August 2017

Peking vs Cantonese roasted duck, what’s the difference?

Posted on 27 August 2017 by greetings

Have you ever pondered the difference between Peking duck vs Cantonese Roasted duck? Did you even know that theres is a difference? Peking duck and Cantonese duck are two different dishes from the North and South of China respectively. Peking duck was originally created for the imperial elite, whereas Cantonese duck is a more comforting and affordable family dish.

Preparation

Cantonese duck is much easier to prepare. The Peking version requires pre-ordering a few days ahead from a specialist restaurant. Our newest infographic below highlights some differences between the two delicious dishes and where to eat them. We also recommend delicious ‘must-try’ roasted meat restaurants for your Hong Kong visit.

Cha-Sui

If you enjoy Cantonese roast duck, then you should also try ‘charcoal furnace roast goose in plum sauce’. In Cantonese it is called ‘cha-siu’ which is seasoned boneless barbecued pork. The best place to try is: Yat Lok Barbecue Restaurant, Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong.

Having Beijing roast duck is one of the two ‘must dos’ when in Beijing: climb the Great Wall and eat Peking duck. The Huffington Post declares it as the number 1 dish in the world to try before you die! In Hong Kong, find it at Sha Tin 18 at the Regency Hyatt Hotel, Shatin, New Territories.

Book Your Hong Kong Private Food Tour Instantly Below

We use a third party system to provide a one-click booking service to you. Book a food tour with us today by visiting our food tour page, or by using the booking link at the bottom of the page.

If you’re not a meat lover, we now also offer a vegetarian food tour.

If your date is available on the calendar, you can book immediately. We just need to know how many people and the length of the tour your require. Alternatively, get in touch with us to find out more about our various walking and car tours of Hong Kong and Macau.

Other Infographs

Discover the difference between Hong Kong egg tarts and Macau egg tarts?

How do you finger count in Hong Kong?

Visit Hong Kong

Hong Kong Greeters offer private walking tours, groups tours, virtual tours and self-guided Hong Kong Quests. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to see how we can help you enjoy our city.

Our Family Tour Guide in Bali

Posted on 24 August 2017 by greetings

Why Book a Family Tour Guide in Bali?

All tour guides need a break sometimes! Usually we are busy guiding our clients around Hong Kong and know well the benefits of hiring a professional. So when we were lucky enough to spend a week in Bali with our family, naturally we did our research to find a great family tour guide in Bali.

We find especially when we have children in tow, taking a family tour smooths the way to a happy holiday. Children can easily get tired, hungry or bored. By booking a family tour guide in Bali, we were able to ensure that our children enjoyed all the activities did and sights we saw.

Our Recommended Family Tour Guide in Bali

Huge thanks to Gede and Ketut from Bali Taxi Driver and Tour Guide for making our stay so terrific. We would 100% recommend their service to anyone wanting a driver or guide when they visit Bali.

Family Friendly Accommodation

No holiday is possible without a place to lay your head after a busy day at the beach or exploring the other delights of the island.

We stayed at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa and give it a huge thumbs up.

Tian Tan Buddha, Lantau, Hong Kong

Posted on 24 August 2017 by greetings

What a beautiful blue-sky day, it’s exactly what you want for a visit to the Tian Tan Buddha. That being said, he also looks mysterious and is equally photogenic when swathed in mist on his hilltop perch. Did you know that the Tian Tan Buddha is often referred to as the Big Buddha? This statue was officially established in 1993, making him still a young man.

You will find the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau, Hong Kong’s biggest island. It also happens to be one of our favourite places in Hong Kong and we love taking our guests there.

Lantau Highlights

Take the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car to see the Tian Tan Buddha

To reach the famous Big Buddha, take the 24 minute Ngong-Ping cable car ride from Tung Chung. If you are put off by those long lines… we will help you beat the crowds with our skip the line access.

As you ride the cable car from Tung Chung, you’ll get a great look at Hong Kong’s airport. It’s built entirely on reclaimed land. You will also see the new bridge that connects Hong Kong to neighbouring Macau and then on to mainland China. Keep your eyes peeled for waterfalls and hillside tombs below. The views are stunning.

A Few Fun Facts about Hong Kong’s Tian Tan Buddha

The Big Buddha is the second largest bronze seated Buddha statue in the world.
He faces North towards Beijing.
He is 34 Metres tall.
You need to climb a whopping 268 steps to get up close to this magnificent statue.

Tai O Fishing Village

From the Tian Tan Buddha take a bus or taxi down towards Tai O. This tiny island, just off Lantau, is accessed by a footbridge. The quaint stilt fishing village is a rare and fast closing window to Hong Kong’s past.

Hong Kong’s Other Big Statue

As a side note, many visitors don’t know that Hong Kong also boasts another extremely large statue. The lesser known Guan Yin statue, which you can read more about here, is up in the Northern New Territories and faces the Big Buddha down on Lantau.

