Hong Kong - Final Thoughts

I only went to Hong Kong because the guy at STA Travel mentioned I could stop over there and I thought "sure, why not?" However, I was so impressed by Hong Kong that I would encourage every traveller to stop over there and even recommend making it the main focus of a trip.

While Hong Kong boasts a huge supply of amazing sights, places to explore, great food and lively bars, I also observed a key difference to other major cities that helped HK win me over. In other world cities I've spent significant time in - Chicago, London, and New York - I've always felt that residents and visitors alike have to battle against the city to enjoy themselves or simply get by. These cities are constantly trying to stress you out with their pace, bankrupt you with their prices, trap you in with their endlessly sprawling suburbs, or freeze you with their winters. On the other hand, Hong Kong seems to be on your side.

There were many factors that led my to develop this thesis. Firstly, Hong Kong's prices are fair rather looking to exploit. This is especially true of the transport - a journey on the tram costs less than 30p and I could have ridden the Star Ferry (an iconic vessel that crosses Victoria Harbour offering spectacular views) 30 times for the price of one trip on the Thames River Bus. HK's citizens have the patience to wait for the green man before crossing roads and the sick wear dust masks to prevent the spread of illness. Its public toilets are abundant, free, clean, and contain working soap dispensers. A cool breeze blows miraculously through the subway carriages, ensuring that I didn't overheat even at rush hour. How this worked was the subject of much investigation as I just couldn't determine where the breeze was coming through. The mystery remains unsolved. Hong Kong allows you to escape the density of the city to any number of quiet and scenic locations. For instance the barely populated and entirely carless Lomma Island is just a 30 minute ferry ride away from the the Central Business District, and here I enjoyed a selection of quiet beaches and stunning hiking trails. Finally, I visited during the winter and it was perfect sunshine every day with the temperature hovering around 20 celsius.
As I stood watching baby monkeys amusingly play fight at the HK Zoological and Biological Gardens (admission: free and nobody trying to get you buy stuff) during the final hour of my stay, I sincerely hoped this wouldn't be my last visit to Hong Kong.

One of the views from the top of Lomma Island.

Next stop: Sydney