Sum Kee Book Store Wellington Street

A Reliable Shop in Central to Print, Photocopy, & Buy Stationery

As someone who thought it was a good idea to purchase a new printer each year in university, only to never once use said printer, I know how important it is to have ‘outside options’ to take care of all your printing and photocopying needs. 

Even in my mid-thirties, I don’t own a printer. Why would I need to in one of the world’s most convenient cities? I don’t have any mid-term papers to turn in, fraternity flyers to print, or past exams to photocopy. Hong Kong is a city of convenience where everything I need is generally within a 5 to 10-minute walk and available most hours of the day.

However, when I need a reliable print and photocopy shop in Hong Kong, mainly for visa renewal and accounting errands, I head down to Wellington Street in Central. It’s a spot that I’ve been using since I first moved to Hong Kong in 2012 and it has never steered me wrong.

This post isn’t just for those who live in Hong Kong but also for businesspersons, tourists, and other people who might find themselves in a situation requiring urgent printing services (ex. A visa application or prenuptial agreement after a long night in Wan Chai). 

Here is my go-to print shop and stationery store in Hong Kong. 

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ICC during day from Hong Kong Island

6 Hong Kong Experiences That I’d Skip (& What I’d Do Instead)

Time and money are precious, especially when traveling to Hong Kong, one of the world’s most hectic and prohibitively expensive cities. Frankly, its frenetic energy and innumerable things to do make it a place that’s easy to get side-tracked in. Even as someone who lives here, I find myself falling victim to this semi-regularly. 

However, with limited time in the city, it’s important to steer clear of engaging in activities that are exorbitantly priced, soulless, and ultimately more of an annoyance than anything. 

And, while I don’t want to besmirch the good name of any one experience, attraction, or institution in Hong Kong, there are several (in my humble opinion) that you can skip or put on the back burner in favor of more memorable, fulfilling, and worthwhile experiences. 

To not rag on an activity or experience and leave you completely hanging, I’ve provided alternatives of what I’d recommended doing instead. Without further ado, here are 6 Hong Kong experiences and sites that I’d skip and what I would replace them with!

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Hong Kong Island skyline at sunset

Using the Octopus Card in Hong Kong: Everything You Need to Know

Like Charlie and Grandpa Joe after that serendipitous purchase of a Wonka Bar, the Octopus Card is your golden ticket. 

However, instead of unfettered access to an eccentric, authoritarian, and braggadocious chocolate proprietor’s mysterious factory and its white-overall-wearing orange-faced miniature constituents, it grants you access to Hong Kong’s expansive, efficient, affordable transportation network. 

Hong Kong’s Octopus card is ubiquitous. Hence the name and its Cantonese name ‘Baat Daaht Tung’, which translates to ‘eight-arrived pass’, or more aptly ‘go anywhere pass’ and/or ‘reaching everywhere’. Just like an Octopus’s eight tentacles. 

As the city’s most popular contactless, stored-value, rechargeable smart card for electronic payments, the Octopus card is used everywhere. From Hong Kong’s metro (MTR) to buses, trams, ferries, convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants, movie theaters, horse races (you heard me!), and even utility services, this is the one card both residents and tourists need to survive in the city. 

And, it’s as easy as pie to use. However, there are still several questions both tourists and newly settled residents of Hong Kong might have about it, like ‘Where can I buy one?’, ‘How can I customize it?’, ‘How do I recharge it?’, and ‘Is there a special card for seniors, students, or disabled persons?’. 

Everything you need to know about using an Octopus Card in Hong Kong is covered below. 

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red taxi in Central Hong Kong at night

A Savvy Insider’s Guide to Getting Around Hong Kong

A hill that I’m willing to die on is that Hong Kong may be a contender for the most convenient city in the world. And that is all made possible because it has one of the most comprehensive transport networks I’ve ever encountered. 

From a transportation network of British double-decker busses that carve the city with ease, to leisurely tram rides on the beloved ‘Ding Ding’, iconic voyages cross-harbor on the football-shaped Star Ferry, shoulder to shoulder commutes via the metro, tri-color taxis skewering the city into three, and red minibuses that barrel around corners like bats out of hell, Hong Kong transportation isn’t just convenient, it’s legendary. 

There’s rarely a pocket of the city that you would have trouble reaching via public transport. And in that case, there’s no shortage of private transport options to get you there. I’m looking at you ‘Sampan lady’ down off the coast of Ap Lei Pai. What a lifesaver. 

To ensure that you expertly navigate Asia’s World City once you arrive, here is the complete guide to getting around Hong Kong. 

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Devas at Big Buddha

The 17 Best Things to Do in Hong Kong With Kids

I know what you’re thinking, “The name of this blog is ‘Pale Ale Travel’, I’m not bringing my kid to a bar,” or “What would this guy know about things to do in Hong Kong with kids?”. 

