What is the best area for to stay in Hong Kong If you are going to travel to this amazing city you have probably asked yourself this question, whether you should stay in one of the districts of the Hong Kong Island or in one of the Kowloon .
The territory and city of Hong Kong has been defined under the topics of ‘a sophisticated place where West and East merge’, ‘the Manhattan of the South Seas’ or ‘a city that is a real kaleidoscope of life’.
Today, its reality is as unique as its status as a ‘special’ administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. The city organizes the life of its plus seven million inhabitants on a delta formed by three rivers in the southeast of China and on 260 islands spread over 730 kilometers of coastline.
It is a territory dominated by a large population concentration where the average annual temperature remains at a magnificent 17 degrees Celsius with peaks between 27 and 29 degrees in the months from December to February.
A tropical attraction to add to the list of original features of a city-territory that is worth discovering in first person.
The best areas to stay in Hong Kong
So, what to take into account when finding a place in the city? Where to stay in Hong Kong? The part with the most glamour and the one preferred by almost everybody is Hong Kong Island with districts like Central, Admiralty, Mid Levels, Sheung Wan, Cause Bay or Southern District, but it is also the most expensive.
If you want to save a little bit opt for Kowloon before Hong Kong Island, the accommodation offer is bigger and the prices are sensibly cheaper.With good communications and transport, all districts are accessible at any time and from almost any point in the city.
On the other hand, the area of Tsim Sha Tsui , south of Kowloon is the one with the highest concentration of hotels in Hong Kong because the tourist attractions are close.If you want to be near the traditional markets, then you should choose the hotels in You Ma Tei or Mong Kok district.
Admiralty, Central District, Mid Levels, Sheung Wan, Wan Chai, Cause Bay, Southern District, Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok are the most popular districts.
These are areas where the most interesting places to visit are concentrated, well communicated, have atmosphere, and where you can find the most recommended accommodations for any travel experience in this part of southern China. We see in detail each of these districts of Hong Kong :
1.Central District
Central is the business district of the city and is located on the north coast of Hong Kong Island and is the location of many multinationals and consulates of different countries, as well as being the location of the local government headquarters.
In Central, the monumentality of the ancient buildings of the British period and the new constructions, in the form of glass towers, are part of the contrasting charm of the center of Hong Kong.
Thus, in the line of seeing and discovering that contrast, in Central you should not miss the Alexandra House, the Charter House, the towers of the banks of America and China, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with its Exchange Square, the Wheelock House.
Also take time to stroll along the Battery Route, Charter Road or Cotton Tree Drive to admire and confirm these contrasts. A stop at Edinburgh Place, opposite Port Victoria, offers a maritime and terrestrial view of the all-time Hong Kong .
This is a area with very good connections because of the convergence of several underground lines and other bus lines that guarantee the displacements between districts and outside Hong Kong with other cities in the area.
It is important to point out that the Lan Kwai Fong area, the epicentre of the nightlife in Hong Kong, is located in this district.
– Accommodation in Central District
2.Admiralty
And what to say and what to see in Admiralty .To begin with, Admiralty is confused with Central as the centre of Hong Kong due to the concentration of official buildings and company headquarters.
Admiralty is the extension of Hong Kong’s Central District and is located to the east with Victoria Harbour to the north.Admiralty refers to the existence of a former Admiralty pier in the area that used to house a Royal Navy shipyard and was the area where the British built their military barracks.
Today, Admiralty underground station is part of the space once occupied by the shipyards.The area is full of office buildings and government buildings, but also hotels and shopping malls. A perfect place for shopping, such as the Quensway Plaza, a commercial space located above the Admiralty Station.”, ‘Most of the large buildings in the area are c connected with an elevated footbridge that extends into the western part of the Central district.
On the transport in the area, trams run through Admiralty in Queensway.
Admiralty is undoubtedly one of the best options to stay in Hong Kong . it is totally central, excellently connected, has places to go shopping, restaurants, and the nightlife of Lai Kwan Fong is just a few steps away.
– Accommodation in Admiralty
3.Mid Levels
Mid Levels is one of the most expensive and exclusive residential areas on the island, sitting on the side of a mountain halfway up the Victoria Peak, with many professional residents and many foreigners in the district, although the hotel offer is much smaller than in other areas, it is one of the best bets for to stay in Hong Kong .
