I recently experienced a fantastic food sampling experience with popular Hong Kong tour company…read more"Humid with a chance of fish balls". Among the places visited were a traditional dim-sum cafeteria, up-and-coming roast goose restaurant, noodle house and clay pot rice establishment. The personalized, private tour, led by company founder Virginia Chan, enabled me to obtain a unique and fun look into the culture and some authentic food selections of Hong Kong Island in the shortest period of time. Knowing where to go, how to order as a local and learning the history of each neighborhood are just some of the benefits of arranging a "Humid" food tour. I truly enjoyed the tour and highly recommend 'Humid with a Chance of Fish Balls". See you the next time I'm in Hong Kong!

Great tour aimed at tourists/English speakers. We went for the sampan dinner tour on a sampan in…read morethe Causeway Bay typhoon shelter. Virginia, the host, was chatty and entertaining. She was easy to communicate with and her website and booking system were clear and easy to navigate. Her knowledge of pretty well anything we asked her about was impressive! The tour itself was great fun. After visiting the old aunties who could arrange curses on those making our lives challenging, we took a tram to Tai Hang and then walked to the typhoon shelter. A short sampan ride and we were aboard our bobbing dining room lashed to other sampans full of locals. The food came quickly, each delivery making our dining 'room' wobble. Prawns were fat and tasty, noodles delicious especially when mixed with the crispy garlic from the crab dish. My only negative was that the crab was a big overcooked. Afterwards, our host walked us back to Causeway Bay and recommended some cool bars along the way. Overall a unique and personable experience.

My husband and I are relatively well-traveled for Americans in their early 30's, so when I say Joe…read moreoffers a walking tour that is not to be missed, trust me. We did the Central/Western districts itinerary that was suggested in Ski's email and met Joe exactly on time at a spot easy to find. The tour flew by because we had such a fabulous time. We talked about topics of personal interest as well as interesting parts of Hong Kong culture we wouldn't know to ask about. I wish we could have adopted him for the rest of the week! You'll want to schedule this tour for early in your trip as you'll get lots of suggestions for things to do during the rest of your visit. I would list the highlights, but really it's the entire day. Come hungry as there are lots of opportunities to stop and grab a bite! Joe will draw out the route on your city map you can revisit some of the spots or and he'll mark other suggestions so you have an easy time finding them.

By far the Best tour I have ever done!!…read more We told Ski (our host) a few things we wanted to do - seeing a fortune teller and have traditional yum cha. We left the rest up to her. It was perfect. Loved every aspect of the tour. When we had the yum cha she happily ran after all the trolleys to ensure we got a wide variety. Her knowledge and passion of the city is inspiring. Do yourself and book this tour.

I'm a local that is pretending to be a tourist this time, with my tourist hubby…read more This tour is really interesting because it takes you to a very local area, where there are usually few westerners and food shops might not even have an English menu. While the tour's focus is on food, the tour guide Carrie spaced it out with walks around the wet market, the electronics market and excursions into a few local stores that sells very interesting items. The food that I sampled are truly the gems of the local food culture. The pineapple buns and soft tofu dessert were amongst the best I've had, and despite having grown up near this area, I found some new favourite places that I will be bringing my family to! Another great thing is you could take a peek into the tiny back kitchens of these establishments - all of which make their food on site which is getting rarer and rarer. It's amazing how much people can do in a cramped space in this expensive city. Of course, Carrie did a great job explaining the economic situation of Hong Kong to our group of tourists, since most weren't aware how the city has the largest wealth gap in the world. Overall, the tour was delicious, interesting, socially conscious and wonderfully guided. If you are in tow, adventurous and willing to try some stuff that is hard to get elsewhere in the world, I would highly recommend this tour!

Yammy was amazing! We spent 5 days in Hong Kong and this tour was definitely a highlight! Each of…read morethe stops were interesting and delicious. The walking was enjoyable and I would recommend this tour highly!

This was my second tour with Hong Kong Getaway!…read more This is by far the best tour of Hong Kong (shoot, maybe of any place). First, Mandy customizes the tour to your interests. She is uncanny in her ability, in a few questions, to know exactly what to recommend. And she's quick to pick up on when it's time to change the agenda. Second, her knowledge of Hong Kong, both history, culture, and layout, are extensive. But don't expect a history lecture. She'll tell you what you want to know, in a way that enhances the visit. Want detailed historical info? She can do it! Want a 2-minute overview encapsulating the background? Done, with all the important info included. Third, Mandy makes each tour like a visit with a good friend. Her warm, friendly personality is absolutely the best! For this tour, Mandy knew I like seeing and doing things locals do. She arranged a visit to the New Territories, a boat ride and visit to a fishing village, and many more stops. Chatting with her made the time fly! I recommend this tour!

