Travel Guide: Insider Tips to Hong Kong
Hong Kong is near and dear to our hearts! Not only is Winky’s family from Hong Kong, she’s also used to live and work here! We often think of it as a second home and that’s why we haven’t featured this amazing city in the past…but today is your lucky day – we are ready to share our insider wisdom as a local!
Here are our Top 5 local tips to visiting Hong Kong for the first time. Enjoy!
Get an Octopus card! This little card will be your best friend. Why? Because you’ll be able to take all public transportation with it, and shop with it! You can literally use it for most things you will be purchasing during your visit here. Learn more here: http://www.octopus.com.hk/get-your-octopus/choose-your-octopus/limited-edition-octopus/tourist/en/index.html
Learn a few phrases in Cantonese. The local language is Cantonese - not Mandarin - and the locals will appreciate the effort to learn! You will get much better service when showing that you are trying to speak the local dialect. Some easy and fun phrases:
"Jo Sun" = Good morning
"Mm goy" = Thank You (when someone is doing you a favor or prodividng a service)
"Dor Jeh" = Thank You (when you receive a gift)
"Ho Mei!" = Yummy!!
Go for a walk in Kowloon Park or Victoria Park in the morning (before 9am). This is the best time to see amazing elderly people at their prime! The Parks normally offer citizen-organized morning activities for our older friends such as Tai Chi, and it’s amazing to watch.
Prepare to eat…a lot! I know what you're thinking…this goes unsaid, right? Well, Hong Kong is culture is really big on snacking, and there are so many enticing and special things you’ll want to try! While street food may be a little iffy in terms of cleanliness, you can most definitely try HK food staples such as curry fish balls, Put Chai Ko (pudding cake), or my personal favorite – the egg waffle. Check out more MUST EATS here: http://www.tommyooi.com/must-eat-food-in-hong-kong/
Take a hike! While HK is famous for its booming metropolitan lifestyle, we always tell our visiting friends to wander outside of the city. There are beautiful mountains to hike on and even hidden waterfalls to swim in! If hiking isn’t your thing, hop on a ferry to go to a less populated island such as Cheung Chau or Lamma Island to take a little breather from the concrete jungle. Not sure where to go? We recommend Back Country HK as the way to find hidden gems.
Obviously there are a million things to do and eat in Hong Kong… but our goal today is to make sure you get some insider tips! And don't forget to have fun!!
Do you want to learn more? Leave us a comment below!
