Crazy place: Hong Kong
It really is the dream
vibrant city break and chilled-out holiday island combination.
Up first, there’s Hong Kong – one of
the craziest, busiest places in the world.
Then there is the
beautiful, serene island of Koh Samui, deep in the Gulf of Thailand – worlds
apart, but just a three-hour flight between the two.
We started our
twin-centre trip in Hong Kong arriving on the overnight flight from Heathrow.
The East-meets-West
city, where 7.5 million people manage to own 24 million mobile phones, is an
incredible place.
It’s the city where
sparkling new glass skyscrapers sit cheek by jowl with centuries-old temples in
traditional neighbourhoods.
Here, locals still hang
their washing out to dry from the windows and trams from a bygone age trundle
along with some of the world’s most expensive cars.
Our stay started with
a fascinating walking tour of the central Wan Chai area.
Exploring the local
market was amazing. Some shops sold nothing but wedding invites while the Shing
Fat Coconut Co shop had absolutely nothing on its shelves but, of course,
products made from coconuts.
Fishmongers were
selling an extraordinary array of seafood. Many were still alive in tubs of
water then killed in front of customers as they carefully selected their
dinner.
We had lunch at the
Tai Wing Wah Village restaurant. Dim sum of great quality was served and one of
us even tucked into that local delicacy, chicken feet.
There are two
“must-do” things on the itineraries of Hong Kong tourists. The Star Ferry –
which costs just 22p to board – takes you from Hong Kong over to Kowloon on the
mainland, and it’s surely one of the world’s best-value tourist trips.
Idyllic: Koh Samui has some
incredible beaches
We watched as
traditional junks sailed by alongside massive cruise liners as the sun set over
the towering buildings across the water.
The Symphony of Lights
nightly display is fantastic – and free. It’s at 8pm and the towers around the
harbour light up in time to music, lasers and fireworks.
Also unmissable is a
trip up to the 1,800ft Peak on the tram, celebrating its 127th anniversary this
year. The slow journey gives magnificent views although it’s not one for those
with no head for heights. A return ticket is about £3.60. I was also lucky
enough to visit the Happy Valley Racecourse located in the middle of the city.
It cost just 75p to
get in, ice-cold pints of Tsingtao lager were just over £3, and you could walk
down to within touching distance of the finish line without special hospitality
passes.
The nightlife in Hong
Kong is famous the world over and we were out until the early hours enjoying
clubs and bars of the legendary Lan Kwai Fong area.
Unfortunately, our 48
hours in Hong Kong were soon over and it was off to the airport for a flight to
Koh Samui.
It really is a
travellers’ dream. Idyllic golden beaches with restaurants of superb quality –
and sea views.
While some of the
island has become a little overdeveloped, there are still huge swathes of
natural beauty.
On our first day we
ate at Stacked, which is on the busy main strip. A lobster and crab burger came
in at under £7. Prepared by American chef Matt, it was delicious.
After lunch, it was off
to the Magic Alambic Rum distillery. Tucked away in a quiet rural end of the
island, the distillery is run by a French couple.
Here, you can see the
spirit being made in the traditional way and they also hold special tasting
days too –
but be warned, the rum is potent.
but be warned, the rum is potent.
They're off: Happy Valley
racecourse, Hong Kong
Koh Samui has become
much more commercialised over recent years with a range of go-kart tracks,
theme parks and so forth, plus the usual array of American food franchises.
But all across the
island you are never far away from a spot of sheer peace, tranquillity and
beauty.
We stayed in OZO
hotels in both destinations. It’s a new mid-market chain from Thailand-based
group Onyx and the first two of its properties are the ones we visited. We
found the two hotels never oversold themselves with no rip-off minibars – each
room had a small fridge where you can store wine and beer purchased at
reasonable prices from nearby supermarkets.
Both hotels were in
great locations too – the Hong Kong hotel is on Hennessy Road in the prime Wan
Chai district, while the Koh Samui one is at Chaweng Beach, one of the best on
the island.
The firms says OZO is
all about “practical yet stylish accommodation offering value and comfort’’
that is “combined with good connectivity and a great sleep’’. We didn’t
disagree.
To that end, there’s
free mineral water in each room and free wi-fi both in rooms and reception
areas, an essential in today’s online world.
Two new hotels have
also been added to the brand in Sri Lanka and another in Thailand.
Combining two such
diverse places as Hong Kong and Koh Samui is something I would never have considered
before. But with the easy flight connections and good mid-range accommodation,
it really is a great opportunity to get a lot from a Far East trip.
But to be honest, I
would definitely avoid those chicken feet!
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