Winter Hunt for TVB's Hong Kong Flavour: A 4-Day Hong Kong & Macau Trip
Went to Hong Kong in January, wearing a padded coat but with spring/autumn clothes for exploring. My previous impression of Hong Kong was that it was crowded and chaotic, but after going I didn't expect to fall for this city. It's polite, culturally blended, and the unique Hong Kong style combining Chinese, Western, and European elements is unforgettable.
Some tips:
Hong Kong-Macau Travel Permit: You can process Hong Kong and Macau together (Taiwan is separate). The current permit is a card, like an ID. If you're in Hangzhou, you can book an appointment in advance, print the application form at a self-service kiosk (usually one Macau, two Hong Kong endorsements), take an electronic photo (now all electronic, no need for a printed photo), then go to the counter with your appointment number and tell staff you have a booking to get your endorsement processed early (I recommend applying for the maximum number of entries just in case of multiple trips). With an appointment, it's much faster than waiting without one – less than an hour in total. You can collect the permit in around 10 days.
Direct flights from Hangzhou to Hong Kong are pricey, and the high-speed train only has one departure that doesn't suit us, so we flew to Shenzhen then took the high-speed train. The train from Shenzhen to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station takes just 19 minutes – super fast!
Going to HK: On Thursday evening the 24th, we flew from Hangzhou to Shenzhen, arriving at Shenzhen North Station after midnight and stayed one night. Bao'an Airport has a direct bus to Shenzhen North Station, 24 yuan, taking about 40 minutes late at night. We originally wanted to go to Futian Station, but there's no direct bus from the airport that late.
From HK to Macau: On the 27th, we went from Hong Kong to Macau. Ticket office: B1, Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Price 186 HKD, one-hour journey. Ferries run roughly every ten minutes.
Back to Hangzhou: Monday afternoon the 28th, direct bus from Hong Kong to Shenzhen Bao'an Airport. Ticket office: 1/F, Shun Tak Centre, Sheung Wan (the ticket booth is right outside Exit D of Sheung Wan MTR station). Price 110 HKD, 2 hours.
Shenzhen: Sunflower Hotel (right outside Shenzhen North high-speed train station, convenient but took a while to find). Price: over 300 yuan.
Hong Kong: Best Western Plus Hotel (Grand City Hotel). The lobby looks impressive. The room isn't big but is clean, tidy, and fully equipped. However, Hong Kong hotel rooms are generally not large unless you go for the really expensive ones. Price: over 700 HKD (hotel prices vary by season; Hong Kong hotels usually cost a few hundred more than mainland ones for the same tier). Location: Exit B of Sai Ying Pun MTR station, one stop after Sheung Wan. It's just a few dozen meters walk from the exit, with a shortcut alley. Of course it depends where you prefer to stay; we stayed on Hong Kong Island near Central, where locals are said to be the majority.
For 3–4 days, I'd suggest bringing 1,000 HKD. Big shops accept UnionPay cards; some chain convenience stores accept Alipay and WeChat Pay. But you definitely need to have Hong Kong dollars. When exchanging on the mainland, best to go to Bank of China; not all banks can do it. For example, Hangzhou United Bank and rural credit cooperatives couldn't exchange.
For Hong Kong transport, I recommend getting an Octopus card. Around 150 HKD can last three or four days. It works on the MTR, buses, ding ding trams, etc., and you can top it up in many places around the city. Transport in HK is generally two or three times more expensive than on the mainland. Just a couple of MTR stops costs over 5 HKD, buses also typically over 5 HKD; the ding ding tram is cheaper at 2 HKD per ride.
Baidu Maps: Some say it's not good, but I found it pretty good and accurate.
Google Maps: Maybe I'm not used to it; I still prefer Baidu. Anyway, my friend used Google, I used Baidu, we both thought Baidu worked better.
Early morning, we took the high-speed train from Shenzhen North to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station. Remember, there are many trains from Shenzhen to Hong Kong (Shenzhen North and Futian), roughly every ten minutes. After arriving, you go through border control. If it's your first entry into Hong Kong, you need to use the manual counters, not the automatic gates.
After exiting, we realized we couldn't read Hong Kong's bus stop signs – a few poles with tiny writing. After studying them, we finally figured it out. Interestingly, their bus stop signs can rotate.
From Kowloon to our hotel on Hong Kong Island, the bus took less than half an hour. The roads on Hong Kong Island are much more fun, with slopes going up and down.
Schools are built along the roadsides, and they're quite different from schools on the mainland.
