A Brief Shopping Guide in Hong Kong

A trip to the fragrant harbour wouldn't be complete without shopping. From high-end brands to bargain items, you can buy just about everything in beautiful Hong Kong. My meagre allowance seriously went a long way because everything was just affordable and super inexpensive.

It actually took me some time to book a hotel for our four-day stay in Hong Kong. My main concerns were location, cleanliness, and of course, free breakfast and wifi connection. Fortunately, I decided to choose Holiday Inn Express Mongkok, which is just a five-minute walk to the nearest metro station, Yau Ma Tei. Aside from the fact that it's a new hotel, it's also strategically located. I love that Holiday Inn is situated on the quiet and more laid-back side of Dundas Street, yet it's just across where all the shopping action is happening, with lots of dining options as neighbors too.

Our first night in Hong Kong was spent roaming the brightly lit and lively streets of Mongkok. I got lost inside a Sasa branch along Nelson Road, where I got so many beauty items. It's every kikay girl's makeup haven! I purchased so many products that are either not available or super expensive here in Dubai. I think I hoarded too much facial masks for my own good. Just couldn't help it.

Just two blocks from the MTR station was Ladies Market filled with all items imaginable: from clothes, bags, shoes, and souvenirs. There were also streets dedicated to selling different categories: electronics, shoes, home accessories, and jewellery.

I was actually planning to purchase a new Neo Blythe doll but C.C. Toys, which I've been researching since forever, was closed when we went to CTMA. There's another store that sells Blythe, but their selection was very limited and no dolls caught my fancy, so I was a bit heartbroken.

Although disappointed, I still ended up exploring the other stores inside CTMA. There were just so many shops selling toys and other collectibles, including specialty stores selling Korean and Japanese fashion, Mori girl inspired clothing and accessories. One tip: Go there between 3PM to 9PM to make sure that most shops are still open. We went there around 10PM after resting a little bit thinking that it would be open until midnight and ended up disappointed.

The entire stretch of Sai Yeung Choi is also brimming with so many Korean beauty brands stand alone stores such as Etude House, Innisfree, Laneige, Nature Republic and Tony Moly. The KPOP phenomenon has really taken Hong Kong by storm! Even the coffee and milk tea shops were playing Big Bang and 2ne1 songs. It almost felt like I was in Seoul, not Mongkok.

After our day trip to Macau, we spent a good few hours along Tsim Sha Tsui. If Mongkok's the center of bargains and night markets, Tsim Sha Tsui was less congested with plenty of high-end brands stores and air-conditioned malls.

Another tip: Try to learn a bit of Chinese, Cantonese in particular. It would come in really handy when shopping in Hong Kong especially in street markets. Although a lot of them speak good English, conversing in their own language would make haggling a bit easier for you. Also, don't forget to be nice and smile sincerely. Some friends who've been to Hong Kong before told us that Chinese people are a bit aloof and intimidating, so I was really surprised that all of the ones (except that one taxi driver) we've encountered during our trip were pretty warm, friendly, and helpful too.

It was definitely a nice long Eid weekend and I felt so recharged. I'll be dedicating separate posts for some of the highlights of our Hong Kong and Macau trip in the coming days once my schedule permits. 

Where did you spend your Eid break?