Trip review of Hong Kong: A great travel base for the Greater Bay Area

This trip was completed in November 2023.

With the reopening of In-town check-in services back in July 2023, it was a clear indication that Hong Kong is back in business. Whether for leisure tourism or business conventions, we can feel the city’s hospitality in trying to welcome back travelers.

On top of touring the Kowloon Peninsula and surrounding islands, there are also multiple weekend trips that travelers can take from Hong Kong due to the amazing connectivity options, from ferries to buses to high speed rail. Just a short hop away, Macau is one of those neighboring cities which we have also written a review on recently.

In this Hong Kong review, we will go through some of the transportation options below, in addition to some of the trip highlights.

Transportation: Hong Kong Macau Ferry Pier

Rating 7.5/10

This pier gets the job done if you simply want to get to Macau by sea with about an hour ferry ride. It is conveniently located in the main city area, connected to Shun Tak Centre. Tickets can be purchased from service counters in the building and there are many departure timings throughout the day.

Like the many bus operators plying the Hong Kong-Macau land routes, this sea crossing is also popular with locals as a form of daily commute be it for leisure or work. Do check beforehand for the latest ferry schedules, especially for night timings and during typhoon season.

Although the waiting area before boarding may look a little dated, the ferry ride itself is comfortable due to the cushy seats and wide walking space.

For the more adventurous and well-heeled travelers, the Skyshuttle is also located in the same building, a public heliport for a quick chopper ride to Macau. Overall, this is a fuss-free transportation option with a streamlined and straightforward immigration process, which may help to reduce the stress for first-time travelers.

Transportation: Hong Kong West Kowloon Railway Station

Rating 8.0/10

This modern infrastructure is our recommended transportation option to get to Shenzhen from Hong Kong. Even though it is located at the Kowloon side across Victoria Harbour, it is still very accessible, being directly connected to both Austin and Kowloon MTR stations via underground walkways.

While Austin is closer in terms of walking distance, Kowloon Station is actually on the Airport Express line so that may be more convenient for travelers leaving or going to Hong Kong International Airport.

The entire high speed rail station is organised into several areas for passengers to pass through. While it may look confusing at first, there is a natural flow from ticketing to security checks to immigration customs. There are ticketing counters with service staff at the station for visitors to purchase tickets, but train tickets can be purchased online too. For international visitors without any of the local documents, a passport is required for verification.

Do take note that this is a busy transportation node for Hong Kong-Shenzhen commute, so during peak timings or weekends, it is advisable to arrive early to go through the numerous security checks before the boarding area. If somehow you cleared customs with way more time to spare, there is also a service counter at the waiting area which can help with changing your train to an earlier timing.

We were surprised that the train journey itself took less than 20 minutes to get to downtown Shenzhen (mostly in an underground tunnel), so there was not much to really view or experience onboard except the extremely fast speed at which the train was travelling. As such, downgrading to a standing ticket with no assigned seat is still tolerable if that means you can change your booking to catch an earlier train timing.

Transportation: Lo Wu Control Point

Rating 7.2/10

This is likely the busiest border crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. It is rather straightforward to get to as it is integrated into Hong Kong’s main Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system via the Lo Wu Station right at the end of the train line. Do take note that on the Shenzhen side of the same border point, it is called Luohu. They are essentially referring to the same place, just a different naming which tends to be confusing for tourists.

In contrast to the first two transportation mentioned above, this Lo Wu Control Point requires visitors to simply walk across the border by foot facilitated by the immigration checkpoints. That said, the MTR train journey from central Hong Kong to Lo Wu Station is a long one, taking an hour traversing through the New Territories north of Kowloon. This is unlike the high speed rail, which zooms through all those mountains and wetlands.

From Lo Wu Control Point, getting to downtown Shenzhen requires another local metro journey within Shenzhen from the Luohu District to the Futian District. Therefore, in terms of overall comfort and convenience, we think that the high speed rail journey may be a better option than this considering that most of this Lo Wu journey will be in a standard subway train carriage with majority of passengers having to stand throughout the journey.

Accommodation: Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View

Rating 7.8/10

For people who are keen to stay near the central bustling area while still enjoying a little peace, this hotel is nicely tucked in a quiet corner of the central district. It is directly linked to two MTR stations with sheltered overhead walkways, although it is nearer to the Exhibition Centre station than Wan Chai Station. The main commercial district at Central station is just a couple stations away, so the hotel location is a plus point.

The lobby and facilities are all consistent with what you will expect from a branded hotel, considering that this is a Marriott-managed property. Being in the Convention and Exhibition Centre area, the compound is shared with another hotel, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. Also notably, there is a large playground beside a garden, tennis court and a swimming pool which looks to be shared with another connected residence called Convention Plaza Apartments.

The room itself is of a decent size according to Hong Kong standards. Some rooms come with a harbour view, so that may be a better scenery than other rooms facing the office buildings. Rates are around HK$2,000/night, which we think is rather competitive compared to the area around Admiralty Station just one stop away.

The hotel restaurant, Dynasty, serves delectable Cantonese fare too. While we did not order a full spread, their fried rice goes very well with their specially-made chilli oil. Their braised rice and claypot dishes are also popular among diners.

