Hong Kong Adventure: A Quick Recap!
Alright, let's rewind my 5-day, 4-night trip to Hong Kong! 🇭🇰
The Flight & Hotel
I flew with VNA, which had pretty decent flight times, leaving at 10:30 AM and returning at 3:30 PM. Staying at the Best Western Plus Hotel Hongkong was a good choice, costing about 1.5 million VND per night for two people. Although it's a bit dated, the location is convenient. It's close to buses, the MTR, K11, and Harbour City. The A21 bus is right there for easy airport transfers—super affordable!
Essentials & Tips
I picked up a SIM card and borrowed an Octopus card from Hong Kong Bên Hông. The eSIM activated at the airport was super convenient, and the Octopus card is essential—it's like their version of mobile pay! The physical card saved me since I couldn't connect to the online Octopus service.
Here are some other essentials to pack:
- Cash
- Wet wipes/dry wipes
- Umbrella/hat
- Portable charger (very important!)
- Travel adapter
- Apps: Octopus for tourist (if you can connect, then skip the physical card), Google Maps—seriously, Google Maps covers everything. If you're going to Disneyland, grab the Disneyland Hong Kong app.
Note: ChatGPT isn't available in Hong Kong, so if you're like me and were planning to "ask" it to adjust your itinerary, you're out of luck!
My Itinerary - Combining Work & Play
My trip had a mix of work and leisure, so here's how it went:
Day 1: City Views & Culinary Delights
- Arrived at the airport, took the A21 to the hotel to check in and drop off my stuff.
- Took off at 4 PM to go to The Peak.
- Grabbed some fishball noodles for dinner – even at that hour, the place was packed!
- The Peak Tram was pretty good, and the view from the top was great, but it was crowded. (I got a combo ticket for the tram up and the Sky Terrace on Klook)
- Watched the city lights, then headed down and took a bus to Yat Lok for roast goose. Our group of four spent 708 HKD.
- Walked to Lan Kwai Fong, but it wasn't too lively early on.
- Ended the night with views and beers at the harbour.
Day 2: Art, Shopping & Fine Dining
- Worked until around 4 PM.
- Managed to visit the Museum of Art, Harbour and Nathan Road for some shopping.
- Had dinner at Le 188, with a beautiful view and delicious food. The restaurant allows customers to go upstairs to see the view.
Day 3: Temples, Buddha & Outlet Shopping
- More work in the morning.
- Since I was close to the airport, I headed to Ngong Ping after lunch. I only explored the Ngong Ping Village, the Big Buddha, and the Wisdom Path – didn't have time for Tai O Fishing Village. The views were stunning, and riding the crystal cabin was cool. (Get a round-trip ticket! I made the mistake of buying a one-way ticket, thinking I'd go to the fishing village, but my friend was tired, and we went back earlier, and the 2-way tickets are so much more expensive 😫)
- Hit the outlet stores until closing time – a bit of shopping spree this time!
Day 4: Disneyland Magic
Disneyland! Even solo, I had to do it! Wear comfortable shoes, and check the app for show schedules and wait times.
I went during tier 2, and it wasn't too crowded. If I hadn't spent so much time at the shops, I probably could have ridden each attraction 2-3 times! I stayed until 8:15 PM to watch the fireworks show, so my view wasn't ideal, but the fireworks were amazing! If you want to be closer and see the water show, aim to arrive around 6:30 PM (when I walked by, many people were already waiting).
Day 5: Souvenirs & Departure
Browsed around for souvenirs (Keewah, Bakehouse, other shops) and headed home.
Some final notes:
- If you're craving Fook Ming Tong herbal tea, it opens at 11 AM. I was too late to buy it.
- Near the hotel, there were Heytea, Tenren, and Chagee. I only found out on my last day! Heytea is amazing! Tenren, I'll have to try next time.
- The airport has some delicious preserved snacks, Yu Fung store to be exact. I bought a seaweed floss to try and my son loves it!
My estimated cost for food, accommodation, transportation, excluding shopping, was about 19 million VND.
In conclusion, this trip left a lot unchecked (I didn't visit many places I wanted to), and many dishes still untasted. A lot of shopping! I will definitely return if I get the chance.
