I never expected my first trip to Hong Kong would be due to a visa-run.

My initial impressions of Hong Kong: WOW! Although I initially saw mostly rainforests and a couple of apartment clusters around Lantau Island, after exiting Central station in downtown Hong Kong, I immediately was hit with sensory overload! So many buildings! The sight was absolutely amazing. This was the Hong Kong that I had always imagined. Amazing.

I had initially planned on checking out The Peak before heading to Macau for a couple hours, but since I hadn’t slept much, I figured I’d just laze around Hong Kong. I was a bit bummed because before leaving my apartment in Taiwan, I thought I had packed my Lonely Planet China book. Upon discovering that I had packed my Lonely Planet Southeast Asia book instead, I realized my short-stay in Hong Kong would be a bit more interesting. Instead of looking for the next place to visit in the travel book, I simply explored and got lost in the streets of Hong Kong. Besides The Peak, I mostly hung out around Central and Admiralty on Hong Kong Island, and the area around Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) and Jordan in Kowloon.

Even though I likely could’ve seen more sights, and made my stay in Hong Kong more “useful,” not relying on travel books to explore was a bit refreshing. This city really is amazing. I almost found Hong Kong a little too much for me. It’s ridiculously crowded. Everyone seems so busy. The streets are incredibly narrow, so the city feels even more crowded. Despite these initial impressions, I can’t wait to go back!