First of all, I did this trip with my father and my best friend in the world! It is easy to see why the company made Hong Kong all the more appealing.

We only had 4 days and 3 nights and we wanted to see the famous city skyline and experience living like a local with foods and travel. Hong Kong is populated with about 7.3 million people, so the first thing you will notice is the crowds at most places and super tall and packed buildings! There are brand new shiny ones and there are old dirty ones! Good thing is they’re a mix around the city!

I think it is fair to start by saying that all hotel rooms in Hong Kong are on the smaller side so best not to expect too much and just embrace the experience. We stayed in a family room at Butterfly on Morrison (4 stars) near causeway bay MTR and we felt it was the best location with great staff! You can easily take the bus and MTR places you wish to go and honestly, do take the local transport as its the best way to explore Hong Kong. The hotel gave you free rental of WIFI devices, selfie sticks with clip on lenses to help you take nicer pictures!

So, we spent a day trekking the famous Victoria peak! Let me be honest and say we started around 12 in the afternoon as we were told it would not be too crowded. Truth be told, it was indeed quieter than later in the evening. We took the bus up and it was very easy and relatively cheap! Here is where there could be a confusion. All the tourist went to the tower peak to take pictures! Up there on the deck you are required to pay to enter or you could stand on the sides outside the tower to take pictures which is still beautiful and worth it. What we did though was very different. We decided to walk to the actual peak. It was a steep trek up the hill and we got lost several times as many of the little routes were either shut or led you to satellite towers or water stations? we were not sure, but we know it was definitely prohibited entry. The good thing is on the trek, you will pass nice parks and also a few peak points you could take nice pictures of the other side of Hong Kong. Yes, you will sweat like crazy so make sure to have snacks and water with you. If not, there is a little shop at the peak with a nice old lady who will sell you water and whatever drink you fancy. She also sells traditional snacks like fish balls and steamed dumplings!

Another place to explore is central Hong Kong! Let me suggest you get the old town map and walk around using the traditional method without google. You will find that amidst the high street there are little streets that maintain street culture. Not forgetting the tall skyscrapers all closely packed together. We had the most delicious egg tarts from Tan Cheong bakery and 2 mins away you will find a street milk tea stall! Its simply mouth-watering delights. We also explored tsim sha tsui promenade and wow’ed ourselves with the city skyline. Okay, so coming from Singapore I was concerned about the wow factor here. But I should say I was impressed at how densely populated Hong Kong was and how all these buildings came together perfectly. Lastly, temple street! If you want to skip the crowds and fortune tellers, go late around 9pm. There are shops that sold all kinds of quirky gifts. We had space to walk around and also managed a lovely meal at a street stall with the best eggplant fried with garlic! So simple but amazing how it bursts in your mouth. Highly recommend it to all eggplant lovers.

Jun and I spent our last night partying at the famous Lan Kwai Fong which was 5 minutes from where we lived and only cost us 40 HK dollars by taxi. Okay, truth be told, for some strange reason we were offered so many free shots that night (by bouncers at the bar). We thought it was to attract men to the bar if they saw ladies drinking. Anyways, Graffiti club was great for dancing! We had most of our drinks at Tao bar because the people who worked there was nice and we made some expat friends! I will end it by saying we had a really good night out with one of us having one of the worst hangovers of our lives ( I won’t be pointing fingers now!).

Hong Kong was a delight for food! Make sure to have your dim sum fill! Ask the locals for the nearest banquet and they will guide you. I will waste no time with words and indulge you with pictures! For this reason only, you should embrace Hong Kong and give this city a chance!