Visual Diary | Discover Hong Kong

Have you ever been some where that gave you an ever lasting feeling of joy each time you thing about it or when you hear someone mention the place? Well, Hong Kong gives me those goose bumps each time I think about it. My trip to Hong Kong came about at a time when things just seem to have somehow just clicked. I some how felt at peace with things, achieved some weird and wonderful life balance and abundantly joyful – it’s that emotion that is evoked when I think about how I was feeling while I was there and have since attached it to this beautiful city. I had just moved back to London from a stint in Hampshire, I was climbing, happily and forever indulging in endless talks of cool and on-trend techy stuff at work. Embarking on a solo trip to Hong Kong whilst in a state of euphoria made everything I experienced in the city feel that much more special a little surreal. Racing around the airport at 2am when I arrived, next morning I woke up at the Marriott to a view of Victoria Harbour complete with emerald waters, ferries and speed boards bopping up and down the coastline as if for my own amusement.

I  had a few days of solo exploring before my diary and one of my friend’s surprisingly synced while he was travelling around on business in China with his dad, so obviously that warranted an evening of exploring before they took off a day later. Not long after they left was it time to take a break from being a tourist and attend to the reason of my visit in this beautiful city of lights. Leaving Hong Kong island and crossing over to Kowloon  to attend my friend’s wedding. Watching two lovely people tie the knot is enough to make even the toughest explorers shed a tear or two.

Leaving the couple to enjoy bridal bliss I had a few more days of soloing and took to explore more of Kowloon. Hong Kong consists of four sections, Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, New Territories and Outlying Islands, which comprise of 234 islands. I was staying on Hong Kong Island and traveled between HK island and Kowloon via the star ferry and at HK $2.50, a nifty way to cross over, take in the Harbour sights, all without breaking the bank as the sea breeze cools you down in the city’s hot season. Hong Kong is synonymous with shopping so of course I was not going to leave without exploring the malls taking refuge in gleaming landscapes of skyscrapers. If you want to escape the malls there are many a market to practice your haggling skills, one popular destination for this activity is the ladies market in Mong Kok in Kowloon West. Hong Kong is another city that is a traveller’s dream as you have the best of both worlds. You can mingle in the densely populated city that offers a rich collection of cuisines to tantalize your taste buds with foods from all over the world while you take in the sights. If you tire of the concrete jungle you can head to the stunning Stanley Beaches or head for the hills for an adventurous hike in mountains on Lantau Island as well as check out the famous Big Buddha(post to come!)

Below is a visual diary of my fortnight spent discovering Hong Kong…