Free Things To Do In Hong Kong

Just recently Hong Kong has been listed as the world’s most expensive city. Despite this label for Asia’s World City, Hong Kong still proves to be one of the favorite destinations for Filipinos. Aside from its visa free entry policy for Filipinos Hong Kong is just 2 Hours from the Philippines capital city of Manila.

When visiting Hong Kong, visitors will surely have no shortage of places to visit and activities to do. However, stretching your dollar can be a challenge if you want to squeeze more into your day and experience more of Hong Kong. Fret no more though, we’ve come up with the top free tourist

Avenue Of Stars

Walk across a concrete board walk above the waters of Victoria Harbor and see Hong Kong’s tributes to its past and present brightest stars. The promenade was built in the 1980’s, by 2004 the same promenade around the New World Centre was developed into what we now know as the Avenue of Stars.

Hong Kong

 

Hong Kong

Chi Lin Nunnery

Built in 1934 and renovated in 1990, the Chi Lin Nunnery is wooden temple complex that features a series of temple hall and deity statues. The Buddhist temple complex is found at Diamond Hill in Kowloon

Hong Kong

Nan Lian Garden

Just right across the Chi Lin Nunnery is the Nan Lian Garden. A well kept public park one can find himself relaxing in this lush garden filled with amazing flora and sculpture. The garden was built in Tang Dynasty style hence the ancient feel of the entire place.

Hong Kong

 

Lady Market

walk through this expansive market place that comes alive specially at night. The Lady’s Market got its name from the women merchandise that are mostly sold ranging from cosmetics accessories and trinkets. There are also good food finds around that market where you can experience authentic Hong Kong style cuisines.

Hong Kong

Noon Day Gun

Every noon time this huge gun is fired facing the Causeway Bay. The gun is actually privately  owned by the multinational giant Jardine Matheson hence, a Jardine employee has the honor. This ritual traces its origin way back in the 1860’s ironically as a penalty. During those times everytime Jardine’s  tai-pan arrives the company would fire the gun as a salute. However, a new comer British naval officer got annoyed of it and penalized the Jardine Matheson company by ordering it of firing the gun for all eternity! Jardine however up to this day has kept its side of the deal.

Hong Kong

Central Plaza Sky Deck

One of the best views of Hong Kong is actually offered for free. Find your selves at the Central Plaza sky deck where you can get an unobstructed view of Hong Kong for free. Best part of it is that not a lot of people know about this !

Hong Kong

Central Mid Level Escalator

Declared as the world’s longest escalator, The Central Mid Level escalator connects the lower part of Central to the upper part through the steep hill side via a series of 20 escalator and inclined walkalator. Total travel time from the lower part to the top of the escalators is about 20 minutes.

Hong Kong

Man Mo Temple

The Man Mo Temple is a tribute to the God of Literature and God of War. It is said that many have flocked to this temple since the 1800’s to pray for their studies. People offer coiled up incense and hang them up in front of the altar for their prayers.

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Hong Kong Museum Of History

The museum offers some free galleries showcasing 400 million years of history that includes artifacts, ethnography and other natural histories about Hong Kong and South China.

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Symphony Of Lights

Back at the Avenue of Stars, a free nightly show comes to life as soon as the clock strikes 7. The entire Hong Kong island becomes a big stage as its famous skyline dances with lights to the beat of a common music.

 

 

Hong Kong Park

Take a break from the chaotic city scene of Hong Kong without going to the country side. The Hong Kong park offers respite for those who need to breath a little. The park is located just right off of the Hong Kong Zoo

 

If you need more information about Hong Kong you can check out this Free Travel Guide and Itinerary to help you plan your trip.

Hong Kong In Photographs

I could be the worst blogger there is. A few years back,  I had the chance to travel with my dad to Hong Kong, and I don’t have the right words to describe that trip. So here I am telling you that very story of our trip to Hong Kong In Photographs.

Hong Kong is a melting pot of cultures where the east collides with the west. Its busy street is filled with so much commerce and culture at the same time.  I didn’t really choose Hong Kong to be my dad’s first trip but it was what was convenient. Okay the tickets were on sale so it was a no brainer to decide that I should book it.

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

On board our Cebu Pacific flight to Hong Kong, Dad’s first time abroad!

>>> See Story Of My Dad’s First Time Abroad<<<

Hong Kong In Photographs

Our first glimpse of Hong Kong in Photographs

Hong Kong In Photographs

We arrived well into the afternoon without a proper lunch. We walked around the vicinity of our hotel and ate at the first restaurant we found. It was a bit pricey and not that delicious but we were hungry!

Hong Kong In Photographs

First meal in a typical restaurant within our hotel’s block

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

Disneyland Day! Sorry the kid in me can’t just let this pass. It has been almost a decade since I last experience Disneyland in Anaheim at this point.

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

Goofy!

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

Disney’s magic never fails me.

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

Tea Cups anyone?

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

Strolling along the Avenue of Stars

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

Busy streets of Kowloon

Hong Kong In Photographs

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

Crossing the harbor to Centeral Hong Kong

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

Streets of Central Hong Kong

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

The view from The Peak

 

Hong Kong In Photographs

Goodnight and good bye Hong Kong till we meet again

 

Easy Hong Kong Travel Guide

 

It’s that season again when Airlines are trying to fill up their seats with Seat Sales for the lean seasons or sometimes even better immediate travel. Here’s a Quick and Easy Hong Kong Travel Guide so you can do a quick escape to Asia’s World City!

