It's true. I was anxious about my trip to Hong Kong. It was part hopeful anticipation and part fear of what's around the corner at a new destination.
I thought we'd never get there, though. The new airport terminal is massive ... and we taxied right by it. Finally, our pilot eased to a stop at a faraway corner of the airport. It was at a "bus gate," which meant we walked down the air stairs and took a bus to customs and immigration.
Before we got to passport control, we passed a series of public health workers with masks and eye protection. They were on the lookout for sick travelers, especially those infected with the Zika virus. There is a series of temperature monitor sensors and one passenger briefly was pulled aside just to check their temperature.
After clearing immigration, there's no problem finding the airport train to get downtown (either Hong Kong Island or the Kowloon side). The train costs about $12 each way and takes 25 minutes. It's quicker to get to the train platform than to find a taxi or a bus. When you arrive at the Kowloon or Hong Kong transit center, there are free buses to take you to most major hotels.
Add an early wake-up, a long layover in Seattle and a 14-hour flight across the Pacific, and you have one tired traveler. It was around midnight by the time I got checked in at the Hyatt Regency. That was enough time to get a few hours of sleep before catching a seven-hour tour the next day.
Although Hong Kong is better known for tea and dim sum, there is no shortage of great coffee — even by Anchorage standards. Just steps from the hotel I found N1 Coffee Company in the Tsim Sha Tsui neighborhood. Any fan of artisan coffee will be totally comfortable in this tiny shop. The owners are barista champions and promoters of local coffee culture.
The all-around city tour from Gray Line was a good way to see some of the popular sights and vistas. It's easy to get around on public trams, subways and buses — but Ross, our tour guide, got us to the front of the line and offered some good insight into local history. Here's what was included:
- Victoria Peak: You can take a bus up to the Sky Terrace viewing platform, one of the best views in Hong Kong. But it's more fun to take the tram up the hill. When the Peak Tram opened in 1888, it was the first cable funicular in Asia. Like most landmarks in Hong Kong, there are plenty of shopping and dining outlets surrounding the terrace. But it's fun to take a walk along the trails to get a good photo of the incredible skyline.
- Man Mo Temple: Built in 1847, this temple on Hollywood Road is the largest of its kind in Hong Kong. It's dedicated to the Taoist gods of Literature (Man) and War (Mo). The temple is visited by many, including ambitious students who want to do well on their exams. I have never seen so much incense in my life. Our guide, Ross, said that lighting three sticks of incense (one each for the past, present and future) was "like sending an email to God." The interior of the temple was filled with smoke — not just from the individual incense sticks, but also from larger coils that were hung from the ceiling and would burn for hours.
- Aberdeen fishing village: Situated on the south side of Hong Kong Island (the opposite side from the bustling downtown district), Aberdeen Harbor marks the first landfall of British sailors, who claimed the territory for England in 1841. On arrival at the harbor, those of us on the tour boarded one of the "junks" that ply the harbor. It was about $8 for the brief cruise around the harbor, where you'll still see many fishing vessels sandwiched between mega-yachts. There also are many vessels in various states of disrepair — but it's much cheaper to live on a boat than in one of the expensive high-rises that line the shore.
It's quite an eye-opener to imagine how 7.2 million people live in such a small area. There are lots of high-rise apartment buildings. They are very tall.
- Lunch at the Jumbo Kingdom: This massive, floating restaurant in the harbor is one of Hong Kong's iconic sites. There are many photos taken after dark of the neon "Jumbo" sign and the outline of the Oriental roof. Our dim sum lunch was very tasty, and consisted of many small-bite Cantonese goodies served in sequence: pork dumplings, egg tarts, soup with rice noodles and much more. It was a great way for those of us on the tour to get to know one another. There was a family from Tehran, Iran, a gentleman from Karachi, Pakistan, a couple from London and a couple from Germany. While dim sum is how locals describe the food, it's synonymous with the way it's served: around a table with friends and family. It's almost always accompanied by tea, which is called "yum cha" when enjoyed with friends and family. For our group of visitors, the yum cha with the dim sum was a great introduction to family dining in Hong Kong.
- The Stanley Market: Located near Aberdeen on the south side of Hong Kong Island, Stanley Market is a popular tourist stop for souvenirs and local crafts. If you like crowded flea markets, this should be at the top of your list. But there are other, more colorful markets in Hong Kong, in my opinion.
