I've been to Hong Kong around 8 times now. Of those 8 times, I've never actually intended on going to Hong Kong. It was always for a visa extension or work permit while I lived on the mainland. For this reason, it took me a long time to get to appreciate HK. It is much more expensive than where I lived in China and I got increasingly frustrated many times because I didn't know much about the place and I didn't give it time to show itself. The more I visited HK, the more I ventured further out into the sticks and learnt more about the place. On my last trip in 2014, I met up with a friend that was a local but lived his adult life in the UK, where we met. We spent a day together and he planned my itinerary for that trip as well as taking me to a town he remembered as a child. As I tripped through his childhood nostalgia, I slowly understood what HK was all about and how I could enjoy it. I decided then to embrace the place and learn more about it. This guide is a mixture of trials and tribulations in HK. The most important thing to remember in Hong Kong is that the place is about the people, and Hong Kongers are some of the warmest and most helpful people I've met. Here is my guide for all those who wish to travel in HK without mugging your wallet.
Do NOT take a taxi from the airport to the city. Take the airport express, it is way quicker and you'll arrive right in the center of the main island (HK island)
Get an Octopus card. You'll save money on buses, trams, metro and ferries! You can even pay in 7/11 with these things and a few other stores, so you can survive without carrying cash on you! http://www.octopus.com.hk/en/
Visit as many freebies as you can. The most popular freebies are probably:
Victoria Harbour
Avenue of stars
Victoria peak
Lion Rock Country park
Repulse bay
Stanley market
Mong Kok
For a full list go the following link. Not all of the attractions are free, you may have to research further but it's a great map.
http://www.tripomatic.com/China/Hong-Kong-Special-Administrative-Region/Hong-Kong/
Get to the REAL Hong Kong. In other words, head into the sticks such as Northern Territories and explore the local fishing markets such as Tai O and Sai Kung!
Have a road-side BBQ. This is a very local weekend activity (I'm informed by my HK friends) and they are usually in the country parks in the North of Hong Kong.
Stay in Chung King Mansions. It's the most famous building of guest houses on earth and with a lot of media attention (usually bad) it has grown into a rite of passage for travelers in Hong Kong. The place has been known for a lot of crime but that has dropped dramatically since the installation of CCTV throughout the building. There is also a huge range of world foods due to the ethnic diversity of the residents hear. To find the best deal, walk around and bargain with the owners and compare it to guesthouses on different floors until you find the best price.
Get into the local music! Check the listings at the fringe (http://www.hkfringeclub.com) and Full Cup Café (https://www.facebook.com/fullcupmusic) to see if anything suits your fancy. You can also search on Google for Hong Kong gig guide and there is a newsletter that you can sign up for temporarily. If you are inquisitive enough, you can search for Hidden Agenda live house which is in some factory district somewhere. I never found it, but it is one of HK's best kept music secrets.
Chill out with a beer at the IFC rooftop! It's name is slightly deceptive as it is on the roof of the mall and not the 118 storey building named IFC. There is a 7/11 there and the beer prices are the same as anywhere else on the island.
Cheap out in Lang Kwai Fong. Lang Kwai Fong is one of the biggest bar areas in Hong Kong and it is a horse shoe of pubs, bars and mini clubs. The prices can be a bit over budget, so fortunately a 7/11 was opened there that has heaps of cheap booze and snacks. Most people chill in the street anyway, so you can mingle with other people who are probably paying 3 times more for their drinks or just speak to the fellow shoestringers who are buying their booze 7/11 style. http://www.lankwaifong.com
Get a bus to victoria peak. Do it twice. On a clear day (if there is one) and on a night at about 8 in order to see the free lightshow from above. There is also a circular trail around the peak that you can hike and I actually saw a massive wild boar the last time I went. Do not take the overpriced, overrated tram....
Visit Tai Hang
"Tai Hang - really cool area. Its an area between Causeway Bay and Tin Hau.
It's a bit dead during the day but at night there are some great
restaurants and bars there. One of our favourites is a Japanese place at a
corner where they sell lots of bbq food on sticks. Can't remember what
it's called but they have pics of skewers on the windows." -local advice from my friend, Joyce
Get FREE coffee, massage wifi and printing in Causeway bay. This is the only guide where you will see this and it's not something that everyone will be willing to do, I get that, but here it is. There is a hostel on Hennesy road called Yes Inn. If you walk to the second floor, there is free coffee, wifi and massage chairs. They are very busy all year round and they are making a killing, so just walk in as if you are staying there and they will honestly not know. I know that some of you will condemn this, but I'm not telling you that you have to, it's an option that is there for the taking.
Take the ferry from Causeway bay to Kowloon. Or the other way, it costs less than 3 HKD and it has epic views of the city.
Try some of the remote beaches. I haven't been to many of them but I did read a good guardian article about them. Read that here http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/jul/04/top-10-beaches-hong-kong
WARNING: There have been great white attacks in Hong Kong in the past. Only swim in an area with a shark net or risk an attack. If you want to read more terrifying info on this look at http://hongkongandmacaustuff.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-sai-kung-shark-attacks-early-1990s.html
Try the local food. Fish balls, Dim sum, I'd be the last to advise most you because I don't eat meat, but if it looks run down and there are no westerners, it's probably more authentic.
Buy your electronics! They will be cheaper here than anywhere else and if you're British, you won't need to worry about plug adapters
Go to Macao. I'd recommend a one day visit to Macao. It's more chilled than HK and has beautiful Portuguese architecture. You can go to the casinos if you want, but I spent most of my time in the old town looking at the churches and buildings.
Ask the locals about Hong Kong. Locals are very proud of Hong Kong and love to help people understand this great balance between east and west. They are some of the friendliest people I've encountered on my travels, but try not to mention politics or relationship with the Mainland. This topic has divided many residents and there is no kudos in stirring nationalism, right?
Wander the side streets. Hong Kong is one of the safest places on earth despite its fast pace and dense population. It may look like it's chaotic, but the reality is that it is just very organized. The locals generally walk slowly and enjoy time with nature. If you wander down random streets, you are bound to stumble upon temples, churches, gardens, skateparks and many other little surprises.
Learn some Cantonese. Some say with the number of mainland tourists and the new Mandarin curriculum in the schools that Cantonese is at risk of dying out (in the same way that Gaelic or Welsh did, I know they are still spoken but not nearly as common) so show the locals a gesture and learn a few phrases like hello, thank you and goodbye.
Enjoy your trip people.
