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.
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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.
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Last updated: Feb 25, 2010
Tips & articles
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Hong Kong, the birthplace of modern dragons
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The amazing views of Hong Kong
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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Round the world travel 2011?
by caffrey28 0 replies, last post 28 August 2010
Hello, I thought i’d sign up to Lonely Planet to meet anyone with similar plans to mine for a round the world trip in late 2011, as i’m…
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hi, - Has anyone in hong kong received their british citizenship naturalisation certificate / british passport yet if you applied?.…
Hong Kong
Recommended things to do & see
- Entertainment (87)
- Restaurants (169)
- Shopping (121)
- Sights (126)
- Hotels & hostels
Our Top Picks For Hong Kong
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1 The Peak
Ride the hair-raising tram for unbeatable harbour and city views
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2 Victoria Harbour
Float on one of the world's busiest and most exotic harbours
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3 Happy Valley
Listen to thundering hoofs and cheering crowds right in the city centre
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4 Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple
Divine the future alongside worshippers at the city's most interesting temple
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5 Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
Spectacular harbour and skyline vistas day and night
Related Groups
Our favourite Hong Kong Blogs (beta)
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First-time featured in SITS
Blog: First-time Traveler - 17 August 2010
Welcome SITSahs! It is not everyday that I travel. It is not also everyday that I get featured in SITS. My SITSahs are those that travel with me in the intricate world of the internet, sharing passions and exchanging a sisterly pat on the back with our comments on blog posts. I enjoyed visiting sites [...]
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The Will-o’the-Wisp of Wan Chai
Blog: Drifting Aimless - 25 July 2010
With a growing sense of vanity I began to think of myself as a hardcore veteran of the road. A mysterious traveler for afar on some hidden quest for purpose unknown. There has a always been a certain romanticism attached to the loner, the belief that there are truly great people existing in the shadows [...]
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Green Tea and cyanide
Blog: Drifting Aimless - 18 July 2010
“I had sex last night in a cupboard” pulling the sheet off my face I notice Big Tom standing there, his array of cuts and bruises seem to verify his story. “The security man wouldnt let me into the building” “The walk back was absolutely horrible, I was marooned out on some peninsula where nobody speaks English [...]
