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Country number six for us. Hong Kong is chaotic, beautiful and fast. Day one started in Central, all on foot.
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The world's longest outdoor escalator
The Central–Mid-Levels escalator is a Guinness record holder, built so people living up the hill don't have to climb stairs to work.
- 6 am–10 am: runs downhill for commuters.
- 10 am–midnight: runs uphill.
We got there after 11, so up we went, through busy markets, offices and tourist streets. During Chinese New Year it was packed. The upper section has a European feel and lots of photo spots.
Tai Kwun (the old Victoria Prison)
A free heritage site, open about 8 am–11 pm. The prison exhibition shows how inmates lived: tiny cells for two or three people, leg locks, uniforms, and wooden tubs instead of toilets. Pirates, bandits, prisoners of war and political prisoners were all held here, and at one time even infants. The upper yard is where punishments happened.
There are drawings and writing left by inmates and recorded interviews. It's genuinely moving; we both had goosebumps. Much of the complex is now restaurants and galleries.
Egg tarts at Tai Cheong Bakery
Near Tai Kwun. Tai Cheong's are famous, but honestly Macau's egg tarts were better: flakier, crispier pastry. Hong Kong's are more like a crisp biscuit base.
Hollywood Road & Man Mo Temple
Walk down Hollywood Road, with old trees whose roots climb the walls. Parts of it reminded us of Mumbai's colonial streets. Then Man Mo Temple, beautiful and smoky with giant incense coils hanging from the ceiling, surprisingly like Indian temples. Below it is a small flea market, like the stalls outside temples back home.
Part two of the day: Peak Tram & Causeway Bay.
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Open Agoda →FAQs
What are the Mid-Levels escalator timings?
It runs downhill from 6 am to 10 am for commuters, then uphill from 10 am until midnight.
Is Tai Kwun free?
Yes, entry is free. It's open roughly 8 am to 11 pm.
TAGS: HONG KONG · CENTRAL · MID-LEVELS ESCALATOR · TAI KWUN · MAN MO TEMPLE · EGG TART
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Prashant & Sunaina
A travel couple from Pune with Kashmiri Pandit × Maharashtrian roots, 8+ countries and counting. Every rupee shared.
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