Hong Kong
Start a love affair with ‘The Sleepless City’
Hong Kong, situated on the southeast coast of China, upon the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea is widely hailed by as an addictive, thriving and cosmopolitan city. Blending the old and the new, the spiritual and the commercial and historically, the British and Chinese ways of life, this is an ever-changing and sleepless city. However, despite all its reinventions, Hong Kong’s spirit has never changed. In fact, the same energy and dynamism that turned a group of sleepy fishing villages into a crossroads of international trade is now taking Asia’s world city into the 21st century.
Hong Kong as we know it today was born when China’s Qing dynasty government was defeated in the First Opium War in 1842, when it ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain. Within 60 years, Kowloon, the New Territories and 235 Outlying Islands were also leased to Britain. However, the history of the more than 1100 square kilometres that Hong Kong now occupies predates the events of the Qing dynasty by more than a thousand years. And, as you explore the city’s colourful heritage, you’ll discover stories of powerful clans, marauding pirates and European traders.
Under the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China on 1 July 1997. This arrangement allows the city to enjoy a high degree of autonomy, including retaining its capitalist system, independent judiciary and rule of law, free trade and freedom of speech.
As you explore every corner of the city, its uniqueness never fails to fascinate. While the majority of the city’s population are Chinese speakers, simply walking the streets will expose you to a medley of Asian and European languages. No matter their nationality, awe-inspired visitors arrive every day with a promise; they will eat some of the finest cuisine, they will see sites and make memories that will last a lifetime and they will form a beautiful love-affair with the city, leaving with a new sense of energy, vibrancy and well and truly addicted.
Flying out
Cathay Pacific Airways has just launched the only non-stop service connecting Gatwick and Hong Kong, which makes travelling from Brighton easier than ever. Simply hop on the Gatwick Express, which runs regularly from Brighton Station direct to Gatwick Airport, and you are there in a matter of minutes.
Ideally placed to serve their leisure and business travellers, the new four-times-weekly service is the airline’s first long-haul route to feature the brand-new Airbus 350-900 aircraft and operates from Gatwick’s South Terminal. Featuring Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class seats, Cathay Pacific’s state-of-the-art A350-900 also provides inflight connectivity in all cabin classes for the first time. Passengers are able to use their own mobile devices to browse the internet, send and receive emails, and stay connected on social media, for a small fee.
With a real focus on offering passengers more choice and flexibility, the new service provides those living in Brighton a convenient way to travel to Hong Kong and beyond via the airline’s extensive hub in Hong Kong.
The premium service provided by Cathay Pacific’s attentive cabin crew, coupled with the airline’s industry-leading inflight entertainment system, means that passengers are assured of a superior experience when they travel between Gatwick and Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong is the premier gateway to China and we are delighted to welcome Cathay Pacific – one of the world’s premier airlines – to Gatwick. The new flights mark an important milestone in the growth of the Gatwick long haul network, which now more than ever provides the UK economy with vital routes into the world’s most important markets.”
Guy Stephenson, Chief Commercial Officer, Gatwick Airport
Cathay Pacific is currently offering return economy fares* from Gatwick to Hong Kong from £469 and to China from £499 and so it is a great time to head over. Whatever you do, don’t forget to take some pennies for spending at Gatwick’s Terminal 1; their huge plethora of duty-free shops is enough to make anyone lose track of the time and have to sprint to their departure gate!
Where to stay
Upon arriving at Hong Kong Airport, take the MTR Airport Express straight into the city for about £10 per person. This super convenient service is one of the world’s leading Airport railway systems and offers you a swift 35.3km journey between the Airport and the city taking only 24 minutes.
The Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong
Formerly known as The Cosmopolitan Hotel Hong Kong, The Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong has recently undergone a top-to-toe makeover, providing this landmark 4 star hotel with a bright new look to all its guestrooms, lobby, and other facilities.
Both business and leisure travellers can make the most out of the hotel’s strategic location. The award-winning Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong is conveniently located between Wanchai and Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island giving guests easy access to all business, shopping, and sightseeing destinations in the city and is only a 8-minute walk to the MTR stations and Times Square.
