On March 2nd, I embarked on my longest journey so far – a journey that took me through…
Times visited: 2
I visited Hong Kong twice during my 3.5-month journey through Asia in the spring of 2016. It was actually the first destination I touched down in – on a long stopover en route to Jakarta. I had just 17 hours, and only one of those was in daylight. Still, I was determined to make the most of it.
In the short time I had, I explored the city centre and caught a ferry across the harbour to Kowloon. As I sailed between the towering skyscrapers, the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant hues of orange. That moment – surrounded by steel, glass, and golden light – was when I fell for Hong Kong. I even called it my favourite metropolis.
But sometimes, a first impression doesn’t tell the full story. A month later, I returned to Hong Kong by ferry from Macau, this time with two full days to explore. I was excited to dive deeper into the city – but from the start, everything went sideways.
I’d booked a room in the infamous Chungking Mansions in Kowloon. Big mistake. My accommodation was tiny, cramped, and sketchy. I slept in a narrow bed practically touching someone else’s, and two of my roommates spent the entire night arguing about the air conditioning. Let’s just say… the romance of my first visit quickly wore off.
Thankfully, in the middle of the madness, I made a friend. We stuck together through the chaos and attempted to hike up to Victoria Peak for a panoramic view of the city. That plan didn’t go quite as expected either – we couldn’t even find the trail, but we did eventually find a great view!