6 NON-TOURISTY THINGS TO DO IN HONG KONG + ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS

Travel like a local with my Non-touristy things to do in Hong Kong!

It's Tai Again!

Hong Kong has always been on top of my bucket list, and I felt so blessed to have the chance not only to go there but also to stay and explore the city for 6 months for an exchange program.

I can clearly understand why Hong Kong now holds the number 1 spot for most-visited cities in the world. It’s the monstrous sky-touching buildings that put Hong Kong on the map, but honestly, you can experience so much more than just the Victoria Peak or Hong Kong Disneyland.

6 months are not long but enough for me to see both the “touristy” places and the “non-touristy” places that my local friends take me there. There are a few famous spots I enjoy, but overall I was able to find better alternatives.

Let's find out!

1. Chinese breakfast at a local Cha Chaan Teng (Hong Kong style Cafe)

Touristy place: Australia Dairy Company

Tai’s Alternative location: The same

Don't worry. The line moves very fast

Go to cha chaan teng (茶餐廳) for the local and infused Western-Chinese style breakfast dishes. Here you can find the Hong Kong style milk tea (奶茶), the French toast (西多士), Pineapple Bun with butter (菠蘿油) (my personal favorite).

Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about going to Australia Dairy Company because it is a touristy place. Brace yourself for a long line in the morning. That said though, it is surely worth the wait! The macaroni soup was flavorful thanks to the sweet chicken base. The savory porridge was just oatmeal but memorable with the char siu pork. The French toast was still to die for.

Even though you can find cha chaan teng anywhere, I still recommend this place for those travelers who are unfamiliar to Hong Kong. Because the food is guaranteed good. Plus, there is an English menu, which can save you from ordering blindly with a normal Chinese menu.

How to get to Australia Dairy Company: Jordan MTR, Exit C2.

2. Hiking for a Panoramic View of Hong Kong

Touristy place: Victoria Peak

Let’s talk about Victoria Peak - the first thing on everyone’s to-do-list in Hong Kong. Unlike other hills in Hong Kong, there is public transportation taking you to Victoria Peak (so you don’t have to hike). To enter the Sky Deck for that 360-degree view you have to pay around 50 HKD (if I remember correctly).

Let me tell you, it was so crowded that literally, all you see is a sea of people rather than the Hong Kong skyscraper jungle. I guess the only good side is that you don’t have to hike, so it is good for a family trip or those who hate hiking.

Anyways, if you still want to go to Victoria Peak, don’t take the Peak tramp (you have to wait for hours). Instead, take the public bus. The bus is No 15 starting from Exchange Square, Central. Check out this Youtube video for further instruction (I followed as well).

Tai’s Alternative Spots: Garden Hill and Braemar Hill

With Hong Kong being a concrete jungle of architecture, hiking to the top will surely reward you with the most incredible view ever: a contrast between nature and modernity. There are a lot of hills in Hong Kong (Victoria Peak is just one of them).

• Garden Hill:

Garden Hill at sunset

The reason why I chose Garden Hill because it is probably the easiest hike in Hong Kong. The view overseeing Kowloon is just as amazing as other difficult ones.

There are concrete steps that carry you to the top. So, for those who are a bit unfit but still want to try hiking, Garden Hill is the one for you! Best time has to be the sunset.

How to get to Garden Hill:

Take the MTR to Sham Shui Po Station, exit D2. You will start walking in the direction opposite to Mei Ho House. Go straight to Barwick Street. There should be a stair to the summit.

• Braemar Hill

Is this view worth the hike? Absolutely!

Braemar Hill is also a good hike, just a little more advanced than Garden Hill. The top will reward you with the most incredible panoramic view of Hong Kong from Hong Kong Island.

It would take a whole day of going back and forth, so make sure you bring water, some food to snack along the way. Since getting to this Hill is not going to be as straightforward as the Garden Hill, don't hesitate to ask other hikers along the way.

How to get to Braemar Hill:

Mini Bus 24M from Admiralty. Check this website for more details (I followed as well)

3. Dim Sum for lunch

Dim Sum is the staple of Cantonese cuisine, making it so iconic and cannot-be-missed during your time in Hong Kong. Everybody would expect to go into a dim sum restaurant, not only for the food but also for that traditional Chinese vibe as well.

Touristy place: Tim Ho Wan

Tim Ho Wan might be boasted as the oldest Dim Sum restaurant in Hong Kong with Michelin star reputation, but based on my experience Tim Ho Wan did not live up to its name. We had to queue for a long line, being yelled at in Mandarin and the food was just okay (some of them were cold). Have you been to Tim Ho Wan? How did you feel?

Tai’s Alternative Spot: One Dim Sum + Sun Hing

• One Dim Sum:

Hands down the best Dim Sum restaurant! My local friend recommended me here and it has been my go-to restaurant since. Their Dim Sums are always hot, fresh and steamy, and the price is super affordable compared to Tim Ho Wan. This is one of the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants.

Typical Dim Sum feast

Address:

G/F, 209A-209B Tung Choi Street, Prince Edward / 太子通菜街209A-209B號地舖

Prince Edward MTR, Exit A

• Sun Hing:

This one is very famous among locals. Locals call it “3 am Dim Sum” because it opens from 3 am in the morning. Talk about the best drunk-food ever!

Address:

Shop C, G/F, 8 Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town, Western District / 西環堅尼地城士美非路8號地下C號舖

Kennedy Town MTR, Exit B

4. Chasing Hong Kong’s most Instagrammable spots

Yes, it might be a tourist activity, but you have to admit Hong Kong is so Instagram worthy.

