So, yes, Hong Kong, it is this city with hyper modern buildings with impressive architectures, it is the extremely famous 'skyline', the view from the 'Peak' on Victoria Harbour. But Hong Kong is also (actually for most people living there) old, dirty and unhealthy buildings, often infested with insects and rats, thousands of air-conditioning machines dropping on the sidewalks ... and it's also these hundreds of Chinese grocery stores that sell lots of unidentifiable products in powder, granules, pieces, and with some well-recognized protected animals like sharks, turtles, seahorses, manta rays for the most obvious ... what leaves a very uncomfortable feeling of huge waste ...

In short ... we did not like ... Yes the buildings are impressive. Yes the site of the city is impressive. But, a year later, what we finally remember is the degraded and unhealthy living conditions of most Hong Kong people, and all these protected animals (or who should be!) sold in jars ...

We do not advise against visiting Hong Kong. It depends on the affinities of everyone ... .and on your budget! If you have money : take an accommodation on Hong Kong Island, the cultural shock will certainly be less intense than in Kowloon!

Kowloon Mongkok

RESUME :

- one of Hong Kong's main districts. A bit confusing: it is a mix of very large avenues with shopping malls and luxury shops, very modern and design buildings, English-style busses - and completely unhealthy streets with very old buildings, cockroaches crushed on the sidewalks ... very strange ...

If you like shopping, this part of the city is for you!

Otherwise ... well ... we're still looking for...

TO DO :

- walk along the streets

- in the early evening, night markets

- do the 'Symphony of Lights' on the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade

- visit the history museum of Hong Kong: free, very well done (really!), big, complete, lots of information, great! We recommend absolutely!

ADVICE :

- well hold the hand of your child in the crowded streets and the metro ...: There are a lot of people, a lot of traffic with dozens of buses driving at full speed on the big avenues ... .an environment no very reassuring when you are with young children.

Streets in Mongkok

Hong Kong island

RESUME :

- it is the island with all the skyscrapers and banks offices.

And it's like you're in another country when crossing the Victoria Harbour that separates it from Kowloon ... Here it's cleaner, modern, quieter, civilized. There are fewer people, less traffic, less noise. No crushed cockroaches on the sidewalks. No mouse running at your approach ... But shopping centres, again and again ...

And some points of interest:

TO DO :

- take the 'Star Ferry' to cross Victoria Harbour

- take the cable car to the 'Peak' to have this famous view overlooking the city and its skyscrapers (be careful: come VERY early to the terminal because the queue is monstrously long from 10 am...).

- stroll through the small streets at the foot of the Peak

- go to the Buddhist temple of Man Mo

Hong Kong from The Peak

& temple Man Mo

Lantau island

RESUME :

It is one of the largest islands in the Hong Kong archipelago.

Very surprising: here it is like 'in the countryside', with villages, forests, mountains and beaches. Pretty charming! You can walk around and get a breath of fresh air and space. A real escape from the crowded Hong Kong!

TO DO :

- Ngong Ping Buddha

- Po Lin Monastery

- The fishing village of Tai O

For transportation: take the MTR to Tung Chung Station; then it is either by cable car (expensive and VERY LONG queue!), or by bus, depending on your budget! We found that the bus was very good ...

For the bus, to make the full tour: take bus 23 from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping, then bus 21 from Ngong Ping to Tai O and bus 11 from Tai O to Tung Chung. (35 HKD for the day per adult, 8HKD per child)

Bouddha of Lantau

Ocean Park

RESUME :

Basically, in Hong Kong, there are 2 big theme parks: Disneyland and Ocean Park. So, for most travellers, well you have to choose! The Disney factory and its iconic characters or the local Ocean Park?

We decided to try the local one, often described as more fun, with a zoo / aquarium section, and a cable car on the mountainside that is worth the detour. Well, it was also cheaper 😉

And it was not bad. Not extraordinary. But well done. The children keep a very good memory. For adults, it will not be imperishable ... but hey, anyway, we do this kind of thing for children, huh ?!