The Dorsett Wanchai Hong Kong offers 8 types of rooms and suites ranging up to an impressive 48 sq. m. The signature Grand Deluxe Course View Room offers a breath-taking view of the racecourse in front of the hotel and all rooms are equipped with 200Mbps high-speed Wi-Fi internet. Other facilities include La Maison Restaurant that serves Cantonese cuisine, the 3T Bar, a gym room, and various meeting spaces.
By staying at the Dorsett Wanchai, guests enjoy both an urban as well as an authentically “Hong Kong vibe”. The hotel’s top-notch management team and its “beyond thoughtful” attitude towards its guests is faultless. However, the Dorsett Wanchai also likes to show its playful and quirky side throughout its interior design, making staying at the hotel fun and relaxing no matter what the reason for the travellers’ stay.
The next greatest thing following the name change is the crafting of a unique experience for every traveller through personalizing each and everyone’s stay with thoughtful services. For instance, the hotel launches the Dorsett Wanchai 3 Wishes to allow guests to pick additional services at no cost to receive a unique and individualized experience while staying at the hotel. These complimentary services include 3-hour airport lounge access, a buy one and get-one-free airport transfer, free Michelin star-rated dim sum meal, or free breakfast, just to name a few that one can choose from.
Other new service initiatives include an exclusive for female guests; the hotel has introduced a special “Ladies’ Love” Gift Box, containing such travel necessities such as a facial mask, Dorsett’s blue and white nail polisher, Dorsett candle, Dorsett teddy bear key chain, a free hand treatment coupon and shopping discount coupon at popular beauty stores. Hotel guests can also experience the Dorsett Wine Hour every Friday from 6 pm to 7 pm where they can enjoy free-flowing white and red house wine and a selection of fine finger foods. The hotel hasn’t forgotten the kids either, they can get their sugar hit with a free Dorsett Candy Bar every Friday from 6 pm to 7 pm.
“The Dorsett Wanchai is committed to providing a personalized stay for all its guests. We want to create a unique experience by giving extra services but at no extra cost. We have seen a number of new initiatives rolled out in the past one year, including the newly launched Eat & Shop Like a Local guide which offers insider tips to where to find the best food and where to shop to avoid the tourist traps. We aim to give our guests a one-of-a-kind experience while staying at the Dorsett Wanchai.”
Anita Chan, General Manager
The hotel also provides complimentary shuttle bus service to 16 major attractions on the Hong Kong Island which include places like the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Central, and Admiralty where the major entertainment and financial areas are located.
An alternative to the shuttle bus is to purchase an Octopus Card which permits you to travel on all trams, buses and subway trains or even take a very reasonably priced taxi.
Where to Dine
Match Box Cafe
Paying tribute to old Hong Kong, this local café-style eatery serves local comfort foods in a retro setting. Styled like a 1960s tea restaurant and decked out in retro red with plastic light fittings, theatre seats at the tables and bold coloured tiled walls, you can’t help but feel an air of nostalgia. The trendy staff in their iconic green trousers and white blouses or brown Lee Kung Man shirts serve to a sound track of Cantonese classics, rustling up dishes such as macaroni with fried eggs and ham, rice with BBQ pork and egg and toast.
Drinks-wise you can enjoy anything and everything an old-school ‘cha chaan teng’ would serve, from milk teas to “black cow” ice cream coke floats.
Kam Fung Restaurant
Kam Fung Restaurant is a local institution renowned for its traditional milk tea and freshly baked Chinese goodies including egg tarts, insanely tasty chicken pies, and Bo Lo Bao.
Tao Heung Restaurant
For the ultimate in Hong Kong Dim Sum, head straight to Tao Heung, one of the top 10s of ‘must try’ restaurants at Hong Kong. In the mornings you can awaken your taste buds with huge varieties of dim sum and come the evening you can feast on their signature steamboats. Be sure to either book in advance or prepare to share a table with other diners – this is a very popular restaurant and its popularity just keeps growing.
