Always bright and exciting, Hong Kong is a city of great contrasts. Frenetic with human activity and commerce, Hong Kong also has its pockets of serenity - even within the whirl of shopping and eating and exploring you’ll discover Tai Chi in the park, and time for a formal afternoon tea. Despite being one of the most densely populated places on the planet, Hong Kong’s forest of glittering skyscrapers isn’t its only forest, around 70% of Hong Kong’s land is country parks - some pretty mountainous and forested.
The city part runs along the Kowloon Peninsula, and the opposite stretch on Hong Kong Island. Tsim Sha Tsui, on Kowloon Island, is one of the key neighbourhoods for visitor attractions - and a good place to stay too. Hong Kong Island is where you’ll find more of Hong Kong’s colonial-era attractions - including the tram to Victoria Peak, and where you’ll hear the most English spoken, whereas Kowloon has the traditional markets, the temples and Kowloon Park.
There’s a huge range of accommodation on both sides of the bay, and Hong Kong’s neighbourhoods are very different from each other, so it’s worthiness shopping around for the right neighbourhood, as well as the perfect accommodation. And you probably don’t need to remind you that Hong Kong is a great place for shopping around!
Central, or Central District, is Hong Kong’s main business hub, and home to some iconic business architecture - the International Finance Centre is futuristic, and the Court of Final Appeal Building may sound staid, but looks anything but! City Hall, Flagstaff House and the Theatre Royal were all built early on, between 1880 and 1860. And then there are the skyscrapers! there are a huge number of corporate headquarters in Hong Kong’s Central, but there are also some great hotels. Central is also a major transport hub. And there are a myriad of places to eat, drink and shop. Start at the Central Market? or the former police compound at Tai Kwun? which is also a great place to see some live art, or static art. When it comes to major local sights see the Hong Kong Maritime Museum; the Zoo and Botanical Gardens; the And don’t feel as if you’re too cool to try out the Central to Mid-Levels escalator, which is the world’s longest covered escalator, or miss out on the ride up to Victoria Peak - yes, it’s an obvious thing for visitors to do, but the views of the city and its harbour are incredible! Central is the sort of place where you’ll find something new to see with every visit.
If Hong Kong is a shopper’s city, Causeway Bay is its commercial heart, a lively, rainbow-coloured hub of malls, boutiques and plenty of glittering, sky-scraping windows. From high fashion to street style from street markets, Causeway Bay knows style. And electronic gadgets, and toys, and everything you can imagine. And you don’t need to restrict your retail trawling to the daylight hours, in Causeway Bay nighttime opening hours are perfectly normal, and there are a myriad food and drink offerings dotted throughout to make sure you don’t actually shop until you really drop. From Michelin-starred restaurants to street food, Causeway Bay has the full range, and in a range of cuisines just as varied. Ancient Indian anyone? But Causeway Bay isn’t entirely awash with the exciting and new, there are still a few remnants of when this was a fishing village, including a temple dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea, and Hong Kong’s largest public park, Victoria Park. There’s also bronze statue of Queen Victoria, and the old cannon, the “Noon Day Gun” to spot. Start out on the streets around Jardine’s Crescent, and don’t be surprised if you see young people taking analogue photos - cool kids here are quite retro!
Tsim Sha Tsui sits against the harbour, directly opposite Causeway Bay, and offering incredible views of the water, and the skyline of Central. This is a good place to stay if you want to see Hong Kong’s major sights: the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Space Museum, the Avenue of Stars and the Railway Clock Tower. And of course Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade’s own ‘Symphony of Lights’ at 8pm - which is the world’s largest permanent sound and lighting show, that lights up Hong Kong harbour. And you’re just a charming ferry ride from Hong Kong Island’s highlights too. Tsim Sha Tsui is another great foodie base in Hong Kong: great because of the range of cuisines, and format - from street market stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants. And Tsim Sha Tsui is a good choice if you want to start with a Michelin-starred meal and stay in a five star hotel - there are lots of lovely luxury hotels in this neighbourhood.
Wan Chai used to be the red light district, but it’s a reformed character now: lively, but trendy and desirable. While still being just a few blocks from the skyscrapers of Central. The colonial-era architecture feels graceful again, and the markets now have a traditional, rather than seedy edge. Wan Chai Market is one of Hong Kong’s best wet markets, super popular with foodies; while Spring Garden Lane is great for fashion, and Tai Yuen Street is good for toys. When it comes to local sightseeing, keep your eyes peeled for the Blue House - a beautifully preserved tenement block, the Pak Tai Temple, and the Hong Kong Arts Centre. Wan Chai’s view-rich waterfront promenade is popular with families, and with folk on little wheels - roller-skates/ rollerblades/ skateboards. If you’re a bit worried about them you can avoid them by heading out onto the water on a pedal boat, and strolling the promenade several meters off shore. Wan Chai is well known for its coffee houses and boutique hotels now too, and it’s a good neighbourhood for strolling around and seeing what you run into - expect plenty of stairs and steep inclines, though.
