8 Things to Do in Central Hong Kong

1. Shop and have a photo walk around the city

One thing that you surely won’t miss when you visit Central is the view of high-rise buildings and malls filled with luxury brands and local products. If you would like to shop in Hong Kong, please remember to show your passport so you could pay for the items, tax-free! As you go through the huge sidewalks, you might find Central’s buildings and streets to be interesting subjects for photography too!

 

2. Visit the Victoria Peak

One of the famous tourist spots in Hong Kong is the Victoria Peak. This is the highest peak in the city where tourists and locals go to get a good view of the cityline. We got discounted tickets from the Klook app days before our trip to avoid any inconveniences. We also went there on a weekday to make sure that we wouldn’t be waiting in line for a long time. However, upon reaching the venue, we still had to wait for 20-30 minutes before we got on the tram.

Nonetheless, it was an interesting tour! The tram ride felt like a rollercoaster ride which only went up. Going back down was even more amusing because we went backwards fast! Haha. If you’re willing to spend extra money, you can avail the access to the Sky Terrace which gives you a better view of the whole skyline. But, if you don’t have more budget, you can take photos from the mall right beside it which gives you a gist of what it looks like.

Roundtrip: Peak Tram Only – around Php 300
Roundtrip: Peak Tram + Sky Pass – around Php 600

More details HERE

 
3. Go on a food trip

You can read more about it HERE.

 

4. Enjoy street arts at the Soho area / Graham Street

Of course, we wouldn’t miss the opportunity to visit one of the most famous Instagramable spots in Hong Kong — Graham St. It’s nice to appreciate free art in the city. As you walk along the artsy streets, you’ll even find small coffee shops and restaurants that you might like to visit too.

 

5. Shop and take photos at Pottinger Street

Don’t be intimidated by the steep slope at Pottinger Street. By exerting just a bit more effort, you’ll find it worthwhile to check out the local items sold at the stores along the way or to simply take photos at the uniquely constructed pavement — something that you don’t see everyday.

 

6. Ride the mid-level escalators

The longest mid-level escalator in the world is located at Central, Hong Kong. This is also used by the locals as their mode of transportation from one street to another, especially since the streets in the area are very steep. Feeling a bit more adventurous? Hike up the streets! But, it’s quite relaxing to street-hop by riding this one too!

 

7. Buy meat, fruits, or flowers at Graham street

While we were walking along Graham street, we happened to pass by fruit and flower stalls at the side of the road. There wasn’t much fruit markets in the area where we stayed at (Mong Kok), so it was refreshing for me to finally see fruits after all of the dim sum and noodles we ate.

 

8. Go on a tram ride around and across the cities

This is an experience that we don’t have in the Philippines. The ride was a bit bumpy but, it was fun to sightsee from the second level of the tram. Make sure to try it when you’re there! From Central, we rode the tram to Causeway Bay! It took us 15 minutes to get there. Not bad.


There are so much more to experience in Central, but we only had one day! Let me know which ones you’ve tried!

What to Expect at Farmer’s Market

After years of hearing about one of the best markets  in town, I was finally able to visit Farmer’s Market a few weeks ago. I didn’t know what to expect in the market (palengke) except for fresh seafood because my friends and even my grandmother recommend buying from Farmer’s. So, I asked my mom if she could accompany me one Saturday morning and she did! My older brother joined us too. Hooray! I loved it! As soon as we got to the place, the first words that came out of my mouth were “Wow! This is a dream come true!”

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Since it was my first time to go there, I just observed and took photographs of the place and people, while my mom did most of the shopping. We also took our time visiting numerous stalls of fruits, fish, seafood, and vegetables. We weren’t able to go through the meat section though because we didn’t need to buy meat at that time. Nonetheless, I enjoyed our sweaty and stinky Saturday morning at the market. I hope I can visit Farmer’s again soon.

