Summary
Stanley is a coastal town located in the southern part of Hong Kong Island. It is a famous tourist attraction in Hong Kong and one of the must-visit places for free travel in Hong Kong. The Stanley area includes Stanley Street, Stanley Market, Stanley Plaza, and Murray House… and other attractions. If you want to have a different travel experience in Hong Kong, arrange a day trip to Stanley or choose to relax and spend half a day there. Stanley would be a good choice.
About Stanley
In the mouths of Hong Kong friends, they are used to calling Stanley “Stanley” in English. According to Wikipedia, the name “Stanley” is said to come from the fact that there used to be many kapok trees in Stanley, which had bright red flowers. Under the sunrise, they looked like red pillars. Therefore, the village was named “Stanley”. Another saying is that because pirates were rampant in the past, Stanley was not only often plundered but also inhabited by pirates. The indigenous people called the place “thieves often live”, and in Hakka accent, “thieves live” became “Stanley” in Cantonese with a Hakka accent. The English name Stanley comes from Lord Stanley, a former British Prime Minister.
When arranging the Hong Kong itinerary this time, because I didn’t want to just go shopping, I searched online and was attracted by the different atmosphere of this town, which is different from the high-rise buildings in Hong Kong and has a strong exotic flavor. So I decided to arrange a day trip to “Stanley” in the suburbs of Hong Kong.
Transportation
Transportation to Stanley is very convenient, just take a bus:
- From Central: Take the MTR to Hong Kong Station Exit D and walk to the Central Exchange Square Bus Terminus. Take bus 6, 6A, 6X, 66, or 260 and get off at Stanley Plaza.
- From Causeway Bay: Take the MTR to Causeway Bay Station Exit B and walk to Tung Lo Wan Road. Take green minibus 40 and get off at Stanley Plaza or Stanley Market.
- From Tsim Sha Tsui: Outside New World Centre, take bus 973 and get off at Stanley Plaza.
We chose to depart from Central and took the fastest bus, 260, to Stanley. The bus terminal in Central is very close to the pre-check-in area of the Hong Kong Airport Express, so it is very convenient if you choose to go there on the last day after checking in your luggage!
The Central Exchange Square Bus Terminus, because there are many buses, you may need to find the bus stop.
Find the 260 express bus stop at the edge, wait for the bus here!
Take the double-decker bus that can be seen everywhere in Hong Kong. It is one of the must-try experiences when visiting Hong Kong this time.
Note: If you use an Octopus card to take the 260 express bus, just swipe the card when boarding!
In addition to Stanley, the 260 express bus also passes through Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay, which are popular recreational spots for locals in Hong Kong.
Since it’s rare to take a double-decker bus, of course, you have to sit in the first row of the VIP seats! (Actually, the bus drives quite fast, so good kids remember to fasten your seat belts!)
There is a section that looks like a highway (?) along the way, so it’s actually quite fast.
This is “Deep Water Bay”, and the bus’s announcement system will display it when passing by.
If you want to go to Stanley, remember to ring the bell and get off at “Stanley Market Terminus”. Don’t miss it!
Stanley Market Bus Terminus, you can take the same bus back here if needed.
What to do in Stanley?
Stanley’s attractions are basically divided into several areas, including Stanley Street, Stanley Market, Stanley Plaza, and Murray House. If you spend half a day there, you should have enough time to explore Stanley.
There are clear signs along the way, so you shouldn’t get lost.
Stanley Street
Strolling along Stanley Street is a must-try experience when visiting Stanley. Whether it’s enjoying seafood at the street’s restaurants or taking photos on the seaside boulders, it’s an experience you shouldn’t miss on Stanley Street.
The ground floor of the row of buildings is actually seaside restaurants with exotic cuisine. However, they were not open because it was too early.
Of course, take the opportunity to take some fake photos when there’s no one around.
The “blue house” that many bloggers say tourists come to take photos of has now turned yellow!
Even on non-holidays, ice cream trucks still do business here.
The houses here are relatively larger compared to those in the city center.
There is a small platform next to the street where you can overlook the Murray House and the waterfront.
Stanley Plaza
Stanley Plaza is a shopping mall in Stanley, with 5 floors. The mall is open all day and houses some cultural and creative products. Large brands such as McDonald’s and Starbucks have also set up stores here. In addition, various activities such as outdoor markets are held on weekends and holidays, making the plaza very lively.
There are some cultural and creative shops selling small accessories inside Stanley Plaza, and some chain brands have also set up stores here.
Murray House
Murray House was built in 1844 and was originally a British military camp. It later served as Hong Kong’s government offices and was listed as a historic building in 1978. It was originally located near the Bank of China Building, which is now near Admiralty Station. In 1982, due to the construction of the Bank of China Building, Murray House was dismantled into more than 4,000 granite blocks. It was rebuilt in Stanley in 2000 and is currently used for tourism and restaurants.
Perhaps due to the cost of preserving the historic building, it is currently used by H&M as a storefront.
The corridor on the first floor of Murray House has a strong European style.
You can enjoy different views of Stanley from the side of Murray House.
The stone pillars next to Murray House were moved here from Shanghai Street in Yau Ma Tei during the reconstruction of the street.
Tin Hau Temple in the middle of Stanley Plaza and Murray House.
Blake Pier, which is now a public space, also has regular ferries to Peng Chau, an outlying island of Hong Kong.
From Blake Pier, you can look back at Stanley Street in the distance.
Stanley Market
Stanley Market is the liveliest place in Stanley, with various small shops and stalls. Here, you can buy Chinese crafts and souvenirs. Some dining establishments are also located in the market. If you want to go treasure hunting, you can come and take a look.
There are many small shops in Stanley Market selling various fabrics and Chinese-style crafts…etc. Just walk around and explore.
Perhaps because it’s not a holiday, many shops at the end were not open.
There are more tourists outside the market compared to earlier in the morning.
Finally, because we were going directly from Stanley to Causeway Bay, we took minibus 40, which goes directly there. The boarding location is on a small side road next to the bus terminal. This minibus operates 24 hours a day, and the journey takes about 35 minutes to reach Causeway Bay.
You can take minibus 40 to Causeway Bay.
A half-day trip to Stanley will make you realize that you can have a leisurely time even when traveling in Hong Kong.