I almost never book tour guides when I travel, but I was looking for things to do while in Hong…read moreKong and stumbled across Mandy and Apple in Trip Advisor and every client raved about them. I met Mandy just outside of the station on Nathan Road. Immediately I felt very comfortable with her as if I were meeting an old friend. She is extremely personable, friendly and genuine. She has an enthusiasm about Hong Kong that I hadn't gotten from others and was eager to take me to some of the places that other tourists don't see. I won't go into detail about all the places we visited or food we ate, but let me give you a few good tips. You'll want to try an egg tart at Tai Cheong Bakery. Also try the Dim Sum at Chung's Cuisine. She will help you order some really tasty treats. The best thing about Hong Kong Getaway with Mandy and Apple is that they will create a custom tour for you based on what you prefer such as a food tour, a cultural tour or even if you just want to see the main sites, they will know the best times to avoid the crowds as well as the best way to get around. Even after my day with Mandy, she knew I was going to be in Hong Kong for a few more days so she kept emailing me other ideas on where to go and what to check out. If you are visiting Hong Kong, I highly recommend you use Hong Kong Getaway as your personal tour guide.

First off, free is a treat. Just 100-200 hkd as a tip for the guide taking us around the city is a…read moregreat deal. The tour guide covered the concept of Feng Shui and how it applies to the architecture in Hong Kong, the growth of Hong Kong, the differences between Mainland China and Hong Kong, religion, nearby sights, British conflict, and local cuisine (though I got better food recommendations from locals I met). I can say I learned a few new things and feel a little more of an expert on concepts and facts I was only vaguely familiar with. After the tour, the guide was available to answer questions.

I'm pretty sure I've had others in this tour, but Summer rocked !! She was very organized and…read moreextremely articulate on mt Dark Side of Kowloon tour. While I was not able to comprehend everything, I had enormous respect to the people of Hong Kong.

Melanie Ko is a superb private guide for a walking tour of Hong Kong Central and Kowloon. Her…read moreEnglish is outstanding, and she has great knowledge of her country! Melanie took us to local hidden gems including a terrific dim sum restaurant (where we were the only tourists) and many local markets. She was simply delightful! Her email is melanie_ko@yahoo.com.hk

Nathan did a fantastic job of showing us around HK and introducing us to the cuisine. The small…read moregroup setting is nice as it allows you to interact with others throughout the day. The stops included a traditional dim sum restaurant (average), a bbq pork spot (very good), a noodle shop (ok), a milk tea vendor (ok), and ended with an egg tart (worth skipping). I actually didn't feel like I ate very much on the tour. The dim sum spot offered the best chance to fill up but it was first and we were advised to pace ourselves. My advice would be, order lots of pork at the bbq place and don't be shy about what you want at the dim sum spot. Food wise I don't feel you get a great value on your tour but you do get your money's worth from the guide. Nathan's emails after the tour were a huge help in planning the rest of our trip. He provided lots of recommendations for bars, restaurants, day trips, etc. During the tour he was very informative and I learned a lot.

Niya was an AMAZING tour guide. She showed us the real Hong Kong and brought us to several food and…read moredrink spots that I would have never thought to stop at if I were on my own. Her food and drink recommendations were spot on as well. She gave us all kinds of facts on the local culture, the history, Chinese medicine, and backgrounds of all the places we visited. She also followed up with emails of our great photo moments and lots of info on spots to visit and nightlife in HK. If I didn't know better, I would have thought she lived her whole life here!! It was a pleasure spending the day with her eating, drinking, and running around the city. I'd recommend this tour to everyone with a few hours to spare while in HK - it's something you'll never experience on your own.

