Hong Kong: these are the best and nicest hotspots
Hong Kong, what a great world city. If I may give you some advice, go there for a few days. Before or after a trip to Asia. Two nights, three days is already perfect. Hong Kong is vibrant, super neat and clean. The food is amazing and you will find the most fantastic food tours. Shopping is a paradise. Hiking by yourself is a really good option in Hong Kong, I didn't expect that. How about you?
Hong Kong flight:
We flew with the top 3 in the world: Cathay Pacific. The service and expectations are all met. You fly directly from Amsterdam to Hong Kong and as soon as you board, your vacation feeling starts immediately.
Culinary experience in Business Class with Cathay Pacific
The journey to Hong Kong started right away with a highlight: flying in business class. I was welcomed with a glass of Taittinger champagne. The level of service is truly unparalleled, friendly, attentive, and professional.
With the ‘Choose My Meal’ service, I could select my meal up to 24 hours before departure. This immediately offers the opportunity to choose from a varied selection of dishes, including iconic Cathay Signatures such as steamed halibut with chorizo sauce or delicate bean pastries with pumpkin sauce. The meals are served on porcelain dishes, accompanied by carefully selected wines and Illy cappuccinos (my favorite) for afterwards. For those who love craft beer, there is even the ‘Betsy Beer’, specially brewed to taste better at 35,000 feet. Overall: Cathay Pacific is also a true culinary experience in the air.
The business lounges of Cathay Pacific
This is heaven on earth (especially the one at Hong Kong airport). Passengers with a business class ticket for a Cathay Pacific flight automatically gain access to the airline's business lounges. And believe me, you won't want to leave here. Never again. The interior is truly next level. Design with a warm living room feel, the most comfortable chairs and sofas. The food is nowhere near as good, with multiple kitchens making the best food for you, with my favorite being the Noodle bar. For extra peace, there are the Cathay Cabanas: luxury suites with a shower and toilet. And for all business travelers, there is The Bureau, a quiet workspace with meeting rooms and charging points.
Hong Kong Hotels:
The Murray
I stayed at The Murray. A perfect 5-star hotel located on the island of Hong Kong and within walking distance of The Peak. Great breakfast and beautiful luxury rooms. Don't be surprised by the gigantic buildings, it's not a destination with smaller picturesque boutique hotels. Everything goes up in Hong Kong. Land is expensive, so up it goes.
niccolohotels.com\/he-murray-hong-kong
The Upper House
A quiet hotel with beautiful wooden interiors and stunning views of the harbor or mountains. Perfect if you want a luxury experience with a bit of culture.
thehousecollective.com\/the-upper-house
Regent Hotel
Mega luxury hotel in Kowloon, with a super cool view of the skyline.
hongkong.regenthotels.com
Conrad Hong Kong
This location is perfect (directly above the Admiralty MTR station) and you can really get anywhere quickly. Shopping malls, top restaurants, and attractions like Hong Kong Park and Lan Kwai Fong.
hilton.com-conrad-hong-kong
Kowloon Shangri-La
Top location. Next time I go to Hong Kong, I want to stay in a hotel in Kowloon. Shangri-La is located on Mody Road, close to the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and the Avenue of Stars promenade. In a few minutes, you can walk to shopping destinations like K11 Art Mall, Harbour City, or the Star Ferry terminal.
shangri-la.com\/hongkong\/
Hong Kong Must do:
Victoria Peak Hong Kong
The must do / most famous activity in Hong Kong. The Peak, a high mountain on the western part of Hong Kong island. From the starting point, you can take a tram up (552 meters) where you can see Hong Kong at its most beautiful from this height. You can take the craziest photos of the city here. If you go at dusk, it's even more magical. thepeak.com
Hiking in Hong Kong
I honestly didn't know, but it's mega beautiful with insane panoramas over the city.
Lantau Peak
Beautiful hike with a final view of Tian Tan Buddha. This is the largest seated bronze Buddha.