Jade Garden Restaurant
Making its debut back in 1971, this Maxim Group eatery was their first Chinese restaurant to open and to this day remains popular among locals (always a great sign!) and visitors alike. Praised for its incredible and extensive dim sum menu and impeccable service, Jade Garden offers dishes such as sizzling honey-glazed barbecued pork, stir-fried minced pigeon and deep-fried shrimp rolls with garlic.
Jumbo Floating Restaurant
The now world-renowned Jumbo Floating Restaurant opened back in October 1976, taking four years and millions of dollars to design and build. It is ornamented in the style of an exquisite ancient Chinese imperial palace and over the past decades, Jumbo has been much appreciated by locals and tourists alike, becoming a landmark of Hong Kong and celebrity haunt.
Cementing the reputation Hong Kong holds as a “Gourmet’s Paradise” the Jumbo is a major feature of this landscape. The restaurant is best known for fresh seafood specialities prepared by its renowned chefs and the menu includes over 100 delectable seafood dishes, as well as traditional Cantonese cuisine and Dim Sum, all cooked to the individual customer’s taste.
Nightlife
Ozone
Take a trip up into the clouds and sip upon cocktails as inventive as the bar itself. This Hong Kong sky bar and lounge is the highest in the world and located atop the International Commerce Centre. Illuminated in a deep blue, propping up the bar at Ozone feels like being at one with the night sky. Here you are guaranteed an unforgettable experience as you indulge in their cosmopolitan concoctions, Asian bites and DJ beats.
Eyebar
Set upon Hong Kong’s famous harbour and looking out to Hong Kong Island, Eyebar is a contemporary and impeccably designed bar that fits in perfectly amongst the buzz of city life. Like Hong Kong itself the bar seamlessly fuses the old with the new, with subtle touches of the city’s maritime past; the “eye” of the bar referring to the kind that was painted on the prow of old Chinese junks to protect them from evil, while some old photos of Cantonese seadogs and the harbour in the 19th century adorn some wall space.
Perhaps the real selling point of this popular nightspot is the terrace that runs the length of the bar and offers revellers unrivalled views of the city’s nightly laser shows and sparkling skyline. Once again, this is a hot spot for cocktail lovers, with signature cocktails including the gin-based ‘Grape Expectations’ and the lively ‘Calamansitini’ that sings with southeast Asian citrus fruit and gin-infused red tea. Asian fusion runs through the bar snack menu with classics such as spring rolls, fried soft shell crab and chicken wings serving as the perfect accompaniment to your tipple.
Retail Therapy
IFC Shopping Mall
Hailed as Hong Kong’s most visually appealing shopping destinations, the IFC Mall is a must-visit for visitors to the city. Forget the world and indulge in some retail therapy whilst you take in the soothing water views and wrap up your day with a gourmet meal enjoyed to the backdrop of the glamorous harbour. The mall houses over 200 international brands, available at a whole range of price levels, from mid and upper-priced clothing to luxury fashion.
The mall is part of a complex that includes the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel, where you can enjoy both Chinese and Western Michelin-starred fare. There are a variety of other eateries available too, and the roof garden with views across the harbour to Kowloon is a public space.
Times Square
People come from far and wide to Times Square, the retail jewel in the Causeway Bay crown. With over 230 stores to choose from, this is the area’s largest shopping mall. On offer is anything from fashion to accessories, electronics to toys, with two department stores, a supermarket and over 20 restaurants dishing out top-grade Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Western fare.
You can easily recognise the mall by the elaborate displays and photogenic installations it sets up temporarily at its entrance, especially during festivals and other celebrations. Hundreds of thousands of people gather here to countdown to a new year every new years eve.
Ladies Market
If you are a keen haggler then get over to the Ladies’ Market on Tung Choi Street which offers over 100 stalls of bargain clothing, accessories and souvenirs to bargain hungry shoppers over a one-kilometre stretch. Although the name derives from its reputation for offering huge amounts of clothing and accessories for women of all ages, don’t let this fool you. You will be sure to find watches, cosmetics, bags, home furnishings, CDs and trinkets all up for grabs.
