For the avid culture vulture, the best time to visit Hong Kong is between December and February when the city comes alive with a selection of fun-filled festivals. Hong Kong puts on the most spectacular Spring Lantern Festival in all of Asia. An epic lantern display enchants onlookers of all ages while traditional song and dance overrun the streets. Chinese New Year is a blast as truckloads of firecrackers light up the sky, although hotels and airfares can be hard to come by as the masses all attempt to travel at once.
Believe it or not, Hong Kong also does one of the most joyous and colorful Christmas celebrations in the world, perhaps second only to New York. For the shopaholic, the sale seasons are the best time to get their retail therapy fix. The winter sales take place between December and February, while the summer sales run from July to September. Be sure to check current Hong Kong travel advisories before you go.
Long regarded as the gateway between East and West, Hong Kong is a melting pot of culture and tradition. British influence runs deep through its financial heart, while Chinese customs still reign supreme in the rituals of everyday life. But for many, Hong Kong is a place to shop ‘til you drop. Strip malls cover a comical proportion of the city, with glamorous options such as Pacific Place and Times Square competing fiercely for their slice of the pie.
Hong Kong boasts a world-class public transportation system, which is just as well considering the sheer number of people that inhabit the city. The highlight is the hyper-efficient Mass Transit Railway that whisks cramped commuters around the city at breakneck speeds. When the subway doesn’t suit, city buses are easy enough to navigate with the right app, and an affordable Uber is rarely more than a few minutes away.
