Summary
In late May of this year, I visited Hong Kong for the first time. I didn’t expect to return again in less than four months. I can only say that Hong Kong is relatively close to Taiwan, so it has its advantages when it comes to choosing a destination for independent travel. However, because this trip was a company outing, the itinerary was more relaxed and there were fewer photography spots. This time, instead of visiting the main attractions in Hong Kong like the first time, I went to the Tai O fishing village to experience a different side of Hong Kong. In addition, I took the Ngong Ping Cable Car, one of the world’s top ten cable cars, to enjoy the beautiful sea view. And of course, I couldn’t miss the experience of riding the iconic trams. If you haven’t ridden a tram, you can’t say you’ve been to Hong Kong!
Compared to the weather in late May, the weather in Hong Kong at the end of September and early October is much more comfortable. Wearing short sleeves, you won’t feel cold in the morning and evening. As for the itinerary, this time I chose a more relaxed one, but because some of my companions were visiting Hong Kong for the first time, I still visited some of the places I went to last time.
Day 1: Taoyuan International Airport → Take Cathay Pacific CX469 at 10:00 → Hong Kong Airport at 11:30 → Take the Airport Express → Check in at Homy Inn in Sheung Wan + Drop off luggage → Snacks and strolling in Central → Strolling in Tsim Sha Tsui → Dinner at Lin Heung Tea House
Day 2: Breakfast in Sheung Wan → Tung Chung Station → Ngong Ping Cable Car → Tian Tan Buddha → Tai O Fishing Village → Ngong Ping Market → Tung Chung Outlet → Dinner at Wong Chi Kee in Central
Day 3: Breakfast at Man Mo Cafe in Central → Stanley (Market, Murray House, Stanley Street, Stanley Plaza) → Causeway Bay (Hysan Place) → Tram ride → Starbucks in Central → Take the Airport Express → Take Cathay Pacific CX468 back to Taiwan at 19:50
As for the choice of photography equipment this time, I still used my beloved Nikon D750 camera body. Although I brought two lenses, the Nikon 28mm F1.8G and Nikon 16-35mm F4G, I ended up only using the Nikon 28mm F1.8G lens. It was the first time I used a fixed focal length lens for the entire trip, which resulted in this article about my second visit to Hong Kong with a 28mm lens.
#1 Cathay Pacific B747-400, the last flight from TPE to HKG.
The journey started with a surprise as I boarded the last Cathay Pacific B747-400 flight from Taipei to Hong Kong. For more details, you can refer to my article [Hong Kong] Farewell to Cathay Pacific’s Last B747-400 – TPE-HKG (CX469) Flight Record.
#2 Cloudy sky upon arrival in Hong Kong.
#3 After a short rest, getting ready to fly to Tokyo Narita Airport.
#4 A must-take photo of the MTR station name in Hong Kong. I hope to have a tour of MTR station names next time.
#5 Unlike last time when I stayed in Kowloon, this time I chose to stay in the bustling area of Hong Kong Island. Homy Inn is located in Sheung Wan, and the rooms are still quite small.
#6 The first meal upon arrival was at a Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng, Tsui Wah Restaurant.
#7 The second meal was at Lan Fong Yuen, which I quite like. This time, I chose the French toast.
#8 Because we were too full, we had to walk from Central to the pier. This is the eye-catching Apple flagship store inside IFC.
#9 Formula E was held at this venue the week after we visited.
#10 Always see the Star Pisces cruise ship parked outside Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui.
#11 The streets of Sheung Wan are even more dazzling at night.
#12 Sheung Wan and Central have many Taiwanese bubble tea shops. It’s quite amazing that a cup of bubble tea is almost 70 NTD when converted.
#13 Hong Kong-style roast meat at Lin Heung Tea House in Sheung Wan. Compared to my last trip, I ate a lot of roast meat this time XD.
#14 Thanks to the advantage of a large aperture lens, I was able to take clear photos in the dimly lit tram.