Once you arrive, you walk 268 steps to reach the Buddha statue. If you want to visit Tian Tan Buddha without hiking in the heat: you can take the Ngong Ping cable car or use bus 23 from Tung Chung.
Lion Rock
This is the most famous and that's not without reason. You get an incredibly beautiful view of the city here. The hike is 11km and takes about 5 hours (Lion Rock is about 495 meters high). If you want, like I always do, the shortcut: that's available too. It takes 1.5 hours and is 1.8km. So this offers opportunities.
Sailing
You can sail through Victoria Harbour on a beautiful Chinese junk boat, right along the amazing skyline.
Book this trip at sunset, it was truly a great experience. Departure point is among others Central Pier 9. Be sure to book this trip online in advance: https://aqualuna.com.hk
M+ Museum
We visited this mega popular museum and it is really worth it. For modern art lovers, this is really the place to be. It is unique, contemporary, and broader than a traditional art museum. M+ is located in the West Kowloon Cultural District, beautiful to set aside a morning or afternoon for.
mplus.org.hk
Hong Kong FOOD
Hong Kong is a paradise for everyone.
Duddell’s
Top Michelin restaurant that you find in a somewhat hidden office building. That makes it extra fun.
Reservations are a must: www.duddells.co
The Chinese Library
Another favorite. A super beautiful authentic restaurant in Chinese colonial style. Really stunning. You can find it on the top floor of the restored old police station in Tai Kwun. Shared dining via a rotating disk. The food is amazing. You can make a reservation here: chineselibrary.com.hk
Hutong
The hotspot to really go out for dinner. You sit by Victoria Harbour (nice to go sailing first) with a view of the bizarre skyline. The decor is an ode to old Chinese “hutongs” — narrow alleys in Beijing. Think of red silk lanterns, rickshaw centerpieces, and even traditional lucky trees. Small detail: the food is fantastic. In fact, you eat the best Peking Duck in Hong Kong here. You really shouldn't miss this. Promised? You can make a reservation here: https://hutong.com.hk
Hong Kong Street Food tour
Real foodies among us can't skip this. We had the perfect food tour along the most amazing street food stalls. Including One Dim Sum, these dim sums were previously awarded a Michelin star, but even though they no longer have it, it's still a tip to go here. Just make sure to ask what you are ordering, there's a chance it could be chicken feet! Book your tour with Hong Kong Free Tours: hongkongfreetours.com
Where you can eat Michelin star dim sums: at Lulu Baobao and Tim Ho Wan (Sham Shui Po).
Hong Kong Shopping
Also not entirely unimportant. But here too, you can go wild in many places. I have several top tips, if I may say so myself.
Shopping mall K11
K11 (Tsim Sha Tsui): sells the most beautiful designer brands and has a beauty paradise in the basement. It is located by Victoria Harbour and is therefore easy to reach. The address if you are going by taxi or public transport: 18 Hanoi Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Ladies market
Mega famous in Hong Kong, this gigantic market is full of the coolest stuff. Think of bags & the cutest souvenirs. The address is: Tung Choi St, Mong Kok, Hong Kong.
Sneaker street
Just as the name says. Only stores with the latest sneakers, a true sneaker paradise. The address: 71-73 Fa Yuen St, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Causeway Bay
I wrote about it earlier. If you want to go to the coolest district where it all really happens: look for the Stussy or Supreme store. Because, when I arrived to shop at Stüssy, I saw it immediately. This is always located in the coolest district or upcoming area. Causeway Bay is indeed one of the busiest and trendiest shopping areas in the city. Go.there.
The address of Stüssy, so you are exactly in the right district: 9 Pak Sha Rd, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Bottom line: Hong Kong is a great city trip. A must visit.
Do you want to attach it before or after your Japan trip: great idea, the stopover is perfect in Hong Kong. Read here my tips for Japan.
