We recall at the time we took this picture that we were sitting in our hotel room at the “Hong Kong Shangri-La” looking out onto the waterfront skyline at dusk as the city lights gradually lit up the skyscraper-studded skyline… it’s something spectacular to experience!
After a visit here for 5 nights (plus 2 more in Macau) we then took an incredible 12 Night Regent Cruise from the Hong Kong Cruise terminal to Beijing… if you didn’t read that review from last month click the highlighted link in the earlier part of this paragraph to see what a wonderful experience a Regent Cruise can be!
Hong Kong is a great city to explore before or after a cruise and below are the reasons why it might be a good place to visit around a cruise vacation. (Whether that be an Ocean Cruise that starts or ends here or a Yangtze River Cruise in China, a Mekong River Cruise in Vietnam & Cambodia or an Irrawaddy River Cruise in Myanmar)
Here is Nancy enjoying our time in Hong Kong and the daytime views…
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We should mention that we usually recommend a pre stay rather than a post stay as the pre cruise stay gives you time to get over the jet lag and the time zone change so you are fresh on embarkation day and can truly enjoy the cruise. 🙂
A Few Interesting Facts About Hong Kong:
A. Hong Kong features the most skyscrapers in the world.
B. Hong Kong is the fourth-most densely populated region in the world.
C. Hong Kong is one of the world’s most significant financial centres and ranked as the world’s most competitive and freest economic entity.
D. Hong Kong is an autonomous territory (apart from China) a former British colony in southeastern China and maintains it’s own political and economic system.
E. There are two official languages in Hong Kong: Cantonese and English.
Here is a picture of us having fun exploring this incredible city by boat in Hong Kong Harbor…
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Thing to See and Do in Hong Kong:
1. Star Ferry Ride
Taking the Star Ferry gives you a scenic boat ride across the Harbour in either direction from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon and is a GREAT way to see the skyline of Hong Kong and snap pictures.
2. Tram Ride to Victoria Peak
You can take the funicular train ride to the very top of Victoria Peak and step out to experience great views over the harbour and skyscrapers of Hong Kong like we did in this picture below…
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3. Big Buddha aka “Tian Tan” Buddha
Go see one of the largest Buddha statues in Asia– the Big Buddha also known as “Tian Tan” Buddha which was constructed with just over 200 bronze pieces starting in 1990. Access to the outside of the Buddha is free of charge, but there is an admission fee to go inside the Buddha.
4. Walk the Markets
In Hong Kong the night markets are fascinating to walk through. You name it, they sell it… goldfish, birds, clothes, electronics, shoes, etc.
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5. Try Dim Sum
If you enjoy Dim Sum then you will love it in Hong Kong. The baskets of delicate dumplings are hard to resist… we ate the shrimp dumplings and sweet buns (like the picture below) almost daily because they were SO delicious…
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6. “Hong Kong” Disneyland
It’s a little cliche we know, but if you are Disney lovers as we clearly are and you’ve booked several days in Hong Kong (we stayed for 5 nights) then an easy train ride to the steps of Hong Kong Disneyland and back (yes, it was that simple) is a fun experience. We had a blast!! See a couple of our pictures below…
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Well, there you have it! A snapshot of some of our experiences in Hong Kong and a list of things for you to do as well if you plan a cruise that starts or stops in Hong Kong or your flight to another Cruise goes through there
Want to know more about our cruise from Hong Kong? Then check out Our Pictures and Videos of our 12 Night Regent Cruise from Hong Kong to Beijing and our Regent Seven Seas Cruise blog review.
You can also check out our other related blogs from this part of the World, one is all about Shanghai, China another about Beijing, China when we first visited these cities years ago and you can check out our incredible Yangtze River Cruise as well.
And as always, any other questions about this city, about Regent Cruises or any other Ocean Cruise or River Cruise or Tauck Land Tour simply Contact Shawn.
We appreciate you!
Nancy & Shawn
Your Trusted Cruise Experts!