I went to Hong Kong for the first time last month. I know nothing about Hong Kong comics or comic…read morecharacters. I didn't even know this magical place existed. I was just wandering around Kowloon, trying to figure out what to do for breakfast, then I got distracted by the entrance for the Hong Kong Avenue of Comic Stars in Kowloon Park. There are statues of comic characters from Hong Kong comics and Hong Kong comic artists. It's fun, and cheesy, and cool. If you're like me and have no knowledge of any of these characters there are little plaques (in English and Cantonese) that tell you some information about these characters and the artists who created them. The attraction is free to check out, and it's fun to pose for selfies with statues of penguins and super spies. Kowloon Park itself is really nice and is definitely worth checking out. Kowloon Park is a short walk from the Jordan MTR Station. The Tsim Sha Shui Station is close by as well. I went here 3 times in 5 days. That's how much I loved it. Maybe I'm just a nerd, but this is a fun place to visit and worth seeing if you're in Hong Kong.

Stumbled upon the Avenue of Comic Stars walking around Kowloon Park…read more I love the huge cartoon characters. Very fun and colorful. I had no idea who any of the characters were but it was still cool. The stairwell exiting was pretty awesome. The super hero pig was my favorite! My pose when I pig out! If you are at Kowloon Park, stop by here and check it out!

Pottinger Street / Central (Hong Kong) -- Even though this wasn't my first trip to Hong Kong, I…read moremust've conveniently forgotten how steep the hills can get to elevation-challenged tourists like myself, especially the steep inclines to be found in the Central district on Hong Kong Island. That's why there are helpful automatic walkways and escalators under long canopies over certain roadways. That was definitely a smart urban renewal move built back in the '90's, but Pottinger Street has been left intact. This atmospheric walkway consists of a series of steps and inclines on terra firma and retains its vintage Hong Kong charm with seemingly random stone slabs that connect Connaught Road Central up to Hollywood Road. Souvenir kiosks line the street on both sides, and they apparently change depending on the holiday season. Jamie W and I were here too early to see Christmas trinkets and decorations, but we saw stall after stall of local tchotchkes and T-shirts. It's worth the stroll in either direction. RELATED - Exploring Hong Kong? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AGgadg

A touristy three or four block sloping street made up of granite slabs that aren't quite stairs…read more Its official name is Pottinger Street, named in 1858 after Henry Pottinger, the first Governor of Hong Kong, serving from 1843 to 1844. Fun fact was that in the early days in HK, Chinese and European residents used to live separately in different neighborhoods. Pottinger street once acts as a rough boundary between the two groups. The Chinese used to mainly live west of the street and westerners to the east. Today there are various vendors selling trinkets and services such as caricature painting on the street. Many blockbuster HK movies have had iconic scenes filmed here including "Lust Caution", "October Besieged City", "Infernal Affairs III", and "Dragon and Phoenix Fight".

I love the ancient temples, it speaks with volumn without saying anything since it's right there in…read morethe walls, the structures, the gates, the set up, the statues, the burning incense, the folks that comes over the years, decades...it's such a peaceful, tranquility and calmest being there.

A must visit treasure in HK. Pretty easy to get to if you take the MTR. Walk from Sheung Wan stop…read morefor about 15 minutes. Lots of local markets to visit. Plenty of coffee shops around.

The first time I visited Hong Kong I had never heard of this place, despite all of the Hong Kong…read morefilms that I had watched. However, after watching an awful lot of youtube I ended up discovering this notorious place. However, it no longer exists, and it has been turned into a park. Despite that, there are a number exhibits, including a model, on the former slum. It is quite a nice a peaceful park though.

The park is really nice to stroll through, but the main attraction is the history of the Kowloon…read moreWalled City. You'll reach a section where it talks about the Kowloon Walled City, interesting facts, and a small statue of how dense the apartments were. As you walk further in, there will be people giving away vouchers (free) to walk inside the Cinematic Journey (movie set). You get free entry and for 15 minutes, you can view the movie set, get a sense of how the apartments used to look, and read more history. It was very interesting and worth checking out if you have the time. Tip(s): - Visit the Cinematic Journey for free (someone will be handing out vouchers)

Times Square happens to be a luxury brand mall in HKG, not an iconic spot like NUC. The mall is…read morehuge, over 8 floors of luxury and high end brands, electronic store, food court and few other variety of stores. The inside of the mall looks absolutely stunning, all slick and clean, modern design integrated across all the floors. We explored the mall over half an hour, floor by floor. Since we were not looking to purchase anything expensive, we were just enjoying the walk and view of the mall. Few stores we went in, staff were very friendly and willing to assist with any question.

