Hong Kong

I landed in Hong Kong the night before boarding the NCL Spirit, giving myself just enough time for a quick look around before setting sail. My overnight stay was at Hotel Stage, a quiet and modern spot tucked into the Yau Ma Tei neighborhood. After checking in, I set off on foot for a solo evening wander through the surrounding area.

The streets were dense and full of texture. I walked past wet markets, old apartment blocks wrapped in bamboo scaffolding, and neon signs flickering to life against the dusk. Even without a destination, the city made itself known through its layered rhythm. That night, I met up with a local friend who took me over to Central. We explored the brightly lit shopping district dressed up in Christmas lights and boarded one of Hong Kong’s double-decker trams. Sitting up top and watching the city slide past felt like stepping into a slower frame of time in a place that rarely hits pause.

The next day, after boarding the ship, I had time to join a shore excursion that offered a different side of Hong Kong. The first stop was Tai Fu Tai Mansion, a preserved Qing Dynasty residence with stunning details and open courtyards. We moved on to Man Mo Temple, where the air was thick with incense and the golden glow of lanterns filled the space. From there, we visited Tai Po and explored the local markets nearby. That part of town felt far removed from the polished skyline, filled instead with temples, cats lounging near incense burners, and street stalls piled high with produce and meats. It was busy in an honest way, full of everyday life and routine rather than spectacle.

Even with just two days, I got a glimpse of how much contrast lives here. New and old, quiet and buzzing, ritual and rush, all side by side.