Hello city-lovers! Today's city lover is Emma Torry, a Londoner who loves Hong Kong and all of its extravagance. Still haven't sent in your own city suggestions? Just complete our list of fill-in-the-blank questions then copy and paste the list into an email, fill in your answers, and send your responses to IntelligentTravel@ngs.org. And if you're waiting for us to feature yours, fear not! We're attempting to post them as fast as we can (hint -- it helps if you include the links!).
Hong Kong is My City
The first place I take a visitor from out of town is for drinks at RED Bar in the International Finance Centre and then dinner at Bistro Manchu (33 Elgin Street, +852 2536 9218). RED Bar has fantastic views across Victoria Harbour and of Central's skyline, and Bistro Manchu serves some of the most delicious northeastern Chinese food in Hong Kong. I'm from London so mostly have visitors coming in from there. The flights usually arrive in the late afternoon--perfect timing for a shower, change of clothes, and then drinks and dinner.
When I crave dim sum I always go to Dragon-i. I admit, it's not the most authentic dim sum experience, but boy is it good!
To escape the city I head to the beautiful beaches of Shek-O and Sai Kung.
If I want to shop I go to the boutiques in Soho. I especially recommend Tiare and Mint and Lemongrass, both are on Staunton Street. For shoes go to Vicki's in the lanes (Li Yuen Street East, Central). They will tailor-make shoes to fit your feet perfectly for as much as it costs to buy a pair of nasty plastic numbers in London or New York. If there's a particular style you like you can take a picture for them to copy. They will also copy worn-out shoes that you love and can't let go of.
For complete quiet, I can hide away on Lantau. The island boasts miles of secluded hiking trails, beaches and relaxed restaurants. Ooh La La (Pui O beach, +852 2984 8710) and Stoep (Cheung Sha beach, +852 2980 2699) are both great if you feel like a low-key day of eating and sunbathing on the beach. If you're feeling energetic you can get the ferry from Central to Mui Wo and then hike to the beach, it takes about three hours. Otherwise, you can get a bus from just outside the Mui Wo ferry terminal. If you come to my city, get your picture taken with the views from Victoria Peak. Don't bother waiting in the ridiculously long line for the Peak Tram to take you up the peak, just get a taxi! There's a very easy (and flat) three-kilometer walk around the peak which offers fantastic views over Central Hong Kong and across to the outlying islands. Once you're finished, get the Peak Tram down. There are never any queues on the way back.
The Lane Crawford outlet store (25F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing St., Ap
Lei Chau; +852 2118 3403) is my one-stop shop for great discounted
designer numbers. It's in the Horizon Plaza Mall in Ap Lei Chau, which
is also home to the city's best furniture shops. Locals know to skip tedious airport check-in and lugging heavy bags around town, and check out the check-in services at the Airport Express stations in Hong Kong or Kowloon instead. If you have an afternoon, evening, or nighttime flight, you can check in in the morning and leave your heavy luggage, and then just hop on the Airport Express train later in the day when it's time to get your flight. Genius.
When I'm feeling cash-strapped I go to Nha Trang (88 - 90 Wellington
Street, +852 2581 9992) to eat. Delicious Vietnamese food for just a
few dollars. The pho is amazing. You can't book so go early or go late.
For a huge splurge I go have cocktails on board the chic Aqua Luna junk (a traditional Chinese-style "sailing" boat) followed by dinner at either Aqua or Hutong (29F and 28F, One Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 3427 2288). I recommend booking the 7 p.m. sailing of the Aqua Luna so you can get to Aqua's bar--Aqua Spirit--for 7:45 p.m. At 8 p.m. every night Hong Kong puts on a light show where lasers are beamed from the city's skyscrapers. Aqua is on Kowloon side and has magnificent views of the famous Hong Kong skyline.
The most random thing about my city is you can get mobile phone reception absolutely everywhere, even in the depths of the MTR system. As a Londoner who's grown up with a public transport system that's still stuck in the Victorian era, that's pretty bizarre.
In my city, an active day outdoors involves a hike along the Dragon's Back--a walking trail on the South Side of Hong Kong island--followed by a swim on either Shek-O beach or Big Wave Bay. Both beaches have great lunch spots if the hike has left you feeling peckish.
My favorite jogging route is Bowen Road. It's 100% geared toward runners and the views are outstanding.
For a night of dancing, go to Kee Club or Gecko (LG/F, Ezra Lane Lower Hollywood Road). Or, for live music, check out The Cavern or Insomnia on Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong's notorious party street.
To find out what's going on at night and on the weekends, read HK magazine and TimeOut Hong Kong.
You can tell a lot about my city from just wandering through the streets. Compared with other world cities, Hong Kong has relatively few "sights," so you're free to explore the city's myriad of lanes, markets, and huge shopping malls.
You can tell if someone is from my city if it sounds like they are having an argument when they are speaking to each other.
In the spring you should make the most of the relative lack of humidity and explore Hong Kong's great outdoors.
In the fall you should spend as many weekends as you can out on a junk. Jaspas Party Junk can cater for up to 40 people. All you have to do is show up and you are waited on hand and foot all day long as you bask in the sunshine and swim in the sea.
