Hong Kong is the perfect city destination for great food and rooftop cocktails combined with pool days and hiking! It truly has a big city vibe and is full of skyscrapers, but on the same time you find many green oasis in the city and there are several parks and dedicated areas for sports. Hong Kong is surrounded by mountains and exceptional nature that makes for great hiking and amazing scenery over the city skyline.
I enjoyed the pulse in Hong Kong and the feeling of being surrounded by these impressively, tall buildings. The transportation is good which makes the city easy to get around. It has an interesting vibe and since it in the past used to be under British rule you can still feel this, for example there are these double-decker buses and the cars drive on the left. My favorite activity in Hong Kong was definitetly to eat. There are so many great restaurants and I just loved all the food I tried here, I have collected a few of my favorite restaurants below.
Eat
Yardbird
154-158 Wing Lok Street
If you are in Hong Kong this place is a must! I tried the most amazing brussel sprouts with black garlic here and their fried cauliflowers are delicious. Their speciality is grilled chicken and the menu offer basically every part of the chicken. All the dishes come in small sizes and usually they recomend 4-5 dishes per person. Be aware that bookings are not available so make sure you get there in time. If you have to wait you can always sip on one of the well-made cocktails in the bar while your table is getting ready.
One Dim Sum
Kenwood Mansion, 15 Playing Field Road, Prince Edward
This restaurant is quite small and popular, so we had to wait about 40 minutes but it was well worth it. The setting inside is simple and intimate while the food is very tasty and extremely priceworthy. We came here a bit later and some items on the menu were unfortunately already sold out, so a tip is to be early!
Tim Ho Wan
North Point, Wharf Rd 2 (Several locations)
This is another great Dim Sum place, it is a branch that has several locations in Hong Kong. It is a lot bigger and less intimate than One Dim Sum, but in my opinion just as tasty and priceworthy. In fact it has received a Michelin star, quite impressive! My favorite dish was the char siu (barbecued pork) baked buns, you have to try them.
DO
Take a cocktail at a rooftop bar
In Hong Kong there are several really nice rooftop bars and you should make sure to check at least one out. It is an amazing experience to view the whole city by night 30 floors up. We went to Sevva which was really nice but unfurtunately it was on the way to close when we arrived, so be aware that many bars close between 12- 2 AM. Also the cocktails are on the pricier side.
Explore Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan is my favorite area in Hong Kong. It is right next to the business district but very different compared to the modern skyscrapers. Here the buildings feel older and the streets are narrow, there are a lot of cute streets and quite hilly. I found it adorable! This area is also very lively with a lot of bars/restaurants and street art.
View the skyline from Victoria Peak
At this very touristy destination you have a beautiful, panoramic view of Hong Kong. If you go to Hong Kong for the first time you definitely have to check it out! You can get there by several different ways, we decided to take the famous Peak Tram up the hill wich is an experience in itself. The line to get on the tram was no joke though, we went there on a weekend and had to stay in line for about 1,5-2 hours. If you plan to take the tram I would reccomend to do it on a weekday instead and preferably get there early.
Take the ferry
There is a nice, old ferry that goes between Kowloon and Hong Kong island.
Go to the beach
Yes there are in fact beaches on Hong Kong island which can be easily accesible by bus. We went to Repulse Bay which is about a 40 min bus ride from Hong Kong city. It was very crowded though and the water was not very clear, nevertheless it was a nice getaway from the busy city life.
Go Hiking
There are some great hiking routes around Hong Kong, since it was so hot when I was there (nearly 40 C) it was unfortunately not possible to do any hiking. One of the most famous trails is The Dragon’s Back, which is promised to offer stunning views.
Stay
Metropark Hotel Causeway Bay
148 Causeway bay, Hong Kong
This 4-Star hotel was lovely and the staff was really nice, would definitely recommend it. It has a good location on Hong Kong island, very close to the metro stop Tin Hau. The rooms are clean with good beds and in our room there were big windows that offered a stunning view over the whole city. But my favorite part of the hotel was the shower, it is the best shower ever loved it! Also it has a beautiful rooftop pool which makes lazy days perfect. Check it out here
