Sea, national parks, sunshine: that’s Hong Kong. As a special administrative region, the vibrant city in the south of China is characterized by Western and Chinese influences. This is why Hong Kong is also known as Asia’s World City. Here (in contrast to mainland China) you can survive well with English. Even dairy products are sold in the supermarkets. We spent our three days in Hong Kong sightseeing, hiking in the national parks (Wilson Trail) and in Ocean Park Hong Kong.
Kowloon Park and Tsim Sha tsui Promenade
The peninsulas of Hong Kong are connected by tunnels. The metro (subway), as well as buses and cars, pass under the water. This gives you the best view of the skyscrapers and there are no bridges to spoil the panorama. The skyline is particularly impressive at sunset and at night. We recommend a visit to Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade or Kowloon Park.
At Kowloon Station (Metro) there is a huge development with skyscrapers connected by bridges. There is also a shopping center (Elements) and you can walk through the skyscrapers to the Arts Park of Kowloon Park. That is very impressive. For pedestrians, Hong Kong has bridges parallel to the streets so that they are not disturbed by traffic.
Adrenaline, pandas and penguins in Ocean Park Hong Kong
Ocean Park Hong Kong is not only an adventure park for young and old, but also a zoo. The park is divided into two parts, which are connected by a gondola lift. The gondola lift alone is a highlight because you have the best view of the sea. There is also a Ferris wheel, a panoramic ride and several roller coasters for those who don’t have stomach problems.
We liked the zoo in Hong Kong much better than the Beijing Zoo, which we visited at the beginning of the trip. The enclosures in Ocean Park are beautifully maintained (compared to other zoos) and offer plenty of space. A special feature is that some of the enclosures are partially open. If you are tall enough, you can photograph the penguins, for example, without a glass pane. It is therefore correspondingly cold in the room. We were also able to take great photos of the pandas and the underwater world with walrus and sharks was also impressive.
Wilson Trail (Hong Kong – Stanley)
For all sports fans and stair lovers, we recommend the Wilson Trail in the national park. It leads from Hong Kong to Stanley with a total of three hills. First you walk in the shade to Violett Hill, then down into the valley and up many stairs again to North Peak. The views get better the longer the hike takes. The best view is when you walk down from Stanley Mound, the third hill on the hike. The whole hike incl. breaks took us 4 hours.
Streetcar/Tram 6 takes you to the start of the hike (Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park). We recommend walking from north to south (from Hong Kong to Stanley). That way, you have shade when you walk up and you can see the sea the whole time when you walk down from Stanley Mound. Right at the end of the hike, there is a bus stop (Wilson Trail/Stanley Gap Road) and we took bus no. 260 back to the city.
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is a real tourist magnet. Here you can see the city from above. The number 15 bus takes around an hour to Victoria Peak. Even during the journey, you have great views of the many skyscrapers. You can also take the streetcar (The Peak Tram) to the summit. When you buy your ticket, you can also book admission to the viewing platform. However, we decided against this (very touristy) viewing platform and preferred to walk the circular route around the hill. The circular route offers fantastic views of the city, especially at sunset.
Public transportation in Hong Kong
Two-storey streetcars, buses and a metro (subway) take people from A to B. The network is very well developed and Google Maps is the easiest way to find the fastest connection. You can pay directly to the driver via NFC on the bus or streetcar. We always paid with the digital wallet on our cell phone (credit cards). On the double-decker bus, you pay at the front when you get on. On the streetcar, you get on at the back and pay the driver at the front when you leave the streetcar.
Metro (subway): If you don’t have a metro card, you have to buy your ticket from a machine before boarding. When we were there, unfortunately only cash (HKD) was accepted. Cards did not work.
