hongkong

Travel with Ting Ting

Hong Kong

It's THE place to be.

If you like SHOPPING go to CAUSEWAY BAY, MONG KOK or TEMPLE STREET.

If you like NATURE go to LAMMA ISLAND, the NEW TERRATORIES or one of the smaller outlying islands like CHEUNG CHAU.

If you like DRINKING BOOZE go to WAN CHAI or LAN KWAI FONG.

If you like BIG BUDDAHS go to LANTAU.

If you like great INDIAN FOOD go to CHUNG KING MANSIONS.

If you like TEMPLES go to WONG TAI SIN or MONG MAN WAI.

If you like BEACHES go to SHEK-O or REPULSE BAY.

If you like TACKY TOURIST STUFF, go to STANLEY MARKET.

Hong Kong Island as seen from the Peak. You'll only get this view on REALLY clear days, which don't happen that often.

My top ten thing to do in HK

1. Go to Tsim Tsau Choi harbour at night and look out onto the Hong Kong island shoreline.

2. Go shopping. Do lots of shopping. My favourites are the unfrequented by tourists Causeway Bay, or the fantastic Mong Kok and temple street markets.

3. Eat dim sum. Eat gong chau ngau ho. Your life will be complete after this.

4. Go up to The Peak. Try to do this on a clear day.

5. As for beaches, I like Shek-O. Go on a weekday though when it's not so busy.

6. Go to Stanley market for a truley tacky tourist experience. I like it though.

7. Go drinking in Wan Chai or if you want to rub shoulders with rich expats and you feel the need to empty your purse, go to Lang Kwai Fong.

8. Make sure you go on the TRAMS somewhere and on the STAR FERRY. I love them, especially at night and they're dead cheap too!

9. Go and experience CHUNGKING, a big building filled with places to stay, little shops, really good Indian restaraunts and god-knows what else. My favourite Indian restaraunt is called The Khyber Pass.

10. Find, buy and drink some CHOCOLATE VITASOY. My favourite drink in the world, this king of beverages is made of soy milk and is absolutely divine. This is not something you can only do in HK however, so I will also suggest taking a trip to some temples whilst you are drinking vitasoy. I like WONG TAI SIN (for a really busy open temple) and MON MAN WAI (for a small, smelly, enclosed temple.) Enjoy!

(left) Po Lin Temple on Lantau Island. It's a real pain in the arse to get to, and takes forever, but on a clear day is well worth it. The views from the Big Buddah are spectacular.

(above) Temple Street Market. My favourite market in HK. Open every night from about 6pm to 11pm. You can buy a whole load of crap here. Towards the Yau Ma Tei end, when the market appears to end, cross the road (there are always vendors selling jewelery and bags here) turn right and follow the road up. Here there are lots of fortune-tellers, some of them English-speaking. At the end of the road (it turns to the left), there are sometimes Chinese Opera performances. Following the road round you pass a park to the right after which you should turn right down a pavement clogged with stalls. At the end of this row, the market again spreads out and here you can find some really nice cheap antique things.