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!

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

Hidden af place but I love it. Away from all the tourists, here you find locals and other…read moreadventurous travelers bringing their dogs to play and run around. This place is NICE and so much hidden paths to walk on I didn't see how far one of them went. I hope it stays lightly walked because I can't describe the full beauty in pictures. I can definitely see wedding photos taken here, and given how little damage this place has after 1 week of a Typhoon, it's a real gem to come here. To get there from the peak, you get off on the rightmost path from the Peak Tram then walk until you find a zig zag walkway up on the left. Go up and you'll hit some giant houses and a road. Follow the road up until you hit the spot. Really cool, and I love the calming atmosphere.

You know what's better than taking romantic wedding photos with your significant other at a…read morebeautiful garden? Creeping on couples taking romantic wedding photos because you want to explore the beautiful garden, but can't do it without getting in the way. Sorry to those 5 or 6 couples, but you might have some sweaty people sneaking around with a selfie stick in the background of your pictures. Victoria Peak Gardens is NOT the Peak. I'm seeing a lot of reviews/pictures of the Peak on this page. NO! The Peak is a cool observation point of the city crammed with tourists and surrounded by super overpriced food. Victoria Peak Garden is about a 10 minute walk up the mountain, where tourists usually forget to venture. You pass by excessive rich-people condos and lush green pastures, where people are lying on picnic blankets and taking pretty photos. Near the top of the mountain is a lovely garden (which is supposedly filled with flowers, but it was just green and brown when I went) with a fancy gazebo smack dab in the middle. No wonder dozens of people were taking wedding photos here when I went. It was absolutely gorgeous! It made me think of some sort of Asian drama fairytale ending scene, where the main characters finally confess their love and kiss each other after 30 episodes. I can practically hear the ballad playing in the background. So yeah. Come here to get away from the smog and the gaggle of tourists from the Peak to breathe in some nature. Or to sneak up on some unsuspecting couples who really don't want you there. Or to dance around/make out with your SO like you're a star in a soap opera. Don't worry, I won't judge (though the other people there might). (88/100) - 2016

Wonderful park with different decor for each entrance on the Nathan side. Love it with the…read moreanimated characters...and painting on the floor. Well maintained and couple or several water fountains. We just walked through but felt safe plus felt not in a city rather in a fun relaxing atmosphere vibe. And it is right in the middle of a busiest street in HK.

A beautiful, well-maintained park with multiple geyser water fountains, lush foliage, sculptures,…read moreand lots of places for sitting and enjoying the ambiance. There's even a hedge maze and avenue of HK comics. It's well lit at night, safe and clean. Excellent place to visit or just walk around.

This is now the second time that I have been to the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. I subscribe to…read moretheir e-mail info and they send out all the great news about upcoming exhibitions, installations, events, workshops, cultural movies, etc. that they have going on at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. Located across the road from the Conrad hotel and around the bend from the British Consulate (or at least I think that is what that is), this is a great place to check out. The front desk staff has been super welcoming and friendly on my two visits and I was impressed with the art exhibitions we were able to see both times (Yoshitomo Nara and Bat Cave). The exhibition space is not large, so don't have the expectation that it is large like a multi-level museum. It is more like a one wing, one floor of a museum in size. Both exhibitions were also reasonably priced. The Bat Cave I saw today was $30HKD. This place not only showcases art, but has events, has a restaurant, has a history being a fortress of amunition back in the day, is an architecturally cool building to wander around, has feature films from time-to-time and also has a little gift shop. This is kind of a happening place!

Asia Society Center is definitely one of the rare successful cases in building conservation in Hong…read moreKong, a secluded sanctuary. Formerly being Victoria Barracks and Explosives Magazine that dates back to 1843, it is a Grade 1 Heritage site (highest) and was revitalized by the renowned Tod Williams & Billie Tsien Architects from New York. Exterior of the old military structures are mostly recovered, with minor alternations to improve weather tightness and allow air-conditioning. They are given a new use inside, housing exhibition spaces, lecture /theatre hall, etc. All new additions are less than three floors (you don't need to climb stairs that exhaust you), keeping the original horizontality of the place. You can see rail tracks in brown brass colour inscribed into the outdoor ground, which are the remains from the old magazine, for ease of transportation of the ammunitions by carts over rails. The green and grey tones of the stone used for the new building exudes a calming, almost meditative quality to the space. Connectivity between the scattered barracks and storage huts is enhanced by covered walkways echoing the 'heritage rail tracks', and especially by the newly added double-deck walkway, tying in the whole complex, the low and high block, the new and the old. Strolling through the building is like meandering through a series of routes with both permanent and temporarily installed artworks strategically placed along the way, reminding me of the experience of passing through a Suzhou Garden. I wonder if it is part of the inspiration for the designer? I particularly love the treatment of the upper deck of the walkway, where there is a lowered strip of bench seating along the edge. This allows you to stop anywhere along the way, and have a seat to savor in the view down at admiralty and even out to the sea over some of the rooftops. For the Center you can enter mostly for free except for some periodic special exhibitions (though I mostly go there for walks to enjoy the building itself instead), and if you feel like a drink, there is Ammo, a small yet refined bistro in the new block. (A stunner in interior design! For which I would have a separate review.) ( A little side note: Tod Williams & Billie Tsien Architects is the firm who designed the American Folk Art Museum in New York City right next to MOMA which, sadly, is to be demolished and make way for an extension of the MOMA, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) who's the designer behind the vibrant Highline Park in NYC. The decision is such a pity, even though I have much respect for DS+R as well... )

