When faced with a flight from Abu Dhabi to Auckland you tend to look for the easiest way to fly with the least jet lag possible. For us that means flying from Dubai through Hong Kong.
We have flown through Hong Kong numerous times, never venturing much further afield than the airport hotel whilst trying to catch some sleep between flights. This time though, we decided to stopover for a few nights and explore the wonders that the island has on offer.
We planned absolutely nothing on this trip, partly because it snuck up on us so quickly and partly because we find we have the best time when we haven't planned a thing!
Leaving Abu Dhabi in 50 degree weather and 100% humidity we welcomed the temperatures of Hong Kong, only 30 degrees and the relatively low humidity was a doddle. Armed with our hotel umbrella, we took to our feet and braved the tropical rain to explore the city on foot.
First up was the Cat Street Market on Upper Lascow Row. The name is reference to the many stolen goods that used to pass through the street, stolen goods were called "rat goods" and the people who bought them were called "cats". The name stuck and today it's a market with antiques, jewellery, jade, silk and as much tat as you can buy.
It's an authentic part of town and there is no shortage of trendy cafes and restaurants popping up. We took refuge from a particularly heavy rainstorm in a cafe serving some of the best tea and coffee we have found.
Hollywood Road was a never ending feast for the eyes, ears and nose! Breezing past upmarket cafes and bars you suddenly came upon a local market selling chickens, fish and vegetables.
Taking the ferries between Hong Kong and the surrounding islands is one of the best and easiest ways to see the city. They are super cheap and run every few minutes depending on your destination.
After walking tens of kilometres exploring every inch we could of Causeway Bay we called it a day and headed home by ferry to dry our weary feet and treat ourselves to a well deserved glass of wine!
Trying to decide what to do the next day we turned to the internet for inspiration, at the top of nearly every list is taking the cable car to the top of Victoria Peak. We thought about this for a quick second but then the thought quickly disappeared when reading about the crowds and queuing.
So instead we took our hotel's complementary smart phone app's advice and headed out to see the Big Buddha.
Taking a taxi to Ngong Ping we faced a (smallish) crowd getting on the cable car to take us up and over the mountains which we couldn't see because the fog was so thick.
Disembarking at the top station you find a small village especially created to help you shop and eat on way to the Big Buddha which sits before you on a hill. This is where you get your first glimpse of how it is before starting the short walk and 268 steps to get to it's base.
Made of bronze and over 34 metres tall, it's quite impressive. Completed in 1993 it still draws millions of visitors a year to stand below it.
Overlooking the Po Lin Monastery there is a certain charm to Big Buddha and this area despite the crowds of tourists that descend on it each day.
After taking a final look at Big Buddha we hopped on a bus and headed to a place which we were hoping would offer a more local glimpse of life. That place we were heading to was Tai O.
Tai O is a fishing town on the island of Lantau, Hong Kong. Once a booming fishing town it has a colourful history of smugglers and illegal immigration. From being a busy inlet it has now become a village with a struggling fishing industry which barely provides an income for it's residents.
It's full of houses built on stilts in the marshes which is extremely charming despite the plastic bottles bobbing around below.
You can walk around the full village and there is some good home spun cafes vying for your business if you're hungry. We had some of the best food we had yet tried and the local beer is as cheap as it is refreshingly cold.
After a beautiful lunch and a chat to our local hosts we explored the village before being caught in a huge downpour which signalled the end of our day here.
So we took the local bus onward to the ferry terminal and cruised back to the mainland of Hong Kong by sea.
And that was the end of our 48 hours in Hong Kong which left us saying that we would be back next year when once again we would be flying home to NZ.
Thanks for reading!
Co-written with Mr. followingamymary
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