When we got to the hotel, check-in was only at 2 pm (many HK hotels do this), so we left our luggage at the front desk. The older front desk uncle we met was really nice; he answered all our questions warmly. Even though I don't know his name, I hope good people have good luck.
Today's itinerary was all along the Hong Kong Island line (blue line on map). First, we hopped on a ding ding tram and rode along while sightseeing all the way to Hoi Shan House.
Ding ding trams have designated stops, but there are no announcements – you need to pay attention yourself. The best photo spots are the front and back seats because they have large glass windows. The tram goes very slowly, no motion sickness. Weaving and turning through narrow streets is an excitement you don't get on the mainland.
Sitting in the ding ding, watching Hong Kong's roadside high-rises, signboards, and dense character – that strong Hong Kong vibe fills your eyes the whole journey.
After getting off, without a plan we randomly picked a shop for lunch. I thought Hong Kong noodles would all be delicious, but that wasn't the case.
A bowl of noodles like this cost 30 HKD, in a very small shop. Much pricier than a Shaxian snack on the mainland, but 30 HKD for ordinary noodles is a common price in Hong Kong. Alright, after eating, we went looking for Hoi Shan House.
Why this place? It's a fairly characteristic Hong Kong residential building, worth checking out. You enter via a small lane from the main road, with buildings pressing in on three sides. It actually looked quite oppressive – I wonder what it feels like to live there, with no sunlight and a perennial shadow. This is probably why Hong Kong has so many laundromats.
Lots of young people were taking photos.
After snapping our shots, we moved on.
Causeway Bay is basically an urban street area with lots of shopping malls; you can shop till you drop.
We also stopped by for “Tsui So Desserts”. It felt similar to the “Tsui Siu Desserts” in Hangzhou. Hong Kong-style desserts actually taste pretty similar to chains like Honeymoon Dessert.
Passing under an overpass, we spotted a fortune teller granny!
My travel buddy wanted to check it out, claiming she had a thing for dumplings, so off we went. Opposite is Victoria Harbour.
You can cross via the footbridge, passing through a shopping mall. You can't walk at street level; many Hong Kong roads require taking footbridges.
This is an area where Hong Kong's elite hang out. Didn't see much except crowds of people, office buildings, and malls – a bustling area. I especially like their red taxis.
While hunting for dinner, we stumbled upon the Mid-Levels Escalator from the movie “Chungking Express”, but we decided to eat first.
Not searching deliberately, we found a well-reviewed place on Dianping. This shop only sells noodles. We ordered a three-topping combo. The wontons and beef were okay, but that giant fishball tasted weird – seemed to have orange peel in it. However, the broth was very fresh. The bowl looked small but was very filling.
Let's return to the Mid-Levels Escalator. The terrain here is quite steep and high. The Mid-Levels Escalator is claimed to be over 800 metres long; I thought it was one continuous stretch, but it's actually segmented, and looked pretty ordinary.
At the end of the escalator, there are stairs going uphill and downhill. We chose uphill, and then discovered a new world!
A prison right in the city!
When we first reached the top, it felt like an open square, surrounded by European-style buildings and bars, full of foreigners, with a lively atmosphere. Then we realised that the building with an archway in the square was a former prison.
It's now a heritage site you can visit. It was already 8 or 9 pm. The prison was quite special: you could see the old cells, there's an art gallery (these places are only open during the day), plus restaurants, bars, etc. All full of foreigners, very high-energy. I never saw this place mentioned in any guide or recommendation – I highly recommend it! It's so unique!
Lan Kwai Fong is right nearby, just through a small alley. Before we even reached the end, we heard loud noise – voices, singing, clinking glasses. I hadn't expected this to be basically an expat hangout, a whole bar street. Many Chinese visitors were just looking. It's not just crowded; the vibe can be felt from several streets away. For the first time, I truly felt the passion and outgoingness of foreigners. Hong Kong really has many foreigners from all over.
It's a pity that video can't capture a third of the on-site feeling. On the streets of Hong Kong at 10 or 11 pm, there were still plenty of people, mostly tourists I reckon.
Day two's itinerary was mostly across the harbour in Kowloon.
Breakfast: Lin Heung Kui
This is a famous old-style tea house. Going upstairs, we saw mostly elderly folk.
We found a seat, sharing a table – tourists, three groups sharing. Here, aunties push trolleys around; you just take whatever you fancy.
Choi Hung Estate is in Wong Tai Sin district. Along the way on the bus, you can see colourful high-rises lining the road – a Hong Kong feature. The buildings may be old but aren't tacky. Choi Hung Estate is a large colourful housing estate.
We got off the bus here, not sure if it was the estate's main entrance.