I love Kadoorie farm-- a beautifully maintained Botanic garden and working farm with stunning…read morehiking trails. A great place to take kids on the weekend to learn about plants and animals, and for anyone else who enjoys the outdoors for miles of hiking trails winding through fruit orchards, orchids among other plants native to HK and Guangdong. Don't miss out on the pigs and garden centre (I should have picked up my herbs BEFORE they all sold out at 4pm). Needless to say, the $20 admission and journey to the New Territories is well worth it!

Worth visiting especially when combined with a snack or a meal at the Lock Cha Tea Shop next door…read more The first floor in my opinion has the most interesting exhibits and descriptions of the history of Tea drinking, Tea ware and Tea preparation. Google maps led us astray. Use Apple Maps instead. The museum is easily reached from the Admiralty MTR station via the Pacific Center Mall.

Small museum located inside Hong Kong Botanical garden. I spent about 10 minutes at most, the…read morecollection really didn't interest me that much, but if you're a fan of old stamps and tea ware, and its rich history, then you'd probably love this place. They have tons of "security" and personnel everything, preventing you from taking photos. There is no admission fee, so I guess if you're nearby in Admiralty or Central or in Hong Kong park, it's worth taking a look quickly. Currently, parts of it are undergoing renovations (December 2015), so maybe there will be something new later on. Fun fact, this is great in the summertime, for a quick cool down from the sweltering heat in the park.

This beautiful aviary offers a nice break and contrast from the hustle and bustle of the city and…read moretall buildings yonder. I have been here 3 times and have loved every inch of this 30,000 sq ft open space that I walked through. For me bonding with nature and learning about some of the beautiful 650 or so species of birds has been a relaxing and educating revelation with simultaneous great cardio with the many, many stairs and " vertical walks". It is a refreshing reminder that life really is simple and there is love in every species and situation all over the world. Loved learning about and seeing the blue eyed Bali myna, the rainbow lorikeets, the pigeons and this gorgeous Java sparrow family( photo). Barely scratched the surface. The entrance is free. Open daily from 9 to 5. Daylight throughout as the sun sets around 6:25 these days. Water bottles are allowed. To my fellow Yelpers with kids and grandkids- please do come and enjoy this great simulation of a rainforest and laugh along with the fun thrushes in the Edward Youde Aviary in the very south of the Hong Kong Park.

It's a zoo for birds!…read more The Edward Youde Aviary is located inside Hong Kong Park. It's actual location places it near the upper edge of the southern slope of the park, so be prepared for a vertical walk in order to reach it. I suppose it depends on how you enter the park, but chances are you will find a few hills and sets of steps regardless of how you enter the park. Just follow the well posted signs. The little climb though is worth the walk, for the bird sanctuary is actually quite peaceful and lovely. The aviary does not charge admission and is free and open to the public from 9AM to 5PM daily. It is almost like a si-fi bio, mesh dome for birds and various plants parked in the middle of the city. In addition to the actual aviary, there is a caged area with some special bird breeds that are not located inside the the aviary (I have read that the large hornbills, for example, often prey on smaller birds and thus have to be kept in a special area). The actual aviary was unexpectedly clean, well kept and tranquil. If I was a bird in Hong Kong, this would be like a spa and I would want to hang out here! You pass through some bright neon green chain link curtains to enter the aviary. The sounds of birds, the fresh air of all the fauna, the sound of water falling from the little waterfall into the small lake, and the raised wooden walkway that guides you through made me think I had entered another world away from Hong Kong. There are around 600 birds of 75 different species inside the aviary. It is a peaceful place to just be. They encourage you to be very quite while in the aviary to not disrupt the birds and for an optimal experience entering the habitat.