Saturday, October 17, 2009

Trekkin' and Ridin' in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a country close to Filipino hearts. And because of its proximity to the Philippines, this special autonomous region of China is a favorite destination of passport-bearing Filipinos. But once on its smoggy shores, it routinely becomes a shopping and dim sum gastronomical delights for most people.

Though Hong Kong maybe dear to people, it holds so much more different things to taste and savor – especially if you and your friends are looking for a great ‘out of town weekend’. It’s also so versatile that you can have anything from good, clean fun to downright dirty and insane nights filled with lots of pictures that can be submitted as evidence. With the advent of budget commuter flights in and out of our multiple international airports, jet-setting is no longer exclusive to those whose credit cards are actually made of real gold.

Although the lure of Disneyland and Ocean Park is too tempting to resist, there are other ways of enjoying Hong Kong the backpacker ways – that is trekking along its increasingly popular hiking trails. Apparently, the country of skyscrapers and underground subways has trails that display its little-known green streak. It’s the perfect alternative to shopping – hefting a backpack instead of shopping bags and walking on earth instead of the concrete.

The two popular trails are the Lantau Trail and the Hong Kong Trail. The Lantau trail covers stretches of shorelines passing by some traditional Chinese garden before eventually reaching the Lantau Peak. The starting point of this trek is about a few minutes’ walk from the Tung Chung but you can take any leg of the variety that can lead you to Lantau Peak.

For a more urban route, the Hong Kong trail starts at Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island. You can take the Peak Tram to the starting point. This trail will take you near a Hong Kong university which is more to the liking of leisurely day-trippers. It offers some pretty impressive views, but sometimes the vistas get ensnared in the combination of smoke and fog more commonly known as smog. As with any other hiking trips, be sure to bring gears and enough water because it gets hot and stuffy fast.

If you want to sight-seeing without the trek, Hong Kong has a very efficient transport system. If you want the sight of skyscrapers and its busy street, you can board their tram or their double-decker bus. And if you want to roam Hong Kong and explore the place, the MTR system can take you from Hong Long Island to Kowloon, to New Territories and to Lantau Island. The system has interconnecting lines that include the Disneyland Resort Line and Airport Express Line. And since, we Filipinos are used to the razzle-dazzle MRT/LRT system, you will find Hong Kong’s MRT system a breeze.

So if you have a weekend to spare, why not try Hong Kong. It’s excitingly different without the necessity of spending too much. And most of all, you will be in another country in less than two hours.

26 comments:

  1. Una ciudad impresionante, vaya rascacielos. Buen reportaje.
    Un saludo

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  2. I will always have fond memories of Hong Kong specially on the Disneyland where it brings the inner child in all of us. Great shots again.

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  3. Nice to see Hong Kong through your eyes !

    I have mixed feelings about Hong Kong... I would definitely not like to live there... and I found most of the salespeople in HK very rude and unfriendly.
    Purchased a lens there... and was cheated :-)

    But the architecture and the vibe of the city is extraordinary.

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  4. I love Hong Kong to pieces. I even had this strange feeling, especially when I was eating in the traditional noodles house, that I'm a long time resident there. Like I've been there all my life heehee. I'll definitely not get tired of it.

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  5. If only it's close to CA, maybe I can even go for a long weekend.

    I hope I can also get to experience this place someday.

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  6. When someone ask me where Im actually from, and they dont know where Pinas is... I always say "It's just beside HongKong", then they have a clue.

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  7. Ahahahahha lapit lang kasi sa Pilipinas at passport lang kelangan... jijijijiji

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  8. wow, i've never been to hong kong before.... maybe someday... hmmm, san ba mas maganda sa hong kong or singapore???

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  9. @ george - gracias. hong kong is one of the nearest country from the philippines and literally just a couple of hours away.

    @ d fat man - you may want to check out my earlier posts about disneyland this year. i agree, with you 'coz the that trip was for the young and the young at heart.

    @ sidney - i wouldn't want to live there either but won't mind visiting the place again and again.

    i was cautioned on buying electronics and gadgets there because of the piracy and lack of warranty but if you really must shop for electronics, you should check out haiphong and hankow road in tst or the wai fung in mong kok.

    @ witsandnuts - hmmmm hongkong foods. dim sum of different kind never failed to surprise me.

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  10. @ photo cache - hope you do. it is awesome to experience hong kong even once in this lifetime.

    @ kris jasper - hong kong was colonized by britain so english people definitely knows hong kong better than pinas.

    @ i am exprosaic - tama. passport lang kailangan.

    @ ailee verzosa - i like singapore better but it is cheaper in hong kong.

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  11. I like eating at stalls along the streets of HK!

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  12. Always hope to visit HK as see this city since younger days in those TVB drama. But still don't have the chance to go there yet.

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  13. ooooh hong kong, shop shop shop :)

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  14. things i like in hong kong:
    1. transportation
    2. safety and security esp on the streets.police officers are very visible..

    we're based here but don't see myself also living here for the rest of our lives..iba pa rin sa bayang sinilangan!

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  15. i only had 3 days when i last went there. next time, i hope i will have more time to explore.

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  16. Hope to go Hong Kong one day! But I heard it's very expensive to stay and to eat there!

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  17. ay sana makapunta ko ng hongkong. it looks great and inviting

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  18. gaganda ng photos mo...maraming magandang pasyalan sa HK. kung di lang dahil sa trabaho, di ko gugustuhin puntahan ang HK. maraming reasons.:P

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  19. Nice Country
    nice vacation spot
    Nice Shot

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  20. I wanna see HK too and its maze of competing skyscrapers. backpacking is really a nice idea. care to share some cheap accommodations?

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  21. isn't hongkong great?!there's so many sight to see =D.

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  22. nice pics. kinda crowded but clean. Hongkong is a shopping paradise and oh so close to Pinas :)

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  23. nandyan na naman uli ako
    very timely ang post mo
    hehe

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  24. Thanks for popping by my blog. Your photos are stunning! And your posts are really interesting!
    I have visited HK several times per year on my business trips to China. I love this city, but I had to laugh when I read..."without the necessity of spending too much". HK is a shopping Paradise for a woman who loves fashion! I seldom have time for shopping, but I always stay at Grand Hyatt, which is close to all designer shops. I believe I have spent more money in HK than anywhere else in the world.
    You ask me which I prefer...autumn or summer. I prefer all the four seasons...which is the reason why I moved here.

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  25. Ahhhh! I've been wanting to hike in Hong Kong for some time now. Thanks for posting this. Love your photos - as always.

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