The Instagram-famous photo spot is near the MTR station, in a building with a red colour in the middle (different blocks have different accent colours). We entered from another direction, searched a big loop, and finally found it – wherever crowds were going in and out. The second-floor rooftop is a basketball court; many people were taking photos there. They all looked like mainland Chinese. I don't know why, but you can pretty much tell mainlanders from Hong Kongers at a glance.
After that, we visited Wong Tai Sin Temple to pray. It was super crowded, with incense smoke so thick it was hard to breathe. No entrance fee; you can donate if you wish.
Sham Shui Po is known as Hong Kong's slum, a place where the classic street vibe is evident: large neon signboards, old buildings. The housing is somewhat similar to Hong Kong Island, just without ding ding trams on the streets.
We sought out a Michelin-recommended restaurant, “Tim Ho Wan”, a well-known and affordable eatery. Usually, you have to queue. Their most famous dish is the char siu bao (BBQ pork buns). I'd had char siu bao on the mainland and thought they'd be similar, but they were completely different – truly delicious.
Because it's so crowded, you basically share tables. Opposite us sat a Hong Kong couple – the wife was a Hong Konger, the husband a Singaporean, settled in Hong Kong. They came just for the char siu bao. We chatted happily. They knew we were from the mainland and were very warm. They themselves said that most Hong Kongers are good people, just a small minority aren't. We talked about everything from hometown cuisine to national benefits. I think this conversation gave me a good impression of Hong Kong.
Next, we walked all the way towards Victoria Harbour, passing through Mong Kok / Yau Ma Tei / Tsim Sha Tsui. The route is the red line on the map.
Nathan Road in Kowloon is basically modern Hong Kong, with modern high-rises, a slight whiff of Shanghai, so I didn't take photos...
This area, being a modern city, has lots of big malls and shops for shopping. Me, I'd rather recommend food.
Dessert: Yee Shun Milk Company
Both Yee Shun Milk Company and Australian Dairy Company are famous dairy shops, specialising in double-skin milk.
The only downside at the Yau Ma Tei branch: the owner or staff had a bad attitude, with an “eat it or leave” vibe.
Continuing along, we took a very atmospheric photo after turning off Nathan Road into a side lane. Hong Kong's streets are interconnected, crisscrossing everywhere. Add the lit-up signboards at night, and it looks even better – a hazy Hong Kong style.
We also came across an ice cream truck. Naturally, we had to try. The ice cream had a rich milky flavour and, amazingly, wasn't icy cold. The cheapest was 8 HKD each.
This is near Harbour City, and there are duty-free shops nearby. We did some shopping on the way. Harbour City is mostly luxury brands, right by the waterfront, very close to Victoria Harbour.
We headed to our last stop of the day: Victoria Harbour.
The harbour was buzzing. Even at 10 pm, there were plenty of people, with street performers singing. The waterfront promenade is long, nice for a stroll. But the wind off the water at night was a bit chilly. I used to think Victoria Harbour must be extraordinary, but after seeing so many city waterfront nightscapes, they all feel similar – like the Oriental Pearl in Shanghai or Qianjiang New Town in Hangzhou. Every city has its iconic landmark; that's the only noticeably different thing.
We'd walked, we'd seen the night view. We had planned to take the bus back – many HK buses run late, which is great. Then we discovered Star Ferry pier could take us across the harbour. We went for it. The fare was just a few HKD, you can use Octopus, and it's about ten minutes to Central on the opposite side.
Finally, a spot to recommend: the graffiti wall opposite our hotel (Best Western Plus Hotel, Queen's Road branch). We hadn't noticed it in daylight, but at night, the coloured lights and people taking photos drew us over.
That day was exhausting, relying entirely on walking. Think about it: from Sham Shui Po to Victoria Harbour – impressive! We got back to the hotel after midnight.
As the title says, we hit three places in one day: Macau, Zhuhai, Hong Kong.
Woke up at 8 am, went to Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan to buy ferry tickets to Macau. 186 HKD per person = 161.28 yuan. We also bought tickets for the next day's bus back to Shenzhen Airport. Yes, Shun Tak Centre has direct buses to Shenzhen Bao'an Airport, 110 HKD per person. After getting tickets, of course we had to have breakfast, heading to the old-school Lan Fong Yuen.
Breakfast: Lan Fong Yuen
This Lan Fong Yuen is different from the one we know; our local one is just a milk tea shop, while here it's a Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng. Again, we had to share a table – maybe table sharing is a Hong Kong speciality. I deeply regret that the handsome young man sitting alone at the door should have been our table-mate, haha.
