Hong Kong likes & dislikes – part 2

So after being a little negative about Hong Kong last week, let me tell you about some of my favourite things about this place. So with no further ado…

1. Climate

Whilst I will admit it is ridiculously hot here in summer, I am one of those people who would rather be too warm than too cold, so I have been very much enjoying the warm climate here! Even now, whilst the weather has turned a bit grey and wet, it’s still in the mid-teens so a jumper and a jacket is sufficient to keep me toasty. (This photo is of me in warmer times after climbing Jardine’s Lookout!)

2. I am tall here

In the UK, at 5’4″ I am pretty much bang-on average height for a woman (ref), and I generally feel quite short. However, here sometimes I feel like a giant! I especially notice it when queuing behind a line of little old Chinese ladies for the toilet. Maybe this means I will be able to see more at concerts now?

3. Chinese tea

Those of you who know me will know that I don’t like tea or coffee. However, in a lot of Chinese restaurants here (especially the smaller ones), they plonk a glass of Chinese tea in front of you as soon as you sit down, and often they don’t charge you for it. So I’ve started drinking it! It’s actually quite refreshing, with a much weaker taste than the tea back home. The Chinese have a very specific procedure that they go through when making tea, which involves tiny teacups, a tiny teapot, a larger kettle, a jug and a strainer – we had a go ourselves in Taipei recently, with mixed success!

4. Views

Hong Kong is such a vertical city that there are amazing views wherever you go. Whether it’s looking up…

…or across…

…or down

5. City and countryside

I think a lot of people don’t realise that the city of Hong Kong makes up only a small proportion of Hong Kong SAR. It is amazingly easy to get out of the city into the amazing hills, forests, islands and beaches that surround. I can be on Repulse Bay beach or on top of a hill overlooking the city in less than 15 minutes from the heart of Wanchai. There are so many places to explore around Hong Kong, and Tom and I have only just scratched the surface. I’ll be telling you all about some of the places to go in future posts.

So, that’s almost it for my favourite things about Hong Kong. However, Tom will berate me if I don’t mention the food! There is every kind of food available here, especially Asian food (as you would expect) and most of it is very yummy indeed. I’ll talk about this in more detail in a future post!

What are your best and worst things about Hong Kong? I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!
Rachel