Where to Kill an Hour in Hong Kong
Andrea Lo
Got an hour or two to spend in Hong Kong? Don’t exactly want to spend more time at the airport than necessarily? Make your way to the heart of the city: there are plenty of exciting activities that don’t require huge chunks of your time. Here we’ve compiled a list of things to do that will give you a feel of this great city in just an hour.
Chill out at the rooftop at IFC Mall
Don’t want to stray too far from the Airport Express? Stay put in adjoining IFC Mall and make a beeline for its rooftop garden. Don’t be put off by the numerous fancy restaurants and bars here: all of the tables and chairs, as well as seating dotted around the spacious terrace, are free for the public to use. Grab a few beers or a takeaway, and admire the beautiful views.
Take a ferry ride with a bottle of champagne
Still don’t want to move too far from Central, but keen to see the best of Hong Kong with the short time you have? Hop to the Star Ferry Pier and take a ride across the water to Tsim Sha Tsui armed with a bottle of champagne, and watch the glittering lights of the Victoria Harbour in the backdrop. It doesn’t get much more romantic than that, does it?
Hit the beach on Southside
It’s sunny out, and you hate being stuck indoors. We understand: what’s a holiday without a tan? Take a 20-minute cab to the Southside and enjoy any one of Hong Kong Island’s beautiful beaches. We’d recommend Deep Water Bay, the first one that comes to sight as you drive into the neighbourhood (go any further than that and we break our one-hour timeframe). Provided it’s not rush hour, you shouldn’t have too many issues with traffic. Remember to have your camera at the ready: gorgeous oceanfront views await.
Sing at karaoke
Instead of being a cheesy thing that people pretend to be embarrassed by but secretly love, karaoke is embraced with gusto in Hong Kong. At Red Mr, one of the most popular karaoke chains, you can even order a lunch set during your session. There are usually deals at karaoke bars available during the day: with a minimum charge of around $300, you get credit on food, booze and of course, all the singing you can manage in an hour (or more, if you decide you want to stay longer). So go forth and sing to your heart’s content, and you’ll thank us for it.
Watch a show at Fringe Club
Arts and cultural centre Fringe Club puts on regular performances, and there’s a little bit of something for everyone. Check out its event listings and take your pick from a variety of theatre and gigs, with genres as varied as indie rock and jazz.
Take an easy hike
Hongkongers love to hike, especially in cooler climes when the sun isn’t quite so unbearable. If you find yourself with an hour to spare on a sunny autumn or winter’s day, check out the easy peasy Pok Fu Lam to Peak trail. It’s one of the easiest city hikes there are: the trails aren’t that steep and any reasonably fit person should be able to tackle the uphill walk in around 30 minutes.
Andrea Lo is a freelance journalist and translator based in Hong Kong. After cutting her teeth in the industry as a staff writer at a lifestyle magazine, she embraced the freelance life in 2015 and hasn’t looked back. She spends her time exploring the best of Hong Kong’s dining and nightlife scene, trialling new fitness trends, and travelling to exotic locales – all in the name of “research”.