Trip Report: Ah Hong Kong - Asia’s World City!

I love New York. I also love Hong Kong. Hong Kong is very much my second home (sorry Malaysia). Known as Asia’s World City, or in my opinion Asian Manhattan, Hong Kong is a vibrant city packed with people and filled with life. It is very much the Asian counterpart to the Big Apple. Hong Kong is really where East meets West.

I travel to Hong Kong every year. There is so much to do here. For the urbanites, this is a shopping and food paradise. Clothing wise, there are all these mega-malls, boutique shops and chain stores that you can check out. Among the noteworthy shopping malls to visit are IFC Center resting atop the airport express check-in center in Central, Times Square mall in Causeway Bay, the new Long Hou Fong in Mong Kok and Yau Yat Seng in Kowloon Tong. All are reachable by the convenient and extensive MTR system. You can also get your suits custom-made in many of the tailors available in the city. For antiques and handicrafts, you should check out the stores in Soho area as well as Stanley market. What about electronics, you ask. The shops in Mong Kok should have every electronic item you are looking for, but just be careful with the quality of the merchandise you want to purchase and make sure you haggle for lower prices.

The food in Hong Kong is simply amazing. From western food to the Chinese food of various provinces, you can find restaurants of all kinds to satisfy your cravings. My personal favorites are the wonton noodle shop named Ho Hung Kee in Causeway Bay, Red Ants (Hong Ma Yee) in multiple locations, the famous hotpot offered by Siu Fei Yong (translated as "Little Fat Lamb") in Causeway Bay and the inexpensive hole-in-the-wall Shanghaiese restaurant Yau Yat Dim in Tien Hau. Also check out the famous Jumbo Floating restaurant in Arbedeen. It actually serves very good dim sum despite being a tourist trap.

There are amazing nightlife spots in Hong Kong as well. Bars in the Lan Kwai Fong and Soho area are the most popular among locals and tourists alike,

Besides shopping, eating out and partying the night away, there are also many tourist attractions and activities to do in Hong Kong. The Big Buddha statue in Lantau Island is not to be missed. The new Disneyland you can skip however. It is really small compared to those in California and Florida. Hong Kong is also good for avid cyclists and hikers, especially in its new territory area.

Hong Kong has one of the most spectacular harbor views in the world. Just go to Victoria Harbor in Tsim Sa Tsui at night and enjoy the view of Hong Kong island from Kowloon. You will see tall mountains nestled behind the many skyscrapers with great lighting decorations. Also go up to Victoria Peak at night and see the beautiful city lit up in the dark. Trust me it is very romantic.

Since I speak fluent Cantonese, I feel really comfortable being in this city. But those who don’t speak Cantonese need not fret. Since this city was a British colony prior to the 1997 handover to China, all the street signs and public transportation announcements were made available in English and Chinese (Mandarin / Cantonese). If you are coming to Asia for the first time, I highly recommend coming to Hong Kong first. It will be a very easy transition.

I have a few close friends from college who live in this city. Therefore I see them every year in late December. Incidentally, the best time to come to HK (weather wise) is November – February. Summer is Hong Kong is very humid. All in all, this is a place that I can definitely call home if New York City doesn’t work out for me.