Travel Diaries: Hong Kong
Happy Lunar New Year!
We’re off to Thailand in four days and beyond excited. Keep a watch out for our StyleBffs packing list!
This time last year, I was traveling in Hong Kong with my sister, enjoying the Spring Festival and soaking in all the bustling energy. Hong Kong is a special place for our family: our grandfather’s business was located there (he also met our Grandma on one of those flights), and our mom lived there for a decade before coming out to the states and meeting our dad! It was my second trip and my sister’s first, and I couldn’t wait to show her the ropes.
See: We only had a few full days and wanted to pack in as much as possible! We course did the Peak, which is the highest viewpoint in HK with incredible panoramic views of the city. Tip: buy tickets ahead and get there early. We did this and still had to wait in line for 30 minutes for the trolley up the hill (felt v SF while not in SF, lol). Tip #2: walk down the hill. On the walk down, you’ll pass by the best natural beauty that the city has to offer, and you’ll also see some of the city’s fanciest homes- now that’s a major Taurus girl vibe! On the walk down, you can check out the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
Later that evening, we watched the Symphony of Lights on the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade. A daily light and sound show that takes place at 8 PM on the dot. This is worth it! Go a little early and get comfy. No museums for us—just lots of shopping and educating ourselves on the local market scene. We had so much fun at the Jade Market in Jordan and Ladies Market. We also checked out the Mong Kok Flower Market one morning, followed by the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, a very interesting traditional scene of older gentlemen and their birds- fascinating.
Stay: We stayed at Tuve Hotel. A modern boutique hotel, in the Tin Hau neighborhood, just east of Victoria Park. The hotel is discreet—no signs, only a plaque on the ground. We had done our googs research so knew the outside was basically a large black monolith on a workaday street. Guests are greeted by the smells of Le Labo’s Santal 33 (also the in-room bath products) and soft ethereal music.
Tuve Hotel tinkers on the spectrum of hip, where it kinda hurts how cool it is, but also makes for a fascinating chic hideaway. Rooms are minimal with wood bed frames and sleek storage. The marble bathrooms keeps with the modern design aesthetic with hits of oxidized iron accents. tbh, I loved the whole mood. It’s also less than a 5 min walk to the MTR (HK’s transit system)—a major score. Would highly recommend if you are a traveler who likes to stay in an off-beat tourist area with more local vibes.
Eat & Drink: We were lucky to be in Hong Kong during a random winter heat wave, which made eating our way through the city that much easier! We somehow got hooked into the HK coffee scene with Preface Coffee in close proximity to our hotel. If you find yourself in the Wan Chai area, Omotesando Koffee is a chic spot for a quick drink and some nibs. We ate a lot of little bites ~hello dumplings~ while shopping around. Some of our fave dim sum places included: One Dim Sum (this place is the real deal, with v little tourists), Tim Ho Wan inside the Elements mall, and Cheung Hing Kee Shanghai (be prepared to stand and eat). For nice dinners, we ate at Ho Lee Fook and Potato Head. Both had incredible menus and chic ambiances.
Can’t believe a year has come and gone- out with the pigs and in with the rats!
Adrienne Kwok-Lundy