In the area, you must see the religious temples that can be known in a walking route and that are a reflection of the most multicultural Hong Kong. in the list of temples you must not miss the Ohel Leah Synagogue and its Jewish centre; the Hop Yat Church; the Jamiah Masjid Mosque; the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Hong Kong or the popular Man Mo Temple.
One of the main attractions of the place and at the same time one of the most genuine transport systems in a city with great orographic unevenness is the Mid Levels-Central Escalator .The staircase is more than 800 meters long and is the longest in the world.
In the same area, you can admire two equally unique leisure spaces, and Hong Kong Park and Zoo of the city.The first has a surface area of 80,000 square metres; the second is also a botanical reserve that exhibits many natural plant species from the south of China.
In Mid Levels, there is a peculiar offer of very luxurious apartments and other small ones conditioned with exclusive unique details.There is a great variety of apartments whose prices are established according to the size, the location of the property and the age of the building.
In addition to the panoramic view over Victoria Harbour from Mid-Levels, the area is close to Central and Admiralty, both very important commercial areas within the city and for which there are good communications (such as the escalator of Mid Levels).
– Mid Levels Accommodation
4.Sheung Wan
Sheung Wan is a neighbourhood located in the Northwest of Hong Kong Island between Central and Sai Ying Pun forming part of the Central West District, it owes its name to the difference in height of its location with respect to those in the vicinity.’, “The area was one of the first to be occupied by the British who settled in Hong Kong in 1842.
Sheung Wan offers some unique attractions .Among them, ‘The Centre’, the fifth tallest skyscraper in the city; Hollywood Roa Park, Pak Tsz Lane and Blake Garden, three popular parks in the district that are real natural islands where you can walk and eat outdoors.
Soho is the most important leisure area in Sheung Wan that it shares with the Central District.In any of its restaurants you should not miss to order some of the gastronomic excellencies of the city like the fish balls, the typhoon crab, the goose roast or the egg tarts.
More.A museum worth visiting for its originality is the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Science which displays the traces of the city’s medical and healthcare history (buses 12, 12 M and 13, also accessible from Sheung Wan Metro Station).
For those who want to follow a pre-established route in the city, you can follow ‘The Sheung Wan Route’ which is part of the Central and Western Heritage Trail designed by the Antiquities and Monuments Office and Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
The route includes 35 historical buildings and locations of Sheung Wan, including the Western Market, a red brick building that was once the city market.
The area is very well connected , like the rest of the city, with the bus lines and with the MTR public subway network. In addition, you can go to Central, Admiralty, or Mid Levels by walking around so it is an excellent alternative to these neighborhoods for to stay in Hong Kong .
– Accommodation in Sheung Wan
5.Wan Chai
Wan Chai is one of the northern districts of Hong Kong and a business area where offices and small and medium sized business location abound.It is an area organized around office buildings , parks , hotels and an international conference and exhibition centre (the HKCEC).
It is an area that is currently undergoing an intense process of urban renewal .In Wan Chai, you must come to see the old post office of Old Wan Chai and the popular temples of Pak Tai and Hung Shing.
And a curiosity in the area, in Wan Chai , the shops are numbered something that is a legacy of the time when the houses dedicated to the prostitution district had their own distinctive numbers.
The building Central Plaza , with its 78 floors, is the third highest in the city.On the second floor of this skyscraper, art exhibitions are open to the public, while the first floor provides access to the footbridge network for walking traffic in Wan Chai, which connects, for example, to the Hong Kong Convention Centre, the Harbor Center, the Central Plaza or Johnston Road, the city’s tram line at the southern end of its route.
For an original show, the Golden Bauhinia Square hosts a colourful flag raising ceremony every day, most spectacularly on July 1st, the date of Hong Kong’s return to China, and October 1st, National China Day.
The fingerprints of 30,000 Hong Kong citizens can be seen on the Tai Fat Hau catwalk , which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.”, “Lover’s Rock on the slopes of Bowen Road, near Shiu Fai Terrace is a popular location whose contact is said to bestow the grace of happiness on married couples.
Metro (MTR), buses, trams and even a ferry line at the nearby Wan Chai Pier allow combinations of transport within the city and with the different islands that form the Hong Kong area.
– Accommodation in Wan Chai
6.Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is one of the most urbanized commercial areas of Hong Kong Island and also the most expensive in the city and also in the world, for that reason, it is considered ‘The Fifth Avenue of Hong Kong’.
The Excelsior and Regal Hong Kong Hotel are the most exclusive hotels in the area and in recent years, several boutique hotels and luxury apartments have been opened in the district.
