My daughter and I just returned from our week-long trip to Hong Kong. It was amazing! I plan to cover the trip in more details over the next few weeks. But for now, here are my initial thoughts:
Hong Kong has incredible sites!
I’ve been to big cities before (New York, Tokyo, etc.) so I’ve seen skyscrapers. But I wasn’t prepared for the sheer number of skyscrapers in Hong Kong. I learned that Hong Kong has the highest number of skyscrapers in the world, beating New York City by over 200 more skyscrapers. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea on a junk boat ride around Victoria Harbour.
But it wasn’t all about the city buildings. Within Hong Kong, there are several island and jungle views that are spectacular as well.
And, visiting the Big Buddha and a Buddhist monastery was a highlight for me.
HK Disneyland is small but mighty
I’m so glad we visited Hong Kong Disneyland! Some of you may know that I have a goal to visit all of the Disney parks throughout the world, and I will finish that goal next summer! It was neat to see the park’s unique rides, like Mystic Manor.
We watched Mickey, Goofy and Olaf perform a show in Cantonese. And the new World of Frozen land was amazing!
English isn’t as prevalent as I thought
The British influence on Hong Kong is easy to see. Cars drive on the left side of the road, and many streets have distinctly English names.
However, a lot has changed since Hong Kong reverted back to Chinese control in 1997. Many newer stores/buildings do not have English lettering. It was challenging to determine what type of store/restaurant from the hanzi.
We definitely stood out as American tourists, and I could count on one hand the number of non-Asian people we ran into while in Hong Kong. The majority of visitors are from Mainland China. I realize we were traveling in the off-season, so it may be different in the summer.
I could feel the difference
Hong Kong is currently under a Travel Advisory Level 2 from the US Department of State: Exercise increased caution due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws. I sensed the weight of this warning while I was there. I just didn’t feel as free as I do in the USA or Europe. For example, the hotel added a surprise extra charge to our bill, but I didn’t perceive that I could argue against it due to the the US Department of State’s guidelines to keep a low profile. Maybe I could have, but I didn’t want to risk it.
I also felt the culture of misogyny. I was a bit shocked to learn of a foreign domestic helper law that favors males. And several times while waiting in lines, men would cut in front of us like we were invisible. This was just our experience.
However, neither of these things would deter me from recommending Hong Kong to other visitors. I just personally would not want to live there.
Biz class flights were amazing
Business class flights (using miles and points) definitely made our trip more comfortable, especially considering we only had 5 full days in Hong Kong. We slept both ways. The lie-flat seats are not as comfortable as a regular bed, but the privacy and extra space sure made the 13- to 15-hour flights more bearable.
Stay tuned for more details. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving week!
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Spent few days in Hong Kong in 2018 as a solo traveler and enjoyed it a lot.
I stayed away from the most of mainstream attractions, like Victoria bay and skyscrapers, but instead discovered amazing places like Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, UNESCO Global Geopark, Tsz Shan Monastery, Tian Tan Buddha, plus traditional Chinese parks.
I saw many restoration efforts in different parts of Hong Kong funded by the government and the finishing stage of the Macau ocean bridge, so was overall impressed by that. Looked to me that mainland authorities invested a lot of funds into making HK historical remnants beautiful once more and more accessible to locals and tourists alike. Which is always a plus.
To me it’s still seems like a safe place to travel, pending some local customs and behaviors – like anywhere else. But considered relatively compact size of HK – it offers a lot of sites to explore, both natural and man-made wonders.
I also enjoyed Cathay business class and found it very sufficient for long-range flights, with their lounges being one of the best I encountered so far.
Happy travels!!
@Aleks Sounds like you had a great time. That Macau bridge/tunnel is very impressive!
Great highlights of Hong Kong! Love the mix of skyscrapers, culture, and Disneyland!
Great overview of Hong Kong! Love the mix of skyscrapers, culture, and Disneyland—something for everyone!
It sounds like you acted with characteristic common sense on this trip even though that’s tough sometimes. Hong Kong had always prided itself for having good manners but it seems that that may be fading. That’s both interesting and sad. I love the Hong Kong that was and look forward to reading about your adventures.
Glad you enjoyed one of my favorite cities in the world. Going back again in February and can’t wait. I realize you were being cautious but American tourists have nothing to worry about as long as you don’t protest anything. That is really the warning and applies more to high profile people (like people that have written against China) that regular tourists. Many countries are rated level 2 and I have zero reservations about any of them (I don’t even mind level 3 but do draw the line at level 4).
Also, I wouldn’t necessarily read too much into people cutting in front of you in line. Some of that is cultural and Hong Kong can be a mad house. If you stand on the left side of escalators you will get run over. Also, I have never had a problem with English – yes there are many Chinese visiting but I rarely found someone working in Hong Kong or Kowloon’s main tourist areas that didn’t speak English. Now, I have ventured farther away where little if any English was spoken but still got by with no real problem.
@Retired Gambler Thanks for sharing your perspective! Glad you get to enjoy HK again in February.
Nancy, I’m glad you had a good time! As far as hotel bill dispute goes, I would probably do the same thing.
@Leana We had so much fun! I’m glad we went.
Refusing to dispute the hotel charge because you were worried about political blowback is absolutely insane.
@Henster I am disputing it, just not in Hong Kong while traveling as a solo female.
Happy you enjoyed your visit but I’m flummoxxed by your concern about arguing over your hotel bill. The State Department’s guidance is overly cautious and meant to deter you from doing stupid (political) stuff. Arguing over a hotel bill (presumably at a Western chain) is so far down the list of potential infractions that I wish you had spoken up.
@Jon I was being very cautious. I plan to dispute the charge back home.