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If you haven’t been to Farmer’s market, here are some of the things that you can expect:

FRESH INGREDIENTS

Having fresh ingredients can do wonders to any dish. My mom bought a kilo of fresh medium-sized shrimps and made “Halabos na Hipon” for dinner that night. Because the shrimps were alive and fresh when we bought them, they had a naturally sweet and juicy flavor after they were cooked. Even my dad and other siblings made a comment about how delicious the shrimps were. That was just one of the many ingredients sold at the market. You could just imagine the crisp heads of cabbages and lettuces, the bright and healthy squash flowers, the plump and red tuna fish displayed on the counters, and many more. Oh, yes! The next time I go to Farmer’s, I have to make sure to buy only the ingredients on my list or else, I might end up splurging on a whole lot of good eats.

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AFFORDABLE PRICES

I remember bringing a banana to work with a price tag on it and my colleagues joked about me buying only those fruits and vegetables with brands or those that came from supermarkets. We just laughed about it. But, it got me thinking about my spending habits. I rarely go to the market because we have a supermarket closer to our home. Since it’s more convenient for me, I usually buy raw ingredients there which are more expensive, unfortunately. However, after going to Farmer’s market, I saw the huge difference in the prices compared to those sold in the grocery stores.

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For example, a kilo of orange sweet potato costs Php 40. When we buy this exact kind in the supermarket, it ranges from Php 70-80 per kilo. Another example is the price of shrimps. A kilo of live shrimps in Farmer’s costs around Php 350-400. This is also the same price range of shrimps in the supermarket, but those shrimps aren’t alive anymore. A decade ago, I didn’t really think about the costs of ingredients whenever I would join my mom to her trips to the market. But now, I appreciate buying quality ingredients at the lowest possible prices. I just need to be more intentional in planning when and where to buy the ingredients I need, so I could save more.

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ORGANIZED VENUE

There were four main areas in the market: Flowers/Plants, Fruits/Vegetables, Fish/Seafood, and Meat. Each area had about a hundred stalls. The place was huge! Although it was a bit overwhelming, I enjoyed going through most of them because I saw the various goods sold in the market. The staff members at the market even allowed the customers to borrow steel shopping carts. We just needed to surrender an I.D. This was very helpful for us because we planned to bring home wet seafood and heavy vegetables from the market.

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Our first stop was at the fruits and vegetable section. Most of the stalls had the same kinds of vegetables, but there were some with unique ones like squash flowers, kale, cherries, and fresh goat’s milk. At the far left side of the vegetable section, there was a ramp that led us towards the seafood (my favorite part) and meat sections. Passing by each stall was a pleasant experience for me because I appreciated their beautiful displays of fresh goods. It was also fun to watch some of the vendors do their expertise such as removing the scales of fish, neatly trimming heads of lettuce, grinding coconut meat, slicing fish, or sorting seafood in plastic containers filled with water.

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Also, the vendors in the different areas were friendly. When I was taking a photo of a big tuna head in a pail on the floor, one of the vendors picked up the head and held it in the air so I could take a good photo of it. Haha. There was also a time when I was taking photos of the raw meat being chopped and some of the vendors noticed and smiled at the camera! In a way, it was refreshing to see them work so passionately and cheerfully even if it was so early in the morning. When I go back to Farmer’s, I hope I can give them hard copies of their photos and encourage them to keep up the good work!

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Overall, I think that Farmer’s market has a good and organized system. There were enough spaces along the aisles; fresh vegetables weren’t directly exposed to bacteria/possible contamination from meat since they were placed on a different floor; and the displays were always neatly arranged.

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These are just some of the observations I had. Hopefully, I can drop by Farmer’s again to go around the sections for meat and flowers/plants. Maybe I can finally buy a Tuna head and some lobsters too. Hahaha. I can’t wait until my next trip to the Farmer’s!

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Note: If ever you’re bringing a car, you may park at the Araneta Coliseum parking since they don’t allow parking beside the market.

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About Me

My name is Nicole Obligacion and I started this blog because I was inspired by Hebrews 10:24 and Hebrews 3:13. I love to eat, cook, bake, read the Bible, and encourage. :)

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