Another interesting dish is the baked bean curd with minced pork and salted egg 'Taishan' style. It looks deceptively unassuming but the taste was surprisingly unique.

Accommodation: Four Points by Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung

Rating 7.5/10

We consider this a transit hotel given its proximity to the Hong Kong International Airport. There are a few reasons why travelers may want to stay here. For passengers on a short layover, Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong may be more suitable as a resting pitstop since it is directly connected to the airport. For longer flight stopovers, there are only a few options nearby such as Regala Skycity and Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel. As of this writing, the immediate vicinity around those hotels is still currently under development.

Meanwhile, Four Points by Sheraton Hong Kong is located in the Tung Chung area, which is already quite built-up with many residential buildings, an outlet mall, several parks (and a waterfront promenade under construction) as well as the Tung Chung MTR station. Therefore, this hotel is suitable for travelers (with a day or two to spare) who may want to explore Hong Kong a little while still having a convenient shuttle service provided by the hotel to get back to the airport.

Secondly, this hotel is also suitable for travelers who may want to visit Lantau Island and of course, Hong Kong Disneyland. In fact, the Ngong Ping Cable Car attraction can be seen from the hotel and Disneyland is just two train stations away from Tung Chung station.

As for the hotel itself, it is shared with the actual Sheraton branded hotel just beside. Therefore, both Four Points and Sheraton have their own lobbies and reception area. However, there is little distinction as far as we can tell, with many shared corridors and lift. Some nights, there is live music performance at the outdoor section of the restaurants which creates a nice atmosphere for lounging around.

The rooms are rather small, although the wooden-themed décor exudes some minimalist modernity. During our stay there, we were given a sea view room and it helped in ‘opening up’ the room for a more spacious feeling. Room rates are around HK$1,300/night, slightly cheaper than Novotel Hong Kong Citygate and about a third cheaper than Silveri Hong Kong MGallery which are directly connected to Tung Chung MTR station.

Dining: Ho Hung Kee (Causeway Bay)

Rating 7.5/10

Situated at one of the top floors of Hysan Place, this dining establishment has won consecutive years of One Star Michelin award. It serves local cuisine like noodles and congee, as well as dim sum dishes. Having started out as a neighborhood eatery, they continue to serve heartwarming yet quality food.

Wanton, a local version of dumpling, is a must-try in Hong Kong. The noodles were cooked well and retained the springiness texture.

Another of our favourite is the pan-fried carrot cake. It was flavourful with the outside being slightly crispy, adding to the layers of the taste. Dining in a larger group is a good idea, not only because you can order more small dim sum dishes to try, but for those who prefer privacy, also reduces the chance that you may have to share the same table with strangers (which is a common practice in Hong Kong).

Dining: Sukiyaki Isekuma

Rating 8.1/10

Along the same street as the famous Waso Café at Tsim Sha Tsui, this Japanese restaurant has a rather low-profile entrance. The cosy dining area comprises of a handful of standard tables and a L-shaped counter with a dozen seats. The service from the chef and staff is commendable, where ingredients in every dishes they serve will be patiently introduced to diners.

We tried the pork sukiyaki set, which came with appetizers, egg custard, assorted vegetables and dessert. The food will be cooked in front of guests at the counter seats and the serving pace is well-timed. Overall, the quality of the meat was above mark and the vegetables were also not cooked overly soft.

A special mention to the steamed rice which comes with a tinge of light fragrance, pairing very well with the sukiyaki dishes. Feel free to ask for more rice if that is to your liking as it is complimentary and the staff certainly expect guests to do so!

Dining: Kaneko Hannosuke

Rating 7.8/10

Hidden in the heart of Wan Chai is this tendon restaurant serving a variety of tempura with rice or noodles. Located in a revitalised part of the local neighbourhood called Lee Tung Avenue, this pedestrian street transforms into a cool hangout spot in the evening.

We ordered the scallop set, which was the seasonal menu when we were there. While the rice was pretty average (partly due to higher expectations on our part), the thin udon was tasty. The soup was clear and light, alongside a condiment tray which the staff will bring over for you to go with the udon.

For the main tempura dish, the batter was to our liking and we were able to observe the deep-frying process from our counter seats. Overall, most of the main ingredients like shrimps and scallops were very fresh. The crispy outer layer goes well with the rice indeed and it is also noteworthy that their portion is generous.

Dining: Lin Heung Kui

Rating 7.8/10

If anything, this traditional restaurant is worth just for the local experience. Completing the old-school ambience, there are push trolleys stacked with steaming dim sum baskets. The restaurant itself takes some finding; it is on the third floor of an old building, with a small elevator for those who wants to skip the narrow staircase up.

Expect an authentic ‘yumcha’ atmosphere, where the local elderly community gather over Chinese tea. Table-sharing is also almost a given here, so it is a good opportunity to casually mingle with others among the dining bustle.

Overall, Hong Kong is an easy urban city to simply wander around. There tends to be surprises around every corner, with many hidden gems waiting to be discovered outside of the usual social media-famous spots. Apart from the customary tourist attractions like Disneyland, The Peak and Victoria Harbour, nature-loving visitors may also find it worthwhile to embark on the numerous hiking trails offering fantastic landscapes, with some trails even rewarding hikers with scenic beaches at the end.