I love exploring and I love sharing my adventures even more!
So I recently visited Hong Kong, spent 13k (260 USD or 2000 HKD inclusive of food and mugs of Starbucks tea) and five days, and ticked off a list of Instagrammable places in this city of mountains and skyscrapers. I remember creating this trivia question for an event prior to my trip to HK:
Which city has the most skyscrapers?
- New York
- Hong Kong
- Tokyo
- Chicago
And the answer is B! Hong Kong's skyline features more skyscrapers (1302) than New York (727), Tokyo (488), and Chicago (312). And visiting HK has just proven it.
Fine print: If it's in Tagalog, it’s most likely irrelevant or I can't find a way to express it in English. 😂
I love making DIY itineraries and the moment my friend forwarded a blog about the Instagrammable places in Hong Kong, I looked them all up in the map and plotted the farthest to the airport to the nearest, still capturing the best hours to visit each spot. It was an absolute treasure hunt upon discovering these spots in Hong Kong so I’ll share some tips on how to make your life easier, or at least your Hong Kong exploration. But the first thing to do upon arrival: get your Octopus card.
Exploring Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)
The HKIA is pretty straightforward. Right after leaving the departure gates, it’s easy to find the booth for the Octopus card. Make sure to preload it with lots of HKD which I did. The card is worth 150HKD, 100HKD of which is consumable and 50HKD is refundable upon surrender of the card. I loaded it with an additional 100HKD making the balance 200HKD which is almost enough for the trips and misadventures that I took. Well, I lost my card with 77HKD on Day 2 so had to buy a new one and reload with another 50HKD. Got some excess after the trip so in short, an initial load of 250HKD should be more than enough. Just don't lose your card like I did. (So ang dami kong nasabi. 😂)
Where We Stayed:
Exploring Chung King Mansion
I always spend less on accommodation as I usually stay outdoors most of the time. I searched booking.com for the cheapest option which led us to New Yan Yan Guesthouse. That was two months before our trip and it was approx P1200 for a twin room per night.
My sister told me that she stayed at Chung King Mansion and had a bad experience with the local guesthouse owner. A friend advised us not to book at Chung King Mansion, too. So I was confident enough that we are booked elsewhere which is the New Yan Yan Guesthouse. Funny though, New Yan Yan Guesthouse is inside Chung King Mansion. So much for missing out the small details. Rather, the address in fine print. It turns out that Chung King Mansion houses several hostels. But we had a smoother stay than most stories we’ve heard.
Tip: When you’re booking at Chung King Mansion and it says it’s good for two, set your expectation that it’s good for 1 ½. I stayed real close to the wall so my companion won't fall. And if you think the toilet and bath is good for one, I’m telling you it’s only good for a half person. I can't find a proper position taking a bath without bumping on the door or the toilet bowl, I felt like I’ve bruises all over. But they have a TV with cable with only nine channels, out of which, only one is sometimes in English. It’s the channel of all sorts. It showed TV series, Discovery Channel, and Financial News in Mandarin and I never figured out the schedule. But if you're looking for a budget stay, this is where to go. Ang daming Pilipino, puwedeng mag-Tagalog.
Where to eat:
A lot of fastfoods flock the area and we are often at Mcdonald's or Jollibee, price ranging from 30-40 HKD (P200-270 or $4-5). Cheapest option for fastfood though is KFC with two cups of rice in one meal. Trying out a couple of Hong Kong dining in the area is also nice but maybe a little more expensive. But don't miss out the Starbucks at the basement of Prince Tower. And bring that SB tumbler for a 4HKD discount. Lol
Tip: It’s best to take your breakfast in this area especially if you're leaving early since most establishments open at around 7 or 8 am. The 24-hour Mcdonald's is a life-saver.
So eto na talaga ‘yung gala. Ang haba ng intro.
Note: Each day is clustered with spots nearest to each other. (O, di ba, may note pa. Basta, yan magkakalapit para efficient sa carbon emission lol.) So if you're traveling in less than five days, just pick your destinations and go by cluster to save time and travel. Don’t read everything but Day 5. Day 5 is my favorite!
Exploring Hong Kong Island (Day 1)
First stop: Cape D’ Aguilar
This is located at the Southeasternmost of Hong Kong and is great for sunrise. Unfortunately, for us, it was a gloomy day so we just enjoyed the view of residential buildings across some high-risk-for-hit-and-run roads.
Tip: When you ride the Bus 9 to Cape d’ Aguilar at the exit of Shau Kei Wan MTR station (Island Line), make sure to press the Stop button ‘coz the bus won't stop unless someone did. Oh, yes, we didn't so we missed the stop almost blaming the driver for not stopping and we had to ride another bus back to the right stop.
