Caren and I just returned from a long weekend visiting our friend Ka Lok in Hong Kong. We had a wonderful time. For the budget travellers in China, the route from Shanghai to Hong Kong is a little convoluted. First we flew from Shanghai Hongqiao to Shenzhen, then we took a bus to the the border and walked accross the footbridge. On the other side you connect with the Hong Kong metro system. Unfortunately on both journeys, our China Eastern flights were delayed. The worst was the outbound flight where they kept us sitting on the tarmac for three hours while they "waited for clearance". I will try to avoid flying China Eastern in future!
Day 1 - Kowloon
We met up with Ka Lok at our hotel on the morning of our first day. The Eaton Smart is well presented with good facilities, though the rooms are a little small, and the location is great, between the Yau Ma Tei and Jordan metro stops. Best of all, they have a roof-top pool which is a great place to start or end the day. After a quick swim we set out to explore Kowloon. First off, we needed to buy a new camera, so Ka Lok took us to an electronics market area of Kowloon, where we bought a cheap Pentax waterproof camera. Ka Lok did a great job making sure we got the best price:
We met up with Ka Lok at our hotel on the morning of our first day. The Eaton Smart is well presented with good facilities, though the rooms are a little small, and the location is great, between the Yau Ma Tei and Jordan metro stops. Best of all, they have a roof-top pool which is a great place to start or end the day. After a quick swim we set out to explore Kowloon. First off, we needed to buy a new camera, so Ka Lok took us to an electronics market area of Kowloon, where we bought a cheap Pentax waterproof camera. Ka Lok did a great job making sure we got the best price:
After that it we had wonderful Dim Sum at the Dragon King reseaurant. This was my first proper meal in Hong Kong and it was close to a revelation. I think the food in Suzhou and Shanghai is good. But the food in Hong Kong was much better. Especially the Dim Sum. Apparently the Dragon King chef is one of the top five in China, and after tasting his Dim Sum, I believe it!
After some more shopping, we met up with Ka Lok's family for dinner at a Roast Duck resaurant. As a vegetarian I couldn't try the roast duck, but Caren tells me it was delicious. The vegetarian food certainly was too. Another win for the food in Hong Kong.
Day 2 - Hong Kong Island
On our second day we walked to the ferry terminal and took the old Star Ferry accross to Hong Kong Island, where we visited The Peak, a 1000M mountain, covered in forest that towers above the Island city. It was a wonderful trip and along with the great views we saw exoitic birds and wildlife. Unfortunately I lost the SD card with those photos, so you will have to make do with some shots of the island from Kowloon. :-(
After seeing The Peak and having a drink in Lookout Bar, we went to the giant Times Square mall, where I managed to find a bottle of 12 Year Old Taketsuru Pure Malt Whisky from Japan for my little collection. Then it was time to test the waterproof camera in the hotel pool:
After our swim, we met up with Ka Lok's family again at a famous vegetarian resaurant called "Light Vegetarian" just off Nathan Road. I don't have any photos but it was the best vegetarian meal I have ever eaten. I now need to go on a diet to recover from how good the food was in Hong Kong.
Day 3 - Stanley Bay
Something that surprised me about Hong Kong, was just how green and picturesque some of the areas are. While Hong Kong is densely populated, only 30% of the land-mass is built-up. Wherever the buildings peter out there is lush green vegetation, and even a couple of beaches.
Something that surprised me about Hong Kong, was just how green and picturesque some of the areas are. While Hong Kong is densely populated, only 30% of the land-mass is built-up. Wherever the buildings peter out there is lush green vegetation, and even a couple of beaches.
It was lunch-time when we arrived in Stanley Bay, so we began with fish and chips at the Boat House, which has a great view over the bay:
After lunch we walked along the Stanley Main Road market street to a pair of little temples.
Apparently in Stanley, there is also a temple containing the skin of the last Tiger to be shot in Hong Kong in 1945, but we didn't get time to go there because we were looking forward to swimming in the sea. The beach at Stanley is small but beautifully kept, with shark nets and floating rafts that you can swim out to:
After another delicious dinner with Ka Lok's family it was time of us to return to the apartment and pack. It has been a great trip thanks to Ka Lok's hospitality and I can't wait to return to Hong Kong. Maybe next time, we will see Macau too! Here's one last shot that I took while we were having a drink at 1881 Heritage, a beautiful bar in an converted colonial building down at the Kowloon Harbor.
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