Hong Kong & Macau
Living in Australia and loving travel means two things are always true. Firstly, a trip overseas usually will see you on a plane for at least eight hours. Secondly, it usually means that you will pay more than a pretty penny on a plane ticket. This horrid combination means any smart traveller tries to make their trip worth the hassle by either taking a slightly longer trip (like the infamous piss up/year travelling/year working in the UK or Canada that many Australian's and Kiwi's do after university) or by making a least one stop over. Because I am both a glutton for travel and a bit of a cheapskate my planned trip to South Korea soon became a trip to Hong Kong and South Korea, a decision that not only saved me $200 in flights but also gave me a chance to explore the most accessible parts of China, Hong Kong and Macau.
Truthfully and disappointingly, I found myself in a love/hate relationship with Hong Kong, which felt both unique and alarmingly too similar to home at the same time. As a true city of contradictions, Hong Kong was also both dirty and stunningly beautiful and crowded and quite.
I stayed in the busy and noisy Causeway Bay area on Hong Kong Island in a room that, though quite spacious in terms of Hong Kong accommodation, did have a bathroom that was almost completely open to the busy street below.
As an Australian, I am very much used to having abundant space and at least some form of privacy so the lack of it, though kinda expected, took a while for me to get used too.
While I found silence and tranquality in many of the countries hundreds of temples I could also quickly find myself right in the middle of a protest or a crowded bar by just turning a few corners.
In terms of food, everything you heard is true and the numbers of choices, especially when it came to dessert, was truely amazing and I pigged out every chance I got.
Being only a couple of hours away from Hong Kong via ferry its hard to say no to a day trip to the Vegas of the East, Macau. Like Hong Kong, Macau is very much full of contradictions. Full of tourists crammed into the smallest places the blend Portuguese colonial influence and the many bright and tacky casinos is defintely a sight to see.
I could spend hours describing every single gorgeous building I saw and everything delicious I ate but to save both myself and you guys from my rambling here is a quick and simple check list for when you visit Hong Kong and Macau.
To eat:
Tim Ho Wan: Though I am a massive Dai Tai Fung devotee its pretty much impossible to visit Hong Kong and not try the world's cheapest Michelin star restaurant.
Tai Lei Loi Kei: Colonisation is pretty damn horrible (see the Australian Frontier Wars) but what does make me smirk a little is when a colonised and often mistreated nation takes a dish from their colonisers homeland and make it better. Really its like the ultimate fuck you. Macau's infamous pork chop bun which consists of fried pork chop in a crunchy European-style bread roll certainly feels like a delicious, middle fingers in the air, fuck you anyway.
Lee Keung Kee: Like dumplings its hard to go to Hong Kong and not try the cities answer to both a portable crepe, egg waffles. Though there are many famous places to get a waffle fix in Hong Kong, this stalemate, which serves waffles that are both crunchy and cake-like soft, has lines almost constantly.
Mammy Pancake: The place to go for more modern and crazy (think Matcha and chocolate chip) versions of egg waffles.
Wai Kee Congee Shop: Savoury porridge with meat is certainly not something a white Australian girl east regularly and though I had tried congee before I wasn't its biggest fan. I have to admit, though, that the few very tasty congees I had in Hong Kong have now converted me into a savoury porridge lover. Although most of the congees I had were fanastic, the preserved egg and pork congee I had this infamous no-frills eatery was the most mouthwatering sludge I have had in my life.
To drink:
Sugar: Spring and summer in Hong Kong is, unsurprisingly, humid as hell so roof top bars that are laid back are the best places to be when or even before sunset. Though outside any of Hong Kong's main nightlife districts this bar certainly makes up for its location with its wonderful views, refreshing cocktails and in house DJ.
Ozone: The most famous of Hong Kong many brilliant rooftop bars this bar is 490 metres above sea level making it the highest bar in the world. Ozzing in sometimes over the top luxury on a good day it offers views as far as The Peak. It also houses has Hong Kong's largest collection of gin which may or may not of been the driving force of my last minute visit on my last night before flying out.
On the street: As an Australian I am not used to being able to drink on the street at any time nor I am used to 2 dollar beers. Hong Kong offered me all of that and my Australian-ish gave me the ability to not feel ashamed for drinking in an alleyway.
To do and see:
Lamma Island: My absolute hands on my heart day in Hong Kong was mostly spent on Lamma Island. Best described as a tropical version of Brooklyn or Sydney's Inner West Lamma couldn't have been more different to Hong Kong's two largest islands. Full of empty beaches, dogs, tropical and healthy food and completely void of cars this a place to relax and escape and to have a delicious seafood lunch overlooking the bay (Rainbow Seafood Resturant is my pick).
Explore a food market: Though I was pretty much over fish balls and egg tarts by the time I left Hong Kong's fresh food markets were one my favourite places to explore. Full of local delicacies as well as food from south-east Asia and other areas, these markets are full of the freshest, cheapest and tastiest food that Hong Kong has to offer.
Go to the beach: When on holiday I always find myself at some sort of beach whether it be amazing or not so its probably not at surprising all that I found myself at a few of Hong Kong's beaches come late afternoon hangover still lingering. As an Australian and a lover of the beach, I have pretty high and frankly snobby expectations when it comes to beaches and truthfully didn't expect much from Hong Kong's beaches. I clearly should of have had greater expectations. Though a lot of the most famous beaches, like Stanley, are quite crowded there are a good handful of gorgeous beaches scatted across all the islands without huge crowds.
Visit a cousin: Like it's more Northern cousin Las Vegas, Macau is full of overtop and sometimes trashy casinos. As well as being a great place for some shopping and a quick eat they are the perfect place to escape the insane heat and smog of Macau.
