We finally did it. As you may have seen on Instagram, we finally visited Asia!

Our dear friend from college, DJ, moved to Hong Kong for work last July and we’d been tossing around the idea of visiting him for quite a while before finally hopping aboard the longest flight we’ve ever taken.

In terms of preparation, one of us (Eddie) typically likes to research and lay out a “loose” (he’s gotten better) itinerary for us. However, this trip was a little different, with our friend being a local and all. So together, DJ and Eddie assembled a great itinerary filled with undeniable tourist attractions, some sights off the beaten path, and wonderful “in between” moments. We ate a ton of great food, drank quality coffee, and even took a weekend trip to Singapore (separate post to follow— we did/saw A LOT out there).

So for the sake of clarity, we’re going to share with you: THE HIGHLIGHTS, THE COFFEE, and everything we saw while simply WALKING AROUND. This will be less of a city guide and more a visual diary of our trip. But we’re happy to provide any tips, experiences, and general anecdotes if you’d like to reach out!

THE HIGHLIGHTS:

THE PEAK

It was one of the first things we did in Hong Kong, and it set the tone for a visually stunning trip. Not only was it cool to see Hong Kong from this amazing vantage point, but taking the tram up the hill was also a great experience.

MAN MO TEMPLE

MID-LEVEL ESCALATORS

It’s the longest moving escalator in the world, so we had to do it, right?? Honestly, our favorite part of this experience was hopping off at the breaks and checking out the areas where it drops you off— lots of great nooks and crannies within the city.

TIAN TAN BUDDHA (“BIG BUDDHA”)

This may have been the farthest we traveled for an attraction, but was so worth it. Trekking to Lantau Island to see “Big Buddha” was such a nice half-day escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

We took the MTR to the cable cars (HIGHLY recommend) to get to the island. Once we arrived, it felt like being transported back in time. This part of Lantau is a small, charming village full of little shops and restaurants to walk past to get to Buddha.
Once you traverse the long flight of steps to get up to Buddha, you’re met with some of the most serene views around (mountains and trees as far as the eye can see).
This (to us) is truly one of those attractions that, even though flooded with other tourists, felt special and personal.

CHOI HUNG ESTATE

This is the first attraction (of two) we visited that seems a little obscure at first, but has sentimental value and has become a bonafide tourist spot in Hong Kong.
Way back in “the Tumblr days”, I remember seeing images of this colorful apartment complex serving as the backdrop to these very standard outdoor basketball courts. Since then, it’s become a pretty popular spot “for the kids to ‘gram“, but that didn’t stop us from doing the same and even playing a little pick-up basketball for the first time in a LONG TIME.

YIK CHEONG BUILDING

This building was yet the second kind-of-obscure-but-really-popular spot we hit. Once again, I’ve admired images of this monster since the days of Tumblr, and it was really great and visually overwhelming to see it in person.

WAN CHAI

Even though we stayed in the Causeway Bay neighborhood, Wan Chai became like a secondary landing spot. We ate there, went out there, and even got to enjoy this amazing view from DJ’s office.

FUN FACT:

Dru Hill recorded their video to “How Deep Is Your Love” on the roof of this building.

THE COFFEE

While we didn’t hit a lot of different coffee shops while in Hong Kong, the spots we visited were TOP. NOTCH.

% ARABICA

This place was quite a treat. Located at the base of the Yik Cheong Building (that’s how you know it’s a real tourist attraction), this stark, minimal space was a great juxtaposition to the romantically weathered apartment building.

Also worth noting: we’ve been on the hunt for kitchen canisters for MONTHS, and finally found a set we love here in this beautiful shop.

NOC MERCURY

This coffee shop definitely became home-base for us, as it was located just a couple blocks away from “our apartment”. NOC (like % ARABICA) was so on-point with their space, coffee, and merch.

WALKING AROUND

From rides on the Ding Ding bus to sacred temples, these were some of the smaller moments of our trip that truly tied it all together.

CITY OF LIGHTS

Despite having a list full of great sights to see, one of our favorite things to do in Hong Kong was simply walk around at night. The city comes alive with street vendors and colorful neon signs— and we couldn’t get enough.