For to go shopping in this district, you can choose between the Times Square area, with its skyscrapers; the World Trade Center, the Hysan Place or the Windsor House, where the first brands in the world of fashion are present.
A curiosity worth watching and photographing.This is the ‘Noonday Gun’ which was used to set the time for all the clocks in the city during the British domination.
For those who prefer to enjoy their time outdoors without leaving the city, the Victoria Park and the Hong Kong Central Library are two interesting and combinable options.A recommendable area to enjoy the best of the local and Cantonese gastronomy are the restaurants of Kingston Street .
The options of mobility by public transport in the area are many and can be combined to move from this district to other parts of the city: Island Line (metro MTR); tram to Kennedy Town, Happy Valley or Witthy Street; bus (Citybus or New World First Bus) or minubus, red or green lines.Southern District
South District is located in the South area of Hong Kong Island and its seafront is open to the South China Sea, behind it are a series of hills and reservoirs that are national parks .On the coast, some of Hong Kong’s most popular beaches are spread out.
In the western part of the district, there is the residential area and the local industries.there are many mainland Chinese residents and a community of foreign migrants.the place is especially attractive to local residents because of its low population density, the proximity to natural areas and the proximity to the center of Hong Kong and the Central district.”, ”
There are a number of private developments for residents with high purchasing power One of the attractions of the area is the islands in the district that are preferred leisure places for local residents: Magazine, Po Toi, Tai Tau Chau, Ap Lei Pai or Lo Chau.
The floating restaurants offering traditional food, the picturesque fishing port of Aberdeen , a water park, the Ocean Park, the house where Teresa Teng, a famous Taiwanese singer lived and the Maritime Museum of Stanley.
– Accommodation in the Southern District
8.Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui is a portion of the HK metropolitan territory that sits on a reclaimed space in the Bay of Hung on the Kowloon Peninsula opposite the Central District.This is the most touristic area of the city and a place where there are many shopping centers and hotels .it is undoubtedly one of the best areas where to stay in Hong Kong.
is the neighborhood of the museums of the city.there is much to choose from.There’s plenty to choose from, including the Hong Kong Space Museum, the Art Museum, the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Center, the City History Museum, the Health Education Exhibition and Resource Centre and the Cultural Centre.A place to walk near the sea in the area is the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade .
The pier of the Star Ferry Company and the Avenue of the Stars are two very photographed places in this part of the city.On the Avenue of the Stars, you can see sculptures commemorating the fame of some of the city’s film stars and singers, including Bruce Lee and Anita Mui.
If you have extra time, you should not miss the Hong Kong Observatory building, the former British School in Kowloon and the former Marine Police Headquarters on Salisbury Road.
Tsim Sha Tsui is connected to the rest of Hong Kong by metro (Tsuen Wan line), by ferry and by hydrofoil which also brings the Chinese towns of Macau, Guanghzou and several locations in the Pearl River Delta closer.
– Accommodation in Tsim Sha Tsui
9.Jordan
Jordan is located in the center of Yau Tsim Mong district.It is a fully urbanized space where the pedestrian and car traffic is very dense at peak hours.Jordan is a microcosm of Hong Kong’s working class.
It mixes in a small space old residential buildings, with office towers, street markets, hotels, restaurants and an almost infinite variety of small shops.”, ”
This is the neighbourhood where many Asian immigrants live, particularly Nepalese, Indians and Pakistanis, and is the favourite place for alternative tourists who are looking to discover new experiences, and above all cheap accommodation in Hong Kong .Jordan offers the cheapest accommodation in the whole city
In Jordan, you must see the Jade Market, the Kwun Chung Street Market and the King George V Park .Its central location in the Hong Kong area allows the area to enjoy good public transport services and better connections.
– Accommodation in Jordan
10.Yau Ma Tei
For its part, Yau Ma Tei is part of the southern part of the Kowloon Peninsula.the area is a commercial and residential space .The area is a commercial and residential space . It is well connected so it is a practical alternative to sleeping in Hong Kong to other areas where accommodation is more expensive.
About what you have to see in the area, in Waterloo Road is located a centennial fruit market , near which is Yaumatei Theatre , which was once the largest in Kowloon.The Kown Wah Hospital, built in 1911, is still in place and is the first health care centre on the Kowloon Peninsula.
