I had heard many an enthusiastic tale about Hong Kong but really hadn’t much desire to visit the city, thinking I am not too fussed about skyscrapers! With our return to NZ (one way ticket!!) after a hectic visit to the UK we decided to break the journey in Hong Kong and see what the fuss was about. Both of us were so pleasantly surprised at how much we LOVED it and now can’t wait to return!
So, what to do whilst there?
Star Ferry
Ferry view
The most famous of Hong Kong’s cross-harbour ferries, the Star Ferry runs between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui across Victoria Harbour in seven minutes offering fabulous vistas of Central’s skyscrapers framed by the hills. Note this is not a tourist boat, locals use the double decker boats to traverse between Hong Kong island and Kowloon, so this can be busy at times… we crossed late afternoon before the offices emptied so had a plesant journey across in an almost empty ferry.
The Peak Tram
Tram time
Operating since 1888, The Peak Tram is a 1.4km funicular railway which scales ridiculously steep slopes to Victoria Peak. This is a popular attraction and requires elbows at the ready as you get shoved out of the way by willful, ridiculously strong, small chinese ladies determined to get a seat before the doors have even opened!
Pushed firmly back in your wooden seat as the Tram scales the hill you note the towers around you and appreciate how steep the incline is for these old carriages, whilst also gaining a foregleam of the wonderful panorama you will be offered at the top.
We purchased a combined ticket for the Tram and the Sky Terrace, which is where you can benefit the most from the stunning views down to Central, Victoria Harbour and beyond.
Patience will be a virtue as everyone snaps away, although on exiting out to the Terrace we noted that everyone seemed to turn to their right… whereas you are offered just as great views if you turn to the left.. better photo opporunities without a bunch of strangers in the way! We arrived at dusk so got the best of both worlds, seeing the views and then watching the city coming alight.
Hong Kong
Ngong Ping 360
Cable Car
Taking the MTR we headed to Lantau Island, to Tung Chung to catch the Ngong Ping Cable Car. This is a 5.7km, 25 minute cable car ride across Tung Chung Bay, Ngong Ping Plateau, Lantau North Country Park and offering a fabulous view of the Tian Tan Buddha Statue as you approach the village.
Tian Tan Buddha Statue
Suffering from vertigo, this was an endurance test for me and a battle ensued in my mind to avoid considering the chinese view of Health and Safety as the cable car seemed to continue up and up.., but the views were worth it and it made us realise that although densely populated Hong Kong does offer beautiful countryside too.
Po Lin Monastery
There is a rather cheesy “Chinese” village at the top, but we quickly marched through that and headed to the rather large Tian Tan Buddha statue and Po Lin Monastery to take in the views and tranquility. We loved this trip as it was completely different to the expected ‘things to do’ in Hong Kong! And attention all shoppers, in Tung Chung there is a huge shopping outlet mall with fabulous shopping opportunities! 🙂
