Welcome to Hong Kong
Hong Kong is technically a city of and in China but is free to operate under a Democratic Society because of a deal struck by the British in 1984. Therefore westerners are free to come and go as we please. They didn’t even stamp my passport upon arrival which actually ticks me off! Because I love getting that stamp of memories to look back upon.
Hong Kong is the world’s most expensive city with the most unaffordable housing market. However there is absolutely no shortage of entertainment to be found. I cant possibly cover everything there is to do in this amazingly beautiful city so I will focus on hiking and drinking!
It is an extremely safe and westernized city which is rich in culture and history. The people that inhabit this city consist of an amazing mix of ethnicities that all speak English. Although it is a very much so hustle and bustle city vibe, the locals are extremely friendly and will help you with directions on the street with a smile.
You wouldn’t think so but hong kong is a hiker’s paradise in an urban environment. The city has a population of 7.3 million people and is surrounded by gorgeous mountains and lovely water views. There are a cornucopia of different mountain tops and Cliff faces to hike just on the outskirts of the city that off for Simply Stunning views.
Upon arriving to Hong Kong I suggest your first viewpoint to be Victoria Peak . you can take a taxi up there and it has a mountain top bar that offers ridiculous views of the city. And hey you can enjoy a $ 15 beer while enjoying the scenery.
Besides Victoria Peak The city has many great hikes to offer that you cannot take a taxi to get to. one of the most famous and in my opinion the best, that I did was Kowloon Peak. Better known as Suicide Cliff. There are a couple different routes to get up to it, and of course I chose the shortest distance but steepest inclined. You may have to ask a local to find the start of this path because it is not well advertised. However once you find it, you’ll have to be prepared for very Steep inclines and it’ll take you approximately an hour and a half to get to the top and that’s at a good pace. But once you’re up there the views are stunning and well worthwhile.
Other hikes you can research would be;
The Dragon’s Back
Sunset Peak
High junk Peak
Lion head Peak
Sharp Peak
and quite frankly there are many others. Like I said Hong Kong is a hiker’s paradise!
A night out in Hong Kong is very expensive with drinks ranging anywhere from 20 to $30 per drink Canadian. My first night out i headed down to Lan Kwai Fong district, located on Hong Kong Island. Lan Kwai Fong is famous for being the best nightlife area of Hong Kong, boasting over 90 bars and great street performers, vendors and of course all the variety of great cultural late night drunken food you could ask for. My first evening of nightlife in Hong Kong ended up costing me about $600CA because I stuck to drinking inside of bars for the most part. After quickly realizing my financial situation wouldn’t support those type of shenanigans for too much longer, but at the same time, I was gonna party, I remembered that I was in an asian country where you’re allowed to drink openly on the streets! And there are many street partys available to attend! So my suggestion to you is just go to the 7-Eleven and buy $7 beers and drink them on the street and make your friends there! Realistically Lan Kwai Fong is just a long strip of small little bars with not too much going on inside of them really. So you’re much better off being on the street where the mass of hundreds of happy go lucky people from around the world are anyways.
Soho is the next main district for nightlife which isnt too far away from Lan Kwai Fong. A quick subway ride and you’ll be in the heart of the expat capital of Hong Kong. Soho is also located on Hong Kong Island. Vibrant Soho is home to the worlds longest outdoor escalator and has amazing nightlife, shops and every type of restaurant you could possibly imagine as well.
While in Hong Kong if you have a day to spare I would suggest taking a quick boat day trip over to Macau, the Las Vegas of Asia. There are many boat charters available that you can book last minute once you have arrived.
I had stayed at the emperor hotel for a cool $70 night. It was the cheaper option I could find for a nice 4-star hotel. It was a very nice upscale hotel with a great 3rd floor furnished terrace you could take your own bottle of wine to and sit and drink, play cards and enjoy the views and city noises! When I got there I realized why it was cheaper than the others. It was about a 15-minute walk to get to the nearest metro station. But I didn’t mind since I’m young and fit and capable.
In closing there is definitely no shortage of sights to see, things to do and you wont have any problem at all emptying your bank account in this magnificent city. I highly recommend you go and spend at least a few days here and see it for your self. It may not be long before it comes back under Chinese rule.
Hong Kong
Price $$$$$
Alcohol price $$$$
Landscape 9/10
Cityscape 9/10
Locals- extremely friendly, all spoke english and are very willing to help you.
Nick's World Adventure 
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