We get up at 6:30am We have a day for Hong Kong and have planned a lot. It's cool, only 14 degrees, and hazy. A small ferry takes us for the equivalent of around one euro per person from Kai Tak in 20 minutes via Victoria Bay to North Point on Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kong Island skyline with Central Pier
There's just one more couple on the boat from the Millennium. That says a lot about inexpensive individual excursions and the initiative of travelers. You can find details on the top sights in our post Hong Kong attractions.
Historic tram and peak tram
From North Point we want to take the old double-decker tram to Hong Kong Central. Unfortunately we catch a tram heading for Happy Valley. We also pay when we start and that's wrong. You pay for the tram when you get off. The driver just shakes his head because we don't have any more matching coins.
No more experiments, we take a taxi to the valley station of the Peak Tram on Victoria Peak. We need about 30 minutes to buy the tickets and stand in line for the cable car. The drive to the peak is just great and rewards us for the wait. At the top there is a 3,2 kilometer circular route around the peak that we highly recommend. It's still very cool, but you can see a little sun every now and then. And there are the most beautiful views of Hong Kong, the sea and the smaller islands. At the same time, the circular route is a botanical educational trail and is also interesting for laypeople.
Back we take the Peak Tram again and enjoy the overwhelming view.
On foot through colonial Hong Kong
In Hong Kong Central, we first take a look at old Hong Kong: Government House, which is only open to visitors twice a year, and St. John's Cathedral - an oasis in the middle of the skyscrapers. Right next door is Hong Kong Park, also a retreat in lively Hong Kong Central. We see unknown birds with long tail feathers, turtles and koi. All in all a very nice facility, the tea museum in the colonial Flagstaff House is also worth seeing.
Fish tank in Hong Kong Park
We take a coffee break with one of the usual international coffee suppliers. Here we meet Hong Kong's young business elite who can spend four euros on a coffee. We pass the Bank of China building, Statue Square and arrive at Queens Road. One brand and designer store follows the next, there is an almost unbelievable crowd. We ride some sections on the Hillside Escalator, the famous escalator that goes up the Peak from Hong Kong Central. From the stairs you always have extraordinary views of the side streets. Whether tailors, cosmetic studios, bars or souvenirs: We look directly into the small shops.
For our next stop we take a taxi again. The Star Ferry Pier is beautifully laid out with old buildings, a Ferris wheel and the historic green and white ships of the Star Ferry Line. So a good place for a little break.
With the Star Ferry across Victoria Bay
For less than three Hong Kong dollars, or around 0,30 euros, we cross Victoria Bay to Kowloon. Immediately to the left of the Star Ferry Pier is the old cruise pier, where the smaller cruise ships still dock. Today the Oceania Nautica is located here, which we saw in Rostock-Warnemünde last summer. The pier in Kowloon is much nicer than Kai Tak because it is only a few steps from the ship to central Hong Kong.
The Kowloon Clocktower
We really like the museums that have sprung up here. We walk along the Tsin Sha Tsui waterfront with a view of Hong Kong Island. The last time we were in Hong Kong was 17 years ago. In the evening we sat on the promenade in Kowloon and admired the sea of lights on the other side of the water. Everything looks completely different today, but the incomparable view of Hong Kong Island has remained.
Evening mood over Hong Kong Island
Back to the Celebrity Millennium we take a taxi. At the Kai Tak Terminal we take a look at the park that was created on top of the spacious terminal buildings.
The system is successful. It is particularly popular with Hong Kong residents on weekends. Here we see very clearly that the Chinese do everything as perfectly as possible. On board we do the China immigration and rescue exercise.
The Celebrity Millennium leaves port in the dark. We enjoy sailing from the Cosmos Lounge. Hong Kong in the evening is a sea of colored lights, what a sight. It's like 17 years ago. You can't get enough of it.