It was our young daughters' first international trip and I had to solo parent for two days. For one…read moreof those days, I brought the girls to this mall because they have Blooms Coffee, Lego Store, and City Super. With jet lag and solo parenting, caffeine is undeniably a top priority and I had the pleasure of trying the tiramisu latte from Blooms Coffee. It definitely gave me a strong kickstart and without too much sugar. And then we took off to exploring the different floors - being amazed with the Zootopia 2 decorations and display, visiting the Lego Store, finding souvenirs to buy at City Super, and making a Christmas wish list at the Lane Crawford store. We easily spent three hours in this mall. It's spacious and clean. The staff were helpful and friendly. I would definitely revisit the next time we are in town!

Temple Street Market is a must-visit in Hong Kong. The vendors are incredibly friendly and clearly…read morelove to bargain, which makes the experience fun and engaging. There's an endless variety of merchandise to browse, along with plenty of food stalls offering tempting local eats. The area felt safe, lively, and was very easy to get to with a quick Grab ride. A great spot to soak in the energy of the city.

Temple Street Night Market / Kowloon (Hong Kong) -- By the time Jamie W and I made it here on our…read morevacation, we visited two legendary night markets in relatively quick succession, Raohe Street in Taipei (review: https://yelp.to/iQFcRkmz6h) and Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur (review: https://yelp.to/5ShCfX6Vhg). Both were bustling cultural microcosms full of a wide and diverse variety of culinary delights. My expectations were set high. This is my roundabout way of saying I found this market to be on the meh side. Even though Temple Street might be the most organized of night markets, it came down to a lack of enthusiastic energy on the part of the thirty-plus hawkers and purveyors here. They didn't help motivate us as much to try anything that looked appetizing beyond one grilled octopus skewer (photo: https://yelp.to/ZmGraLPefh). It was pretty good for what it was. The food stalls took up just the first block of Temple Street. The rest of the market consisted of tents and stalls where they sold gadgets, toys, electronics, cheap souvenirs, and T-shirts of which Jamie bought a couple from an enterprising senior (photo: https://yelp.to/caewEJ9-pR). I've read that lingering COVID restrictions may have caused a change in the dynamics of the market. If true, the impact apparently snuffed out much of the unique character it might have had. RELATED - Exploring Hong Kong? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AGgadg

The Peak (aka Victoria Peak) is a popular tourist attraction and one of the best way to see the…read morestunning Hong Kong skyline. There are several ways to get there. If you like outdoors and able to tolerate the humidity, I suggest walking up (takes about an hour) and take the tram down. Taxi/car is another option. If you're lazy like me, we took the tram up and down. We also didn't buy tickets in advance or Edge Observation Deck since my schedule was ever changing. It does get crowded on the weekend and during sunset hours. The tram ride is about 10 minute or so. It was quick. There are a bunch of shops, and restaurants. We were happy to see another Bakehouse up there and grab some pastries. We walked around, took lots of pictures and spent about 30-60 min here. Highly recommended.

Only had 3 full days in HK and this was one of the items on my to do list. A wee bit confusing…read moregetting from my accommodations to the Peak Tram but eventually made it. Definitely a great way to get to The Peak. Lucked out with the weather and it only started to rain after I had descended. Great views from the Lions pavilion. Walked a bit around Lugard road then started the walk down. There are very steep sections on the Old Peak Road and was probably not the best idea to do this descent in sandals...but I made it. It was a very positive experience.

Aberdeen Floating Village is a must see when in Hong Kong. The boats are perfectly still in the…read morebeautiful waters of Hong Kong. The air is fresh, water is clean, and the boats are a delight to see.

Quick 10-15 min sampan boat ride to outer habror marina area where the small community of fishing…read morehouseboats are tethered together...still clinging to the old way of life (which is quickly dwindling as the newer generations as opting for gettig educations and higher paying jobs and leaving the old way of life behind). This was a quaint view to the past when life was simple & of the land & sea.

Chungking Mansions features curry restaurants, and foreign exchange offices, which often acts as a…read moregathering place for some of the ethnic minorities. The place is old and lack of maintenance, and the unusual atmosphere of the building is compared to the former kowloon walled city. There's also a back door of the building open to public in the alley.

A legendary building in Hong Kong…read more Was really craving some curry, rice, na'an and some masala to tingle my tongue. TONS of food varieties downstairs on the main floor of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian Halal food. We had a soft, tender lamb curry with naan which was gorgeous in a thick gravy. Lots of guava and mango juices. The entire building has decades of character. An old place which is legendary in Hong Kong.