Hong Kong

An episode of MasterChef Australia, Season 16 shot across Hong Kong inspired us to plan our next trip to this beautiful island. We got super excited to visit the country as it was splendidly showcased in the program. All the judges and the contestants heaped praises on the vibe, food, and cultural landscape of Hong Kong and seemed ecstatic to be there. We decided to travel in December to soak up the Christmas festive season and anticipated a lot of cheer and city buzz during that time.

We landed in Hong Kong on Christmas Eve. The airport was bustling with travellers and wore a festive look for the holiday season. It was a bright sunny day outside, though the wind was chilly and the weather was a bit cold. We were welcomed by a view of the mountains all around and were reminded of our native state. Our cab driver greeted us warmly and we zoomed in a super comfortable Toyota Alphard to Kowloon Island where our hotel was located. The drive was pretty smooth and the view of the South China Sea, the hills and the towering buildings was amazing.

It took us about forty minutes to reach our hotel Harbour Plaza Metropolis which is situated in the heart of Kowloon and offers a spectacular view of the city skyline and the famous Victoria Harbour, which is just about ten minutes drive from the hotel. It was late noon and we were quite famished and directly went for lunch after check-in. A courteous middle-aged waitress served us Cantonese chicken and potato curry with jasmine rice in a local restaurant located in the Metropolis Mall just adjacent to the hotel. She could not understand English and it took us some time to explain to her what we wanted. However, she patiently listened to us, took our order and served us with a broad smile on her face. The food was delicious and satiated our hungry souls.

We had planned to visit Victoria Harbour in the evening and enjoy the cruise that offered a magnificent view of the harbour along with A Symphony of Lights show. The sound and light show is broadcast every night accentuating the skyscrapers on both sides of Victoria Harbour and is the largest permanent light and sound show in the world.

The mood on the cruise was lively with travellers from around the world coming together to eat, sing, dance and immerse in the Christmas spirit. Small children were dressed in cute white, red and green attires – Santa hats, tulle skirts, elf shoes, cosy knitted sweaters and glittery jumpers. Live music set the mood of the evening with everyone tapping to their favourite songs with their loved ones. The show stopper was a small boy dressed as Rudolph with a red painted nose, in a brown soft felt fabric jumpsuit, with matching horns. He danced his heart out with everyone clapping and cheering in unison.

The light show was scheduled for 8 pm and everyone got onto the deck to experience it. The facades of skyscrapers lit up in different colours and became a perfect background for a magnificent spectacle of light and music. Laser beams and neon lights flashed from the buildings, changed patterns and created stunning audio-visual treat for the visitors. Colourful boats sailing in the harbour added much opulence to the entire atmosphere. It was like a grand live theatre show in a gorgeously designed picture-perfect setting. It concluded with breathtaking fireworks that captured the spirit of the festive season with everyone rejoicing in excitement.

It was windy on the deck but the breeze was refreshing. We clicked numerous pictures and soaked in the experience before ascending down to finish our dinner. It was quite late by the time we returned back to the hotel and crashed on our beds immediately. Hong Kong had welcomed us with open arms and we were already in love with the place.

The next day was Christmas and we set out for a day’s tour to Disneyland. We all dressed up in Christmas colours and wore matching attires. My daughters were super excited and had planned the day by shortlisting the rides and attractions to watch. We started with the jungle river cruise which turned out to be an awe-inspiring adventure with antics of king cobras, colossal spiders, wading hippos, joyful elephants and big gorillas. The Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars rollercoaster ride sent the adrenaline running high and the Iron Man experience in Tomorrowland made us step into the world of Tony Stark and fly along with the Super Hero. The World of Frozen was straight out of a Disney movie set that captivated us to the core.

The fairy-tale scenery, the artificially created snowfall, the live music, the joy rides, the high-speed roller coasters, the glittery ornamented shops and restaurants, the beautifully decorated carts selling popcorns, ice creams, sodas and shakes, and crowds of people leisurely walking around dressed in Disney themed apparels and Mickey Mouse ears headband made the entire place magical. This dream-like experience culminated with a spectacular lights and music show at 9:30 pm with a display of Disney characters from its most popular movies projected on the Disney Castle with laser lights and 3D multimedia projections, choreographed musical fountains and dazzling fireworks. Our visit to Disneyland was truly an enchanting one and it surely cast a spell on all of us.

We had planned to visit The Big Buddha Statue on Lantau Island the following day. We reached Tung Chung, a town in the northwestern coast of Lantau, around 10:30 am, and took a cable car to Ngong Ping Village where the statue is located. Lantau Island showcased a completely different side of Hong Kong with high mountains and green countryside. The cable car ride was about a 25-minute trip and took us up the mountain with a breathtaking view of the island.