As for transport in the area, most bus routes run along Nathan Road to North Kowloon and New Territories.The reference station is MTR Yau Ma Tei
– Yau Ma Tei Accommodation
11.Mong Kok
Mong Kok is located in the western part of Kowloon.
The area is predominantly commercial and residential middle class . restaurants abound, especially fast food restaurants, but also bars , night clubs and massage parlors .
In the centre of Mong Kok , is marked by Argyle Street and in the neighbourhood are popular the streets with shops and food stalls open to the road like those of Ladie’s Market (area specialized in women’s clothing), Sai Yeung Choi Street South (of electronic products), Fa Yuen Street (sport equipment) or the Flower Market Road (flowers).
What is the best area to stay in Hong Kong?
The two main areas to stay in Hong Kong are the Kowloon district , located in the south of the peninsula, and the Hong Kong Island , located on the opposite side of the Hong Kong bay.In Best Location Hotels we propose the district of Kowloon as the best area to stay in Hong Kong .
Kowloon is the area that best represents what Hong Kong is, a mixture between the millenary Chinese tradition and the modernity of a great Western metropolis.In Kowloon we can also find the main tourist attractions of the city: the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, from where we can contemplate the magnificent views of the coast line of the island of Hong Kong; The Wong Tai Sin Temple, the main temple of Hong Kong; and diverse markets like the Ladies Market, the Flower Market, the Bird Market and the Temple Night Market.
An important point to consider when staying in Hong Kong, is that our hotel is near a subway station, known as MTR in Hong Kong, which will allow us to move around the city.
If you are interested in knowing where to stay in Hong Kong , you may also be interested in knowing where to stay in Macau, where to stay in Beijing, where to stay in Shanghai and where to stay in Taipei.
The Kowloon district, the best area to stay in Hong Kong
Located in the north of Hong Kong Island and with a density of 43.
One of them is Tsim Sha Tsui, a place from which you can see the best views of the spectacular Hong Kong bay.There you can enjoy the “Symphony of Lights”, a sound and light show in which the most representative buildings of the city take the leading role. This “show” takes place in the Avenue of Stars, the version, in Hong Kong, of the street of Hollywood’s fame. On the floor of this famous avenue you can find the hands of celebrities like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, among others.
The Wong Tai Si Temple, also known as Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin, is the home of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. 18,000 square meters of space include the Bronze Pavilion, the Yuk Yik Fountain and the Yue Heung Shrine.
To get to know the historical development of the city in a pleasant way, the best option is to visit the Hong Kong History Museum, opened almost six decades ago and whose entrance is free.
The gastronomy of Hong Kong, famous and admired all over the world.Other essential markets, although not focused on the culinary part, are the Bird Market, the Flower Market and the Ladie Market.
The Bird Market is a place out of the ordinary, as it brings together buyers and sellers of birds, cages and food and even some bird lovers who walk their pets in cages to make friends and enjoy a walk.From the fauna to the flora, the Flower Market complements the previous visit and is a very unique space in Kowloon.
Hotels in Kowloon
Hong Kong Island, the other recommended sleeping area in Hong Kong
With almost two million inhabitants, Hong Kong Island is the other ideal place to stay, with Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island (522 metres), from where you can see the whole bay, and you can reach the top by taking a picturesque 120 year old tram.The island is also home to the Hong Kong Park, a huge public park (80,000 square meters) where you can walk and relax.
Another must-see and unique place in the world is to climb the world’s longest escalator, The Central-Mid-levels escalators, which cover more than 800 meters and climb more than 135 meters in 20 minutes.
Hotels on Hong Kong Island
Other areas to stay in Hong Kong
Wan Chai Neighborhood
In addition to Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, the historic Wan Chai Neighborhood is a pleasant place to stay, as well as having a great nightlife.Along Queen’s Road East, there are plenty of excellent, competitively priced clothing stores and the Wanchai Computer Centre, a building full of hardware, software and other electronic accessories and devices, is located in this neighborhood and will delight technology lovers.
And toy lovers will find Tai Yuen Street their particular paradise, as this street is full of toy shops, from the classic to the most modern ones.
Hotels in Wan Chai
Mong Kok
It is also a good option to stay, although very noisy, Mong Kok , a commercial and residential neighborhood with streets lit by neon lights and full of people walking and shopping.
The Ladies Market is the most important street market in Hong Kong, where you can bargain and buy at a good price clothes, especially for women, watches, antiques, souvenirs, stuffed animals and many other objects.
