Dear BFFs, 

MJ here! I had the chance to explore Hong Kong and found these amazing places that will look really good on your Instagram feed.

To make things even better, all these places are super affordable (no entrance fee) and are quite accessible using public transport if you are not up for a walk.

Let's get things started!

1. Sai Wan Swimming Shed

This last and only swimming shed in HK manage to attract tons of photography lovers and wedding shoot so do come at least one and the half hour before the sunset.

We queued (yes, you need to do that) for a good 20 minutes on a weekday to take this particular shot as many came for the sunset view as well.

I suggest whoever interested to visit to plan ahead on how you want your photos to be as some people took their own sweet time and hogged the shed while reviewing their photos and went on retaking many more photos( not very nice when there's still tons of people queuing for it).

We took a 25 minutes walk from HKU MTR C2 exit but there are other alternatives to travel there. The swimming shed entrance is beside a bus station, easily missed if you're not paying attention.



While queuing, I had the time to wander off to the opposite side. The swimming shed was a nice place for sunset, no access to toilet or food though.

2. Instagram Pier



This pier surely gained its popularity from Instagram and was also a great spot to enjoy sunset. 

My photos were a bit dark as I came on a cloudy day. Nevertheless, this place is pretty good for nice pictures and sea breeze. Do come early and book your seats if you want to enjoy the sunset view. 

People often linger till night, bringing some drinks along. You get to see families taking a stroll with their pets, men fishing by the pier and youngsters (like me) taking tons of photos. 

It is a 15 minutes walk from HKU MTR B2 exit and in order to get here, you will have to walk into the industrial area and find your way. There's a clean public toilet at the pier itself and there's food places nearby.


3. The University of Hong Kong



HKU attracts quite a handful of tourist but is not as crowded as the first two places mentioned. HKU's red bricks wall is perfect for #OOTD and hipster photos. 

Take time to wonder around the campus and explore some of the vintage,old school architecture and monuments. I heard that it is a good spot for Pokemon Go as well.

Drop by their lotus pond for a seated statue Sun Yat Sen and a scenic view. It was a shame that the lotus flowers weren't blooming yet when I was there for a visit.

HKU eateries are relatively cheap compared to other dining places and they offer plenty of varieties. Plenty of seats are available to chill and rest your legs after a long day. To reach here, just take the MTR to HKU station and follow the directory.



4. Dragon's Back



Dragon's back is officially my favourite place in HK!
Look at the view, isn't it gorgeous?

None of my pictures were edited, the sea and sky were really that blue!
The glistening sea water makes me so happy!
It took us 20 minutes to reach up here from the starting point and the hike was relatively easy. There's also a trail that leads to Big Wave Bay (perfect for surfer) but the hike will be slightly difficult.

After reaching the sign stating Dragon's Back, we walked to the trail that was further up to take this picture. The pictures just look better from a higher angle and you will get to avoid the crowd. Mind your steps while you're at it as it can be quite steep at some part. I took some photo while leaning on the rocks, dangerous but worth it!

I won't recommend climbing to the higher ground and lean on the rocks unless you are not afraid of heights. Also, start your hike early as there's not much shade, the sun can be quite blazing.

Bring water and some food along if you plan to walk over to Big Wave Bay as there's no replenishing station nearby.

We took the MTR to Shau Kei Wan and exit at A3, then took a bus 9 at Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus to To Tei Wan, Shek O Road. The bus journey was quite long and don't be shy to ask if you don't know where to stop.



5. Cheang Chau Island



Cheung Chau Island is perfect for a getaway from the busy city and offers beautiful view and scrumptious street food. We enjoyed this place so much that we visited it twice in a week. #gluttonproblem 

Aside from chilling by the pier, there's also two beaches for you to soak up the sun. The beaches are just alright in my opinion, but nothing wrong with taking a dip. 
The public toilets are very clean and incredibly accessible in Cheung Chau. 
People here are generally nicer as well!

I prefer Kwun Yam Beach over Tung Wan Beach as it has a better view and is less crowded! 



If you are up for a walk, go over to the lookout pavilion where you can see the whole of Cheung Chau! 

It was a easy 20 minutes walk, be careful not to miss the way there. It is a flight of stairs along the housing area. You can find the route by walking the slight slope where the basketball court and the temple are both at your right. 