#15 Sheung Wan in the early morning looks somewhat lonely without the hustle and bustle.
#16 Because of a heavy thunderstorm in the early morning, the road still felt damp.
#17 The Tung Chung Line of the MTR was quite crowded as the long holiday starting on October 1st was about to begin.
#18 Originally, I planned to take a bus to Tai O, but due to insufficient research, I ended up taking the cable car back and forth XD
#19 On the way there, the fog was quite thick, creating a fairyland-like atmosphere.
#20 Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island. You have to climb 268 steps to pay your respects to the Buddha.
#21 Drinking Taiwanese beverages in Hong Kong. It seems like this flavor doesn’t exist in Taiwan?
#22 Getting ready to take a bus to Tai O.
#23 Tai O fishing village is famous for its market where many shops sell seafood.
#24 Tai O fishing village feels like a water town.
#25 There are several cats on the streets of Tai O. Maybe because there are so many tourists, the cats here are not afraid of people.
#26 The roast duck from Heng Shan Dou Xiao Chu in Tai O is delicious but greasy.
#27 Another signature dish from the same shop, Tai O Salted Fish Rice in Lotus Leaf.
#28 The package for Tai O includes a 20-25 minute boat ride, which allows you to see the unique stilt houses of Tai O from different angles.
#29 During the boat ride, you can see the rare Chinese white dolphins and the ongoing construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
#30 Another corner of the Tai O market where some shops were closed.
#31 The stilt houses in Tai O are truly unique and give a completely different feeling from the city of Hong Kong.
#32 Another friendly cat that walked in front of me and rested, allowing me to take a photo XD
#33 The lives of every household are closely related to the ocean.
#34 Ngong Ping Market was still crowded when we returned, and the weather was much better than when we arrived.
#35 The combination of sunset, clouds, and blue sky adds a touch of mystery to the distant Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
#36 The 25-minute journey on the Ngong Ping Cable Car offers 4-5 different views.
#37 Several sections of the cable car ride span the sea, offering not only beautiful scenery but also a sense of being above it all.
#38 The Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok in the distance during sunset.
#39 The fountain in front of Tung Chung Station is a playground for children.
#40 The stone slab street in Central at night.
#41 The Yangzhou Fried Rice from Wong Chi Kee in Central, which I think is only about 70% as good as it should be.
#42 Because I had a Taiwanese drink during the day, I had to try a local drink at night.
#43 The quiet streets of Central.
#44 Breakfast at Man Mo Cafe in Central. Suddenly, I realized that breakfast in Taiwan is much cheaper.
#45 A shop in the Stanley Market that sells many retro items.
#46 Very lucky to have good weather during both visits to Stanley.
#47 Stanley Main Street on a Sunday, with more tourists compared to last time.
#48 Thanks to my travel companions for making this trip perfect.
#49 Stanley Plaza at around 11 o’clock, crowded with tourists.
#50 Because we spent too much money on previous meals, we had to have a cheaper lunch at McDonald’s.
#51 Seafood shops on Stanley Main Street. I’ll have a feast next time I visit.
#52 Hong Kong taxis, which I didn’t try during both visits to Hong Kong.
#53 The alleys in Causeway Bay still have a bit of the early Hong Kong architectural style.
#54 A photo I really like from this trip, capturing the essence of Hong Kong.
#55 Flowing traffic and people waiting.
#56 I took several tram rides during this trip and experienced a different atmosphere compared to buses or the MTR.
#57 Postcards sent to friends, which were successfully received by the time I wrote this article.
#58 Unique totems on the exterior walls of construction sites in Central.
#59 Starbucks in Central and the staircase outside, which I heard is beautiful at night.
#60 The bustling district of Central, ready to leave Hong Kong.
#61 Ending with a photo of an A340-300 that had a machine malfunction and caused a delay…
For the post-processing of the photos this time, I used a method I hadn’t used before, but I personally think it suits the style and flavor of Hong Kong. In any case, I will slowly fill in the remaining travelogue.
