Hong Kong as an Australia stop-over

The fabulous Hong Kong Island's skyline at night as seen from Kowloon

OK, so technically we stopped in Hong Kong on our way to (shh) New Zealand a few of weeks ago, but as Virgin, Cathay and Qantas all allow you to stop in Hong Kong on your way to and from various Australian destinations, I am still going to write about it!

Despite spending some of my mis-spent early 20s backpacking around Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia), I had never made it to Hong Kong. And since then, we have only done en route Australia stop-overs in Singapore.

So what is Hong Kong like as a stop-over?

Hong Kong Island as seen by Lucy and Alex from the roof-top pool of the Harbour Plaza hotel

Well, I really liked the place. Obviously, I won't be giving an in depth review of everything to do there, as we only had 2 nights/3 days ourselves, but in terms of a good way to break your journey to or from Australia, it gets the thumbs up. The airport is modern, bright and easy to navigate. We booked a hotel transfer bus (through my now weary, but trusty, travel agent Rob from Travelmood Bristol), which is a lot cheaper than a private transfer or taxi (was £11 each one way, whereas taxis can be nearer to £40, I understand). The bus ride was a great way to view the countryside coming on from the airport and the harbour and docks as we drew nearer. We also got an excellent short tour of the more 'bustling' part of Kowloon as we dropped fellow passengers off at other hotels.

We picked a hotel not on 'the island' (where the 'skyline' is of the main banks and offices), but across the harbour in Kowloon. Now I will be the first to admit that I did book the hotel we stayed in solely because of the swimming pool! A roof-top infinity swimming pool with a view of the Hong Kong skyline across the water, and I couldn't say no.

Here's where we stayed — the Harbour Plaza hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong. However what also turned out to be good about this hotel is that for not much more a night (approx £100 vs £80) you got a view like this out of your floor-to-ceiling window:

Alex enjoys Hong Kong harbour views from the floor-to-ceiling window in our hotel room

Nice!

Also, the hotel was in a 'neighbourhood', which meant we had loads of great restaurants two minutes walk down the road, and a supermarket for Alex-related essentials (bananas etc!).

The hotel staff are lovely, and Alex enjoyed the huge lobby area (and, in particular, the fountain). I must also make particular mention of the excellent cakes in the coffee shop... (ahem).

Other good news about the hotel location was that it was a short (5-minute) walk to the Star Ferry terminal, which takes you across to the main island and all its attractions (and posh air-conditioned shops!). On our first day, we took the ferry over and made our way up Victoria Peak on the tram, which was a great way to orient ourselves. There are some shops, cafes and restaurants at the top of the peak, and while it's verging on tacky up there, there is no denying the cracking view.

Any more fares? — The trolley-bus exhibit at the Museum of History in Hong Kong

The next day was (bucketing!) with rain so we took a short taxi-ride to the Museum of History, also in Kowloon, which was really good. The history of Hong Kong starts in pre-historic times, and is traced through to modern day. There is an excellent mock 'street' with historical shops and buildings in it — not to mention full-sized trolley bus to explore. Alex's favourite exhibit was the Chinese Opera - what a cultured toddler she is!

The flight times for us worked out really well in and out of Hong Kong too, as you leave London on an overnight flight, and depart again on an evening one. This is something to always consider for coping with jet lag, and getting as much sleep as possible on your trip! There's loads more to do and see in Hong Kong than we did, and we didn't try and do everything, as I expect we will be back. Also don't forget we have a 1-year old in tow, so we take it easy ;-)