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Live It Up

146  COSMOPOLITAN | DECEMBER 2015  WWW.COSMO.PH

Street art on

Graham Street

at Sheung Wan

Dodge the touristtraps and live it upin the “fragrantharbour” like one ofits work-hard-play-hard residents withour insider guide.

Think you’ve seen anddone everything in HongKong? Think again.Cosmo Girl JulienneRaboca divulges some ofher secrets aer four yearsof living amidst the buzzand energy of the 852.

Tai Ping Shan,Sheung Wan

Small galleries, coffeeshops, independentboutiques, and moremake up this pretty littleneighborhood. Grab an

 Asian fusion bite at thehidden Mrs. Pound(mrspound.com); stampshop on the outside,restaurant speakeasy onthe inside. Try to find the“chop” that unlocks thesecret door!

Metropolitain is the primelocation for people watching,

 while Ping Pong 129 (129Second Street) is the joint forgetting drinks. Go all the

 way uphill and toTheUniversity of Hong Kong (HKU), whose campus is builton the side of a hill, or hike toVictoria Peak from theMorning Trail, accessedthrough the Hatton/KotewallRoad entrance.GET THERE: MTR Sai Ying PunStation.

Star Street, Wan Chai

...and Moon Street, Sun Street,Ship Street, and Wing FungStreet—all in this hip new area

of Wan Chai. The colonial-eraPawn is an icon you won’tmiss. Head toBao Wow, wheresiopao  has been reconceptual-ized into street food-inspiredsteamed bun sandwiches.22Ships by British celebrity chefJason Atherton is the aer-

 work drinks staple for expatsin the area.GET THERE: MTR (or tram)Wan Chai Station, Exit B2

HIP NEW NEIGHBORHOODS

See if you can

find the

speakeasy

Mrs. Pound

HONG KONGLIKE A LOCAL

TRAVEL

Explore the neighborhoodand its intersecting alleys—

the beauty is in stumblingupon your own hidden gems.Meander down HollywoodRoad, Po Hing Fong andGough Street (a.k.a NoHo:north of Hollywood). We lovethe Better than Sex mini-cakes at Ms B’s Cakery  onGough. Go local and queue upat the popular dai pai dong(Hong Kong-style eatery)Sing Heung Yuen for theirmacaroni-and-tomato soup.GET THERE: Start at MTRSheung Wan Station, Exit A.

Walk uphill and to the Westto Tai Ping Shan Street.

High Street, Sai Ying PunMove over Soho, Sai YingPun’s Centre Streetescalators has made thisarea a fresh, up-and-coming district that thosein the know are flocking to.Find these spots along HighStreet: French bistro

Hang out at

Metropolitai

Explore Star

Street

C r u ise a lo ng o n 

 H ig h S t ree t’s 

esca la to rs

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where the boys areRULA BULA: For rugby ladsRight smack in the middle of

Lan Kwai Fong. Free- flowing

vodka for ladies every

Thursday night!58-62 D’Aguilar St, Central.

BUNGALOW:For Asian sensations Keep your eyes peeled along

Wyndham Street (from Fly to

F.A.B.) for even more hottie-

spotting.

G/F The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street,Central.

LE JARDINE:For boys next doorDown-to-earth men who just

want to hang and enjoy a

good drink head to this leafy

outdoor terrace.

 1/F 10 Wing Wah Lane, Lan Kwai Fong.

CE LA VI: For high flyersThey be poppin’ bottles with

other celebrities and models at

this rooftop club, if not at the

usual Tazmania Ballroom,

Volar, and Dragon-i.

25/F California Tower, 32 D’AguilarStreet, Central.

BRICKHOUSE:For easygoing cutiesGet your dose of tasty tacos,

tequila, and cool guys in various

patterns of plaid. Find thesecret alley by Haagen Dazs.

20 D’Aguilar Street.

 XX X: For indie fittiesSo hipster it hurts. You never

know what you’re going to get

—will it be African beat night

or ’90s throwback? Literally

and figuratively.

B/F, 353-363 Des Voeux Road West,Sai Wan. MTR: HKU Station, Exit B1/B2. xxxgallery.hk

Live It Up

NIGHTLIFE:

    (    T    E    X    T    )    J    U    L    I    E    N    N    E    R    A    B    O    C    A .

    (    H    I    K    I    N    G    P    H    O    T    O    S    )    C    O    U    R    T    E    S    Y

    O    F    J    U    L    I    E    N    N    E    R    A    B    O    C    A .

    (    M    A    I    N    )    G    E    T    T    Y    I    M    A    G    E    S .

    (    2    2    S    H    I    P    S ,

    B    R    I    C    K    H    O    U    S    E ,

    C    E    L    A    V    I    )    C    O    U    R    T    E    S    Y    O    F    R    E    S    P    E    C

    T    I    V    E    E    S    T    A    B    L    I    S    H    M    E    N    T    S .

Mt. Pinatubo:

The view is

 worth the two-

 hour hike

Burn off all thedim sum atHong Kong’s hiking trails,accessible from the city center

 via public transportation.

Dragon’s Back TrailVoted the Best Urban HikingTrail in Asia, Dragon’s Back isthe classic trail followingSection 8 of the 50-km HongKong Trail. You’ll end up on

the beach ofBig Wave Bay,

 where many surf and swimduring the summer.DIFFICULTY:  MediumDURATION: 3 to 6 hoursDISTANCE: 8.5 kilometersGET THERE:MTR to Shau KeiWan Station Exit A3. CatchBus 9 at the terminus to To TeiWan, Shek O Road.GET OUT: Buses, taxis, andminibuses stop by Big WaveBay and can take you back tothe MTR station.

Lantau Peak A short but challenging hikeending at the famouslandmark, the Big Buddha on Lantau Island. It’s thesecond highest peak in HongKong, and the journey is well

 worth the effort.DIFFICULTY: DifficultDURATION: 2.5 hoursDISTANCE:4.5 kilometresGET THERE: At MTR Tung

Chung Station, take bus 3M,11, or 23 to Pak Kung Au.Follow the signs from LantauSection 3 to Ngong Ping(the Big Buddha).GET OUT: Via cable car for scenic

 views of Ngong Ping Village.

Cycling by the riverThe cycle path starting at TaiWai and ending at Tai MeiTuk is a favorite of leisure

cyclists in Hong Kong,especially enjoyable duringthe chillier months. It’s a flat,scenic ride along the ShingMun River —and laterToloHarbour —taking youthrough interesting sights.Choose any of the MTRstations you pass as your exitpoint; we suggest the Tai PoMarket Station.DIFFICULTY: EasyDURATION: 3 hoursGET THERE: From MTR Tai WaiStation Exit A, cross the street

and turn right and you’ll findseveral bike rentals. The trackstarts right outside the Station.

For an easier day out on yourbicycle, head to the WestKowloon WaterfrontPromenade. It’s just a 1.5-km- flat ride along VictoriaHarbour. Go to westkowloon.hk/en/visit/smartbike.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Dramatic peaks and

glittering skylines at

Lantau Peak

Explore shopsalong Star

Street

Scenic

 vistas at

Lehouse

trail

Splurge at 22

Ships—it’s

 worth it!

 S p e n d a  ha p p y 

 h o u r ( o r  t h r e

 e ) 

a t  B r i c k h o us e

Party like a

star in Ce La Vi

WWW.COSMO.PH  DECEMBER 2015 |  COSMOPOLITAN  147

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