I love shopping! I can do it alone, with shopaholic friends, or with family. I can shop for anything and everything depending on my mood and my budget. But don’t you just hate it when you suddenly have to put a sudden stop to your shopping spree when stores announce that they are about to close and that you have “15 minutes left” to grab whatever it is that you have to grab? So, you are left with no choice but reluctantly head to the payout counter.

This is basically one of the reasons why I love staying at Causeway Bay when I am in Hong Kong for a trip. I will not deny that I prefer this vibrant area as it is the most popular shopping district in the entire Hong Kong island not only for tourists but also for locals.

One of the hotels that I stay in is the Park Lane Hotel Hong Kong. Aside from the exceptional service that they provide to their customers, the Park Lane Hotel is also located in a strategic location close to so many authentic Chinese and Asian restaurants, parks, entertainment venues, boutiques, MTR exits, bus or taxi stops and the lovely Hong Kong harbour. This is why this hotel is really a good choice.

Coming from the Park Lane Hotel, the shopping areas of Causeway Bay are just within easy reach. The best part is there is no need to worry about prematurely cutting your shopping time as there are a lot of street stalls and boutiques that are open up to past midnight. Depending on the season, you can continue to shop until 2:00 in the morning for clothes, shoes, bags, perfume, electronics, accessories, goodies, etc.

If you are coming from other areas of Hong Kong, you choose from different means of transportation to get to Causeway Bay. You can take buses, mini-buses, taxis and the MRT. Of course, the most convenient and the most affordable is the MTR. If you take the MTR, it is just two MTR stops away from Admiralty, which is one of the most travelled Hong Kong – Kowloon hop over MTR Station. My favourite are the Trams most especially when I get to sit at the “second level” and watch the passing neon lights from flashing signboards from a different perspective.

Causeway Bay’s major claim to fame is, what else, but shopping areas like boutiques and department stores that line the junction of Paterson Street, Yee Wo Street, and Great George Street. Shopping Malls include Times Square which boasts of mid-range shops and an assortment of restaurants. You will also find City Super, a popular chain of Hong Kong’s upmarket supermarkets, plus a food area where you can partake of local cuisines at very affordable prices. Times Square, specifically the space in front of the mall, is a favourite hangout and meeting place in Causeway Bay. Another shopping mall is Lee Gardens where you will find internationally-known designer brands like Cartier, Prada, Chanel, Louise Vuitton, Gucci, Tiffany’s etc. You must not miss Sogo, a prominent Japanese department store, as it is also a great place to shop for all kinds of trinkets, electronics, clothes, etc. Aside from these shopping malls, you can also go to Caroline Centre, In Square, and the World Trade Centre. The presence of these gigantic shopping establishments is the ultimate proof why locals would insist that Causeway Bay is the best place to go for shopping when in Hong Kong.

But aside from shopping areas, you will also find leisure destinations in Causeway Bay. The most popular one is Victoria Park, where you will see early morning risers practise tai chi chuan. It is also the place where so many people gather for festive occasions like Chinese New Year’s flower fair in January and the Mid-Autumn Festival in September. The park contains a nice jogging track, swimming pools, and even tennis courts that are the venue of Hong Kong’s international tennis tournaments. Even the Hong Kong stadium, a 40, 000 seat sports and entertainment facility of international standard, is also located in the area.

If you get hungry from all the shopping and walking, then you can go to the food courts that you will find in malls as earlier mentioned. But if you would like to be a little bit adventurous then you should try some street food of Causeway Bay! Try the Curry Fish Balls, called Curry Yu-Tan in Cantonese, and enjoy every bite of those chewy and tasty balls. You can eat them immediately after buying them or you can bring some with you back to your hotel. But my personal favourites are the deep fried lobster balls that you eat with oh so yummy sweet and sour sauce!

Make sure that you visit vibrant Causeway Bay when in Hong Kong. Be ready with your shopping bags and comfortable walking shoes because in this place, you will have extended hours of pure shopping fun!

Posted in Hong Kong, Things to do

This entry was posted on Friday, October 10th, 2008 at 1:40 pm and is filed under Hong Kong, Things to do. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.