Author Archives: aratansi

Journey back to Hong Kong

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FOR FULL STORIES SEE PAGES IN THE NAVIGATION ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE!

Journey back to Hong Kong!

In 2010 I embarked on an adventure that I would later learn to be a life changing experience. I decided to go on exchange to Hong Kong! I arrived at City University of Hong Kong, and 6 months later was forced to leave a city I had grown to love, and friends from all over the world – but I knew i would be back! With a couple friends I made on exchange returning to Hong Kong in November, I figured might as well make a trip of it – and so began the planning process for my journey back to HK!

Journey back to Hong Kong!

 

Hotels & Hostels

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We decided to keep things exciting and stay at a combination of four Hotels and Hostels throughout our trip to make sure we had a healthy balance of luxurious living and back packing! Not to mention this was a great way to keep the total cost of our accommodation reasonable.

  1. Ah Shan Hostel. $40 per night.
  2. StarWorld Hotel. $180 per night.
  3. Pop Hotel. $100 per night.
  4. Harbour Grand Kowloon. $200 per night.

For more information on our experiences and each location check out the “Hotels & Hostels” page located in the navigation on the left-hand side.

Check out the rooftop view from our pool at Harbour Grand Kowloon hotel in Hong Kong!

Temples of Hong Kong

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TEN THOUSAND BUDDHAS MONASTERY
The 10,000 Buddhas Monastery is one of Hong Kong’s most famous Buddhist temples and popular tourist attractions. This adventure takes you up a windy path of 431 stairs lined on either side with 500 life-size golden statues. The walls of the main temple are lined with the (almost) 13,000 miniature gold ceramic Buddha statues stacked on shelves. Each statue is about twelve inches high and adopts a different pose and expression and contains an inscription bearing the name of its donor.
I would recommend visiting the Tian Tan Big Buddha to any visitor looking for an easy day trip that will showcase the more spiritual side of Hong Kong. The Tian Tan Big Buddha is a stunning site once you reach the base after a 30 minute cable car ride from the bottom of the hill that showcases amazing views of the South China Sea and Lantau Island. Standing 34 meters high, the sheer size of this monument makes it an incredible part of the horizon and can be seen from miles away.

Street Markets of Hong Kong

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No trip is to Hong Kong is complete without experiencing the Street Markets of Hong Kong where you can find anything you need for extremely cheap prices. Its a great place to do some cheap shopping, pick up souvenirs and have fun bargaining with local vendors! On our trip we found everything we needed by visiting two of Hong Kong’s well known markets.

1. Ladies Market, located in Mong Kok

2. Temple Street Night Market, located in Yau Ma Tei

Lamma Island & Hidden Beaches

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Don’t let the city lights blind you, Hong Kong has many beautiful surrounding islands that provide people an escape from the city for a day of relaxation. It is amazing how ‘green’ and full of nature these islands are, offering extensive hiking trails and isolated beaches with a stunning views along the way. We decided to explore Lamma Island in search for some tranquility from the chaotic city life and Lo So Shing Beach – a secluded beach known for its crystal clear waters.

 

Video of us arriving at Lo So Shing beach after an hour hike to be the only people there! Check it out

Bright Lights, Big City

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For a great start to the night and in order to truly appreciate the Bright Lights, Big City theme of Hong Kong’s skyline, we decided to head to the Avenue of Stars in TST and catch the daily Symphony of Lights light show, and then head to Central for a ride up the historic Peak Tram for dinner with a side of stunning views of the city lights from Victoria Peak.

Macau 2012

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MACAU, the Friendly Neighbour!

Since we came all this way, Kadeem and I decided that our trip would not be complete without a visit to Macau – the gambling island located one hour away by ferry from Hong Kong that is home to numerous Casinos. In addition to the exquisite Casino lights, Macau is home to a variety of historical architecture and Portuguese culture that remains from when the country was once occupied by Portuguese residents. It is interesting to see all signage in Macau in both Portuguese and Cantonese. While we were in Hong Kong, the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) was hosting the first ever official UFC event held in the Peoples Republic of China – so we got our tickets and headed to the Venetian casino for a night of entertainment in the Cotai Arena.

Guest Post – Kadeem Bandali

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First Trip to Hong Kong!

“I would definitely go back to Hong Kong as it is infused with culture, but still caters to the tourist coming from abroad. I would recommend anyone looking to experience city life as well as scenic views to visit Hong Kong since there are plenty of things to keep you busy, Whether it be visiting some of the islands to do hikes or going on a night out to Wan Chai, anyone looking for a good time should definitely consider taking a trip to the advanced country of Hong Kong. Everything from the nightlife to tourist attractions such as the light show and Victoria Peak kept me entertained the whole time. We did a few hikes on the islands to get to private beaches which made the trip all the more better. Other things such as the Big Buddha, 10,000 Buddha’s and UFC in Macao were also at the top of my list of things to do, which I enjoyed…Until we meet again!”

Reunited at last!