Hong Kong Park / Admiralty (Hong Kong) -- For the swarms of tourists that trundle down from…read moreVictoria Peak, I am amazed how just a few actually entered this bucolic park when they get off the tram. Jamie W and I were pretty much the only ones who walked into the park, which was totally fine by us. I was surprised to find out it was only built in 1991 because it felt well established as an urban oasis. Because it's on a hillside, the landscape is scrupulously terraced connected by leisurely paths festooned with flowers. The central pond was quite a draw for serious photographers with huge lotus plants, turtles sunning themselves on the rocks, and colorful schools of koi converging on the shoreline. Do yourself a favor and take twenty minutes to step away from the dim sum table and enjoy the nature. RELATED - Exploring Hong Kong? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AGgadg

This is an awesome park with very cool attractions, nice water exhibits/gardens, and a tea ware…read moremuseum. Also HK has the most adorable trash cans ever, which are on full display in this park. Was t able to check out the areas near the mountain or higher up but will do so next time. Highly recommended!

Tai Kwun is a well renovated prison yard (Victoria Prison), the Central Police Station, and…read moreMagistracy that it once was, transformed into a large cultural hub with rotating exhibitions. They also have some shops, restaurants, and even guided heritage tours for ad additional cost. Otherwise, the place can be explored for free. It is accessible right off the Mid-Levels escalator and timing of the escalator's direction is crucial so that you don't wear yourself out before the exploration itself. The area is not extremely handicap friendly, so knowing that may help your travels. Tai Kwun is on top of the hill so it is steep as you walk down back to Central MTR Station. I got to visit all of the buildings on a self-guided tour and discovered that one of the prison cells housed Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh amongst other historical inmates. Whether you're a history buff or just a curious explorer, Tai Kwun is a unique place to visit.

Tai Kwun (大館) is an incredible preservation success story. Located at the eastern end of Hollywood…read moreRoad in Central, this massive heritage complex is a must-visit, even though many locals have surprisingly never been here. My husband wanted to explore the rich law enforcement history of the former Central Police Station, and it turned out to be an unforgettable experience. The site is huge and exceptionally well laid out. We started at the Parade Ground & Barrack Block, a beautiful, wide-open courtyard flanked by classic colonial-era brick buildings. Walking through the Victoria Prison cell blocks with history dating all the way back to 1841, it offered an immersive and fascinating look at Hong Kong's early penal system. As an extra treat, we got a chance to see the Ora-Ora Shop: Summer Pop-up! at Galerie Ora-Ora (Shop 03-105-107, Barrack Block). It was the perfect blend of historic architecture and contemporary art. If you love history, art, or just a cool space to explore away from the hectic city streets, do not miss this absolute gem.

M+ located in West Kowloon is a contemporary modern art museum where you can easily spend half a…read moreday there admiring all the works. I am no expert in contemporary art but the space, exhibitions, and museum building provides a unique and neat experience to check out if you want to explore and see a different side of Hong Kong. Moreover, you get great views of Hong Kong Island from M+ as well. You are able to purchase tickets at the museum and the exhibitions are clearly labeled with both Chinese and English explanations. Some of the works are pretty neat and thought provoking, challenging society's norms. The entire M+ building architecturally beautiful to look at and be in as well. It makes for a great unique experience. The museum also has temporary exhibitions as well that change time to time - so interesting to see. Overall, a must visit if you love art and architecture. A great way to spend an afternoon!

M+ Pavilion / West Kowloon (Hong Kong) -- It's not every day that you can visit a world-class…read moremuseum that's also a political lightning rod. Open just three years ago, the space is as modern and expansive as you would expect it to be with 33 galleries spread over 700,000 square feet. Jamie W and I decided to come here after seeing several young vloggers praise its architecture and collection. The art on display is specifically from the 20th and 21st centuries. Don't expect ancient artifacts here. We had the foresight to buy the Special Exhibition Dual Passes for HK$240 each well in advance. This allowed us entry to the popular museum on a pre-selected day within a certain timeframe. It included access to two special exhibitions, an overview of the work of revered architect I.M. Pei called 'Life Is Architecture', and the stylized work of trendsetting fashion designer Guo Pei called 'Fashioning Imagination'. They're not related. However, both figures reflect vast imaginations translated into stunning designs. Coincidentally, I had seen Guo Pei's meticulously ornate gowns at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco two years ago, but this was a nicely condensed version of that collection. I.M. Pei's work turned out to be a vast display of buildings and structures well beyond the glass pyramid at the Louvre. Especially interesting was archival video where the architect shared his approach and philosophy. The other galleries showcase contemporary Chinese art with some pieces quite revolutionary in their messaging. Even before it opened, the museum has been under scrutiny from Beijing with the pending threat of censorship from the Communist Party. Due to its unique administrative status, Hong Kong has managed thus far to maneuver the treacherous political waters to create a museum comparable to the Tate Modern and MoMA. Who knows how long it will last? RELATED - Exploring Hong Kong? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AGgadg