Well, you’re in luck because this isn’t one of those types of posts because as a man now in his mid-thirties, my weekend activities have heavily shifted away from tossing back cold ones with the gang to more wholesome family-oriented activities with married friends and their children.

And you know what? I ain’t hating it. So, I feel more than well-equipped to write this article. 

I was also once a kid, which I think bolsters my credibility. 

Further, if you’re anything like my parents, you know that you can never have enough inspiration and ideas for how to keep your kids occupied, as it’s neverending. A stacked Rolodex of activity ideas is essential for maintaining harmony in the household, exposing your kids to healthy, constructive, and cultural experiences, and ensuring they burn off some energy and go to bed at a reasonable hour. 

So, whether you live here or are just visiting and want to cross your t’s and dot your i’s with a list of the best things to do in Hong Kong with your kids, I’ve got you covered. 

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Sunshine Laundry Convenience Store Seymour Road

My Recommended Hong Kong Laundry Service For Same-Day Turnaround

Hey you. Yeah, you. I can smell you through the screen. Stinkin’ things up like 

Pig Pen from Peanuts. It’s time you washed your dirty underpants and those socks that have an ever-expanding hole at the heel. 

Forgive me. That was actually an exercise with myself – part of my daily affirmations. I digress. 

What I’m trying to say is that if you are visiting Hong Kong, there’s a chance it might not be the first stop of your trip, meaning you need to do some laundry ASAP. Or maybe, you’re halfway through your Hong Kong itinerary and, like me, found a way to spill some sort of viscous sauce all over your brand-new pair of shorts. Or maybe, you, also like me, live in Hong Kong and don’t have a washing machine, so you (unfortunately) need a reliable laundry and dry cleaning service to ensure your clothes are spick and span for the week. 

Whatever the case, you need your laundry done and you need it done quickly. I know just the place.

Here is my go-to laundry service in Hong Kong that offers same-day turnaround at affordable prices.

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Tian Tan Buddha

Your Guide to Visiting Hong Kong in May 2025

As summer approaches and months become less and less predictable weatherwise, a common question I receive from readers is ‘Is May a good time to visit Hong Kong?’. 

Absolutely. May is a great time to visit Hong Kong. However, Spring is in the full swing of things and sweltering and sticky summer heat and humidity are not so sneakily creeping up. In fact, most ‘May days’ in Hong Kong are considered a “full-on” summer day almost everywhere in Europe or North America. For Hong Kong, it’s just another Tuesday. I feel like I need to take a shower just thinking about it.

But it’s not just the constricting heat and humidity that roll into town. May is the beginning of Hong Kong’s rainy season, when torrential downpours, monsoon rains, and ‘typhoon days’ are all expected. 

With that in mind, May is a bustling and attractive month in Hong Kong for events, festivals, and fairs. It’s also a great month for more leisurely outdoor activities, like beach days, exploration of Hong Kong’s outlying islands, and light hikes. 

Exploring the city’s countless attractions and sites on foot is still more than doable, it just takes a tad more preparation, patience, and understanding that you may not be able to go as ‘full-throttle’ as you would in cooler months.

To help you do it up right in my favorite city on earth, here is what you need to know about visiting Hong Kong in May 2025. 

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Hong Kong goldfish market

Layover in Hong Kong? Here’s Exactly What to Do

Do you have a layover in Hong Kong and more than a few hours to kill before the next leg of your flight? I completely understand that you don’t want to waste it at the airport, especially when Asia’s ‘World City’ is at your fingertips. 

Well, I’ve got some good stellar news. 

Hong Kong is emphatically one of the best cities in the world to spend a layover in. World-class transportation means that you can be smack-dab in the city center in just 24 minutes, it’s home to nearly 100 Michelin-starred restaurants and thousands of more equally just as delicious eating haunts, nightlife rages into the wee morning hours, it has visa-free entry for most travelers, and the city’s must-see sites and attractions are all easily accessible. 

Whether you have a 4, 6, 8, or 12-hour-plus layover in Hong Kong, this guide (written by someone who has been living in the city for seven years) will help you make the most of it and ensure that you get a proper ‘feel’ for the city. And, I guarantee you won’t board the second leg of your flight hungry. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: Keep in mind that most components suggested in these timeframes can be done individually and paired with each other! So just because I put it under ‘short layover’ or ‘long layover’, it doesn’t mean you should write it off!

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Corks Wine & Bar shopfront

1-Day Hong Kong Itinerary: Your 24 Hours in HK Starts Now

At first, one day in Hong Kong might not sound like a lot of time. I mean, it’s just 24 hours after all. Wrong. 

I’ll happily die on the hill that Hong Kong is one of the best cities in the world should you only have 24 hours to explore. Its densely packed landscape and layout, affordable world-class public transportation, and palpable (undeniable) energy all make it easily navigable and addictive.

