WHERE TO STAY IN HONG KONG

If you are interested in where to stay in Hong Kong, you may also be interested in where to stay in Macau, where to stay in Beijing, where to stay in Taipei and where to stay in Guangzhou.

Kowloon, the best area to stay in Hong Kong

Tsim Sha Tsui

Tsim Sha Tsui is where all the tourists, visitors and locals congregate and there all around 2 million altogether, so expect a few crowds but this is what makes this place so special. This area is full of vibrant and colourful shops that sell different items like pottery, antiques, food, clothes and various other souvenirs.

This part of the city also has a great selection of cuisine from traditional Hong Kong cooking, Chinese, Japanese, European and lots more to try. After setting up base in one of the many lovely hotels, tourists head straight to the waterfront and walk along the promenade to take in the iconic views of the Hong Kong island, the mountains that surround you and the skyline.

However, the best way to see the sights is by ferry and coming at night as the lights add that extra “wow” factor and will be a memory to saviour for the rest of your life. Also at night, you will be able to see the light show that happens every Monday evening at 8pm on both sides of the harbour, which is a spectacular sight. Other landmarks to see in the area include the equivalent of Hollywood’s walk of fame, the Avenue of the Stars, which celebrates local film stars and how big the local film industry is getting.

Tsim Sha Tsui is also home to many museums and parks with the best being the Cultural Centre, Museum of Art, Museum of History, the Science Museum, the Space Museum and the City Park. For shopping, head to Harbour City which is the largest shopping centre in Hong Kong and has many high end brands as well as restaurants and a theatre. There are also many street markets with the Flower Market, Ladies Market, Bird Market and the Night Market being the most popular.

One of the most cultural things to do in the area is to visit the Wong Tai Sin Temple, which is said to be the most popular and important Taoist temple in Hong Kong and also happens to have magnificent views of the coastline.

Yau Matei

This part of Kowloon is mainly full of residential houses as well as a good choice of hotels, shops and restaurants. There are various markets in the day as well as night that are permanent and sell lots of goods and there are some historic buildings to check out in the area. Tin Hau Temple is a beautiful complex and is definitely worth checking out as well as the Hong Kong International Hobby and Toy Museum, which has a superb exhibition that consists of toys, dolls, classic toys, Japanese anime and much more that has been collected over the years. The Hong Kong Museum of History and the Science Museum are some of the best museums and these are easily reached on foot from Yau Matei.

Kowloon Metro Station 

The station alone is a reason to go and marvel at the awesome construction, which is funnily enough a very quiet station as it isn’t used that much. The station is also a mall and there are various shops that sell decent souvenirs and once outside you will see the magnificent huge high-rises that surround the station. The area has some of the best hotels that vary in price and offer some of the best views in the whole city as you can see the mountains, sea and of course the amazing city around you.

Hong Kong Island, another recommended area to stay in Hong Kong

Just across the water from Tsim Sha Tsui is the island of Hong Kong and all along the waterfront are hotels, although there are fewer and you face the mainland instead of out to sea. The island is where Hong Kong’s tallest buildings are found and this is the main financial centre with wealth on show everywhere you go. The island is also home to landmarks such as the Cenotaph, City Hall, Man Mo Temple and Statute Square, which are all fairly good tourist attractions as is the Peak, which is the highest point on the island and has great picnic areas and provides wonderful photo opportunities.