Overview

A comprehensive guide based my semester at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) as an exchange student in Spring of 2017.

Transportation

Octopus Card – Magical card that you can load money onto and use for the subway, buses, 7/11, and even at stores like Uniqlo.

MTR (subway) – Hong Kong has an AMAZING subway system. The trains run every 2 min or so, so you’re rarely waiting at a station. It’s super clean and runs all day and night except around 1am-6am. There’s wifi and 7/11 at stations. The signs will tell you which exit out of stations to take for certain landmarks. And you can get pretty much anywhere via the MTR.

Taxi – Be aware of how much it should cost you for a ride to your destination, and if the driver asks for more, then find a different taxi. There are three different colored taxis, and they will go to different areas. It should cost about 160 HKD from Central to HKUST.

Uber – Yes, this exists in HK.

Buses – The cheapest way to get between HKUST and the airport.

Food

Note: Use Open Rice for reviews—similar to Yelp. Also, I didn’t go to these places because they’re pricier, but I’ve heard they’re really really good: Mott 32 (dim sum) and Yardbird (chicken skewers).

Asian

• One Dim Sum – Dim sum is a Hong Kong classic, and One Dim Sum has pictures on their menu, so you know what you’re ordering. Also quality is good.

• Din Tai Fung – Overpriced for dim sum, but their Shanghai dumplings are SO GOOD. Worth going at least once. Multiple locations.

• Tim Ho Wan – Michelin star dim sum place that is a little overhyped because the quality is similar to other places. But, their pork buns are THE BEST. Multiple locations.

• Tung Po – Local Hong Kong-style cafeteria. Could end up costing 200 HKD per person depending on how much you eat and drink, but it’s such a fun and authentic experience. The guy who owns the place is a character, and he likes to play random English music videos on the TV monitor and blast music. It’s the kind of place where a group of old Hong Kong men will go every Thursday night just to drink and eat and have a good time (confirmed b/c my friends and I have seen the same rowdy group there many times at the exact same table). They serve beer in bowls which should be enough reason to check it out. Order the green beans and garlic!

• Ichiran Ramen – The most AMAZING ramen. Must go. The whole experience is so cool. You’ll see what I mean. Open 24 hours.

• Nichigyu Shabu Shabu – Japanese hot pot in Hang Hau. Get the 90-minute buffet for about 100-150 HKD, and it’ll be the best 90 minutes of your life. I went here so often. Super satisfying if you’re looking for veggies because it’s not far from campus, you can eat a lot, it’s all really fresh, and froyo is included (not your standard froyo though). Long wait if it’s a weekend night.

• Choi Hung – VERY local. There’s a market here in the mornings that sells buns and dim sum, amongst other things. At night, there’s an outdoor restaurant.

• Temple Street Market – Good for street food and tacky souvenirs (everyone’s gotta have an I <3 HK shirt, right).

• Wong’s – Almost exclusively all exchange students and expats. Lots of food and unlimited (cheap) beer for just 50-60 HKD per person. Mr. Wong is ridiculous.

• Milk tea and egg waffles are everywhere. Try at least once! Also go to an Asian bakery.

Western

• Burger Deli (Sai Kung) – Really good burgers for when you miss Western food and quality-wise even better than most American burgers.

• Casa (Sai Kung) – Tapas place w/ great beer (local and imported on tap) and chill vibes.

• Ice Mango Café (Sai Kung) – Good burgers and iced mango drinks (hence the name).

• The Cupping Room – Brunch in Sheung Wan.

• Paisano’s – Massive slices of pizza and inexpensive. Multiple locations. They have some kind of eating contest dealio too. Good after a long day outside in Sai Kung or post partying in LKF. On that note, Cali Mex is also good for post-going out food.

Outdoors

Note: hikehongkong.blogspot.com was my holy grail when doing research on hikes. Amazingly clear instructions and photos.

• Lion’s Rock – My FAVORITE hike because of the views. Go in the afternoon before sunset on a clear day (important!) so you can watch the sunset at the top and then hike down as the city lights turn on. Or stay up there until it gets dark and bring a flashlight for your way down. It took a couple hours roundtrip and was pretty tiring, but SO WORTH IT. There’s also a song about this place because it’s symbolic to Hong Kong people.

• Dragon’s Back to Big Wave Bay – Also important to go on a clear day because I did not and literally just looked at fog the whole time. The best part was the end when you get to Big Wave Bay, which is a beach that people can surf at (I wish I did). Feels so good to swim here after you’ve been hiking.

