Introducing Hong Kong
On first acquaintance Hong Kong can overwhelm. Navigate its teeming, tightly packed sidewalks and you’re met at every turn with neon signage, steam-filled canteens, molasses-slow traffic and a Babel of chatter.
Advertisement
Once this first sensory wave has rolled over you, though, take a deep breath and start swimming with the current, because you’ll find Hong Kong is a place to delight in. Utterly safe and fantastically well organised, it offers little moments of perfection. You may find them on a plastic stool enjoying a bargain bowl of beef brisket soup or simply gazing at the thrilling harbour vistas. You’ll find them taking afternoon tea in the cool of a five-star hotel lobby or enjoying balmy open-air beers in the party zones.
Hong Kong can nudge you out of your comfort zone but usually rewards you for it, so try the stinky beancurd, sample the shredded jellyfish, brave the hordes at the city centre horseracing and join in the dawn tai chi. Escape the city limits and other experiences await – watching the sun rise from a remote mountain peak, hiking surf-beaten beaches or exploring deserted islands.
If it’s pampering you’re after, money can buy the ultimate luxuries in a city well used to serving its tiny, moneyed elite. Yet Hong Kong is also a city of simple pleasures. Most often it’s the least pricey experiences – a $2 tram or ferry ride, a whiff of incense curling from temple rafters, savouring fishing-village sundowners and seafood – that are the stuff of priceless memories.
Ready to go?
- Download our new Chinese Offline Translator app. Simply talk or type, and it translates. Available for iPhone, iPad and Android.
Last updated: Sep 27, 2011
Tips & articles
-
The world’s finest freebies
30 November 2011
It sounds too good to be true – but these top-class experiences wonʼt cost you a penny. From bike trips...
-
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel: top 10 cities for 2012
30 October 2011
After globe-trotting research and fierce debate, Lonely Planet has come to a decision on its favourite cities for 2012. As...
-
Greatest historical journeys: part one
4 October 2011
In the first of three instalments taken from Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Experiences, we look at the ten greatest historical...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
-
RE: Cheap restaurants in Hong Kong
by manchurianexile 15 September 2011
If you're around the Nathan Rd/Jordan area, wander through the back-streets for cheap, gastronomic heaven. You can pick up pretty much…
-
Re: Cheap restaurants in Hong Kong
by china1979 14 September 2011
Don't forget Burger King for a cheap b-fast.
-
RE: 5 weeks in India
by happyhannaho 14 September 2011
Thanks lake traveller, this is it, I'm not an experienced traveler- I've been to Hong Kong and Japan by myself for trips, but they were…
Hong Kong
Things to do
- All things to do (890)
- Activities (110)
- Entertainment (112)
- Restaurants (324)
- Shopping (162)
- Sights (171)
- Tours (11)
Make it happen
Our Top Picks For Hong Kong
-
1 The Peak
Ride the hair-raising tram for unbeatable harbour and city views
-
2 Victoria Harbour
Float on one of the world's busiest and most exotic harbours
-
3 Happy Valley
Listen to thundering hoofs and cheering crowds right in the city centre
-
4 Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple
Divine the future alongside worshippers at the city's most interesting temple
-
5 Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
Spectacular harbour and skyline vistas day and night
Our favourite Hong Kong Blogs (beta)
-
Oops, There Went The Scenery
Blog: Uncommontravel - 22 December 2011
The ground roars and trembles, tipping the surging crowd down the narrow escalators. The train to Guangzhou rumbles into Hong Kong station. We obstinately hold our ground and move steadily towards our cabin. The uniformed woman gestures irritably. ‘Upstairs’, she says.
-
Wing Wah wife cake recipe
Blog: Four Seas As Home - 27 November 2011
The wife cake recipe below is courtesy of the Hong Kong tourism bureau’s cake-making class, hosted by the Wing Wah bakery in Kowloon. The recipe assumes that you buy the filling pre-made – I couldn’t find any near me and so made a red bean paste and a mung bean paste from scratch instead (see [...]
-
10 Must-See Destinations for Backpackers in Southeast Asia
Blog: GoBackpacking - 22 November 2011
This is a guest post by Will Peach. outheast Asia casts an allure like no other. From pristine beaches to bustling cities and everything in between, this magical part of the world is hugely popular with backpackers the world over. Picking a top 10 of must see destinations from Southeast Asia is no easy feat. [...]