Jade Market
The Chinese have long associated Jade with long life and good health, making it a prized material for good-luck charms. In Hong Kong, the jade business is most active at the Jade Market in Kowloon. A three-tonne jade stone marks the strip of Canton Road known as Jade Street, where Jade of the finest quality is sold by more than one hundred stalls The jade comes in all sorts of forms, including jade accessories, including rings, bangles, pendants and earrings, as well as some more unusual finds as well.
Days Out
Ocean Park
Ocean Park is located on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, covering more than 91.5 hectares of land. There are two attraction areas – the Waterfront and the Summit, both of which are connected by cable cars as well as the Ocean Express tunnel funicular system.
Officially opened in January 1977, Ocean Park started as an oceanarium and has gone from strength to strength to become Hong Kong’s acclaimed educational animal and sea life theme park, playing host to more than 130 million guests.
The Park houses a truly unique collection, including insects, fishes, birds and marine mammals. With the increasing success of the Park‘s breeding programmes, births of rare shark species, bottlenose dolphins, rays, sea lions, sea horses, penguins, anacondas, poison dart frogs, red-handed tamarins, pygmy marmosets and different species of sea jellies have been recorded. Endangered birds are also being hatched and reared at Ocean Park.
Begin your adventure at Aqua City, an immersive ocean-themed area, then be dazzled Adventures in Australia, Hong Kong’s first-ever attraction themed on South Australia. Guests begin their quest by watching an exhilarating life movie that showcases the colourful wilderness and magnificent scenery of South Australia, and catching a glimpse of the great Australian Outback as they walk through a tunnel to a meadow where they will encounter iconic species from South Australia, including southern koalas, red-necked wallabies and laughing kookaburras! Follow this up with an icy journey to Polar Adventure, featuring North Pole Encounter, South Pole Spectacular and Arctic Fox Den, as well as a gift shop and the brand new Arctic Blast roller coaster.
Finally, top off your adventure with Old Hong Kong, a gateway into the city’s golden age of the past.
Ngong Ping 360
As a top candidate of Hong Kong top tourist spots, Ngong Ping 360 is where you can enjoy 360-degree views on a ‘world’s top 10’ amazing cable car ride. The attraction also comprises of a culturally themed landscaped garden called Ngong Ping Village.
Preserving the natural ecological environment and features of the Ngong Ping area, Ngong Ping 360 is sure to refresh your body and enlighten your mind, as soon as you step on the famous cable car.
Ngong Ping Cable Car is a visually spectacular 5.7km cable car journey, travelling between Tung Chung Town Centre and Ngong Ping on Lantau Island. Visitors are greeted by stunning panoramic views of the Tian Tan Buddha Statue, South China Sea and beyond from a standard, crystal or private cabin.
Must Do’s
Sky 100 Observation Deck
Situated on the 100th floor of ICC (the tallest building in Hong Kong) and reached by taking a ride on the fastest double-deck elevator in town (100th floor within 1 minute), the Sky 100 Observation Deck offers spectacular 360-degree views of the city’s skyline and the world-renowned Victoria Harbour.
The Hong Kong Observation Wheel
The 60-metre-high Hong Kong Observation Wheel promises visitors spectacular views of the Victoria Harbour as they ride in one of the wheel’s 42 luxurious gondolas.
Star Ferries Harbour Tour
Since as early as 1888, Star Ferry boats have been carrying captivated passengers to and from Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Although these days, the two sides of Victoria Harbour are now connected by a world-class infrastructure system of road and rail tunnels, tens of millions of people still climb aboard the humble Star Ferry vessels each year hoping for an up-close look at one of the world’s most photographed harbours. National Geographic rates the Star Ferry crossing as one of 50 ‘places of a lifetime’.
A Symphony of Lights
‘A Symphony of Lights’ is a nightly light and sound show in Hong Kong and the world’s largest permanent light and sound show according to Guinness World Records.
The multimedia show involves more than 40 buildings on both sides of the famous harbour and is choreographed to music and narration that celebrates the energy, spirit and diversity of Hong Kong. There are five main themes: Awakening, Energy, Heritage, Partnership, and the finale, Celebration. The show is free to enjoy and spectators can listen to the show’s music and narration live nightly at the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre
*Terms and conditions and travel restrictions apply and can be viewed at www.cathaypacific.co.uk.