One of the more remarkable excursions during my week in Hong Kong was to the Ngong Ping Plateau on Lantau Island where the Po Lin Monastery nestles in mountains draped in thin wispy cloud. Getting to the monastery is an adventure in itself. The ride by gondola takes 25 minutes.
Of all the religions, Buddhism surely has the best merchandise.
The main reason people go to the monastery is to high-five Big Buddha. He certainly meets up to his name. He’s a big fella! But how big?
Tian Tan Buddha is a whopping 34 metres (112 ft) tall, weighs 250 metric tons, and was the world’s tallest outdoor bronze seated Buddha prior to 2007. Between you and him are a mere 240 steps.
Stairs, humidity and altitude aren’t the best mix. Phew!
The monastery itself is everything you could possibly want from a monastery. Beautiful and peaceful. Big Buddha oversees the monastery and ensures the peace is maintained.
The main entrance to the monastery. wonderfully well kept to maximise the experience of pilgrims and tourists alike.
The ride back down is just as exciting as the ride up.
Funky, modern, good value accommodation for students and travellers on a budget.
Having spent 5 weeks staying in dorms and hostels in Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, I needed to treat myself when I arrived in Hong Kong. I needed some space, some privacy and some comfort. Money was getting tight though, so I also needed somewhere that offered all of this but for as little money as possible. After a lot of review reading and price comparison, I found Y-Loft at Youth Square.
Taking up the floors 12, 13 and 14 of the Youth Square building in the Chai Wan district of Hong Kong Island, Y-Loft calls itself a hostel, but really this is a hotel that happens to have a few large dorms. The rest of the rooms are large, private, twin ensuite rooms that are comfortable, clean and funky! If you’re not a fan of bright green and orange, best stay clear of this one.
The Good
- Large, clean, private rooms, many with balconies facing into a central courtyard and all with ensuite facilities
- Modern custom furnishings with a zingy colour scheme.
- Big flat-screen tv with a couple of English language channels showing mainly boring British and American imports (except Big Bang Theory which is brilliant).
- Unusual room design. Enormous sink in the bedroom, separate from the rest of the ensuite bathroom.
- Direct connection to a shopping mall with shops and eateries open until late. Great if you have a late-night hankering for tiramisu.
- Power shower! Perhaps the most powerful shower head in the history of mankind. Was literally blown about the shower cubicle.
- Kettle and mugs in the room but bring your own tea bags and milk.
- Staff spoke good English and were very approachable and helpful. They could book tickets for you and had good local knowledge.
- Very quiet. No street noise at all.
- On-site laundry was spotless, easy to use and cheap. Buy tokens from reception.
- Free on-site gym looked barely used. Equipment was top of the range.
- Free Wifi in all rooms.
The Bad
- A bit of a slog to get to. The building is directly connected by flyover to Chai Wan Station on the MTR Island Line (well signposted), but to get to Hong Kong Central takes around 30 minutes.
- Finding the reception for the first time is a complete pain and navigating the building itself will make you want to punch your way through a wall to save yourself time and effort. Read my advice in the verdict below if you need some help.
- The Youth Square building has four lifts, but they always seemed to be in use when I needed them. I often had to wait several minutes for one to become available.
- Firm bed. Very firm bed. Don’t jump onto it on arrival. You’ll snap your neck. Took a little getting used to but I did so much sightseeing, I still slept like a sloth.
The Verdict
Every box ticked as far as I’m concerned. Y-Loft was comfortable, clean and modern. On the negative side, a degree of patience (and maybe a degree) is required in getting to and from the building and navigating the building itself, but this problem is almost negated by the hotel’s many positives. In other words, it was worth the hassle. Price wise, Y-Loft was a complete bargain. Book through dedicated hostel booking websites for the best deals.
Where’s The Reception?
I’ve never had to write a ‘Where is the Reception?’ section before, but for Y-Loft, it is completely necessary. Finding it for the first time is a nightmare if you don’t do some research beforehand.
I’m assuming that you’ll be traveling to Y-Loft in the MTR. Take the train to Chai Wan, the last stop on the Island Line. Upon alighting, follow the signs for Exit A. Go through the doors into the New Jade Shopping Centre. Pass through the centre, veering right and pass through a second set of doors leading outside. Walk along the footbridge, then take the first right. Look up. That’s Youth Square. Look down again. You’re approaching a bizarre, user-unfriendly entrance to the building. Head straight on by stairs and slopes (not the escalator) and find the lifts. Call any lift and head for floor 12. Upon alighting the lift, turn right. Reception is just around the corner. Phew!
Where’s My Room?
Really? You’re kidding!
Nope. Listen carefully to the instructions given to you by the person on reception about where your room is. This building makes no sense whatsoever.
