Lan Kwai Fong Review is part of the Trip Report: The $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World which covers 5 Continents, 13 Countries, and 17 Cities.
- Tokyo, Japan
- Melbourne, Australia
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Sydney, Australia
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Maldives
- Saigon, Vietnam
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Hong Kong
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Knysna, South Africa
- Durban, South Africa
- Mauritius
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Doha, Qatar
- New York, New York
- Helsinki, Finland
Find the nerdy planning here. Find the picture preview here.
Anthony Bourdain has his Layover Guide to Hong Kong and I have mine. With all due respect to Bourdain, his layover is actually a stopover as he stays in HKG for 48 hours. I had 6 hours to enjoy Hong Kong and did it in the best way possible: I went straight to Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong’s entertainment district.
“There’s more to Hong Kong than LKF,” every local will advise. While this is true, there’s no better place to spend a few hours before your next flight than LKF. Upon arriving to HKG in the good care of another Cathay flight, I could’ve relaxed in the magnificent Arrival Lounge as I did earlier in this round-the-world trip.
Instead, I purchased a round trip ticket on the Airport Express which is cheaper than a one way ticket only if you are returning to the airport the same day. The cost is 180 Hong Kong dollars or $23 USD. From there, I took the Airport Express to Hong Kong Station, walked to Central Station and exited at D2.
There’s something going on in LKF regardless of when you visit. Of course, the best time to visit LKF is during Halloween when it plays host to the greatest block party of all time. Still, even on a Monday evening there were plenty of tourists, expats, and locals having a drink.
The best part of LKF are the two 7-Elevens which have to be the highest grossing 7-Elevens in the world. They sell beer, liquor, and wine and provide bottle openers. Taking advantage of the nonexistent open container laws, the frugal traveler can enjoy libations without having to pay steep bar prices while staying in the mix of the action.
For an expedited version of the 7-Eleven drinking game, I recommend making the loop around LKF over and over. Otherwise, if you do want to spend money, my favorite bar is the one located at the top of the hill to the left of the 7-Eleven. There you will find happy hour and Hoegaarden at a decent price. Skip the tourist trap Hard Rock but stop in at the Canadien bar for a Molson. Avoid overpriced Ebenezeer’s for a snack, though delicious, it is not The Best Kebab in the World.
After a few drinks and after making a few new friends, don’t forget you have to make it back to the airport, clear immigration, and find your gate. Inebriated, that can be quite the process.
Luckily for me, I had a long flight to Johannesburg on Cathay up next to decompress. Everything was going according to schedule until I stumbled upon LKF express at HKG.
