Hong Kong (6-9 May 2016)

We decided to do a Hong Kong and Bali combination trip. We flew Cathay Pacific. We went with Pentravel and the costing per person was R14 527.

We spent 3 nights at the Nathan Hotel. We arrived at this hotel at 7 o’clock in the morning only to be told that we would have to wait until 3pm for our room to be ready. All we wanted to do was to rest our tired and weary bodies, and this is the last thing you want to hear. This hotel is close to shopping and some famous landmarks. It was a few minutes walking to Victoria Harbour, the night market and Kowloon Park. The hotel came with a savvy smartphone.

 
The beautifully manicured gardens of Kowloon Park, the soothing sounds of the waterfalls and the sight of women practicing tai-chi can bring instant relief to any tired soul.

We were astounded by the number of towering skyscrapers and luxury vehicles. While most of the skyscrapers are used for commercial reasons, many are used for housing. And if you walk below a residential building, and you notice drops of water falling down on you, it is not a quick shower, but water dripping from lines of washing.

We used the double-decker trams to take us from one end of Hong Kong Island to the other. The trams can also be used as a hop-on-hop off type of transport, as you can hop off at any terminus, and explore an area that you are interested in and then hop on to the next tram. Alternatively, you could sit on the tram and travel the full length of a line without changing trams, which is what we did. You only pay upon disembarking by dropping the exact fare in coins into the fare box (which incidentally is not checked by the driver).

The district close to the waterfront – Tsim Sha Tsui is the heart of the city. It’s a good place to stroll around during the day, to sit in one of the two viewing decks along the promenade, and listen to the live entertainment or simply people watch. We did get a taste of home when we witnessed some professional Zulu dancing taking place. The promenade comes to its own in the evening when one can take in the breath taking view of the lighted harbour and the Hong Kong Island skyline. Crowds of people jostle with one another trying to get the best photo or selfie.

You can also get to see one or more of Hong Kong’s museums along this stretch. The one that we were interested in visiting – the Space Museum was unfortunately closed due to renovations taking place. We did however take full advantage of the free apple cider that was being dished out near the promenade. It was a very welcome respite from the midday heat.

Hong Kong is a city that does not sleep. Shops only close around 10.30pm. Just as it was time to head back to our hotel, hordes of young party goers were stepping out into the night. Transport is easily accessible especially for those days when you had one drink too many. As night falls, night markets appear stretching over several streets and selling just about any merchandise you can think of. Street food stalls and restaurants with outdoor seating also make their appearance. We savoured on the mini egg puffs (crispy waffles), dim sum and bubble tea at the Temple Street Night Market which was conveniently located opposite the Nathan Hotel. 

Although we did strike off some of our items on our bucket list of things to do in Hong Kong, there is much more to see and do here. Only this time we would prefer to go when it is cooler.