Hong Kong Diaries: How to Spend 4-days in the City And Still Want More

This year’s Easter trip was a little different. Usually done as a throuple or at least as a couple with my girlfriends, I was left a little flat when I found out that I was about to have no trip at all.

But a little bit of brainstorming and a couple of pillow consultations later, an idea came to mind: I want to explore solo travelling again. I hate the idea that because you have nobody to go out with, you just stay put at home. One deserves to find fun, even if you chase it yourself.

The idea started simply: a diving trip. And then evolved further, a stop over in Hong Kong to get to destination meant now I was having a diving trip AND a city trip. Chaos, my favourite.

Initially started as a quick 2-night stay in the city. That’s enough time, they said. But quickly I realised that it was not going to be enough. I changed my flight and extended my trip to 4 nights and 5 days. Let me tell you, it was still not enough, but I loved it either way!

What to do in the city for that long? Let me tell you.

Arrival on Saturday: Half Day Excitement Into Night Delights

My flight from London Heathrow was close to 13hrs, landing me in Hong Kong at around 3pm on Saturday. I love that first feeling you get when you step foot in a new city, let alone a new continent. The smell is different, the heat is high, the humidity is heavy, and I adore it.

I hadn’t even gotten to my hotel and I was already indulging on an Egg Custard tart, a must try in Hong Kong. Although it is original from its neighbouring island in Macau, who in turn, learnt it from the Portuguese.

Few tips on arrival: get an Octopus card. This will work as your disposable wallet. Your public transport fares, and even private taxis can be paid with it, and so can all your expenses at 7eleven or small venues. Works great if you don’t have cash and can be “refilled”.

My choice of hotel was Y Hotel in Sheung Wan and it was a good one. Location wise it was great, close to all the cool bars, shops and restaurants in the area, but not in the thick of it. The rooms were clean, comfy and spacious and the price was just right (60-70GBP approx per night), I thought.

You may think that since this was arrival day it would have been a chilled one but if you know me you know that would never be the case. A quick shower and a change of clothes and off we went into discovering Sheung Wan. First order of the evening: shopping! There were a few places I wanted to check out and none of them disappointed: Pabe Pabe for the IT bag you didn’t know you needed, PMQ to get lost in little boutiques of local vendors across a multi-story building and Goods of Desire as a staple for cool souvenirs and clothes that will remind you of being there. Of course, it wouldn’t be me without stopping at a vintage shop. My favourite: The Hula.

15 minutes further (by foot) got me to the Henderson Building for my first cocktail of the holiday, at nowhere else other than The Peridot. A building designed by Zaha Hadid architects did not disappoint, although it came with some unexpected surprises along the way. More on it here.

2 cocktails later and a quick taxi ride onto my dinner table at Ho Lee Fook, the hottest restaurant in the area, and I can see why. The decor is decadent and cool. Flashy but unpretentious, sexy. The food is on par. I loved every single dish and left full. My favourites were the razor clams, the chongqing chicken and the short rib. The sommelier was also very good at recommending a wine to pair my meal with, and most wines are Chinese, which was a nice surprise.

To finish the night with a bow, I ended up having a massage at a nearby parlour. A dream before I had even gotten to my real bed.

Sunday FunDay

Sunday is the day of rest they say, and I like spending it nurturing my mind with culture. After a delicious Dim Sum at the beloved Sun Hing restaurant, we ventured off to M+ museum. A mammoth of a building, filled with contemporary art, local and international. At the time they had a terrific exhibition about Chinese art, alongside a retrospective of Lee Bul. You can easily spend a couple of hours, if not more, so plan accordingly. A few steps away you also have the Hong Kong Palace, which you can also visit.

After my culture fix though, I decided to visit Sham Shui Po. I was captivated by  the quirkiness of this neighborhood. A mixture of old and new: Apliu St turns into a market where you can find anything and everything tech related. From an old super Nintendo, to the latest smart TV. Then you’ve got a selection of cutsie little shops: vintage shops, book shops, coffee shops, all scattered around Nam Cheong St, Tainan St and Maple St. Some of my favorites included Midway (for gifts), Hunter (for books), Sing Jai Kee (for vintage) and Cofflow (for coffee). If you are in the area, going to the Kung Wo Beancurd Factory is also a must. After a long walk I retreated myself to the hotel, only to venture out to the Ladies Market for dinner, but I must say if you are tired, skip it. Neither the Ladies market nor Mongkok night markets are what they just to be 10 years ago. They feel made for tourist and overrun with trinkets. There is nothing there I’d buy for myself and the food is subpar considering everything you can get in the city. A shame really, as I use to love having food outdoors in the middle of the street at night.

Monday Exploring China Borders: Shenzhen for a Day

A decide to sneak out to China for a day, and you can read how it went here. I would certainly make the time for it, if you can.

Tuesday Toned Down Goodbye

Whilst I am a city girl, I enjoy going on hikes, and HK certainly has a few to enjoy. The closest one without leaving the city is a hike around The Victoria Peak. Depending on how much you want to exercise, you can do it all the way from Central. However, if you want to make the experience a little extra special, I’d recommend you taking the tram to the peak, and spend more time exploring the peak. There’s a variety of walks you can take from there, from 45 minutes to a couple of hours, and you’ll get excellent views of the city and its skyline from there. Beware, there’s a massive mall once you reach the top, so don’t spend too much time in it or you’ll lose track of time! Good to grab a snack there before you head on your exploration, but I’d say skip otherwise.

After a very rewarding hike, I head home to switch outfits before treating myself to my last meal, this time at Duddell’s.

The main dining room is a Michelin-starred experience, but the upstairs lounge area is where the fun is at. The Upper Room offers a Garden Terrace, an all-day dim sum menu, and their infamous Sunday brunch (which expands to Monday) with free-flow champagne. What else you could ask for?

I almost had a hear attack when I realised I booked for the wrong day and told me they were closed for a late night function, but they were kind to allow me to have an almost private dining experience as the last customer of the day before closing. The cocktails are spectacular, their peking pie one to try, and the scallop dumplings a must. Top notch experience from start to finish, I’ll be back.

Things were coming to a close, and I really didn’t want to leave. My last eve was spent with Kan taking a stroll through his favorite spots across Sheung Wan, and Mongkok, including a super cute old school HK café, where I got to try their milk tea and a dangerously yummy French toast.

To wrap things up in true romance, I took the Star Ferry from TST back to Central while the light show was happening (you can catch it most days at 8pm, and it’s best seen from TST side). Hong Kong was doing its absolute best to make sure I wouldn’t forget it. It worked, I’ll be back.

TCB xx