ice cream when the sky is grey: Where is Hong Kong

Showing posts with label Where is Hong Kong. Show all posts

Sunday, 28 October 2012

Flower Market - Hong Kong

Made awesome by Nick

MONGKOK FLOWER MARKET, HONG KONG

If you love flowers, you should visit the Hong Kong Flower Market at Mongkok. The streets are literally filled with flower shops brimming with fresh cut flowers, bonsai trees and exotic plants. It's intoxicating abundance of colours and aromas is a real treat for flower lovers.

WHERE IS MONGKOK FLOWER MARKET?

Take the MTR to Prince Edward Station. Walk down Prince Edward Road West to Flower Market Road.

View Flower Market - Hong Kong in a larger map

Opening Hours

7am to 7pm daily. Best time to go is in the morning after 9am as shopkeepers might be busy sending supplies before then.

Flowers, flowers, everywhere!

The first thing you'll see when you reach the Flower Market is an endless row of flower shops stretching far down the road, flowers of different colours filling the shops to bursting and overflowing onto the sidewalks. The air is filled with a multitude of fragrances from the many different flower varieties sold at the Flower Market.

Buddha's Hand

All that walking has made me hungry!

After a walk through the Flower Market, we headed down Prince Edward Road West on our way back to Prince Edward Station (MTR) from the Flower Market and got some spongy cakes at a local bakery (near Tai Wah Mansion). Spongy cakes or Hong Kong paper wrapped cupcakes are simple, light, tasty and incredibly popular among the locals!

Subscribe to our blog to stay up to date on Karen and Nick's adventures, travel articles, tips and more!

Friday, 26 October 2012

Lamma Island Hong Kong

Made awesome by Nick

Signpost at Lamma Island

LAMMA ISLAND, HONG KONG

Lamma Island is one of the outlying islands in Hong Kong. It is easily reached by taking a 45 minute ferry ride from Central ferry pier #4 to Sok Kwu Wan, a village on the eastern side of Lamma Island. If you like hiking and lovely seafood, Lamma Island is definitely not a place to be missed while you're in Hong Kong. The laid back atmosphere of Lamma Island is very different from the city, and allows you to absorb another side of Hong Kong. With the short 45 minute ferry ride to Lamma Island, it's extremely convenient to spend a day or even just a few hours on this idyllic island.

How to get to Lamma Island

Take a taxi or MTR to Central ferry pier #4 and take a 45 minute ferry ride to Sok Kwu Wan (eastern village).
Take a taxi or MTR to Central ferry pier #4 and take a 45 minute ferry ride to Yung Shue Wan (northern village).

Central ferry pier #4 to Lamma Island, check which ferry you board as this pier has ferries that go to both Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan.

Floating platforms used for fishing by the Lamma Island locals

Hiking

If you love hiking, there are two trails on Lamma Island.

Family Trail connects Sok Kwu Wan (eastern village) to Yung Shue Wan (northern village) and it takes about 2 hours to complete the 6km long trail.
Ling Kok Shan Trail starts in Sok Kwu Wan, circles through Mo Tat, Tung O village and ends back at Sok Kwu Wan. It takes about 2 hours 30 minutes to complete this trail.

Grab a bag of roasted groundnuts at a pushcart near the pier at Sok Kwu Wan before starting your hike!

Seafood

Sok Kwu Wan, an old fishing village, has a row of seafood restaurants elevated above the sea. It's a great place to enjoy seafood with a view of the sea. Karen and I went to Rainbow Seafood Restaurant for lunch on an afternoon visit to Lamma Island and enjoyed ourselves immensely.