Hong Kong

Intro – Who This City Is For

Hong Kong is an intense city. It is China, but it doesn’t feel like China. It operates under “One Country, Two Systems, but it feels like a mix of San Francisco, meets customs holdover from England’s rule.

It is super crowded, super vertical, fast-paced and expensive. People move quickly and if you are from NY or LA or other big cities like it, you will feel at home. There is a slight edge and everyone is on their way to something important. Apartments are small, people share multiple beds per room (sometimes 3 or more). Space is limited and a luxury.

The primary language here is Cantonese, it is technically China and you still go through immigration, get a separate stamp and have to change currency. It feels Western in the sense it is organized, international. I can use google here but not chatGPT. It’s as if San Francisco drove on the left side of the road and had mountains covered in skyscrapers.

The history is fascinating and ever-changing. It is very layered. You still feel the British influence everywhere. First things you notice are obvious, driving on the left, double decker buses, trams, English-style pubs, afternoon tea sets. Even the English sounds more British than the other English speakers I have encountered in Asia. Then smaller things like milk tea, people introducing themselves as “I am from Hong Kong” or “I’m a Hong Konger”. I heard more English spoken here than expected. Coming from mainland China, it felt like stepping into the Western world I am accustomed to, but not quite.

Everyone seems to be proud to be from here, live here or work here. The buildings are quite awe inspiring. Skyscrapers stacked on hills, on ridges, climbing and climbing some more. Just when you think you wouldn’t see more, you turn a corner and you do.

It doesn’t look possible, and to top it off you notice bamboo scaffolding wrapped around the ultra-modern towers. It was a really cool and unique contrast between old methods and current day density.

To top it all off, just when you think its only concrete and only city, 30 minutes away or less you can access wilderness, amazing hiking trails. Ferries to outer islands that still depend on fishing for a living.

Who will love it

Ambitious career driven folks
People who like dense, fast paced environments
People who love the city and access to all types of food, cultures and experiences
People who like access to nature, hiking, excursions to other island
People that an easy introduction to Asia vs going right to Vietnam or mainland China.

Who should avoid it

Anyone on a tight budget
People who need space
People that need slow spaced and small towns

One personal anecdote: I stayed near Happy Valley. Home of the horse racetrack or jockey club as it is called. It is amazing to see a big green grass covered racetrack in the middle of concrete and skyscrapers. I couldn’t stop thinking about the land values. Hundreds of millions, maybe billions? Sitting there as open green space, used a few times per month. It felt like a strong holdover from British rule. Fun fact, foreigners can go in for free with their passport. They have races typically every Wednesday. Gambling is illegal in China(other than the SAR of Macau), but horse betting is allowed.

Best Areas to Stay

City Center (Central / Wan Chai / Causeway Bay)

Who it’s for: Short term visitors and professionals, people who want to be in the middle of everything. Pros:

Walkable
Direct MTR access (look for hotels nearby)
Restaurants, nightlight
Easy to get from airport Cons:
Expensive
Smaller
Constant noise

Happy Valley

Who it’s for: Remote workers, longer term stays and people who want quieter living and more space.

Pros:

More neighborhood feel
Closer to hiking
Close to the happy valley jockey club

Cons:

A good 20 minute walk to the nearest metro
40 minute ding ding / tram to central
Still not cheap

Where I Stayed

I had the opportunity to pet sit during my time for a family, via Trusted House Sitters. This is a sharing economy website where you pet sit and watch their pets, give updates and care for their home in exchange for accommodation. I have been doing this for 10+ years all around the world.

Type of accommodation: Apartment
Monthly cost: $0 - ‘Free’ via Trusted House Sitters
WiFi speed: Fast and Reliable
Noise level: Moderate
Would I stay again? Absolutely. The 40min tram got a little old, but at this price to stay in Hong Kong was unbeatable.

Happy Valley is interesting. It looks close to Central on a map, but it is not exactly a quick walk. It is 20+ minutes brisk - ish walk to Causeway Bay or Wan Chai. There is no local MTR. The ding ding tram drops you off very close but it honestly takes 40+ minutes to get to Central.

Best Mid-Range

Look in Wan Chai or Sheung Wan for smaller boutique hotels with strong transit access.

Main Areas & Streets

Central
Wan Chai
Causeway Bay
Happy Valley
Tsim Sha Tsui
Mong Kok

Things to Do

🌊 Nature

Dragons Back Hike

Victoria Peak
Note: you don’t have to take the tram. Walk up “Old Peak Road”.

See the Buddah at Lantau Island

🍽 Food & Drink

This could be its own post and honestly the best way to experience it is to take food tours

Food tour via hongkongfreetours.com is what I did and would recommend. I actually took all of their tours!
Dim Sum
Roast Goose
Egg Tarts

BBQ Pork

Char Siu

🏛 Culture

Old Temples

Walking tours through HK tours
Street Markets

Watch a horse race

🏄 Adventure

More hiking..lots of opportunities Lion Rock
Outer Island explorations like Lamma and Lantau
Walking the harbour at night

🚗 Day Trips

Working Remotely in

Average WiFi speeds: Excellent
Best cafes: Many milk cafes
Power outages? Very Rare
SIM / eSIM options: Easy and affordable. I got a SIM at the local 7 - 11.
Is it productive or distracting? Productive

Mong Kok

Transportation

✈️ From the Airport:

Take the express train into central. It is fast and easy. You can purchase an Octopus card which lets you take the MTR (metro), buses and the Ding Ding Tram.
Before coming to Hong Kong (or anywhere in Asia), I always make sure I have travel medical insurance. Healthcare here is excellent, but it’s not cheap.

I personally use Genki Travel Insurance because it’s built for long-term travelers and digital nomads.[Genki for travel health insurance(https://genki.world/with/nomadwithfranklyn)

🚌 Public Transport:

MTR is easy to use. Follow google maps directions. The exits can be very confusing like D1, D2, D3 etc and drop you off in a totally separate street.
The bus system covers a lot of ground. Follow google maps.
There are ‘mini buses’ that also exist, I did not quite get these routes down but you hop in and tell the driver when you want to get down.
Uber is available and affordable. The red taxis are available but take only octopus or cash.
Ding Ding / Tram is slow but scenic. If you pay with a VISA card like mine you get a discount. It helps to have a no foreign transaction fee card.
The octopus card makes everything easy and seamless.

🚶 Walkability:

Good in districts, but distances are longer than they look due to elevation and crossing streets can take a while because they fence off the street and you have to go the long way around.

⚠️ Things to Watch Out For:

Pricey place
Crowded sidewalks
Sunday crowds are extra because of the domestic helper gatherings.

Pros

Incredible skyline and density
Easy access to nature
World class transit
International environment
English widely spoken
Great destination for foodies. Probably top 5 in the World.

Cons

Expensive
Small places
High pressure environment
Crowded, you are always in someone’s way

FAQ

Is Hong Kong safe for Americans? Yes, very safe by world standards. I had no issues walking around solo. It was the easiest immigration process ever. 90 days visa free with my passport.

Would I Come Back?

Yes. I absolutely would. It is such a diverse and interesting city. I spent 2 weeks there and only scratched the surface. I did 3-4 different tours and still had more I could have done. With hiking I did the popular ones (Victoria peak, dragons back). With the island I explored Lamma and Lantau. There is still so much more to explore and see. I would definitely visit but only if It had the opportunity for another pet sit or extended stay