My goal with this one day Hong Kong travel itinerary is to help you (a) explore as much of Hong Kong as possible, (b) do so in a logical way that doesn’t have you running around to all corners of the city like a chicken with its head cut off, and (c) avoid waiting in unnecessary lines and visiting overrated tourist traps. 

A typical 3-day Hong Kong itinerary would generally include a full day of exploration on Hong Kong Island, a full day exploring Kowloon with more Hong Kong Island mixed in, and a third day either at Disneyland, Ocean Park, or one of Hong Kong’s several outlying islands. I’m going to get you through 2/3rds of that in just 1/3rd (or less) the time. 

I recommend utilizing this 1-day Hong Kong travel itinerary as a baseline, customizing accordingly based on your specific interests, wants, and needs. I’ll also provide some alternative ideas, sites, and recommendations that can be switched in and out for things. 

Pale Ale Travel Note: I know that many reading this won’t be in Hong Kong for the full 24 hours so in that case, I recommend mixing and matching any parts of the itinerary to what fits your timeframe! For example, breakfast might be out of the equation so just skip right ahead to lunch!

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view of Hong Kong Island from High West

14 of the Best Things to Do on Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong Island is the ‘Big Kahuna’ of launching points in Hong Kong when it comes to exploring Asia’s ‘World City’. So much so that you’d be hard-pressed to find a Hong Kong travel itinerary that doesn’t consist of a substantial chunk of activities, experiences, and restaurants being on ‘the Island’. 

You’ll most likely take the Airport Express to the city center (aka Central), there’s a high probability you’re hotel is between Sai Ying Pun and North Point, and we both know that a driving force behind your trip was because of an Instagram reel you saw of the sourdough egg tarts at Bakehouse. I can’t blame you for that at all. As a seven-plus-year resident of the city, I still line up with the best of them for these buttery, flaky, calorie-dense saucers of perfection. 

The beauty of Hong Kong is that while yes, there are certain activities and experiences that may be slightly more geared towards tourists than residents, oftentimes, you’ll find both groups at the same place, doing the same thing, eating at the same restaurants, walking the same walk, and talking the same talk (not literally, as I don’t speak Korean). 

That’s a testament to (a) Hong Kong’s inescapable density, and (b) the fact that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. To ensure that you don’t dejectedly Charlie Brown-walk your way to HKIA feeling like you missed out on the full Hong Kong experience, here are the 14 best things to do on Hong Kong Island

All are activities that both my friends and I regularly partake in so if you see a balding, stocky man in his mid-thirties with egg tart custard all over a one-size-too-small cat graphic tee, don’t be afraid to say ‘Wazzup!’ like Ghostface in Scary Movie

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dragon wall art in Poho

Your Guide to Visiting Hong Kong in April 2025

April in Hong Kong is jam-packed with events, an undeniable energy, and palpable shifts in the weather. Spring in Hong Kong has finally arrived. 

It’s in full force. 

April is the ‘calm before the storm’ weather-wise (so to speak) in Hong Kong, meaning residents and tourists alike pack in as many activities (hiking and swimming for the win(, experiences, and meetups as they can before summer and its unbearable heat and humidity roll into town. 

Unlike March, April is a mix of liveliness and restfulness thanks to two national holidays, the first being the reflective Qing Ming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day), and the second being the one-two punch of Good Friday and Easter Monday. There are also several other festivals and major events in Hong Kong in April, which I’ll cover below. 

Finally, April is the tail end of cherry blossom and rhododendron season in Hong Kong. While not as universally known or as revered as Japan’s, both provide much-needed color to Hong Kong’s already beautiful natural landscapes and a ‘scavenger hunt’ blueprint to explore the city. 

For me, it’s one of my most social months in Hong Kong, and the perfect time to visit for anyone who doesn’t want a single experience off limits, as you can pretty much do it all. 

So that you maximize your trip to Asia’s World City and don’t miss out on anything, here is everything you need to know about visiting Hong Kong in April 2025. 

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Kam's roast goose char siu

9 of the Best Siu Mei Restaurants That Aren’t Yat Lok

First, let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way. No, I am not hating on Yat Lok at all. I will always have love in my heart for it. Like my stern yet warm Puerto Rican girlfriend who kept me grounded during my angsty years in Catholic high school, it has shaped who I am. 

Rather, instead of ensuring my dress shirt was tucked in and my remedial math homework was completed (to the best of my ability), Yat Lok gave me my first taste of roast goose and other siu mei excellence after first moving to Hong Kong in 2012. It gustatorily shaped my siu mei baseline and instilled a burning love in me for uncompromising Latinas char siu. 

I think I overstepped there. 

The point is, I love siu mei. So much so that I have mentally blocked out the fact that char siu (BBQ pork) might (allegedly) be carcinogenic. I’ve also blocked out that siu yuk (crispy pork belly) may or may not cause my heart to give out thanks to its plenitude of glorious, sapid saturated fats. 

So, without further ado, here are 9 of the best siu mei restaurants in Hong Kong that aren’t Yat Lok. 

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