Hong Kong is for Lovers

Last month, the man and I were lucky enough to FINALLY, after fifteen years of wedded bliss, go on a vacation together...alone...no kids...the entire time! And. It. Was. Fabulous!

Peach Airlines was having a great deal on airfare, so this trip was unplanned from the get go. We bought tickets for 2,000 yen each way. Yep! 2,000 yen! That's about $17 U.S. dollars. How could you beat that and how could you pass it up? We sure didn't!

It was a short trip but honestly, we didn't need a lot of time there and our friends back on Okinawa were watching our kids and pups. We saw the sights, we walked for miles, and we ate the bizarre and delicious food. Satisfaction guaranteed and Hong Kong delivered!

Day 1

On Friday, we got in late afternoon. We had planned to try to make it to Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island since it is situated right next to the airport, but after arriving and waiting to go through customs, it became clear that if we went we sure had no room for error in travel and we had to hustle to the Big Buddha before the park closed. Luckily, all those things happened and we made it. And what a sight!

The gondola ride up the mountain was massive and spectacular.
And if you're like me and not a fan of heights, then pretty terrifying! Luckily, I packed my big girl panties because nothing was stopping me from getting through my Hong Kong Bucket List.

The Big Buddha was stunning to say the least but my favorite part was the monastery next to it. There's something about places like that where you can feel the calm and quiet as soon as you walk in. I don't get enough of that at home so I soaked that all in. It was truly amazing.

After the Buddha, we headed toward the city. We tried out Airbnb for the first time, stayed in Mong Kok near Kowloon Bay and checked out the night markets in the area. That part of Hong Kong never sleeps and is pretty crazy. We loved it!

Day 2

We hit up another monastery - Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin then took the MTR over to Victoria Bay and the Avenue of the Stars. We also lucked out and found a wonderful little cafe where we stopped for lunch and cold drinks.

With a whole lot of day left, we headed to our hotel on Hong Kong Island, rested up a bit then headed back out for some Chinese cuisine. The concierge told us to check out this one restaurant not far from the hotel to get some of the best food around. They didn't disappoint. I wouldn't say it was the best atmosphere, but they had delicious and authentic Chinese food, which was our ultimate goal so win for us! 

This also happened to be the night we got to act like true adults with no responsibilities and check out the nightlife/bar/club scene. This is where we decided we are, in fact, getting old and definitely had a blast but also definitely wanted our bed. Central is without a doubt the BEST place to go to party all night long in Hong Kong! We left around 12:30am and the cabbie said that the party had only just begun. The the incredible mass of people we left would be out until 7am partying. You heard that right...7AM! Yeah...we are old. It was so fun to try to act young, though!

Day 3

Sunday was my favorite day! We slept in...I love sleeping...and we visited my favorite temple by far, to date! Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan was impressive to say the least. One of Hong Kong's oldest temples, it's situated right in the middle of crazy Hong Kong living on Hollywood Road, yet once you walk in, the place smells heavenly because all of the spiral incense hanging from the ceiling and the ambient lighting from the lanterns was simply beautiful. 

We also got to see Victoria Bay at night!

That night, we stayed at another Airbnb, which was delightful, in the Tin Hau, Causeway Bay area. I loved our little flat and I loved the area! It's a quiet college town with lots of neat shops and restaurants. We also ran into some beautiful ladies dressed up in Chinese traditional dresses.  A great ending to a great day!

Day 4

The last day of our trip we did some more shopping. This time it was all about the food! We found Wan Chai Market en route to the airport. It was fun checking out all the people and food being sold on the street!

Then, it was off to the airport we went. Home to our kiddos and pups and back to reality. Good times were had and memories were made! Thanks to all who made it happen.