Consider taking a tour if you're only spending a day or two in Hong Kong. If you have more time, there's plenty more to see and do. I was counting on one of my high school classmates to show me around, since he's lived in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. But he was on a trip to Europe, so I was on my own.
I was very impressed with the public order in the city. The subways are very efficient and run every five to 10 minutes. Everyone, from shopkeepers to the hotel staff to random people on the street, was gracious, kind and helpful. Almost everyone speaks English, although more than 95 percent of the population is Chinese.
It takes a full day to go to the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. This is the same island where the airport is located, but you take a different train to reach your destination. It takes about 45 minutes from downtown. After you get off the train, it's a short walk to the Ngong Ping Cable Car. This is a great ride, about 3 1/2 miles across several ridges and valleys on the way to the monastery. There's a nice view of the airport and several islands off in the distance.
The big attraction (literally) at the monastery is the Tian Tan Buddha Statue. As you approach the end of the tram ride, you cannot miss seeing the Buddha, which stands over 100 feet tall. The Buddha took 12 years to complete and was installed in 1993.
The statue sits atop a hill, and there is a procession of 268 steps from the base of the mountain. Accordingly, locals recommend enjoying a delicious vegetarian lunch at the monastery beforehand, where you can see the Grand Hall of 10 Thousand Buddhas. There are other smaller temples and statues throughout the grounds.
After lunch, it was time for the long march up the stairs. It's well worth the effort to see the big statue up close, as well as six other statues that surround the Buddha.
Take an extra day and go to Macau. This is a Portuguese trading settlement, much older than Hong Kong. In 1557, Macau was rented to the Portuguese by the Chinese. Today, it's known mostly for its huge casinos. There is frequent ferry service from both Kowloon and Hong Kong. It takes about one hour from Hong Kong to Macau aboard the high-speed Turbojet ferries. My friends in Macau suggested we ride the bus to see some of the old Portuguese ruins, including the ruins of St. Paul's church. It was constructed in the 1620s but was destroyed by fire. All that remained was the facade, which still stands today.
There are many other Portuguese ties to Macau, evident in the older architecture throughout the small territory. In fact, many parts of Macau have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Like Hong Kong, Macau was transferred to the Chinese in 1999 and remains a "special administrative region." I was there on a Saturday evening and the streets were crowded with visitors from mainland China who came to shop, eat and gamble.
Part of the adventure in a place like Hong Kong is figuring out what you'll do on your next trip:
1. The tea: There are so many tea shops, and it's so popular. But I was fixated on the great coffee. So tea is on my list next time.
2. The food: Aside from my touristy dim sum meal, most of my chow was taken on the run. Next time, there will be opportunities for local dim sum and yum cha, as well as some of Hong Kong's other glorious ethnic food offerings.
3. View from above: The air was bad when I visited — it was alternatively smoggy and hazy. Next time, I'm hoping for a good day so I go up to the 100th floor of the tallest building in town, the International Commerce Center.
4. Symphony of Lights: Each evening at 8, there's an incredible light show in Hong Kong Harbor. It's dubbed the "world's largest permanent sound and light show" by the Guinness Book of World Records.
5. The markets: There are several famous specialty markets in Hong Kong -- goldfish, jade, a ladies' market, a flower market and much more. Check the Discover Hong Kong site for how to find the markets and on which days they operate.
Tech note: I stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Tsim Sha Tsui, which was very convenient to the metro and the Star Ferry. Don't miss this iconic ride across the harbor. The ferries are green and white, and resemble a big turtle bobbing across the busy harbor. I took it over to Hong Kong just to get a delicious cup of coffee at 18 Grams. One of my favorite features of the hotel is that they offer guests a free smartphone for their stay. You can make free calls to the U.S. or in Hong Kong. It's loaded with Google Maps, Facebook and a handful of other apps. But I just used it as a hot spot for my iPhone. That way, I could call out using Skype or Google Hangouts. This is a great benefit that the hotel provides, and I'll probably stay there again just for that.
For more online resources, check out discoverhongkong.com.
Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based marketing consultant, serving clients in the transportation, hospitality, media and specialty destination sectors, among others. Contact him by email at zoom907@me.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@alaskatravelGRM) and alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.