom was fantastic but did not compare to the view at the top. We found out the Ten Thousand Buddha Monastery and Ngong Ping Village was there as well, so we spent more time here than expected. We then went back to Hong Kong Island and had dinner in Lan Kwai Fong. We got a burger and a beer for 80HKD. We decided we had a long day and took the ferry back to Tsim Sha Tsui to watch the Symphony of Lights on the Hong Kong skyline. It was not what we thought it would be and were a bit disappointed.