This is our Airbnb in Hong Kong! We wanted a place that felt representative of the area, and this spot on Hong Kong Island delivers. We have an amazing view of the harbor and downtown Kowloon across the water. We’re planning a hike up Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, later today. Let me give you a quick tour of our apartment.
It’s a small but efficient space. Here’s the kitchen area – compact but with everything we need. Before we go inside, let me show you the view from our tiny deck on the 17th floor. It’s a little scary how high up we are, but the view is incredible.
View from Hong Kong Airbnb
Back inside, we have a microwave, a small sink and stovetop, and a mini-fridge stocked with some leftovers and delicious local fruit. The pineapple, watermelon, and gold kiwis are enormous and incredibly flavorful. The fruit here has definitely been a highlight of our trip.
Upstairs, we have a small desk with an even better view of the city and harbor.
Desk with a view in Hong Kong Airbnb
There’s also a tiny bathroom with a tub and toilet. The bedroom is simple, with the bed on the floor, but surprisingly comfortable. The whole place is perfectly soundproofed, a welcome feature in a busy city.
We’re heading out to get some food now, then we’ll burn it all off on our hike. The Zespri SunGold kiwis here are fantastic. Seriously, I think this is the best kiwi I’ve ever eaten.
Hong Kong has an incredible escalator system, the longest in the world, that runs up and down the hills in Central Hong Kong. It changes direction depending on the time of day to accommodate commuters. It’s super convenient, even though we’re trying to use the stairs as much as possible to offset all the amazing food we’re eating. We’ve made a rule to only use the escalator when carrying groceries.
Hong Kong Central Mid-Levels Escalator
On our way to Victoria Peak, we passed by the Hong Kong Botanical Gardens. We’ll check that out another day. Also, Rashon isn’t with us on this trip. I’m just using my Canon G7X to keep things simple and capture the moments.
Another cool thing about Hong Kong is the double-decker buses. There’s a lot of British influence here. They drive on the left side of the road, and many people speak English. Hong Kong is currently transitioning from British to Chinese rule. Navigating the city can be tricky because the tall buildings interfere with GPS signals.
We stumbled upon a high-end shopping mall filled with luxury brands. We’ve never seen so much high-end shopping in one place. We were hoping to find a restaurant, but decided against the fine dining options.
Hong Kong cityscape with double-decker bus
We ended up at Monogamist Chinese Restaurant near our apartment. The menu was extensive, and we ordered some classic dishes. The deep-fried egg rolls were delicious. My main dish, chicken with walnuts, vegetables, and steamed rice, was okay but tasted like standard takeout Chinese food. We’re hoping to find something more special later.
We picked up some bakery treats: an egg tart, a coconut tart, and a pineapple bun. The egg tart was amazing, a classic Hong Kong treat. The coconut tart was also good, with a buttery, flaky crust and moist cake-like filling. The pineapple bun, despite its name, didn’t have any pineapple flavor. It tasted like regular bread but would probably be delicious heated with butter.
Assorted Hong Kong bakery treats
After fueling up, we finally headed to Victoria Peak by taxi. We’d already walked almost 8,000 steps, so we felt we’d earned it. The ride up was quite an experience, winding through the steep streets. The view from the peak was incredible, even with some fog. We’re wondering if it would be even better at night.
At Mimi’s Desserts, Stephanie had spicy fish balls, and I tried mixed daifuku, a type of mochi. We also stopped at the Lions Peak lookout for another stunning view. Instead of taking the tram back down, we decided to walk. The 45-minute downhill trek was a bit tough on our knees and lower backs.
On the way back to our apartment, we took a detour through the Botanical Gardens. We saw lemurs, a llama, and various plants, including a eucalyptus robusta tree. Admission was free.
View from Victoria Peak in Hong Kong
We were exhausted when we got back last night and ended up going to bed early. We skipped the gym and went straight to sleep. We just finished our workout this morning. I’ll share details about that in the next vlog. Stay tuned for more of our Hong Kong adventures!