A hidden gem in my city is the China Tee Club (1F Pedder Building, Pedder Street, Central), not to be confused with the China Club. You'll have to get your concierge to book for you, as it's members only, but it's a colonial-style oasis in the heart of Central: think overhead fans, kitschy booths, and delicious food. It's great for both lunch and afternoon tea.
For a great breakfast joint try The Brunch Club (70 Peel Street, Soho; +852 2526 8861).
Don't miss the Mid-Autumn Festival on October 3rd. During the festival everyone goes nuts for "Moon Cakes", special cakes made from ground lotus and sesame seed paste and duck egg-yolk. The city's parks, especially Victoria Park, look really pretty decorated with masses of Chinese paper lanterns, which are lit up at night.
Just outside my city, you can visit Macau, Asia's answer to Las Vegas. It's just an hour away from Hong Kong by ferry and boasts a Venetian, a Wynn, an MGM and many other casinos. But it's not just casinos, either. Macau has a pretty old town that was built by the Portuguese, plus has a lot of great restaurants and places to stay.
The best way to see my city is by boat. Whether it's the Star Ferry, a junk or a sampan, Hong Kong looks best from the water.
The best book about my city is Gweilo: Memories of a Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth or Fragrant Harbor by John Lanchester.
My city should be featured on your cover or website because it offers the perfect combination of fast-paced city living, amazing architecture, great eating, buzzing nightlife, fantastic shopping, and the great outdoors with its rugged trails, ravines, and waterfalls. You can hop from an incense-filled temple to the super-modern city to a beautiful, unspoiled white sand beach within an hour.
For more about Hong Kong, check out Traveler's Places of a Lifetime guide.
Photos: junk at night, Bob Maske; all others courtesy Emma Torry
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I like the photos, especially the first one.
Dear Sir,
I'M LOOKING FOR TOURIST GUIDE.
We planned to have a trip to Hong Kong on this 14 may – 17may 2009 (planned to Macau on 15 May 2009 – 1 night stay).
We already have an itinerary along 4 days stay there. We also have a booking for 1st night at hong kong and then we plan to find out budget hotel for another 2 night. However, we need tourist guide service to avoid lost at hong kong and also some useful tips during our trip.
Please give me your price per day. If possible inclusive of transportation for 6 person. However, we are don’t mind to use public transport as long as the tourist guide with us.
Thank you.
i am from 'rival' city Singapore, but i am really attracted to Hong Kong's vibrancy and yest for life!
Big Deal Here- Shopping is a Big Deal here with something for everyone as this overwhelmed tourist finds out. Book your Big Deal in Hong Kong @ http://www.langhamhotels.com/bigdeal.htm
http://www.langhamhotels.com/bigdeal.htm
When in Hong Kong you don't have to be afraid of the chicken feet. Great restaurants and food can easily be found. Find your Big Deal with Breakfast and Dinner included.
Hong Kong is a really nice city with multiple cultures! You will enjoy the trip if you really knows where the secret places to visits and neglect the touring guide, search for the real taste food!
Your photo's are truly wonderful, thank you very much for sharing them with us :)
hong kong offers a great culture of movies and affect most of the world!
http://horrorhk.blogspot.com
Spoken like a true expat in Hong Kong. Red IFC, Bistro Manchu, D-i for dim sum, Nha Trang for 'Vietnamese' - you couldn't get more obvious if you wanted!
Your suggestions are great, if you've want a tour of the hotspots oblivious white people frequent - authentic North-eastern Chinese food? Come on, please, that's more than mildly insulting to those from Harbin, Beijing and Shandong.
My suggestion, Jeanette / Emma is to delve a little deeper into Hong Kong. Go past the guide books, the things your other expat friends have recommended, even the places your so-called local friends have suggested (notice their eyes roll ever so slightly when you ask them ever so nicely to take you a on tour of "real" Hong Kong?).
Explore for yourself - get out of the tourist traps which dish out bland western/cauterised food (Ooh La La, Dragon-i, Bistro Manchu, Nha Trang) - these are all places catering to people who crave immediate familiarity with their food, ones who prefer to borrow nostalgia without experiencing it themselves first hand, or those simply too lazy to learn and are content simply to follow a well-beaten, commercialised and well-executed food marketing plan.
Maxim's at City Hall instead of Dragon-i
Lao Shanghai in the basement of the Novotel in Wanchai instead of Bistro Manchu
Pho 26 or Pho Saigon instead of Nha Trang
are just starters...explore Kowloon City's teeming Vietnamese/Thai and other South-east Asian communities of tiny streets overflowing with noodle pots and steaming streets. Check out the fishing village in Tai O (but please, skip past Ooh La La and The Stoep), the famous fishball noodle stores in the old Aberdeen harbour, the restaurants in Tai Po where noodles are still made by an old man in his living room at 4am every morning.
Please, just avoid the obvious because otherwise all the cultural things that really matter will vanish for gleaming counters and lattes on rooftops, and, we'll never know otherwise.
Hong Kong is a good places for photogapher as well. You can easy reach place between Chinese culture and modern city with an hour.