Hong Kong wasn’t part of our initial plans, but in order to avoid needing a visa for the Philippines which allows only 30 days without one, we decided to spend five days and six nights there. And sometimes these itinerary adjustments turn out to be a great thing; Hong Kong is awesome!
First of all, it was nice to be back in a place where things are organized and work as they should. Our accommodation was in Causeway Bay, a few metro stops away from central Hong Kong, but with its many shopping malls, restaurants and whatnot, the area still felt very much central.
On our first day, we joined a free walking tour through some of the city’s most important neighbourhoods and streets. Our guide was a jumpy Englishman who has been doing the tour for a couple of months. It was definitely a good start to our stay and he gave several useful tips on how to explore other parts of the city.
We also did some sightseeing on our own in and around the city during the next few days. To keep it light, we will publish an additional post for the things to do outside the centre. Must sees within the city limits include the harbour area, Victoria Peak, Temple Street night market and street food as well as the mandatory enjoyment of one of the fantastic rooftop bars.
Barbara has done her research on food options and restaurants worth trying out. Clearly, Hong Kong has more to offer than we can try out in just a few days. Additionally, travelling for such a long time also means that the budget doesn’t always allow you to splurge on all the excellent food out there. Nevertheless, Tim Ho Wan made it possible for us to try out world class and Michelin starred Dim Sum for very little money. The cue at the entrance was small when we arrived at around 2PM. The order is placed on a sheet of paper where one is supposed to indicate how many units of each available item are desired. As the instructions were not printed in English, we didn’t quite understand that we were ordering whole portions instead of single units. The waitress didn’t correct our very obvious mistake and so we were a little surprised when we received ten portions, each with three to four items.
Well, it was good food and we were not going to waste it. So, we asked them to pack the rest and took it home. With a little modification of the takeaway boxes and hot water from the tea cooker we steamed them once again for dinner.
As mentioned above, we also went on to explore a few things outside the centre. Check out the next post for the beautiful temples and cultural sights in Hong Kong’s surroundings.
