In need of an escape from the noisy and chaotic city of Hong Kong? Get whisked away in less than 40 minutes to the coastal town of Stanley for a relaxing afternoon by the sea.
On our second day in Hong Kong, we decided to head to the outskirts. I was born in Hong Kong and spent my first few years being raised in Stanley, a small coastal village about 30 to 40 minutes from Central. The place is known for their famous Stanley Market, a market lots of people from Hong Kong go to see on the weekends, so we decided to spend the morning there. To get there, you need to take a double decker air-conditioned bus from Central Bus Station in Exchange Square.
Before hopping on the bus, I grabbed a Matcha & Espresso Fusion from the Starbucks in Exchange Square. I thought it was so interesting that the menu at the Starbucks was completely different than the one I was familiar with in New York! It was catered completely to Chinese culture and tastes. I saw a group of monks sitting in the corner of the Starbucks drinking their beverages and thought to myself, “Ok, Starbucks is the real deal here.” I tried the Matcha & Espresso Fusion that morning. Other unique drinks included Iced Shaken Peach Jelly Green Tea, Tea Latte, Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit & Honey, and Full-Leaf Brewed Tea.
There are 4 buses you can take from Exchange Square to Stanley. Bus 260 is Express and can get you there in 30-40 minutes. Local buses can get you there too and are a bit cheaper, Bus 6, 6A and 6X. I recommend you take the Express, which takes about 10 less stops. When you board it is important that you have EXACT CHANGE, they will not take credit card and they will not give you back any change, so make sure you have the exact amount of money counted before you board. The exact fare for your ride is written at the bus stop.
Tip:
As you board, try and sit on the 2nd level in the front if you can. You get better views from the second level.
The scenery during our bus ride was very different from our previous day in Hong Kong. It was full of greenery, beaches, coastal high-rises and views of the South China Sea and its islands. This is what the rest of Hong Kong looks like outside of the city. Many of the coastal towns have a resort-like feel to them almost. As your bus takes you by the famous Repulse Bay, you will see a building with a hole in the middle. The hole was made purposefully for fung shui, to allow the Dragon to come down from the mountain, pass through the hole, and go out to the sea. On a sunny day, these outskirts are a perfect beach getaway. If you are thinking of going for a swim though, I’d make sure you choose a bay armed with shark nets since they are quite common in the area.
Sunset at Repulse Bay and the fung shui hole The foggy morning bus ride to Stanley
Once in Stanley, there is tons to do from Stanley Market, the promenade, Stanley Plaza, the Ma Hang park and more. Take a morning or an afternoon to really soak in how locals live outside of Hong Kong. Although I guess in this case, not so much locals, but expats!
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