24 hours in Hong Kong

Molly Taylor goes off the beaten track in Hong Kong

Molly Taylor
15th November 2020
‘Bustling’ and ‘lively’ are two words many people would associate with Hong Kong. Whilst this is true for a large part of this Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, many people don’t realise that 75% of Hong Kong’s land area is covered in greenery and wilderness, and Hong Kong’s population of 7 million is compacted into 15% of the overall land mass.

Hence, this means that all your favourite travel activities can be catered for. If you fancy a busy city day, you can travel on the star ferry to the Island. Alternatively, there are many beautiful and remote beaches, or large hills to climb if you’re feeling more adventurous.

Credit to all photos in this article: Molly Taylor

A day in the city

If you’re looking to explore the busier side of Hong Kong and become encapsulated by the jungle of high-rise buildings and small ‘Dai Pai Dong’ food stalls, then I would start at Mong Kok.

One thing that is so wonderful about Hong Kong is how quickly and inexpensively you can travel between the different districts. The MTR (Hong Kong’s version of the Metro) can shuttle you from one side of the city to the other for a few quid.

Mong Kok is one of the main shopping areas, where you can find small stalls selling knock-off designer brand clothing as well as cheap technology and gadgets. However, shopping is not the only interesting thing about Mong Kok. There are many photography opportunities, and small food stalls where you can try some of Hong Kong’s best snacks including Bubble Tea, Egg Waffle and Siu Mai dumplings.

After Mong Kok, I would take the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui, and then the infamous ‘Star Ferry’ across the harbour to Central. Founded in 1888, the Ferry runs every day and costs less than 30p to get from one side to the other. In the evening, Central is bustling, especially on weekends. There are many bars and restaurants in SoHo as well as in the clubbing district, Lan Kwai Fong. If you fancy going on the Star Ferry again, every night at 8pm there is a light show called the ‘Symphony of Lights’, which is beautiful to watch from a balcony of the ferry.

A day in the countryside

If you’re like me, and enjoy being out in nature, I would recommend visiting the beautiful countryside that Hong Kong has to offer. My favourite hiking day out starts in Sai Kung, a fishing town which is only accessible by bus or taxi from one of the MTR stations.

From Sai Kung you can take the bus to the Country Park, and trek to a beautiful beach called ‘Sai Wan’. Taking around an hour and a half, this walk ends at the sea, where there are a few different small restaurants as well as the option to take a thrilling speed boat back to the bus.

Alternatively, you can walk to the next beach, 'Ham Tin', and camp overnight, experiencing beautiful stars and a stunning sunrise in the morning.

Whether you’re a city dweller or nature lover, there is always something for everyone in Hong Kong.

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