If you’re going to travel all the way to Hong Kong on one of our Hong Kong Sevens packages, you really should make the effort to get out and see a bit of the famous old city-state. We know you’re going to be busy watching all that world-class rugby, but if you get a little spare time, you should check out one or two of our top three off-the-beaten-track highlights.
A night at Temple Street Market
This isn’t exactly a hidden treasure, but there are many good reasons for the Temple Street Night Market’s popularity. It looks exactly how you’d expect a Asian night market to look – the glare of neon, roadside stalls selling exotic-looking food, loads of counterfeit goods, fortune tellers behind curtains, singers and musicians playing in the shadows and the whole place awash with the sights, smells and sounds that make exploring Asian night markets such a great way to spend an evening in the East. Take a pen and paper to help with the haggling, then when you’re done shopping, grab a seat at a food-stall (go for one packed with locals) and tuck in.
Getting there: Once the sun has started setting, take the MTR out to Jordan or Yau Ma Tei.
Take to the high seas
When you take one of our Hong Kong Sevens packages, you’ll be staying on Hong Kong Island, which is just one of 230-odd islands of the Hong Kong Archipelago. So if you feel the need for a little adventure, you can hire a junk down at the docks and head off for a day exploring a few of the hidden coves, rugged headlands and sandy beaches that made Hong Kong such a valuable asset to both the British Empire and the smugglers of the South China Sea. Pack a picnic, a cool box full of beers and your swimming shorts, then find yourself a deserted beach and you’ll be set for an afternoon to remember.
A little temple hopping
As with all major Asian cities, temples are a great place to escape from the general insanity of the city for a while. And because the majority of the temples of Hong Kong are Buddhist, they’re even more relaxing. The sound of prayer bells. Monks chanting their daily invocations. Plumes of incense smoke shot through with sunlight. And a general feeling of peace, stillness and calm. They’re also a great place to go if you’re looking to walk off a Seven’s festival hangover!
There are literally hundreds of temples in and around Hong Kong Island. So here is our top three:
The Causeway Bay Tin Haul Temple
It’s close to your hotel in causeway bay. Just walk across Victoria Park and you’ll find it near the Tin Hau MTR station.
The Che Kung Temple
Turn the big bronze wheel and you’ll get a little good luck. Just take the MTR out to Che Kung Temple station.
Wong Tai Sin Temple
This Taoist temple draws in fortunetellers from across Hong Kong and mainland China. It’s a real experience. Just take the MTR out to Wong Tai Sin and follow the signs.