Cheap Air Tickets

Airasia is running a promotion right now so we did a mock booking and here’s the cheapest that we could find.

Screenshot_2016-10-04-17-07-08

 

But there are more airlines out there, so download fare comparison apps on your phone like Skyscanner (my personal favorite) so you see who has the best prices for that dates that you are eyeing.

 

Where To Stay In Hong Kong

It actually depends in your budget, if you got some money to burn you can opt to stay in Central, the posh side of Hong Kong. But if you are all up for a Backpacking style adventure then stay at the Kowloon side of the city.

Best place that we recommend staying is at Dragon Hostel. We found them after searching every travel guide and reviews about accommodations in Hong Kong. Reviews are important part of searching since they are feedback coming from customers, people who are paying to stay there so it’s a good reference to gauge whether an accommodation is good or bad.

>>> Check our review of Dragon Hostel Here<<<

You can also find other great Hotels here!

Here’s a sample seach… you can click on the photo!

room

What to do in Hong Kong

Check with your hotel mostly likely than not, they can provide you with discounted tickets to amusement parks here’s what we got from ours at Dragon Hostel

hostel prices

 Where To Eat 

Din Tai Fung and Tim Ho Wan is out of the question, they are a must have. But one must roam around Hong Kong to actually see what there is to experience. We projected our budget for food at $100 per day (except for HK Disneyland where food was ridiculously expensive at $100 per meal) per head. Honestly we just ate at any restaurant we are near at when we were hungry.

 

 

Getting Around Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s MTR, their train system is actually one if not the best in the world that even Singapore envies its efficiency. The MTR will take you for the most part of Hong Kong where attractions are, then you’d have to walk. Taxis and private cars can be expensive and throw your backpacker’s budget off the gutter, so brace your selves for a whole lot of walking anyways this how locals roll in their city – they walk.

Remember to download the MTR app as well so you can plan ahead of time what routes you are taking and how much you’ll be paying and don’t forget to buy your Octopus Card in the airport for hassle free travel throughout the city.

 

>>>Don’t pay $100 HKD for the Airport Express, check this guide for the travel hack<<<

 

MTR App

Sample Expense Sheet

To give you an idea of how much you should be preparing here’s a rough estimate that we’ve made. The total cost may rise or go down depending on the attractions that you want to see, for example, you can just choose between The Peak or Madame Tussauds instead of seeing them both or go to Ocean Park instead of Disneyland which is way more expensive. So choose wisely of where you want to spend your day, remember there are a lot of attractions in Hong Kong that does not require you of paying!

sample expensesSo say that you don’t hell care about Dinseyland and/or Madame Tussauds, and you just want to experience the authentic Hong Kong life by going to their night Markets, parks and plazas. That could easily translate just a little over Php 11,000! Just know what you want to do and see efficiently.

Here’s our itinerary on our trip.

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Note: This post is based on the author’s trip last 2014 on a Php 21000 budget for two.

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Still got questions? Put them on the comment section and we’ll answer them the best that we can 😉

Where To Stay In Hong Kong: Dragon Hostel

 

where to stay in hong kongHong Kong is a ultra dynamic city that never sleeps and staying in location that offers quick access to the train and basic things such as restaurants, convenience stores and a like can be easy so long as you stay within the city centers like Kowloon.

However, getting clean and decent rooms can be challenging specially with so many competing hostels that there is.

After searching over and over the internet for the best and affordable place that there is, review after review we ended up booking Dragon Hostel and yes with no regrets.

Dragon Hostel sits at the heart of Kowloon just a block off from the nearest MTR station. Convenience stores and restuarants are within reach and the neighborhood it sits in offers affordable basic commodities.

 

The building has four elevators two on each side servicing just fifteen floors. Though the elevators, since they are smaller than standard once can be a bit crowded at times it can be a lot more forgiving than the Chung King Mansions -which we suggest should be your last resort.

Dragon Hostel offer rates that are reasonable, I tell you if you get prices lower than what they offer better think twice of how decent they are.

where to stay in hong kong

Overall, our experice with Dragon Hostel was excellent the wifi was fast -like really fast, the beds and the room and the bathroom were clean and no bugs! The rooms a bit small specially for westerners but that is just how the roll with Hostels in Hong Kong. What made our stay extra special was being at the heart of the action where all those haggling and bartering happen.

Like they say there Hong Kong has two faces – Central and Kowloon, and Kowloon is the face of Hong Kong that I love.

Here are the good points I have for Dragon Hostel

  • Clean
  • Accessible and near the MTR
  • Near food stores and convenience stores
  • Friendly Staff
  • I found no bugs in the room
  • Has CR inside
  • Best price there is for quality hostels
  • Offers various assistance for travel
  • Offers discounted rates for Hong Kong attractions

Cons

  • Staff isn’t that good with English but will do their best to help you
  • Elevator sometimes gets too busy going down, but there are four of them so just be patient and it is better than what Chung King Mansion has.

Quick Tip

You can also buy your tickets for amusement parks at the reception at a discounted rate!

If you find this review helpful please help support us by booking through Here where you’ll find the best prices available

>>>Check out my Hong Kong Travel Guide Here<<<