Don't just visit Hong Kong. Live like a local for a day, or two!…read more So lucky that we booked private tours with This is Asia Tours for two amazing days in Hong Kong and Lantau Island. Our first tour was going so well that we booked a second one for two days later midway through our first day. Guided by Jacky and Liz, our group really experienced the best the city had to offer alongside a local guide. So much fun "Hong Kong hopping" as we explored so many different neighborhoods, markets, historic sites and local hangouts. Loved seeing the real Hong Kong off the typical tourist path. Definitely two of the best tours that we have ever booked. After being picked up at the cruise terminal, our history and culture lesson started as we headed up to Victoria Peak. Along the way we learned about how and why the British came in 1842 and started to understand the complexities of the housing issues in Hong Kong. Visited St. John's Cathedral which is the only freehold land in Hong Kong and the oldest Anglican Church in the Far East. Then it was off to the bank. The story of HSBC really explains the story of Hong Kong. From simple beginnings to World Wars through turmoil and progress, it was so interesting to see and hear the history that Jacky shared. Really fascinating. Man Mo Temple. Nan Lian Garden. Chi Lin Nunnery. So many beautiful temples and gardens in Hong Kong. How do you choose? Loved being able to really enjoy the peace and tranquility of these sacred spaces against the frenetic hustle and bustle of the city. The gardens were so perfectly manicured. The temple and nunnery fed your soul. So many markets. Sneaker Street. Ladies Street. Goldfish. Bird. Flower. Wan Chai. Temple Street. Aberdeen fishing village. Each so different and unique. Fresh fish at the Wan Chai wet market. Loved the hawker stalls and fresh fruits along Fa Yuen Street. So many orchids and bonsai at the Flower Market. The puppies, bunnies and colorful fish were so cute at the Goldfish Market. Hungry? Loved the introduction to Hong Kong bakeries, steamed buns, roasted goose and dumplings by Jacky from This Is Asia tours. We had the most delicious treats (including Michelin) along the way. Loved trying mochi, vegetarian dumplings, banana cake, pineapple buns with and without cold butter, hot and cold Hong Kong Milk tea, French toast filled with peanut butter, egg tarts, turtle bread, rice and chicken, chicken tarts and much more in Kowloon and the Wan Chai District. Pineapple Buns. Egg Tarts. Cocktail Buns. Pineapple buns have no pineapple. Instead, these pillowy soft buns are topped with a beautifully cracked crust that resembles a pineapple. Eat them on their own or stuffed with a slab of cold butter. In the late 1940s, Hong Kong-style cafés called cha chaan tengs were both popular and competitive for customers. A baker was inspired to turn a savory dough into a sweet treat. He mixed flour, sugar, and ammonia to form a dough and baked it on top of bread. The resulting product, the pineapple bun, was born. This fragrant, crunchy and sweet treat is a Hong Kong staple to this day. The Cantonese cousin of English custard tarts, egg tarts come in many delicious variations. These yellow gems originated in Guangzhou in the early 20th century, when Chinese interaction with Britain grew. Egg tarts are a combination of steamed egg pudding and puff pastry. They graced Hong Kong in the 1940s, but initially were only served at high-end restaurants. Their popularity spread and egg tarts are now part of Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage. Love the Hong Kong cocktail buns. These soft, buttery brioches are stuffed with a sweet coconut filling and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It's suggested that the sweet filling was inspired by leftovers. In the 1950s, a cha chaan teng owner didn't want to waste food so he crushed up some leftover bread together with sugar to make a filling. Since the mixture consisted of many different types of bread, it reminded people of a "cocktail." Today, the filling includes shredded coconut and butter, definitely a Hong Kong favorite. So delicious. Try them all. A sweet taste of Hong Kong's history. On the way to the airport two days later, our group met Liz for a tour of Lantua Island. What a treasure! Loved exploring the Tai O Fishing Village. Stilt houses. Bridges. Kwan Tai Temple. Snow White and the seven dwarfs. Pomelos for a Happy New Year. A boat ride to see the pink dolphins unique to Hong Kong. Liz said that we were so lucky to see so many on our boat tour. Since This Is Asia Tours have permits to drive on Lantau Island, we saved so much time. Nice to be able to drive directly to the gates leading to the Big Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery. Climbed up and down 280 steps to get to the Buddha. So beautiful and the views are stunning. Took the Ngong Ping 360 Crystal Cable Car back down the mountain and then had a 15-minute drive to the airport. Two amazing five-star days with Jacky and Liz.

Want to see Hong Kong like a local?? Then book a private tour with Jacky or Liz from This Is Asia…read moreTours. Our party of five was treated to two incredible days. We visited local markets,temples, and even a bank in Hong Kong. The view from Victoria Peak was gorgeous as were the gardens at Nan Lian. Sampled so many tasty treats. Both Jacky and Liz followed the dietary restrictions for two members as we ate so many sweet and savory delicious bites. The stop at the Hong Lin Restaurant was a great place for hot Hong Kong milk tea, French toast and pineapple buns with butter. Tai O Fishing Village with Liz was an unexpected pleasant surprise in Lantau Island. Even saw dolphins. Visiting the Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, and cable car was a highlight of our tour that day. Book a tour with This Is Asia Tours with Jacky or Liz for the best day in Hong Kong.

Looking for a food walk/tour while in Hong Kong, we found Urban Discovery through viator.com Very…read moreglad we found them! Food tour was great! Definitely one of the highlights of our trip! Carol was our guide. She led us on a 3.5-4 hour food walk/tour through the Kowloon district. In addition to taking us to several food stops to try local cuisine, she also provided a lot of historical and cultural information about the immediate area (Kowloon) and Hong Kong in general. Interesting, entertaining and informative. Many of the food stops were at local, hole-in-the-wall establishments that we would never have ventured into on our own. We tried numerous dishes, including drunken chicken, shrimp dumplings, oyster pancakes, clay pot rice, snake soup, ginger soufflé, mango pudding, etc. The tour also included alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Carol was great. She was funny, knowledgable and enthusiastic. When the tour ended, she even helped us hail a cab back to our hotel - which was not an easy feat. It was a rainy, Friday night and it looked like everyone in the city was trying to catch a cab as well. After quite some time, we were able to flag one down (after practically throwing ourselves into its path). She translated our destination to our driver and off we sped. About $100 USD. Small group tour. There were 6 of us on the tour, but I believe they'll take as many as 8. Having a smaller group was nice - made the experience more personal and intimate. Besides, a lot of the food stops were quite small and cramped and probably couldn't accommodate a larger group anyway. You also get a souvenir map, so you can remember or revisit the stops on the tour. Would highly recommend Urban Discovery's food tour for anyone interested in a food tasting adventure in Hong Kong.