Ngong Ping, with a Chinese architectural landscape, was bright and peaceful, with small shops and restaurants. The Bodhi tree adorning wishing placards of visitors was situated in the middle of the village.  We could see the statue and were eager to reach the top which required us to climb 268 steps. It was a form of meditation to contemplate and clear our thoughts before we met the Almighty. The view from the top was amazing, the breeze from the mountains was pure and refreshing.  It was strangely peaceful despite the number of tourists visiting the statue. Indeed the place was divine and carried the energy of the mystic.

We then visited the Po Lin Monastery which was built in 1906 by a group of Buddhist monks who had chosen the secluded mountainous home far from the hustle and bustle of the city. The main temple has three large bronze statues of Buddha which represent the past, present and future lives. People were offering prayers and burning incense sticks in this sacred place. We too prayed and sat quietly in the Monastery for some time before heading for coffee in a nearby Starbucks. The rest of the day was spent catching up with an old friend who had settled in Hong Kong and shopping at Citygate Outlets Mall located downtown near the cable car station.

In the evening, we decided to dine at an Indian restaurant, Woodlands, as we were craving Indian food. The restaurant was just about five minutes drive from the hotel. It was quite crowded when we reached there and had to wait for some time before we got the table. The wait was totally worth it as we had lip-smacking gobhi manchurian, crispy masala dosas, and hot filter coffee. It was truly a heavenly experience. After dinner, we went for a stroll to The Avenue of Stars, located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront, famous for statues of celebrities from Hong Kong including the famous bronze statue of Bruce Lee. We leisurely walked along the bay and enjoyed the harbour view.

The next day, we planned to visit Victoria Peak which is the tallest peak in Hong Kong and famous for its scenic view of the city and its waterfront. The major attraction was the funicular Tram that takes you up the hill and was quite a unique and joyful experience. It was a clear sunny day and the view from the Peak was magnificent. There are several shops and restaurants on the top and we savoured Hong Kong’s famous Cheung Fun,  which is steamed rice rolls served with a sweet and tangy sauce, egg tarts and strawberry tanghulu, a candied frozen dessert, which was on the top of our to-eat list for the trip.

Thereafter, we went to The Repulse Bay Beach which is a fifteen-minute drive from Victoria Peak with winding roads and lush green surroundings. It is one of the most expensive housing areas in Hong Kong with palatial houses, high-end luxury car showrooms, designer shops and upscale restaurants. The white sand beach was clean, idyllic and not too crowded. It offered a great view of the ocean as we relaxed there for a while. We resisted our temptation to take a dip in the sea owing to the cold weather. We then headed towards Aberdeen, a former fishing Village which is about six kilometres from the Repulse Bay and is known for boat rides and floating restaurants.

The last pit stop of the day was Mongkok, famous for its shopping streets, food stalls, malls and restaurants. We quickly grabbed burgers from McDonald’s before we set on our shopping spree to the iconic Ladies Market. The long, narrow street, with colourful shops and stalls on both sides, was bustling with people and buzzing with energy. We got a pretty good bargain on some fashion jewellery and souvenirs that we bought and headed straight towards Sneakers Street which hosts all the big brands of shoes with the latest design and fashion. Walking through this street blew us away as we had never seen so many shops of branded shoes in one lane anywhere else.  My husband and daughters bought their favourite sports shoes and gleed with delight. I chose to buy a stylish pair of shiny black leather shoes that I really liked and had seen many women wearing them with chic skirts and fashionable trousers in Hong Kong.

We had planned to dine at Ebeneezer's Kebab & Pizzerria in Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district near the Metropolis that night. Tsim Sha Tsui is a bustling shopping street with numerous restaurants and pubs and was about ten minutes ride in a metro from our hotel. The restaurant was recommended to us by a fellow Indian diner, whom we had met in the Woodlands, a night before. The restaurant lived up to its expectations and served us delectable donar kebabs with Middle Eastern flavour and taste.

Our trip to Hong Kong was a remarkable one. We witnessed an amalgamation of cultures, a unique blend of cosmopolitan and traditional ethos. A modernized world with spiritual undertones, outstanding infrastructure, soaring skyscrapers, picturesque waterfront promenades, high-end malls, scenic mountains, ancient temples, vibrant markets, crowded streets, bustling restaurants, fashionable people, lots of adventure and warm hospitality. It was truly what we had expected and much more.

As we strolled in Tsim Sha Tsui on the last evening of our trip, my younger daughter’s remarks quite summed up our experience, “Hong Kong is such a busy cosmopolitan yet so calm. The places are crowded but there is no rush. Everything seems to be working in a perfect harmony and everyone seems to be living in the moment”.