Sailing, Hiking, and Cruising on a Festive Saturday – Hong Kong 2024 Part 2
March 31, 2024 3:48 pm Leave your thoughtsWelcome to the jungle
The morning after Part 1’s arrival, I set out for a short visit to rustic Lamma Island, just a half-hour ferry ride from the region’s concrete-steel-glass heart.
This car-free island is a beach paradise dotted with villages where houses rarely rise above three storeys — it feels more like Thailand. Locals often escape here, though overtourism can be an issue when streets and boats get packed. I checked ahead to avoid a CNY rush and was assured I wouldn’t get stranded.
There’s construction at the pier, probably expanding its capacity. I smiled at the big display showing 15ºC — pleasant spring weather by European standards, and winter here. A stark contrast to the oppressive 30ºC humidity of most of the year.
I wandered the narrow village paths, then followed the green trail to the main beach. After admiring the facilities, I climbed further uphill past a barbecue area buzzing with holidaymakers. The island is deceptively small — you could easily spend hours hiking its hills, groves, villages, and bays.
Waiting for the ferry with one of Hong Kong's famous egg waffles 
Victoria Harbour in late morning 
Ships passing in front of the Exhibition Centre 
A man looking outside the ferry window 
Is this a new pier under construction? 
A view from the Lamma Island ferry pier 
A relatively new public library 
Stuff under a tree in Yung Shue Wan village 
The restaurants overlooking the bay 
Hot French toast, melting butter, and no regrets 
A delicious pork dumpling 
Main Street from inside a restaurant 
A typical Lamma Island house 
Outside pipes mean we must be in HK 
Traces of humidity on the wall 
Close-up on the concrete path 
A winding walkway 
Local tourists overdressed in rare HK winter 
The main beach 
Emergency transport
I made my way back, picked up some handmade gifts and tasty food, and passed island royalty Nick the Bookman, the British expat bookseller. One restaurant served up a typical local breakfast — greasy French toast, a first for me. While waiting, I spotted dumplings on the menu and couldn’t resist; they didn’t disappoint. The impromptu brunch went down perfectly with hot milk tea. The cashier and I shared a hearty laugh when I wished him Happy New Year in broken Cantonese before I boarded the ferry back to modernity.
Harbour no ill will
Near the top of Hong Kong’s must-do list is crossing Victoria Harbour aboard the legendary Star Ferry. This 130+ year-old service is both public transport and a dirt-cheap, fantastic tourist attraction. No wonder the boats are packed — this sailor never tires of one of the world’s great travel experiences.
From Central, I crossed to Tsim Sha Tsui, at Kowloon Peninsula’s tip. There, I stumbled on CNY parade preparations and pencilled it into my evening.
2024 marks 30 years since Wong Kar-wai’s classic Chungking Express. I marked the occasion by standing in front of the nearby Chungking Mansions — that iconic melting pot of hotels, shops, restaurants, and tangled immigrant stories.
A family enjoying the harbour view 
A sanitary worker around the ferry piers 
The iconic red HK taxi 
All aboard the Star Ferry 
The Central skyline 
The people on the ferry's two levels 
A ferry rider 
Onwards to Tsim Sha Tsui 
Holiday mayhem at the old ocean terminal 
Inside Star House 
The streets have no shortage of people 
Love HK style milk tea 
A shopping mall with cinema theatre on Nathan Road 
Chungking Mansions is its own universe 
Preparing the streets for the parade
Monkey business
It is imperative for every visitor to climb Victoria Peak for Hong Kong’s world-famous skyline view. But this time, I wanted a fresh angle: the mountains at Kowloon’s north end. After an MTR ride and a quick minibus hop, I began my hike. The eight hills here form “Kowloon” (Nine Dragons) when counted with the Emperor.
A Hong Kong minibus in the winter sun 
Minibus interior 
My old enemy, stairs!
The 1½-hour hike mixed concrete steps, closed road, and a dirt shortcut — a peaceful world apart from the urban chaos below. Few trekkers or cyclists crossed my path.
Suddenly, around a corner, I faced a dozen macaques, just 20 metres away. They froze and stared; I zipped pockets, tied my Lidl bag, and walked casually through the standoff. My Darwinian cousins watched but made no move. Another once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Looking down from Beacon Hill's vantage point 
All of Kowloon at a glance, Hong Kong Island in the distance 
More mountains to the North
After photos at the 450 m Beacon Hill viewpoint, I rushed downhill toward the 8 PM parade. When I hit public road, I cheated: called an Uber. Incredibly, one was idling just minutes away — a small miracle during the holiday rush.
Dragon style
The Uber dropped me in Mongkok, because you’ve *got* to see it at night: dense, vibrant, full of lights, shops, and cool energy. Then back to TST, where I found a great parade spot (with handy 7-ELEVEN nearby for supplies: nuts, beer, onigiri).
Well organised crowds in the MTR tunnels underneath Tsim Sha Tsui 
At my spot at the parade with a few others
The show had plenty of spectators, though the mood was a bit muted at first. The first hour featured performance groups — athletes, school kids, rope-skippers — passing by every 10 minutes. Cathay Pacific, the event organiser, paraded pilots and flight attendants, alongside mascots from the Hong Kong consumer world — and a cursing couple from Northeastern Europe behind me.
Eventually came dragons and red decorations to ring in the Year of the Dragon. The crowd thinned, and I capped the night with roast duck and pork rice — just OK, but I wasn’t that hungry.
The dragon is safe 
Rebels 
Tonight's menu 
Meet the sponsors 
Here be dragons 
Some of the parade's attractions
Finally, I admired the stunning nighttime skyline across the harbour and ferried back. After a comically long subway passage at Causeway Bay, I made it through the maze in 6 minutes — a record.
To be concluded in the next part, which includes crossing the main island, journeying to diverse locations, and almost missing the explosive finale.
Tags: hong, hong-kong-2024, hongkong, kongCategorised in: Photos, Travel
This post was written by rado