So you’ve booked your ticket to World Rugby’s ultimate showpiece and you have a couple of days to fill in either side with nothing planned… stress not, we’ve put together 7 things we recommend ticking off the list during your stay here in Hong Kong.
Ding Ding
If you’re on HK Island and want to explore, but don’t want to be that map-out-finger-pointing tourist, grab yourself a seat on one of Hong Kong’s famous trams. Serving the city for over 100 years, the ‘Ding-Ding’ runs between Shau Kei Wan to Kennedy Town, plus includes Happy Valley. Stopping every couple of hundred metres or so, sitting on the top deck of the tram is the perfect way to view the hustle before deciding where to get off – and at only $2.50 a ride and not as susceptible to traffic, it’s the perfect option to get yourself to the stadium, if you’re staying on the Island.
BBQ at Shek O
Lack of space is a continual complaint of many residents here in Hong Kong, especially if you’re looking for meet up spots with friends. As a result, catching up with a group of people usually takes place at restaurants and bars around the city. For a change of scenery get your budgies and bikinis down to Shek O and hire a BBQ pit for the day by the beach. Setting you up at one end of the beach with shade, coolers and the BBQ, the friendly staff only require you to bring your own food and booze (and have a decent play list!). So steal our playlist from the sevens, (we won’t tell!), swing past the supermarket and head out to Shek O for the perfect cure to your post sevens blues.
Oneone was a Race Horse
Oneone was a racehorse. Twotwo was one too. Oneone won one race and Twotwo won one too. If you found reading about the horse race was a little bit of a mouthful get yourself down to the HK races at Happy Valley on a Wednesday night instead. With an electric atmosphere and live entertainment, the races are a popular place for an evening out after work on a Wednesday. If you have plans for the following day though be warned - the races finish at around 11pm and the fate of your night out can often be transformed by the success of your punts. Hong Kong has long been known for its love of Horse Racing and they actually regularly put on two meets a
week, on Sunday in Sha Tin and on a Wednesday night in Happy Valley.
Get some junk in yo’ trunk
When the final hooter sounds at the final of the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, and the lofted trophy signals the official end of another rugby season in Hong Kong, it also signals the beginning of junk season. The popular activity sees revelers hire a boat for the day to take their party away to one of the outlying islands. With various packages available you can enjoy things like waterskiing and waterslides in between having your own private party on the boat. With day time junks returning to Central in time for the light show, sunburnt revelers often walk up the road to LKF and congregate outside a 7/11 to continue the party.
Dining in the great outdoors
The Hong Kong outdoor dining experience is an awesome way to experience the local cuisine. In most districts you will find areas where several restaurants will share a common space for their patrons to eat. Fiercely efficient staff makes sure there is minimal wait time between order and arrival, despite the food being definitely deserving of a wait. If it’s raining don’t worry, Hong Kong has you covered – literally. Most districts will also have a local wet market where in many of them the food sellers have taken their business indoors. Done in such a way that it provides the atmosphere of the outdoors eating experience, whilst being drip dry, a trip to the wet market will not leave you disappointed. Book a table and pop along to the historic North Point Wet Market for a full night of entertainment from the comfort of your own dining table.
Hit the hills
Whilst not completely discrediting the concrete jungle moniker, if you step a little bit away from the hustle and bustle, you will find a completely different view of the city. Only 25% of Hong Kong is actually developed; leaving the remaining 75% formed of mountains and grassland. These mountains are home to countless hikes and hold some of the most breathtaking views. Easy to locate and peppered throughout the territory and surrounding islands, there are hikes for all types. As well as being the best way to get that panoramic shot of the city, hiking is the perfect way to clear the soul (and the head!) after your Sevens weekend.
Get yourself to a rooftop
The beautiful thing about living in a city with more high-rise buildings than anywhere else is the entertaining that can be made on a roof-top. For all the dreaded ‘I live in a walk up’ comments that are made, there is an equal amount of jealousy for the outdoor area on the roof that come with it. With a little handy-work, the roof can quickly become the marquee selling point of an apartment, especially once you sprinkle in a projector, a sound system and a bbq. The good news is that Hong Kong also has you covered with plenty of bars to go around, the Hong Kong roof-top scene is well and truly alive. Every night of the week you will find the after work crowds gathered around the many beer taps and cocktail shakers, with live music and DJs setting the scene.