To get the whole of  Cheung Chau shot, I  walked down the stairs after the pavilion and climbed over the stairs handrail. I felt that it was pretty safe but do watch your steps.

The picture I took was a bit dark as the sun was setting at the other side.

We took a fast ferry at Central Pier No.5 as it was faster and much more comfortable.


7. Flower Market, Mongkok



I'm a sucker for fresh flowers so this place is really appealing to me!

I love how each and every shop have different style for wrapping and varieties. 
This place totally brighten up my day! I came here twice just to look at the fresh flowers. 
Hop over to the bird's garden if you have time as it is just right next to it.

Most flower markets operate till late afternoon, so do take a note on that.



8. Waterfall Bay



Although this waterfall might seems a little bald but is insta-worthy as the water flows directly to the sea which is 100m away while there's an apartment above the waterfall. However, if you are looking for a waterfall for a good dip, this is not a good place. Come to Malaysia instead!

It is quite nice to chill and I recommend wearing slippers as it is much more convenient. You can also enjoy the sunset view from waterfall bay. 

You can travel to this place using the bus 40, 40M, 30X and 4 and drop off at WahFu Road, then walk a little and turn left towards the little downhill between two flats. There will be a kindergarten on your right, turn right once you are at the park. The waterfall is fenced up but we climbed over once we saw the locals doing it.

Remember to pack your insect repellent with you!



9. Sai Kung Country Park


I must say Sai Kung has one of the best view throughout my HK trip but be sure to do PLENTY of homework before going there for a hike. 

There are numerous route that will lead to different places,we opted for the one that will lead to both Ham Tin Beach and Sai Wan Beach. It took us about 7 hours from Pak Tam Au to Sai Wan Pavillion. I wasn't particular fit and we did take plenty of short break in between.

You will be able to see some really nice view while hiking. We passed by this extremely serene lake where you can only hear the sound of the nature. We also get to walk by an abandoned village, enjoying the pin drop silence. 



It took us a quite some time before reaching Ham Tin Wan.

Do wear comfy and suitable shoes as there's a LOT of steep uphills. Also, bring along plenty of water and some food as there's no replenishing station until after Chek Kang which can be slightly overpriced. We went on a weekend and it was still pretty quiet as we didn't bump into much hikers.

We took the MTR to Hang Hou station and took a minibus 101m to the last station which was Sai Kung. From there take the 94 bus to Pak Tam Au which is right across the starting point.



10. Ham Tin Beach



Ham Tin Beach was beautiful but it wasn't as nice as I thought it would be. Nevertheless, it was still nice to take photos especially during the route to Sai Wan Beach. We went for a dip for an hour plus, it was nice to see people bringing their dogs to the beach!

There's two stores selling food and beverages which were extremely overpriced. You can rent umbrellas or even a tent if you plan to stay by the beach overnight. We didn't do any of that as it was out of our budget. 
The public toilet seems to be abandon and it was VERY dirty so do prepare to pay for a bit when you need to use the loo at the stores.

Once you are at Ham Tin Beach, you will just have to take the flights of stairs across the beach to get to Sai Wan Beach.(there's no need to U-turn back) Spam you sunscreen as the sun hits you directly.



The route from Ham Tin Beach to Sai Wan Beach drained me the most as we were walking under the blazing hot sun during noon time. However, the view was very nice while we were at it.



We took a long break once we reached Sai Wan beach and I didn't take any picture as I thought Ham Tin Beach was much nicer.

After that, we took another 2 hours+long walk back to Sai Wan Pavillion. We got to see the Sai Kung Reservoir from afar but I can't seems to find the picture we took!

In the end, we took a cab with two helpful local girls back to Sai Kung Pier as I heard that the bus came at an irregular timing during the weekends. From there, we took a mini bus and then a MTR to where we stay. We can't feel our legs the next day.

There's alternate way to get to these two beaches which was using the ferry at Sai Kung Pier but cheapskates us decided to hike.

I hope you enjoyed this rather elaborated post!
Click to follow me on instagram : chubby_buneey

Till then,
xoxo.


The list above is not in any particular order.
All photos taken by RedMi Note 3. If you happen to own a camera or Iphone, I'm sure the photos will look much nicer!
To find your way to all these places, just use Google and Google Maps.