HONG KONG

On the 7th of March 2007 John and I continued our South East Asia trip by flying from Denpasar to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong we spend some time wandering around the city, visiting my former work colleagues at the company's Hong Kong office. It was nice to catch up with them.

The Sun Kong Hostel, where we stayed was about five to six square meters 'big'. A tiny bathroom was also available. It was ok for 4 nights but we could not imagine staying any longer. This really was the smallest hotel room I ever stayed in and is definitely nothing for claustrophobics :-)

Every evening there was a laser show on the shore of Hong Kong Island. That day, John and I went on a one  hour and a half sunset boat tour (with no sunset of course as it was overcast). The trip was good fun although the temperature was around 15 degrees only. A bit of a temperature shock, coming from warm and humid Bali.

We met some people who were in the US navy who have been to Vietnam before. We chatted about our upcoming trip to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and they shared some useful information about Vietnam with us.

After the boat trip we got off in Kowloon to watch the laser show from the other side with a nice view of the Hong Kong skyline. Hong Kong looks great at night. We went to the Temple street night market and I bought some Pashminas and a nice handbag. There were lots of markets in Hong Kong and each one of them was more fascinating than the other ones. John was amazed by the amount of fresh fish that was sold at the fish market. The fish were still alive when the customer bought it. It can't get any fresher!

Hong Kong is a vibrant city with lots of things to see and do. Walk up to 'The Peak' and enjoy a stunning view of the city or talk a stroll along the Victoria harbour and watch the 'A Symphony of lights' show (must see!). Hong Kong offers a lot in terms of dining. The restaurants are very nice and busy most of the time.
Have a drink before dinner at the roof top restaurant of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The view is simply stunning, I can't find any other words for it.

Getting around is best by taxi, bus or tram or even by foot for shorter distances. The multiple-stories shopping centres are jaw dropping and if you are looking for any digital and technical gadgets - Hong Kong is the place to be. I bought myself a tripod for my photo camera as well as some other camera accessories.
As for accommodation, I highly recommend to book your accommodation in advance. Also, be prepared to spend more money if you want a proper hotel room (advisable) as you might end up in a tiny room with no space for anything else but a bed and a even smaller bathroom. There is definitely a large choice of hotels and hostels for every budget so don't worry if you are travelling on a shoestring - you'll be fine.

For more information about Hong Kong, check out the Discover Hong Kong website.