Growing up travelling to different places with my family has developed a deep-set desire inside me to explore the world from one end to the other. I have watched my dad spend hours organizing trips for us, including the incredibly mesmerizing and magical trip we went on to Hong Kong.
The streets were filled with vibrant and lively street signs and markets of all kinds.
The buildings were the perfect balance from beautifully detailed and traditional to unadorned skyscrapers filled with people living their lives, towering over the city below. Culture was a very prominent and significant aspect of everyday life and a big part of the history.
You simply could not take your eyes off this enchanting place.
To appreciate beauty of this city in its absolute fullness I have prepared a list of three of my favorite things to have experienced during my time in Hong Kong. You should definitely do them too!
Visit the Big Buddha
One of my favorite experiences was our trip to see Big Buddha! On Lantau Island, 112 feet high and atop a whopping 268 steps, sits the tallest seated Buddha statue on the planet. The journey to and from the Buddha was part of this memorable excursion. On the way to the Big Buddha, you can take the metro then complete the journey with a 3.5 mile cable car adventure, where you can gaze at the fantastic view of the forest below. Once you have exited the cable car you find yourself heading even further up into the mist of the clouds as the Buddha appears above you in all its splendor.
I found myself not wanting to leave, wanting to stare in awe for more time.
The journey back from the Buddha was just as much of an adventure, from a struggle of finding the right bus, to the excitement and anticipation as the bus drove madly over bumps and bends to reach the port. Once the bus ride ends you can enjoy a pleasant ferry ride back to the mainland, as you think over your wonderful experience whilst listening to the waves gently bump against the side of the ferry.
The Whampoa-Shopping Centre
A fun thing to do that will take up anything from a couple of hours and upwards is to go to the Whampoa, an enormous boat and shopping Centre situated in the middle of the city! Once you enter the boat, you have two floors to explore! This consists of a restaurant and café section and an enormous area filled with shops you can spend hours in, including a range of tiny market stalls offering a variety of goods.
Wong Tai Sin Temple
Going to see the Wong Tai Sin Temple is a mystical experience. The temple itself is a vibrant, yet serene and spiritual building, ornately decorated in blue, red and gold. Bright red and yellow lanterns hang from lines in front of the Temple, illuminating the sky. In front of the building sits a stunning altar surrounded by statues, as if to guard the mystical place of worship.
Once you have explored the temple, you can walk through the garden of the Wong Tai Sin Temple, a place just as magical. An exquisitely detailed bridge leads you around the garden over a lake filled with frogs, turtles and statues.
So there you have it! The top three things you can do in Hong Kong to make your trip feel just that much more special.
As a bonus, I’d like to add one stop off after your Big Buddha visit! To finish the day off in the perfect way, get the number 1 bus from the Pier to Victoria Peak. Taking the bus anywhere else will be almost impossible as it is so rammed. Taking it at the port allows you to choose your seat for the best view!
Once you reach Victoria peak, you can enjoy the view of sparkling buildings lit up in contrast to the night sky. Unfortunately, during my experience of Victoria Peak the light mist made it difficult to get great photos but the view was nonetheless extraordinary. Most people in this situation find themselves paying money to get to a better viewpoint; if you’d rather spend your money on souvenirs and delicious food, you can follow the Governor’s Way – a tree-lined path that hugs the edge of the hill and winds along for some distance. Fifteen minutes later the path reaches a break in the foliage and presents the most incredible view of the city below you.
There were lots of other amazing things to see and do in Hong Kong but these were my absolute highlights.
Even if you have half the fun we had, you will still have an incredible time!