01 Jun 2015
A curated guide to the city's best shops, eateries, bars and other hangouts
With a city that changes in the blink of an eye, how do you capture all that it has to offer in the pages of one guidebook? It's a mighty task, but one that was happily undertaken by a Hong Kong resident of more than six years, Australian journalist and travel writer Penny Watson.
Hong Kong Precincts is most certainly a timely tome. In the past few years, the Hong Kong food scene has been turned on its head, with its reputation for world-class cuisine now attracting many renowned international chefs. Drinking venues have followed suit, with once rare rooftop bars and al fresco venues now a huge part of the city's social scene. Coffee has found its feet, bringing with it a whole new breed of cool cafes and laneway hole-in-the walls, and boutique shops dotted across the city offer beautifully unique alternatives to the big brands Hong Kong is famed for.
The city's amazing history is evident everywhere; from the lovely old double-decker trams on Hong Kong Island to the open-air Star Ferries on Victoria Harbour, travellers are offered a wonderful glimpse of days gone by. The iconic red taxis are readily available and cheap, and the train and bus networks reach even the furthest areas of the city, making getting around Hong Kong simple and hassle-free.
Hong Kong Precincts, researched and written by Penny Watson, offers a selection of the best eating, drinking and shopping destinations in this vibrant city. Broken down into 15 precincts (including a chapter on Macau), the guide offers reviews, full colour photographs and invaluable information on a wide range of venues, from the super deluxe to the cheap and cheerful.
A map is included for each precinct, and train station exits are indicated, making finding your way around the city's best destinations a breeze.
Interviews with creative Hong Kong residents highlight favourite haunts, and the final Travelling in Hong Kong chapter offers some expert tips on public transport, etiquette, currency, and getting to and from the airports. With whimsical illustrations by award-winning illustrator Michelle Mackintosh, and a gorgeous hardback cover, Hong Kong Precincts is as much a beautiful keepsake as it is a detailed guidebook. So why not launch yourself into Hong Kong's precincts? You never know what you might find…
About the Author
Penny Watson is a trained journalist with a serious case of wanderlust. She has travelled the world, written feature articles for magazines and newspapers including Hong Kong Tatler, South China Morning Post and Australia's Sydney Morning Herald and researched countless guidebooks including Lonely Planet's Australia guide and Cool Camping Europe. Penny hails from Melbourne, Australia, but since immersing herself in the world of full-time travel writing, she has lived in Seville, London, San Francisco and more recently Hong Kong.
Love a copy? http://metropolisbookshop.com.au
Hong Kong Precincts RRP HK$280
To request a media copy with a view to review, feature or extract, or to arrange an interview with author, please contact Penny Watson on email@pennywatson.com.au.