After a satisfying meal, we went to the third floor to wait for boarding – yes, third floor. Lan Fong Yuen happened to be on the third floor too. You don't know until you ride: we instantly regretted it. The boat, some sort of hydrofoil, was light – too light – and so nausea-inducing.
Oh, by the way, the ferry tickets have regular and premium seats. Regular ones are on the first deck, premium on the second.
After boarding, we found the windows foggy and couldn't see much outside, anyway there was nothing much to see. The worst part: super bumpy and super nauseating. I spent nearly half of the hour-long journey vomiting in the toilet! Oh my god, it was agony. This is the most motion-sickness-inducing transport I've ever taken, bar none. Even after disembarking, I took a while to recover.
After getting off, you still go through customs. Outside, there are many buses that take you directly to casinos for free. The driving was aggressive, but luckily not nauseating. Looking at Macau along the way, it felt like a third-tier mainland city. (Pictures and text inconvenient for sharing.)
We were near the waterfront; across the water, not far, should be Zhuhai. At this point, we didn't realise it yet.
This road is probably Macau's main street, I'm guessing. Anyway, many tourists.
Walking ahead, you reach a square. Nearby are Portuguese-style buildings. Around the square are attractions like churches and such.
This church is a museum with exhibition rooms inside.
Koi Kei Bakery is a very famous Macau speciality shop; many people buy almond cookies here. The taste is okay; I didn't buy any – too many people, too crowded.
We headed towards the Ruins of St. Paul's. That narrow lane was so packed it's unforgettable – a body-pressing-against-body situation, at times not moving at all.
Does it look different from what you imagined? Don't worry, imagination and reality always differ.
Behind the Ruins of St. Paul's, there's a small underground exhibition area worth checking out. I noticed many Portuguese staff or their descendants working here.
The hill to the right of the Ruins is the Macao Museum. Entrance 15 HKD. Even if you skip the museum, it's nice to wander up top, where you can overlook the whole of Macau. The hill itself is quite European in style.
Up top there's a large fort/cannon platform with nice views. After this loop, we headed down, taking the path on the other side – that slope was so steep.
Anyway, there are many winding alleys, and we eventually emerged onto a street near the original square, with lots of shops.
My friend said we had to check in at “Lemon Cello”, a famous ice cream shop. We found the mint flavour better than the recommended lemon.
After buying ice cream, walking on, another square-like area with many intersections.
There's also a post office here; lots of attractions around, worth exploring.
Next up: finding a lunch spot. We ate at 2 pm. This place, “Old Place”, is sort of an internet-famous shop, even featured on TV. The owner might be Portuguese, speaking Chinese perfectly.
Food: Old Place
Despite the hype, the food was just average. Two dishes came to over a hundred HKD.
We originally planned to visit the Venetian and Rua do Cunha, but they were quite far, on the other island. Since we had to return to HK that evening, we decided to stick around the area. They say Macau is small, doable in a day, but if you really want to explore, a day isn't enough.
Of course, walking meant photos. My companion took some creative angles.
Funny thing: nearby tourists saw us posing, and asked their own friends to take similar shots.
Macau's streets are somewhat like Hong Kong's, yet different – a mix of rural-urban fringe with a Hong Kong flavour.
The photo below was a random snap of a unique-looking old building.
This is a snack street.
Even tiny lanes in Macau show up on maps. We even chose a particularly narrow staircase to photograph. It needs an eye for beauty; doesn't it have a dreamy Hong Kong vibe?
Magically in Macau, even aimless walking brings you back to familiar spots. At dusk, we ended up back at the Ruins of St. Paul's. Even at night, it was crowded.
Since we needed to return to Hong Kong, we started heading back. Earlier at Old Place, the owner mentioned there was somewhere with direct buses to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge port. We searched hard, found the spot, but discovered no bus or station? Had to wander and ask locals.
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Port of Entry
Locals said buses 101 and 102X go to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau port. So we found the nearest stop, where many tourists were also heading back to HK. Macau's bus stop signs are similar to HK's but cylindrical. The fare to the border control building was 6 HKD per person, about a ten-minute ride. Some stops the bus doesn't stop – we didn't understand why. A bus 101 passed our stop without stopping. The bus was packed, a tight squeeze.
Then, even though it wasn't the last stop (the HZMB border control building), at the second-last stop everyone got off. We followed the crowd and walked a stretch, then saw a border control building. I thought this was the HZMB port, but it wasn't – it was the Zhuhai-Macau border!
After walking through, clearing immigration, we were suddenly in Zhuhai!! So where's the port? Turns out, to get to the HZMB port, you need to be in Zhuhai first, then take a bus... Speechless. No way around it; maybe Macau has no direct bus to the port, it seems. So from Macau to Hong Kong via the HZMB bridge, you must first enter Zhuhai!!!
