Sometimes I seem to spend a lot of time trying to define myself as a traveller rather than a tourist. A tourist sums up images of people cramming onto dreadful coach tours to cliché places while they shout ‘ooooh’ and ‘aaaaah’ out of the window. I am a tourist though: I am a foreigner travelling into a place I do not live to try and gain a snapshot of culture. In the case of Hong Kong I was a tourist dropping by for just three days and so my husband and I decided to embrace our status.

It is hard to sum up the tourist scene of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is truly a vertical city, escalators actually carry you up the streets of the central hub of the city and every window buzzes neon lit life. Nothing is quiet in the city but at the same time the mountains and green spaces that make up the island offer an oasis of calm. I am glad as a tourist on a limited time-frame that I got to experience the peaceful along with the hectic. Here are some images that hopefully sum up both sides of life in Hong Kong for the tourist with limited time. Just because some things are clichéd and stereotypical doesn’t mean they are bad things to do:

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The city skyline taken from the iconic Star Ferry

A classic Chinese junk carries tourists across the water as the daily light show adds colour to the cityscape.

A classic Chinese junk carries tourists across the water as the daily light show adds colour to the cityscape.

Hong Kong traffic moves under the shadow of the city's many skyscrapers.

Hong Kong traffic moves under the shadow of the city’s many skyscrapers.

As regular followers of my blog will know.... I do love a door!

As regular followers of my blog will know…. I do love a door!

A more tranquil tourist experience visiting the world's largest copper Buddha on Lantau Island.

A more tranquil tourist experience visiting the world’s largest copper Buddha on Lantau Island.

Tourists make the somewhat sweaty trek to visit the copper Buddha.

Tourists make the somewhat sweaty trek to visit the copper Buddha.