Another tip: The best view is a 15-minute walk from the bus stop, approximately half a kilometer though it directs further on Google Maps. The landmark is the portable toilet to your left. If you see this, you may use it but walk back again because that clearing has the best view already. If you don't wish to take my advice, you can walk another kilometer and see the black and yellow house to the left which is Instagrammable, too. But if you wish to walk another kilometer and a half, you'll get a chance to see a wind speedometer to your left (well, it was my first time seeing a legitimate speedometer in a weather station) but this is in a private, staff-only area with no staff. Yes, we walked three kilometers towards a ghosttown with all the scarecrows hovering over us. So much for following Maps and watching World War Z.
One more tip: There is another stop for Bus 9 which is towards the Dragon’s Back. This is prior to Cape d'Aguilar stop. This was recommended by my bff Ace but we didn't take just because trek but we trekked three kilometers, anyway, we should just have taken this route. Lol. Just pick between Cape d’Aguilar or Dragon's Back.
Second Stop: Yick Cheong Building
Famous for being the venue for a scene in Transformers, a lot of millenials flock the area. It’s between Quarry Bay and Tai Koo MTR stations so just pick the nearest station from your destination and walk 5-10 minutes. Don't miss the Montane Mansion which is a market enclosed in three red buildings. They look good in camera, too.
You’d have to line up with other tourists at the Yick Cheong Building on platforms where it’s best to take your portrait, selfie, or groupie.
Advice: This is a residential area so please be respectful to the locals and keep it down. (Well, most spots in this blog are.)
Where to eat:
Look for the KFC near Yick Cheong but don't eat there. There is a Hong Kong restaurant at the corner and they've the best salmon I tasted (65 HKD or P400 or $8). They also serve caviar on luncheon meat for a price worth its value.
Third Stop (Kennedy Town Station Cluster)
There are two Instagrammable places in this area. First is the Sai Wan Swimming Shed which is a kilometer walk from the MTR. There are Instagrammable buildings along the way so it's worth the walk. The entrance to the Sai Wan swimming shed is to the right and has a marker in Chinese characters. Tip is to use Maps and watch out for stairs going down, towards the coastline.
Instagram Pier or Western District Public Cargo is a kilometer walk (15-20 minutes) from Sai Wan Swimming Shed. It’s great to watch sunset here and you can get good backdrops of messy but colorful cargo on the corners. It also offers a good view of the Kowloon skyline at night. HKU MTR station is your nearest stop from Instagram Pier.
Exploring Hong Kong Island (Day 2)
First Stop: Lai Tak Tsuen
This is a residential area so we have to piggyback a local to enter the building. We can immediately be charged for trespassing but it's worth the risk. Lol. Bus 25 at the exit of Causeway Bay MTR station takes you directly to the building across it. There are no elevators going up, only going down so we had to climb up to the 15th floor for the best view of the internal architecture.
Second Stop: Blue House
Bus 25A from Lai Tak Tsuen takes you to Hennessy Road which is a block away from Blue House. This has Instagrammable exteriors and quite straightforward.
Third Stop: Square Street + Graham Street
Use Maps and look for Bus 101 (alternatives are buses 26/37A; MTR is another option but entails a longer walk) to Sheung Wan Civic Centre. Upon alighting, climb the Ladder Street which is literally a ladder and is also Instagrammable towards the Square Street. Square Street is filled with murals and extends to the next blocks, forming a square (Yes, that's why it’s Square Street).
Graham Street is also a street of murals and a 10-15-minute walk from Square Street.
Where to eat:
There are a lot of high-end restaurants that flock the area but try the streetfoods on one street towards the Central MTR station. They've the best Beef Congee I ever tasted for only 18HKD and a lot of burnt tongue lol (P120 or $2.5).
Fourth Stop: Sky Terrace or Victoria Peak
We availed the roundtrip Peak Tram + Skypass via Klook a week before our trip. Meet up with the guide is at Central Station, Exit K, but don't follow Klook’s map because it will confuse you. Lol. Best to just go to the MTR and look for Exit K. The guide will take you to the station for a 10-minute walk. Make sure to take note of the buildings that are part of the tour because those are landmarks when you go up to the peak.
At the Peak Tram station, make sure to stay nearest the tram door entrance to get the best seats which are at the right side, overlooking Hong Kong. Empty your bladder before heading up to the Sky Terrace because there are no restrooms upstairs and once you exit, you have to purchase a new ticket. There’s also no food stalls so you might wanna bring food and water but don't drink ‘coz that will make you pee. Lol kidding.
Fifth Stop: Yick Cheong Building at Night (optional)
If you’ve got a good quality camera, the Yick Cheong Building at night is a must-see though it may add a couple if dollars to your transportation expense. Btw, this is where I accidentally dropped and lost my Octopus card. Cheers! 😂
Exploring Kowloon and Lantau Island on the next blogs!
Credits to the blogs I’ve read especially the one listing the 10 Instagrammable Places in Hong Kong which inspired me to create this detailed guide. It’s an absolute treasure hunt, looking for architectural and cultural treasures of Hong Kong and an absolute place to explore!
#OPPOF5 #CaptureTheRealYou
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