Exiting the border building was right at Zhuhai High-Speed Train Station. Turning left out the door, platform 9 is where buses to the HZMB port stop. Ticket 20 yuan. But this bus only goes to the port; to get back to HK, you still need to buy a ticket at the port. What a hassle!!!
On the way to the port, we could see Macau opposite – wasn't that the casinos around Grand Lisboa?
Getting off at the HZMB port.
This port has departures for Hong Kong and Macau; don't get mixed up.
It was already past 10 pm, not many people around. We quickly bought tickets. Fares to different parts of Hong Kong vary. We were heading to Harbour City, so it was 120 yuan. Because it was late, many routes had stopped, so we just chose the closest option.
Late at night, very few passengers – a big bus with only a handful. And it was pitch-black outside; you couldn't see anything. We'd come just to experience the bridge, but...
Returning to HK, the bridge had very little traffic. We zipped through without hindrance, reaching the checkpoint near the airport in half an hour. I strained my eyes, focused hard, but couldn't see how the vehicles change lanes; only knew we entered a tunnel in the middle. As for that overhead lane-change ramp, I didn't spot it either – I wanted to cry...
Anyway, at the checkpoint, you get off, clear immigration, then re-board. I forgot if it was the same bus – seemed yes, then seemed no. The driver spoke Cantonese; we said we didn't understand, so he switched to Mandarin.
Back near Harbour City in HK, we went for a late-night snack. That famed “doggy noodles” place even had a queue.
Food: 18 Taps Doggy Noodles (Tsim Sha Tsui)
We ordered doggy noodles (the broth was like clam soup), braised duck wings (with a duck flavor), fish skin dumplings, and fried balls. All delicious! Each portion was quite small.
Surprisingly, it had a minimum spend. I noticed many small HK eateries have that, even though prices aren't high.
After eating, the day ended. Truly a midnight snack. The streets weren't very crowded, but there were still people eating. Even at midnight, the MTR was running – so convenient!
The final day, ticking off places we hadn't been.
This place once had a reputation for triad activity and extremely cramped, oppressive living. But that's all in the past. Now, though a bit run-down, the original iconic structure is gone – demolished and turned into a park. So when you search maps, you'll find “Kowloon Walled City Park”.
Since it's gone, we moved to the next spot, taking a minibus. Kowloon Walled City to Mong Kok isn't far.
I visited two police stations today; Hong Kong's police stations really do look like those in HK films.
The photo below, with a passerby young man in it, oddly feels harmonious – maybe the uniform tones, very fresh.
We just looked from outside, couldn't go in. Along the way, we walked around more.
Even the fire station looked Instagram-worthy somehow.
This place is the police station that appears in many HK movies, though now it's closed. Tourists were just taking photos there. Oh, and Temple Street is nearby.
Having bought our tickets earlier at Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan, we fetched our luggage from the hotel and went straight there. The ticket office on the first floor of Shun Tak Centre also serves as the waiting area. The bus to Shenzhen Bao'an Airport takes about 2 hours. At the border, you need to exit and re-enter into Shenzhen. Here, there were hordes of people, including groups of primary school kids – I wonder if they study in HK and live in Shenzhen. After entry, we changed buses and headed to the airport.
For this trip, I felt really happy. I don't know why, but I quite liked Hong Kong. Though we didn't visit every single spot, we covered a fair bit. If I come again, I'll probably go to Victoria Peak and the University of Hong Kong. Until next time...
Travel Diary Index1, DAY1: Ding Ding Tram, Hoi Shan House, Wan Chai Pier, Mid-Levels Escalator, Lan Kwai Fong, Central2, DAY2: Choi Hung Estate, Wong Tai Sin Temple, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Victoria Harbour3, DAY3: Macau, Ruins of St. Paul's, Zhuhai, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Hong Kong4, DAY4: Kowloon Walled City, Yau Ma Tei Police Station, return to HangzhouTravel InformationHotel IndexGuide IndexFlight Ticket IndexWebsite NavigationTourism IndexCruise IndexCorporate Travel IndexJoin CooperationDistribution AllianceFriendly LinksCorporate Gift Card PurchaseInsurance AgencyAgent CooperationHotel JoiningDestination & Scenic Spot CooperationMore CooperationAbout CtripAbout CtripCtrip Hot TopicsContact UsJoin Our TeamUser AgreementPrivacy PolicyBusiness LicenseSecurity CenterCtrip Content CenterIntellectual PropertyTrip.com Group Algorithm Announcement