One of the must see places in Hong Kong is the Tian Tan Buddha in Lantau. An exceptionally popular…read moreplace for tourists and locals, it quickly gets crowded throughout the day. The Tian Tan Buddha is totally worth seeing and visiting (I'll review that another day) but what is lesser known is that in the area surrounding the Buddha there are many hiking trails. There are short day hikes, to long multi-day hikes that you can do. The mountains and forest are incredibly beautiful and if I had the time I probably would've taken the opportunity to hike all over them. Unfortunately I only had time to do one hike, which lead me to the "Wisdom Path." There are numerous wooden columns propped up along the hillside with verses from the sutra "Prajna-paramita Heart Sutra." I've uploaded a pic of the placard found next to this site. It's a beautiful place to visit and if you're there early enough, there are no people around to disturb the silence of the mountains. Looking out across the forest and hills, I can clearly understand why Hong Kong was settled so long ago and why people still flock to it's shores. My thoughts are interrupted by the song of a bird, and I smile, the wisdom path is a place worth visiting. Technical information: It's about a 10 minute walk from the monastery and there is almost no elevation. The path is semi-well maintained and wide enough for 4 people to walk abreast.

A short hike from the Big Buddha down the Ngong Ping fun walk will lead you to the wisdom path…read morewhich were passages from Heart Sutra inscribed on tall stone planks arranged in an infinity symbol. Kind of like a twisted version of Stonehenge. There was a path that takes you alongside the planks. Some parts were steep, but manageable with sneakers. The whole structure can also be viewed from a viewing platform a bit further down the trail. Here there were some signs describing the significance of the wisdom path and indicating which characters appeared on each plank. The fun walk took us past some abandoned buildings, but it seemed safe enough as the path was heavily used. It was interesting and definitely had a spiritual sense to the area, but can be skipped if short on time.

We had a wonderful time on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car. We took the very first ride at 10:00 AM on…read morea weekday. We arrived at the village around 10:30 AM. This was a great plan because the village was very quiet and not crowded. We took beautiful photos without many people around us. The village looks very unique and pretty. We loved taking photos with the big drums. They have Chinese words on them for Luck, Health, Fortune, Success, Peace, Happiness, etc. Even though it was summer, the morning weather on the mountain was cool and nice. Local shop owners told us it had rained a lot during the past few days. We were very lucky to have a sunny day! There are plenty of great souvenir shops and eateries to explore. Before boarding the cable car at the bottom, a staff photographer took our picture, and it turned out so beautifully that we just had to buy it. We also bought some small gifts at the village shops. If you want a peaceful experience with great photo opportunities, I highly recommend going early on a weekday.

OK I am going to give it five star just for its replication. I have a total fixation for…read morerecreations , mainly I am and was a King's Quest addict and am so imaginative. It felt like a replica of a small village in Ancient China complete with shops and eateries. Eateries seem are quite high and too international my guide advised me not to go there because a small hamburger can cost 11 usd and coincidentally it is McDonald's. I would recommend the souvenir shopping although expensive you can take back a lot of relics

A perfect garden to spend at least half a day on your visit to HKG. The garden is walking distance…read morefrom Diamond Hill MRT station which is very convenient. There is no entry fee to the garden and all the exhibits are free as well. The exhibits specially the wooden and rock structures are a must see, specially the wooden replicas of Chinese Timber Architecture is one of the best we have seen. If the replicas are so good, we want to see the real ones. The rockery is also very nice. The gift store is so nice and very interesting things on sale.

Such a beautiful place to visit in a hustling bustling city. It literally is so perfect your…read morepictures look like AI Don't forget to try the 2 restaurants serving delicious vegetarian food. If you want a quick bite there is a cafe with snacks as well highly recommend this place and it's free but you can make a donation

The Hong Kong Museum of History is a fantastic public institution in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon,…read moreright next to the Hong Kong Science Museum. They currently have a captivating special exhibition called The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Prosperity and Magnificence (Civilisation of the Sui and Tang Dynasties in Shaanxi Province). Alongside it, they are showcasing their newly revamped permanent exhibition, the "Hong Kong Story". We honestly couldn't believe that admission is completely free! It is absolutely worth a visit! The experience was incredibly educational for my daughters, helping them gain a deep understanding of Hong Kong's history and its various periods of development. At the same time, walking through the exhibits provided a wonderful trip down memory lane for me, bringing back old memories of growing up in Hong Kong. I was actually surprised to learn that many of my local friends had never visited this place. After I highly recommended it to them, they all went and thoroughly enjoyed it. We spent about two hours exploring the galleries, and it's clear the curators put an immense amount of effort into the displays. I highly recommend this museum to both locals and tourists alike!

What a great experience, I hey have done this well! The exhibitions are modern and engaging. The…read morestaff are courteous and friendly. You can spend hours here learning about all the history.

I kind of snuck in. I did. They were actually closed and open for appointments only, but I slid…read morein to check it out. The question of "are they open to the public or are they only open for appointments to potential buyers" is a slippery slope around Hong Kong. "Are you just looking or are you buying?" is another slippery slope. Without a solid contemporary art museum to anchor from, I seek out art any way I can...even slipping into Gagosian. Do as I say and not as I do: I suppose it would be best to call first and simply ask to say "can I come by and take a look, not to buy, but just to look" to be on the up and up with their blessing versus the sneek in approach. If you love contemporary art, this is your church. Their is a fine line between public museum and private gallery in Hong Kong and access to see what is out there in the contemporary world can really only be viewed in the private gallery. I cant lie though. Between several places like Gagosian and Pace, these places are the holy grail of contemporary art and absolutely go if you have an opportunity to be in this space because without doubt whatever is on their walls is spectacular.