Instead of trying to make your life perfect,
give yourself the freedom to make it an adventure,
and go ever upward.
-Drew Houston
The holidays are such a magical time of the year, for so many reasons. Normally (for me), they signal a time of year where work is quiet, a chance to snuggle up next to a fire, eat amazing food, and catch up with my family. Ever since moving out of my parent's house (7 years ago) the holidays are a bit extra special because it gives me a chance to go home. Prior to this year, I had spent all holidays but 1 year with my family. However, being in Asia this year made going home a bit harder than normal. I had to make the decision between taking a 17 hour flight home or taking that time to explore a new country or city. Since my time is so limited here, I chose the second option. My first stop on my 2017 holiday adventure was Hong Kong [interested in my other stops? Post coming soon!].
Below are photos from my adventures from around Hong Kong. It was a unique, fast-paced, and intriguing city that was unlike any place I had ever visited. It was a very modern city [with many similarities to Singapore] with a hint of traditional Chinese culture. I went on an amazing walking tour that dissects the "dark side" of Hong Kong, I ventured to the top of Victoria Peak, and mostly I wondered the streets and took in all the colors and lights. Enjoy the photos!
Nan Lian Gardens
I originally heard about Nan Lian Gardens from a super friendly couple I met at my hostel. They described it as the garden with a red bridge. I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. However, after seeing 1 photo I knew that I had to go. I boarded the MTR in the hustling, bustling city center and emerged ~1 hour later in a quiet, fresh neighborhood. From the instant I entered the garden there was an tranquility that came over me. The vibe was so different from the other parts of the city that I had explored. The pop of color throughout the garden was so inspiring and the clear, blue sky served as the perfect backdrop. I loved the juxtaposition of the nature with the large apartment buildings in the back. A few photos capture both these elements-keep an eye out for them.
Skyline
The Hong Kong skyline is INSANE. There were many great viewpoints to capture the immense skyscrapers and I tried to go to all of them. My personal favorite was from Kowloon [unfortunately, I didn't take any photos-I was too entranced by the enormity of the skyline that I forgot :o]. The skyline was so different from that of Singapore, all the buidling were lined up along the Victoria Harbor, so it seemed like it went on forever. Hong Kong is probably my favorite skyline ever!
Seeing the Sights
Street photography in Hong Kong was so fun and unlike any of the other cities I have been too. There is so much to look at and capture and I was challenged to try and get a good photo without it being too busy. From the iconic red taxis, to the colorful and bright signs my mind was in overload mode, and I loved it.
#2017 #holidaytravel #hongkong #china #cityscapes #colorfulstreets #Asia #wanderlust #gardens #photography #travel