Anywhere in Hong Kong, you will likely to encounter a pop of color whether you're in street arts, residential buildings or even in basketball courts. Hong Kong also preserves an authentic old Chinese vibe which gives your Instagram photo a nostalgic feeling. Having stayed here for 6 months but it’s never enough as every area has something new to explore.

Therefore, you cannot leave Hong Kong without that Instagram shots, right? There are so many places I want to introduce to you guys, but I will leave them in a separate post (stay tuned).

For those who only stay in Hong Kong for a few days, there are 2 iconic spots you CANNOT miss out on.

Montane Mansion (Yick Cheong Building)

It’s that monster building you have seen on the Transformers movie and on pretty much every Hong Kong tourists’ picture. This is actually a residential complex consisting of 4 public housing buildings that create a walled city.

You might be shaking your head with this recommendation but pictures are not enough to depict how spectacular this place is. You have to see it with your own eyes!

Don’t be afraid of not getting a clean shot, because here all tourists are civil by waiting for their turn in line.

How to get there:

Go to Quarry Bay MTR station, Exit A. Go across King’s Road for about 2-3 mins. You can use Google Map to help navigate. Just keep your eyes open for the Montane Mansion Building & Oceanic Mansion Building and you will find that courtyard inside.

Note that there are 2 similar courtyards, and you might go to the one with no red green yellow color on it. If that's the case, get out, go straight, enter the second similar entrance and you will see it!

Choi Hung Estate

Choi Hung means rainbow in Cantonese and it truly has the most colorful basketball court I have ever seen. This is one of the oldest public housings in Hong Kong, where the Hong Kong government set up to house Hong Kongers during the 60s-70s.

A side note is that this is a bit crowded and not as civil as the Montane Mansion. There’s no other choice than to wait for that perfect spot. If it's not worth the wait, I don't know why hundreds of different people flocking to this area to shoot.

How to get there:

Go to Choi Hung MTR station, Exit C. Google Map will take you to Choi Hung Estate. Don’t panic if you don’t see the basketball court, because it is located on top of the parking lot.

5. Enjoying Victoria Harbor from a different angle

Touristy place: Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

Tai’s Alternative Spot: Ocean Terminal Deck + Sky Corridor Hong Kong West Kowloon Station

Victoria Harbor is what separates Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. Most visitors usually enjoy the Harbor and Hong Kong island’s skyscrapers in Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. The view is of course, spectacular as always, and I have no problem with it. But if you want a different angle, where fewer people are expected, then feel free to go to these 2 of my favorite alternative places.

• Ocean Terminal Deck

The Ocean Terminal Deck will give you a wider perspective of Victoria Harbour. I am 100% sure that there would be less people, so no worries about waiting for that clean shot.

How to get to Ocean Terminal Deck:

It is located inside Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui. When you go to Harbour CIty, it is best to ask the concierge for the direction. If I remember correctly, it is located on the 6th floor.

The best place to see the Symphony of Light!

• Sky Corridor West Kowloon Station

If you are staying in Hong Kong for a while, you have to check out West Kowloon Station, where all of cross-border high speed trains from Hong Kong to Mainland China happen. You can go to West Kowloon Station from Austin Station or Kowloon Station. This is the biggest underground railway station in the world with the most uniquely symmetrical architecture (perfect for your architectural shot).

To me, the highlight has to be the Sky Corridor above the Station, which provides an awesome view of Victoria Harbor. Grab yourself a bottle of wine, and you will have the perfect rooftop bar experience. Have I mentioned that it's free?

How to get to the Sky Corridor:

When you get to West Kowloon Station, there should be a sign showing how to get to the Sky Corridor. Honestly speaking, this Station is HUGE and you can easily get lost. So just follow the sign, ask and you will get to the Sky Corridor without a written instruction. Trust me, been there, done that!

6. Shopping like a local in Hong Kong very own mall complex

Touristy place: Ladies' Market + Temple Night Street Market

Ladies' Market and Temple Night Street Market are the most popular markets among tourists for anything under the sun. From clothes to electronic devices, you name it.

But that's all tourists know! That makes all of the counters in these street markets raise the price so unnecessarily high. Coming here you have to always bargain. But even the lowest price shocks me.

That said, do come to these night market, especially Temple Night Street Market for the cultural experience. They still preserve old Chinese culture, such as fortune-telling booths.

Tai's Alternative Spot: Kwai Fong Plaza + Argyle Center

You are no longer kept in the dark, my friend!

• Kwai Chung Plaza:

Kwai Chung Plaza is a big shopping mall plaza consists of many stores of many kinds: from clothes, accessories, to services such as hair/nail salon. With 4 levels of retails, this is basically a heaven for cheap shopping. Imagine MBK Bangkok but Hong Kong version!

Not only the affordable and fashionable clothing, this place is full of snacks and treats. Talking about doing some window shopping with a bowl of Wonton noodle or Hong Kong waffles!

There's no other option than walking the whole 4 floors to unravel all. Complete local experience!

How to get to Kwai Chung Plaza: Kwai Fong MTR, Exit E.

• Argyle Center

Argyle Center has the same concept as Kwai Chung Plaza. It is a bit smaller, but right in the heart of the city, Mong Kok. If you are a bit bored of Mong Kok, why don't you give this place a try!

How to get to Argyle Center: Mong Kok MTR, Exit D2.

---

That's about it! I hope you find my list helpful

Leave me a comment on what you think? Share if you find this helpful

Thanks for reading! New articles will come out soon :'>