Contact Details
Y-Loft at Youth Square
238 Chai Wan Road
Chai Wan
Hong Kong
Room 1317
While in Hong Kong, I stayed at the brilliant Y-Loft in the Chai Wan district at the eastern end of Hong Kong Island. My room was spacious, clean and modern. It was a real treat to stay there after weeks of staying in hostels.
There was however one flaw. My room took a while to get to. The hotel itself lives on the upper floors of a busy skyscraper (called ‘Youth Square’). There are four lifts, but more often than not, I had to wait a few minutes for one to become available. Then, upon reaching my floor, it was a fair old walk to my room.
This video captures the walk from the lift. It also captures me taking a wrong turn immediately after the lift doors open and the rustling of a carrier bag with a slice of tiramasu inside. Yes, you can get tiramasu in Hong Kong. No, I don’t feel stupid for eating tiramasu in Hong Kong.
As is abundantly apparent from reading my trip notes, I consider food to be a major part of the travel experience. Trying new things is what it’s all about. It’s this policy that lead me trying Puffin (with Blueberry sauce) in Iceland.
Hong Kong’s cuisine isn’t as varied or exciting as perhaps Singapore’s, but there are still plenty of new things to try. Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island boasts plenty of outlets where adventurous eaters can feast for next to no money. Ying Heong Yuen was my favourite place and certainly seemed to be the most popular in the area with the locals. The list of food on offer was enormous and rather overwhelming. In short though the menu consisted of the body parts of various animals skewered on sticks and deep-fried. Some of it looked rather grisly, though no doubt delicious. I just ordered randomly and ended up;
Fish Balls with Curry Sauce - Really tasty. The fish taste wasn’t overpowering and the sauce complimented them nicely.
Chocolate Waffle - I fancied something sweet. This was warm, soft, light and crunchy on the outside.
Coconut Milk Sago - I never envisaged I would end up favouring the drink of a meal, but in this case I did. Small balls of tapioca mixed with a thin, milky coconut juice. Beautiful.
Tram from Central to Causeway Bay
There’s no better way of seeing the north of Hong Kong Island than by tram. The windows roll right down, so there’s nothing between you and the noise, the lights, the smells of the city.
In which my epic journey comes to end and I run out of things to say, to the extent that I just start listing tv shows and films.
19 April 2011 - 0505 Hong Kong
Just arrived at Hong Kong International Airport which is completely dead. There’s no staff & nothing’s open. I’ve never seen an airport like it. Mine is literally the first flight of the day so as a result, there’s about 20 of us here, all milling around with nowhere to go. All the desks are closed. Staff are now arriving.
Taxi journey was a breeze and came to $362.50. It took 40 minutes. Enjoyed the ride.
0650
Right, boarding to commence shortly. My last flight, thank goodness. 12 hours and 50 minutes. Hopefully my row of four seats is still completely vacant by the time I get on board.
0440 United Kingdom
That’s 1140 Singapore time. Been up in the air for 3 hours.The flight has felt shorter than the other flights which is a good sign. Watched Griff Rhys Jones explore Hong Kong on my entertainment screen. I was interested in seeing what he thought. On the whole, he saw the same Hong Kong I did, though he found the people of HK to be ‘hospitable’. Personally, I didn’t experience any notable hospitality. He didn’t appear to experience any of the pace or rudeness either. Not that he mentioned anyway.
Also watched a film; How Did You Know starring the lovely Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson. I give it two of a possible five MorelliStars. It passed the time and had some nice, well portrayed moments. Jack Nicholson was excellent given the script he was given.
0609
Going well. Lots of bumps. While I can’t ignore the turbulance, I’m certainly coping with it a lot better. Just watched Undercover Boss USA which was excellent. Next, I’m going to give Due Date a try. If it doesn’t work out, I have another episode of Undercover Boss to watch. After that… hmmm. While there’s plenty on the system, there’s slim pickings when it comes to good stuff. By Qantas’ own rating system, most films have 2 out of 5 stars.
Almost half way. Pleased I’m coping so well and that time isn’t crawling like on my 12 hour flight from London to Singapore.
1520
Landed. On the M1 on my way back home. Mum and dad kindly came to pick me up.
And that’s it. Thanks for reading. Now to start planning for my next trip!
In which I wrap-up my time in Hong Kong and the trip as a whole.
18 April 2011 - 2050 Hong Kong
So, my time in Hong Kong is coming to an end. It’s a good time perhaps to reflect on my time here.
I think what will characterise my visit will be the people. By my standards, they’re generally rather rude here and always in a rush to get somewhere. The pace of life here is rapid, which contributes to the atmosphere considerably. I’ve now gotten used to the noise, the smells, and pace, the shoving, the bright flashing lights and the tall buildings, but coming from New Zealand as I was, it took a few days. On my first walk through the city streets, I was definitely falling victim to culture shock. It is very, very Chinese here. The people look considerably more ethnically Chinese than they do in Singapore and generally, they don’t really speak English.