Where to go Cycling in Hong Kong

Posted on 21 August 2017 by greetings

Where to go cycling in Hong Kong is a good question. With both built up urban areas and steep jungle covered mountains, many assume that there’s nowhere to hop on a bike. Happily, that’s not completely true. Here is our list of where to go biking in Hong Kong.

Sha Tin to Tai Mei Tuk

This flat and family friendly coastal cycle path starts or finishes in Tai Wai, Sha Tin and stretches all the way round Tolo harbour to Tai Mei Tuk, via Tai Po. You don’t have to do the entire route and could instead do a section of it. There are bike hire places dotted along the way and also a scattering of vending machines, kiosks and public facilities. Keep your eyes peeled en route for the gigantic Guan Yin statue as well as Island House cared for by the WWF. Both are open to the public, but would require advance booking.

Cheung Chau

Cheung Chau is an island best known for it’s annual bun festival. Reached by ferry from Hong Kong island, you can hire bikes upon arrival. Take your time to explore the island including pirate caves and seaside restaurants.

Yuen Long

Why not rent a bike in Yeun Long. You can then cruise on over to the Wetlands Park (bikes must stay outside). From outside the Wetlands park you can explore further heading out to find old villages.

If you don’t fancy cycling in Hong Kong don’t worry. There are plenty of other ways to get around. Here at Hong Kong Greeters we are experts at arranging all manner of tours. Our walking tours explore the city on foot or if you’re pressed for time we can organise private car tours. If you’re interested in a boat tour (such as our New Year’s Firework cruise), a helicopter tour or cycling tour, please get in touch.

The photograph above shows a fun group outing with the team Smooth Ride cycles, Shatin to Tai Po is such a beautiful route. (We have no idea who the shirtless guy on the left of the photo is though ?)

Explore Mongkok’s Markets

Posted on 4 August 2017 by greetings

Hong Kong is famously a shoppers paradise. Mongkok’s Markets are varied, interesting and provide a stark shopping contrast to the designer boutiques and glossy malls found nearby in Tsim Tsa Shui. There is a variety of markets all located conveniently close together in Mongkok and any or all can easily be worked into one of our walking tours. For more information about our various walking tours around Hong Kong, click here.

Yuen Po Bird Garden, also knows as the Bird Market

This friendly cockatoo came to say “hello” to Michelle on our tour of the Yuen Po bird garden Hong Kong today. The garden and market is located between Boundary Street to the north and the Flower Market to the south. It has many bird species and bird paraphernalia to purchase, including anti-depressant bird feed for when your bird is not in full song!

Bird Garden Hong Kong, pet bird cage at Mongkok Markets — Bird Garden, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Even if you’re not looking to buy a bird, the bamboo cages are quite striking and could be repurposed to make unusual lighting features for example. If you are particularly interested in birds, do read our post about bird watching in Hong Kong.

The Flower Market

This consists of approximately two blocks of flower shops. A fragrant riot of colour will meet you. If you want to enjoy this in peace, drop by in the morning. It gets busier as the day goes on and is busier yet at weekends. In the days leading up to Chinese New Year when it feels as if the entire population of Hong Kong comes to this small area to shop for plants and flowers for their homes. So depending on your point of view this can be the best or worst time to visit.

Flower Market Hong Kong Peonies, explore Mongkok's markets. — Flower Market, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

The Ladies Market

This doesn’t really get going until around midday. Mongkok’s Ladies Market is your one stop shopping street for cheap and cheerful souvenirs. It’s a bit of a misnomer as it certainly not ladies-only.

From magnets, to t-shirts, chopsticks to tea sets and all sorts of quirky items, you can surely find a little something suitable for your nieces and nephews or your parent and friends. Be sure to check the quality of glue, stitching etc as once bought you’ll struggle to find where you bought it. Friendly haggling is encouraged, especially if you are the first customer of the day.

Explore Mongkoks Ladies Market Tours like this family. — Mong Kok Ladies Market, Hong Kong

The Goldfish Market

Whether you just want a run of the mill goldfish or something more exotic, this is the place to come. Even if you’re not in the market for a fish, terrapin or crab, it’s a interesting sight. Small shops display their wares in clear water filled bags. There are also tanks, fish food and all manner of decorations (from plastic castles to small water plants) to customise your fishy friends’ home.

Goldfish Market Hong Kong explore Mongkok's markets. — Goldfish Market, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Boundary Street

Okay, so this isn’t a market, but we thought it was worth a mention. It’s a ruler straight street just beyond Mongkok’s bird market, delineating the boundary of land ceded to the British 1860. South of the street was ceded in 1860 under British Colonial Rule, and land leases exist for up to 999 years. North of Boundary Street (what was termed New Kowloon and the New Territories), they will all expire on July 1, 2047, when the Basic Law’s “one country, two systems” arrangement is set to end. This seems to present a bit of a land crisis as this date draws nearer!!

So as you can see Mongkok’s markets offer a wide range of goods and all are family friendly.