December 2007After the damp, gloomy weather in mainland China, Hong Kong welcomed us with sunny skies and temperatures in the high 60s (~20°C). It felt like a different world. And HK is indeed very different than the rest of China. On the plus side, everyone speaks English, signs are bilingual and HK is compact, saving on travel time. On the downside, HK is much more expensive than China, with costs at times comparable to those of Europe.
The main tourist area is Kowloon, a neighborhood packed with one thing that HK does have in common with mainland China – shopping malls. There are 2 main shopping areas there. One is Tsim Sha Tsui, with big and fancy malls - the largest, Harbour City, has over 700 stores, occupies a whole block and you can literally shop till you drop. It’s a black hole of consumerism, with people lining up to get into upscale stores such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel. At the other end of the shopping spectrum, there’s Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei, both bargain hunter’s paradises where you can also shop till you drop. There you find outlets, inexpensive stores and street markets selling everything from clothing to electronic gadgets to goldfish.
The main tourist area is Kowloon, a neighborhood packed with one thing that HK does have in common with mainland China – shopping malls. There are 2 main shopping areas there. One is Tsim Sha Tsui, with big and fancy malls - the largest, Harbour City, has over 700 stores, occupies a whole block and you can literally shop till you drop. It’s a black hole of consumerism, with people lining up to get into upscale stores such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel. At the other end of the shopping spectrum, there’s Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei, both bargain hunter’s paradises where you can also shop till you drop. There you find outlets, inexpensive stores and street markets selling everything from clothing to electronic gadgets to goldfish.
One mall that is worth going to is The Peak in Hong Kong Island, with great views of the harbor from its terrace. It’s located on Victoria Peak and the best way to get there is by The Peak Tram. The tram has been running since 1888 and climbs a steep hill all the way to the mall. Try to stay on the right side to catch some views of the harbor as you go up. The tram is very popular and lines are long, so it’s only worth taking it one-way. You can come back down by public double decker or even on foot.
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