Holidays without Leaving the City – A Beach Day at Repulse Bay
Most of us associate Hong Kong with skyscrapers, the busy Central area and Victoria Peak. However, there is also a completely different side to Hong Kong: you can easily escape to beautiful beaches on a Sampan (wood boats) or go to the Southern part of the island. That is where I am taking you today. Let’s discover Repulse Bay.
Repulse Bay is easy to reach from Central (Exchange Square bus terminus): My favourite route is with the Bus number 6, 6A or 6X (the express bus) via Happy Valley. Try to sit upstairs in the front and enjoy the view. You could also take a taxi but the more expensive ride (around HKD 100-150) cannot beat the view on the double decker bus. You don’t want to miss this.
Especially on weekends, traffic to Repulse Bay in the morning and back to the city in the evening can be very bad. I recommend that you get up early to avoid being stuck for an hour in traffic and either stay late or leave before 6pm.
Once in Repulse Bay, you will feel as if you were on a tropical island or at California’s Coast. When I came to Repulse Bay the first time, I could not believe that I was still in one of the most buzzling cities of the world. Grab your towel and just enjoy the beach, sun and the water!
For the ultimate beach bar feeling, grab your lunch at Limewood at The Pulse shopping mall. You either need to book well in advance to be able to sit in the bigger zone on the right which is a bit more relaxed. Or, if you don’t mind to sit at the bar and meet new people, you can just walk in. Our wait on a Sunday was about 10 minutes even though it was quite crowded. I would recommend to try the walk-in option and enjoy the sun while waiting. The view of the bay from Limewood is amazing.
As a secret fan of fried calamari, I fell in love with their crispy calamari and lemon.
Also, the Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken was delicious. And paired with a Lemon Grass Margerita, it was the perfect lunch for this chilled out Sunday. (Shop 103/104, The Pulse 28 Beach Road)
Craving for a coffee and some delicious desserts? Stop by Coffee Academics (also at the The Pulse, Shop No. 108, Level 1 No.26-30 Beach Road). As mentioned in my coffee ranking for Hong Kong, Coffee Academics has one of the best coffees in town, you cannot go wrong with them.
If you are in the mood to shop while in Repulse Bay, I came across Lovers & Friends with an amazing selection of Havaianas for the beach and Supergas.
And for those of you who need to unwind after this “stressful” day: there is a branch of the Sense of Touch spa.
By the way, The Pulse also announced to open a rooftop bar soon, so stay tuned 🙂