How I fell in love with Hong Kong

by Bianca Himmelsbach (Japan)

A leap into the unknown Hong Kong

A couple of years ago I happened to travel to Southern Mainland China for a work gig. When I was checking how to get there, I found out that the best option would be to fly to Hong Kong and then use local transportation to my final destination. Since I had never been to Hong Kong before but was always intrigued by its image of a bustling Asian metropolis and its influences of East and West, having been a British colony for so long, I decided to extend my trip and spend the weekend there. Already upon arrival when I watched through the window of the plane, I was fascinated by the lush green mountains and the ocean surrounding the city, the clouds and the arrangement of its buildings on such a confined space and small piece of land - it truly had something magical! When I made my way out of the airport, I was greeted by some warm, humid air, filled with unknown flavors and scents. I continued being amazed by how well organized, comfortable and easy it was to get downtown Hong Kong. When I got to my hotel on Central, I didn’t waste time in my room, but quickly got changed and hit the road. I wandered through busy streets, narrow, but not less busy alleys, made a stop at a local restaurant to savor some famous Cantonese dishes, which were super delicious and incredibly cheap for Western standards. I continued my discovery, jumped onto the ferry to Kowloon, strolled through its various outdoor markets as well as posh boutiques and shopping malls and gazed at the silhouette of Hong Kong’s Central island with the impressive Peak in the background. So many new experiences and so much to see in just one day! Needless to say, all those impressions made me comfortably tired and sleep like a baby that night. But not before enjoying the city’s lively nightlife with its vast number of restaurants, bars and clubs, where you find something for each taste: Hong Kong at night shows a completely different face as it does during daytime! The next morning, when I was wondering what to do next, I read about a more relaxed and laid-back part of Hong Kong: Stanley Beach. That sounded like something I could really need after my super active day strolling through the busy parts of the city. And Hong Kong wasn’t to disappoint me here either. After an adventurous close to a one-hour bus ride in one of the iconic double-decker buses offering dramatic views and nervous sweats while winding through curvy, narrow roads next to steep, unsecured slopes, I finally arrived at my destination. I have to admit, the first moments I felt a bit wobbly, after the wild ride, but quickly forgot about it when I saw the scenery: sandy beaches, calm sea, beach bars, and cafés and a nice, although bit touristy promenade with a lot of small shops. I walked along the area a bit and started to walk further away from my fellow tourists where I discovered a quiet stretch of beach with hardly anyone but with a nice little bar that offered everything I longed for: snacks and drinks. I spent the most amazing and relaxed day I had in quite a while and felt like in a tropical paradise far away of the hustle and bustle of big city life or even like in another world, whereas it just had been a mere 60-minute bus ride or an even quicker 30-minute taxi trip, if you are in a hurry, from Central Hong Kong, It was the perfect finish to an unforgettable weekend trip before my busy work week started. Since then I have come back to Hong Kong various times and never missed to say hello again to Stanley Beach, I still get excited about it every time and are truly in love. You definitely shouldn’t miss seeing the various faces of Hong Kong when you are there, the city will amaze you as well!