It’s been a while since I used a travel agent to plan a trip. But a major travel agent in Belgium posted a deal one can’t refuse in a newsletter in June 2023. Flights from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific and three nights at the four-star Park Hotel Hong Kong in the Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon area. So I messaged Oriol in ‘panic’ and pressured him to decide quickly (as the deal was popular and the the offer limited in time and availability) to come along to this Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China. Being four days in Hong Kong, we used one of these days to Macau (also often spelled Macao) the other SAR. We were there in November 2023.
At Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) we bought an Octopus card each. This is a card you can top up with money and use to pay for public transport and use in convenience stores such as 7 Eleven and many restaurants. Bus you must top it up with cash, so we exchanged euros for Hong Kong dollars. At the time of travel, the exchange rate was some HK$ 0.12 for € 1. Which meant we had to divide the price by eight to know how much something costs.
I also bought a a SIM card for Hong Kong and Macau. Not a Discover Hong Kong Tourist SIM Card sold by CSL, as its vendor was closed, but a China Mobile Hong Kong Prepaid Sim Card. I don’t remember the price. It gave me 3 GB of data. Which was enough as long as I blocked mobile data for many ‘useless’ apps.
So we took the Airport Express to the city and then the Metro Transit Railway (MTR) our hotel. There we checked in, although our room wasn’t ready yet. So we dropped our baggage there and started exploring.
Exploring Kowloon
We stayed in Kowloon on day 1.
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, the part of Hong Kong attached to the main continent. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui. The area is bounded north by Austin Road and in the east by Hong Chong Road and Cheong Wan Road.
Geographically, Tsim Sha Tsui is a cape on the tip of the Kowloon Peninsula pointing towards Victoria Harbour, opposite Central. Tsim Sha Tsui is a major tourist hub in Hong Kong, with many high-end shops, bars, pubs and restaurants that cater to tourists. Many of Hong Kong’s museums are located in the area.
Avenue of Stars and Victoria Harbour Waterfront
We started with the Avenue of Stars at the Victoria Harbour Waterfront. The Avenue of Stars is modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It honours celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry.
In addition to the promenade and New World Centre, a number of attractions exist including the Museum of Art, the Space Museum, the Cultural Centre and the Clock Tower.
The promenade is 440 meters long and tells the story of Hong Kong cinema. Some plaques contain hand prints and autographs of the stars set in cement, but most of the plaques only contain celebrities’ names as they are now deceased. A bronze statue of Bruce Lee was erected along the Avenue of Stars in 2005. In 2014, a bronze statue of Anita Mui was erected along the Avenue of Stars.
The Clock Tower
The Clock Tower is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon Station on the Kowloon–Canton Railway. Built out of red bricks and granite, the Clock Tower is 44 metres high and is topped by a 7-metre lightning rod.
Golden Mile & Nathan Road
Next up was Nathan Road and its Golden Mile. Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po.
Nathan Road is very busy with many shops, stores and restaurants. It starts on the southern part of Kowloon at its junction with Salisbury Road, a few metres north of Victoria Harbour, and ends at its intersection with Boundary Street in the north.
The total length of Nathan Road is about 3.6 km. We would walk Nathan Road many times during our stay in Hong Kong.
Kowloon Park
We found that many ‘parks’ in Hong Kong contain a lot of concrete, but Kowloon Park is fairly green.
Dim Sum Here
For lunch, we found Dim Sum Here. A busy place with several locations in town. Restaurants are very popular at lunch and dinner time and waiting is not uncommon. We got a ticket as in a butcher’s and we picked up a menu to mark our order with a pencil.
We ordered 8 dishes, expecting tapa size portions. But no. It was way too much.
After this lunch, it was time for a jet lag and barely sleeping during the flight motivated nap.
Sneaker Street aka Fa Yuen Street
Fa Yuen Street is also known as Sneaker Street for its many trainers shops. The offer of sneakers is huge. Funnily, a lot of them are wrapped in plastic. And disappointingly, the trainers are not (much) cheaper than in Europe. You usually get a buying two or three pairs. We didn’t buy any.
Around Fa Yuen Street there Fa Yuen Street with many nicknacks and cheap objects you don’t need at all.
A Symphony of Lights
A Symphony of Lights is a daily light and sound show across the Victoria Harbour at 8 PM. The show is organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. An orchestration of music, decoration lights, laser light displays, and pyrotechnic fireworks, the multimedia light and sound show lasts for around 10 minutes and was conceptualised, created, and installed by LaserVision.
The best vantage points include the Avenue of Stars The show’s music and narration is broadcast live at the Avenue of Stars and the promenade outside the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai every night. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the narration is in English, while it is in Mandarin on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and Cantonese on Sundays.
When Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No.3 or above or a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is issued by the Hong Kong Observatory at or after 3 PM on any given day, the show is suspended for that evening, even if the warning is subsequently rescinded prior to the 8 pm start time. The show may also be suspended in emergencies without prior notice. The show is also suspended during days of mourning and the night of Earth Hour.
A Symphony of Lights is underwhelming, to be honest. But it’s a nice thing to attend.
Temple Street Night Market
Temple Street is a street located in the areas of Jordan and Yau Ma Tei. It is known for its Temple Street Night Market and as one of the busiest flea markets at night in the territory. It sells cheap merchandise and food items. The place is sometimes known as Men’s Street.
Honestly, we found this night market also underwhelming. We did have dinner there, inly ordering four dishes. But again it was way too much.
After which we called it a night.
So?
This first day was a day of figuring things out. Day 2 would be spend with a guide and in Central on Hong Kong Island.
Trip By Trip 
A city of many aspects. Love the image of the clock tower, skey scrapers to one side and palm trees to the other.
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Indeed. And thank you!
☺️
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