• Sai Kung – Beach/fishing town that’s only a 20-minute bus ride from HKUST. You can rent kayaks here for 50 HKD on a weekday or 100 HKD on a weekend (whole day rental) and explore the islands that are just off the coast (watch out for wild dogs though).

• Sai Wan – Camping on the beach and cliff jumping! We got a massive crew of 30-40 people to camp at Ham Tin Beach and built a huge bonfire. It’s a trek to get here, but one of the most memorable experiences from the semester. Cliff jumping was a separate trip to Sai Wan, which is one of the most beautiful spots in Hong Kong.

• More hikes: Tai Po (waterfalls), Lantau Peak (really difficult, didn’t do it), Maclehose Trail (Lion Rock and Sai Wan are part of this really long trail that traverses across HK).

Nightlife

7/11 – The MVP of the semester. They have everything.

Lan Kwai Fong – Aka the one and only LKF located at Central. Poppin’ no matter what day of the week. Many streets of bars and clubs. People just hang out on the street and drink too. Lots of exchange students and expats. Ladies’ night on Thursdays (free drinks).

• Play & Levels – Two clubs in the same building. What’s a night out to LKF if you don’t end up at Play by the end? Top 40 music, fun dancing, sometimes free drinks for gals at Levels. But Play is better.

• Ce La Vie – Rooftop bar with nice views and ambiance.

• Foxglove – Speakeasy that looks like an umbrella shop from the outside, but it’s a bar with live jazz.

• 001 – Another speakeasy. So cool but hard to find. It’s down a random alley.

• Rula Bula – Lit on St. Patty’s day because it’s an Irish pub/bar.

• Chocolate Bar – Got some interesting sweet drinks.

• Social Room – More chill and smaller. In a random building. Underground DJs and that kinda scene.

• Amphitheater – Outdoor public space that’s good for pregaming or just hanging out between bar-hopping.

• Other clubs/bars: Volar, Dragon-I, Fly, The China Bar, Stormies, Iron Fairies

• Explore this area because there are so many more bars and clubs that I didn’t mention! Soho is also within walking distance if you’re looking for something classier.

Red Bar – Rooftop bar/patio area located at the top of an upscale shopping mall (IFC) in Central. You can BYOB and pregame before walking over to LKF.

Wan Chai – The place to be if you want to go out on a Wednesday. Free entrance and drinks for gals at Typhoon and Carnegie’s but guys gotta pay a cover. Watch your phone for pickpockets.

Ned Kelly’s Last Stand – Old, classic bar in TST. Fun with a small group for a more chill night out and if you like live jazz.

Wooloomooloo (Wan Chai) and Sugar are both rooftop bars that I didn’t go to but have heard good things.

Ozone Bar is famous for being the tallest rooftop bar in Asia or something, but I didn’t go because I heard it wasn’t worth the money. But if you do go, go on a clear day so you can get a good view.

Other

• Tai O – LOVE THIS PLACE. YOU GOTTA GO. Fishing village on Lantau Island known for its picturesque stilt houses. It’s a whole other world. Really cool to see a place where people get around by boat and make a living through fishing. I recommend a café called Solo. We got this really good lemon/orange shrimp. They have a nice back porch where you can sit and look at stilt houses and the mountains.

• Sheung Wan/Central – Hip n artsy district—really cool. Lots of cafes and lil shops that are fun to explore. There’s a building called PMQ that has a lot of studios/shops inside.

• Chungking Mansions – Don’t even know where to begin. It’s a massive building that houses a random assortment of hostels, restaurants, and mobile phone shops. Definitely not a “nice” landmark, but it’s interesting to explore and see a contrast from the bougie side of HK. Really good naan at this one place on the 2nd floor. Wouldn’t recommend staying at a hostel here though because it’s kinda sketchy. Stayed with a friend here for 2 nights, and it was quite the experience.

• Avenue of Stars – Harborside walkway by TST. Amazing view at night of the HK skyline. You can take a ferry (only takes a few min) across to Central for about 2HKD.

• Events/Festivals – Art Basel happens in three locations in the world: Switzerland, Miami, and Hong Kong. David Beckham came to HK’s this year, so if you don’t go for the art, go for the soccer (excuse me, football). Also, Dragonland Music Festival is pretty hype I hear. Wasn’t in town for the Hong Kong Sevens, but apparently rugby is a big deal, and it’s basically HK’s gameday/Superbowl/Quidditch World Cup. Dragon Boat Festival will probably be in May, and Tai O has a pretty traditional celebration for it that sounds cool. Also, the Bun Festival is a thing.