Sheung Wan is a cool kids neighbourhood neighbouring Central, with lots going on, and lots to look at. Including 30+ buildings of historic architectural note - and plenty of interest for anyone strolling the neighbourhood. This is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Hong Kong, and once this was the coffin-store neighbourhood, but now it’s one of Hong Kong’s most up-an-coming neighbourhoods! with galleries, boutiques, antique and vintage stores - and contemporary design stores, and a raft of trendy places to eat and drink - whatever time of day it is. It’s the exciting blend of contemporary and traditional elements that makes Sheung Wan: street art in the alleyways between historic buildings, and a market that does just as well as dried seafood as it does hip coffee. The Queen’s Road Cooked Food Market does the food juxtaposition particularly well, and Hollywood Road does the shopping, but it’s the Western Market that many visitors are coming to Sheung Wan to see, and it’s definitely worth seeing. If you want to sightsee further visit Man Mo Temple, and the Liang Yi Museum, which is one of the largest private museums in Hong Kong. Accommodation is as varied as everything else in Sheung Wan, but this is a good neighbourhood for boutique hotels and aparthotels.
Mong Kok has a reputation for being one of Hong Kong’s best value neighbourhoods, from its accommodation, to food to shopping. It may overwhelm at first - this is where locals shop too, and the rainbow-coloured neon signs and bustle, when mixed with steaming street food, is a heady concoction. But stick with it and you’ll soon find your way around. Mong Kok is the antithesis of Hong Kong’s glittering air-conditioned shopping malls stacked in against each other, this is a low-rise maze of colourful street markets and buzzing bazaars. The perfect place to shop for live animals (try Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, or Goldfish Street) or beautiful silk clothing )try Tung Choi Street, the Ladies Market).
If you’re looking for the traditionally Chinese neighbourhoods of Hong Kong, Yau Ma Tei should be around the top of your list. This is a neighbourhood of old family-run businesses, Chinese medicine stores, and colourful old street markets. The Jade Market is a great example, but unless you’re in the market for quite a lot of jewellery you’re probably going to return to the Temple Street Night Market again and again, and only visit the Jade Market once or twice. But there are plenty of markets to distract with their promise of who knows what kind of treasures… Local sights include the Tin Hau Temple - one of Hong Kong’s largest and best known; Sky100 Observation Deck, the Reclamation Street Market, the Yau Ma Tei Theatre, and the Yau Ma Tei Police Station. Yau Ma Tei is only a short walk from the harbour too. But it ins about 20minutes from Central - there’s plenty of transport options, though.
Lan Kwai Fong comes to life at night! After dark all of Hong Kong seems to flow through Lan Kwai Fong, dipping into the fresh new bars, clubs and restaurants of this neighbourhood. Expect to meet expats, city workers, tourists and cool kids alike, as folk unwind on their way from one place to another - via Lan Kwai Fong. The neighbourhood centres around one street: Lan Kwai Fong, but expands into the streets and passages around it, running up the hill so that some of the venues have fantastic views from rooftop bars and balconies.
Sai Ying Pun is a gently gentrifying neighbourhood that’s quietly become one of the coolest in the city. Reasonable rents and a great location means that cool kids and young professionals have moved in, and the cafes, bars and restaurants haven’t been long behind. Expect old buildings to be appreciated and showcased, in an atmosphere of cheery leisure. There are lots of little cafes, bars and eateries, popular with locals but also welcoming of visitors. And this is easily one of the best neighbourhoods for coffee in Hong Kong. If you’re wondering if there are enough shopping opportunities, don’t worry, this is Hong Kong. Sai Ying Pun has a really great offering of old and new, so in amongst the design stores, galleries and cool kids boutiques you’ll find wet markets and traditional sellers, like the Bamboo Steamer Company. Don’t skip Art Lane, either.
If this isn’t your first visit to Hong Kong, or you’ve a desire to see a different side of this famously city-like city, you might want to consider staying on one of the smaller islands off Hong Kong Island? The populated islands are dotted with fishing villages and seaside towns - and some have lovely beaches too. Outside the relatively sleepy villages, many islands are covered by national parks, so these are places to escape the city to. Hong Kong residents do it too, and the islands are dotted with galleries run by expat artists and creative types. Mamma, Lantau, Cheng Chau and Ma Wan are good islands to look up if you’re looking for a laid-back, more relaxing type of accommodation.
