A panoramic view over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong as seen from the 100th floor of the highest building in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Island with its mountains can be seen in the background. The Sky100 is situated in Kowloon and offers a 360° view over the city. A visit to this attraction cost us quite a few Hong Kong dollars (HK$188 to be exact, or R300), but it was worth every cent.
The Tian Tan Boeddha (also known as the Big Buddha) and the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island is probably two of the best-known attractions in Hong Kong. No matter your religious convictions, this complex is an experience like few other. The symbolism of this gigantic Buddha and the six female statues with their offerings at the Buddha’s feet offers certain distinctive elements of Buddhism. Moreover, the sheer size of the Buddha (seemingly the largest in the world) is something to write home about.
The colourful Po Lin Monastery (on the same premises as the Tian Tan Buddha).
No visit to Hong Kong is complete without a boat trip on one of the legendary Star ferries. Each carries the name of a different star and takes resident and tourists on the short route between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon (situated on the Chinese mainland to the north of the Victoria Harbour). These trips are cheap and very comfortable is you use the (life-saving!) Octopus travel card. The Octopus card is like the Oyster card in England and can be used on the majority of Hong Kong’s public transport, including trams, trains, minibuses and ferries.
We made sure that we made enough time for the true Hong Kong experience of street markets. The Temple Street Evening Market is one of the best-known markets in Hong Kong. You can find everything under the sun here: Weird food, cheap clothing and simple souvenirs. The smell of Hong Kong covers everything, and we suddenly realised: This is the Hong Kong that we have read about in books. The bustle of merchants, tourists and local people who simply want to enjoy a night out take you to the heart of the town (which doesn’t seem to have an off-switch!). Prepare yourself for bargaining with merchants who do not take no for an answer, pork buns and weird waffles (known here as egg waffles).
When I was initially invited to visit Hong Kong with my sister and brother-in-law, I only thought of the busy town and its millions of residents running around like little ants. I was so wrong! Of course, Hong Kong is this too, but to me nature was a jewel of much greater value. During our visit we dipped our toes in the South China Sea twice. Don’t expect Durban (there are almost no waves here), but the pristine beauty of some of the beaches made up for the lack of surfing opportunities. We went to the remote Hap Tin Beach, which took our breaths away. This little beach can only be reached on foot or by express boat, therefore keeping its secret beauty hidden away from the rush of tourists.
