The last leg of our granddaughters Japan, Southeast Asia, Singapore, and finally, Hong Kong tour has come to a close. It was a wonderful swirl of exotic destinations in places Marla and I have grown to appreciate and love. I may seem an obsessive but I spent almost a year and a half in the planning of the trip. We hadn’t been to Hong Kong in many years. We flew from Singapore to Hong Kong and checked into the New World Millenium Hotel in the Tsim Sha Tsui East distict of Kowloon. The photo above is from the club room of the hotel which featured a direct view across Victoria Harbor with the tall Central district skyscrapers in the distance.

The Girls loved the views.

The hotel was very accomodating to us! We wanted to dine at their French restaurant, but it was fully booked. The manager said let us set you a nice table with a view in the Club room and we will bring your French dinner up to you. It was really delicious with a view we wouldn’t have had in the restaurant.

We chose to maximize our last day’s adventure with an all-day private Hong Kong tour through Viator. There was a massive Lamborghini meet-up at the Murray Hotel in Kowloon.

Sunday is a statutory rest day for Hong Kong’s thousands of domestic workers. It is a tradition to gather in Statue Square in Central and enjoy sharing meals and connect with their cultural heritage. They are mostly women from the Philippines and Indonesia. While walking by this colorfully attired group ask us to join in a photo.

It was interesting to observe all the activity and the many different outfits.

Hong Kong features many areas of densely packed multi-story residential buildings.

Our driver dropped us off to explore the 19th century Man Mo Temple. Visitors frequent Man Mo Temple to pray for success and prosperity, offering joss paper, incense sticks, vegetables and symbolic round fruits such as oranges. The main deities are dedicated to “Man” (the God of Literature) and “Mo” (the God of Martial Arts).

Marla and I visited this same temple in Hong Kong on our very first visit to Asia in 1993! I was the high bidder for a Hong Kong trip during a Channel 6 fund raising auction, our Public Television station in Denver. We combined it with a buying trip in Japan as well. Click on this link for a view of what our trip was like. https://gentryconnects.net/?p=5353

I love this photo of Marla as we were trying to find the address for the showroom who carried our fabric line.

The Girls were excited to explore the temple!

Visitors frequent Man Mo Temple to pray for success and prosperity, offering joss paper, incense sticks, vegetables and symbolic round fruits such as oranges. The main deities are dedicated to “Man” (the God of Literature) and “Mo” (the God of Martial Arts).

This is truly one of my favorite photos of 2026! The dense smoke from the giant coiled incense at Man Mo Temple in Hong Kong is powerfully intense! The thick air is heavy with the smell of aromatic woods.

The temple is very popular for students.

Burning insense and candles.

Taking photos in the temple.

I really loved visiting this temple and watching the many visitors.

A row of deities near the temple entrance.

We told our guide to take us to an area of antique shops.

We went to Upper Lascar Row (commonly known as Cat Street) The guide took us to one of his favorite stores on the upper left.

I was on the hunt for some unusual jade carvings. The owner, above, is describing the story behind a beautiful casrved jade bowl. Of course I had to have it!

The Girls spotted something of interest!

They even did their own bargaining!

We are off to one more store.

We were dropped off at Victoria Peak.

Our guide reserved lunch for us at the Peak Lookout restaurant, a favorite of ours on our first Hong Kong trip.

The restaurant is housed in a 19th-century stone building that once served as a resting place for sedan chair carriers. It opened as a cafe in 1947. The service and the lunch was very good!

We are taking the famous Peak Tram from the Peak down to Central.

Everyone loved the tram ride!

We took the historic Star Ferry from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon across Victoria Harbor.

Group photo of the intrepid travelers.

Our guide suggested one more shopping stop before taking us back to our hotel. We visited the bustling Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium. Tucked along the bustling Nathan Road in Jordan District, the Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium stands as one of Hong Kong’s most enduring retail landmarks. This flagship store feels like a living time capsule – a place where the spirit of old Hong Kong collides with the richness of Chinese tradition. For locals and visitors alike, it’s far more than a department store; it’s a cultural destination offering everything from everyday essentials to once-in-a-lifetime treasures. Whether you’re hunting for meaningful souvenirs, premium teas, or rare Chinese medicines, Yue Hwa delivers an unique experience.

I was in shopping nirvana!

We are on our way to our last dinner.

I reserved dinner for us at Sabatini Restaurant in the Royal garden Hotel in Kowloon.

Our dinner was superb!

“Ah…desserts!”

We had a sensational 3 week adventure never to be forgotten! I think it is a toss up about who enjoyed the trip the most. We are on the plane heading for Narita Japan and then the direct flight to Dallas.
All I can say is…“Wowza!”

Watch Anthony Bourdain talk about his experience in Hong Kong:

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/travel/2018/05/31/ac-and-bourdain-talk-hong-kong.cnn

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.