Experience Hong Kong
- Western. Just west of the skyscrapers, this older and quieter neighborhood of Hong Kong Island has long been known for its Chinese medicine and antiques shops, temples, and the tram. Nowadays it's becoming a hip area where visitors can find quirky restaurants, cafés, and shops.
- Central. Hong Kong's world-famous finance hub extends through Admiralty and boasts skyline high-rises, including the city's tallest office building. Head up the Mid-Levels Escalator to enjoy drinks in trendy SoHo or take the funicular to Victoria Peak for postcard views of the city and harbor.
- Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, and Eastern. Wan Chai still has its strip of harmless red-light venues, though not so far away are furniture and home-accessories shops and wine bars. Shoppers flock to Causeway Bay's Times Square, Hysan Place, Sogo, and Lee Gardens, as well as the many boutique shops that pepper the area. Happy Valley has the racecourse, where for a small entrance fee you can cheer on your favorite horse.
- Southside. Stanley, with its colonial remnants, outdoor market, waterfront restaurants, and annual Dragon Boat races, may be Southside's obvious destination. But don't let it stop you from visiting beaches, from Repulse Bay to Shek O, at the start (or finish) of the Dragon's Back scenic hiking trail. Or play with the pandas at Ocean Park.
- Tsim Sha Tsui. Moving across the harbor to Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui begins at the 50-year-old Star Ferry Terminal followed by the eastward promenade along the Avenue of Stars, which offers front-row views of the famous Hong Kong Island skyline.
- Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, and Northern Kowloon. Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok are the epicenters of night and day markets, where you can score souvenirs and knickknacks on the cheap. North of here are residential areas and attractions, including the famed Kowloon Walled City Park.
- New Territories. Hong Kong's least developed areas are the sites of still-inhabited historic villages and relatively unspoiled natural beauty, in addition to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery and Hong Kong Heritage Museum in the new town of Sha Tin.
- Lantau Island. Of the Hong Kong archipelago of 260 islands, Lantau is by far the largest. It's home to the Big Buddha and Disneyland.