I came expecting there to be some noticeable signs of former British rule. There isn’t. Hong Kong is much more suited to be a Chinese territory than a British one. Apart from tiny suggestions of the past, such as British designed road signs and number plates, the Queen appearing on some coins still and of course the presence of the English language, this is China.
I’ll go away with fond memories. The food of course has been fun. Lots of rice of course, but lots of different flavours to explore (and some to definitely avoid). Beef Innards on a stick anyone? As a fan if flashing lights, Hong Kong provides. Wandering the streets at night is an altogether different experience than by day.
And a quick reflection on the entire trip; Have I learnt anything? Not really. Perhaps I’ve learnt I’m much more capable of doing things i.e. social interactions, challenging myself, facing fears, jumping into things.
Have I missed anything? Beans on toast with HP sauce. That’s literally it! I’ve not missed home at all. I’ve not even thought about it. I’m keen to get back and see my friends and family so perhaps I missed people subconsciously. It’s hard to think of home when you’re having so much fun in such amazing places.
What was the best bit? So many things to choose from. That’s really hard. Singapore as a whole was absolutely brilliant! I really, really want to go back soon. I was really sad to leave. The people were friendly, the cultural mix was extraordinary, the city itself is wonderfully clean and open, and the food… My god, the food!!!
My time in New Zealand was incredible as a direct result of the Stewart family, my hosts in Auckland, who basically redefined kindness and generosity for me. I’ve genuinely never experienced that level of kindness. I’ll never forget the way they welcomed me into their home and the lengths they went to to ensure I had the best possible time in their brilliant, brilliant country.
I’m really keen to make a list of all the cool things I did. Thinking now, I walked through tropical rain forests, white water rafted, climbed a sand dune, went to a rock concert… That’s just four things. There’s six weeks of stuff!!! I am truly lucky to have been able to do what I have done. A majority of the worlds population won’t come close to doing what I’ve done.
If you are in the privileged position of being able to afford to travel, do it! This world we live on is incredible, and if we don’t take our opportunities to explore it, then it is wasted. We live only once (according to my own beliefs). Make the most of your time on earth and see as much of it as possible! I know I will continue to do so.
Tomorrow, I have to wake up at 0400 to get to the airport. My only option of getting there is to hail one of the thousands of red taxis. The front desk say it’ll cost about $400 and take 45 minutes. Keen to see if both of those are true. Should be a fun ride though and my last opportunity to see the city.
Top Gear on TV now. No escaping those entertaining morons.
Ocean Park Jellyfish
The best thing at Ocean Park, Hong Kong’s nautically-themed amusement park was the Jellyfish House, where the extraordinary creatures were showcased in stunning fashion.
In which I go to Ocean Park, get amazed by Jellyfish and have some Sichuan Soup.
19 April 2011 - 1005 Hong Kong
My last full day of this trip. Boooo! Today I’m at Ocean Park, Hong Kong’s nautically-themed amusement park. The Chinese obsession with taking photos of one another in front of ordinary and mundane objects has become an annoyance today. Thrice I’ve been asked to move out of the way. The third time, I was eating so I refused. I know I’m in a foreign country, but by my standards, most of the people I’ve encountered here have been obnoxious and rude. So, I’m being as obnoxious and rude as my upbringing and nationality will allow. Seems fair. So, I’ve started shoving and swearing at people.
1326
Been on an ageing rollercoaster with three full loops and just now, an even older space wheel. I have no fear anymore.
Saw some giant pandas. They looked bored.
The smell of grilled squid wafts in the breeze. Peckish!
1739
Went back to my room for another sleep. And I actually slept too. That I’m going back home tomorrow is probably a good thing. I can’t go on much longer. I actually thought I’d hit the wall a few weeks ago but I’ve soldiered on. On the tube again on my way to Food Republic in Tai Koo for something to eat and to get something for my dad for his birthday. Normally he’s a pain to buy for but I know what I’m getting him this year.
1810
Noodles in spicy Sichuan Soup with Pork Dumplings & Chilli sauce and a Rock Melon Milk drink. Fantastic dinner!!! A great way to complete my culinary adventures. But, they aren’t over yet. I’m heading back to where I went last night to take one last look at the city and to try a few more things. Squid tentacles on a stick anyone? Yes please!
In which I do very little and am disappointed… twice!
17 April 2011 - 1132 Hong Kong
Bit of a chill-out day today. Out early this morning for shopping and breakfast. At a shopping mall waiting for Fortress World (an electronics store) to open. The exchange rate is so good, I’m going to take advantage and buy an iPad. It’s about £200 less here than it is in Britain. Hopefully, they’ll be in stock.
1144
Nope.
1537
Having a rest back at my room. A wise decision. Just been a clap of thunder. Hopefully a big storm on its way.
1615
Nope.
