For many, the modern Island of Hong Kong is synonymous with Hong Kong itself. During my week travelling, I only spent a few hours on the Island so I’m no authority – but here’s a sketch of what I did.
Firstly a reminder of the layout of the north side of the Island, with “Central” in the middle, and “Wan Chai” to the east:
The ferry
Great views of the island can be had from the waterfront promenade on Kowloon. The “Avenue of Stars” tourist spot is situated at the eastern end, with a statue of Bruce Lee and plaques of Jackie Chan and Maggie Cheung (In the Mood for Love). The Star Ferry departs from the Western corner of the promenade.
The IFC Mall, and financial district
The ferry takes you over to the peers abutting the financial district. The 88-floor “2 IFC” tower and the smaller “1 IFC” tower sprout up from the very swish IFC Mall.
At this point you have a choice: be boring and head for the Hong Kong MTR Station, or otherwise set off by foot. Distances might be short, but there’s a major problem however in trying to walk the Island.
Walking on Hong Kong Island
The fact is that at ground level the car is king. I seemed to spend half my time working out how to cross the road. Heavy concrete barriers are put up everywhere to dissuade you from nipping across, and instead you have to search for a crossing, or find an underpass or overpass. There is of course a solution – the wonderful network of elevated walkways. Wonderful if you know exactly where you are going, but if you are attempting the walk for the first time (and probably the only time if you’re a tourist), then it can be extremely frustrating.
Chater Garden
The HongKongese love nature, and guidebooks are packed with walking trails on the Island (including the Lung Fu Shan Morning Trail, and the section 1 Hong Kong Trail near the Peak), but even in the heart of the city one comes across little pockets of nature. I happened across this garden in the heart of Central, in the shadow of the Bank of China Tower (a landmark financial skyscraper with a triangular pattern).
Chater Road is one of those locations across the Island where thousands of Filipina domestic helpers gather on Sundays for picnics.
The tram
A wonderful series of nostalgic double-decker trams trundle along the northern side of the Island. It’s best to take one from the end of the line (around Western Market, near the Sheung Wan Station MTR) and enjoy the view as you ride eastwards along “Des Voeux Road”.
Peak
The cable car journey up to the Peak to enjoy the view from the top is a must. Once you reach the top you should take the narrow Lugard road and walk the 3 km with fantastic views over the Island, harbour and mountains beyond.
The entertainment zones
LKF (Lan Kwai Fong) is the trendy entertainment area in Central, accessible from the “Central” MTR station. The more hard-core entertainment block lies in Wan chai on Lockhart Road and Jaffe Road, between Fenwick Street and O’Brien Road.