5 places you need to shop in Hong Kong

Last month I went to Hong Kong on holiday and it was great. I was actually surprised at how affordable everything was - I mean, it wasn't that cheap, but I expected worse. The best thing was I managed to pick myself up some stuff I can't get in Switzerland, so it made the trip worthwhile (also, to a lesser extent, seeing my friends etc). If you ever find yourself in Hong Kong, here are my five favourite retail discoveries. Check them out.

Times Square Tower

My company's Asia office is based in this building and I had to literally walk through the mall to get to the entrance. It's a massive shopping centre with some really cool brands. Not super-stylish but not cheap.

Nike store/Houston Street area/Fashion Walk

I went looking for the Nike store and found it in this cool area which is basically three streets lined with lots of brand-name stores. I bought the Nike Flyknits in grey and blue in the picture above. The Nike store is on Cleveland Street and just round the corner there's a mini-mall that's very swanky. It also had a Starbucks, which was handy.

Elements Mall

We were staying with our friends right behind this mall, which is big and has a metro station underneath it. It's got all the usual suspects from a brands point of view, but it does have a Pret a Manger cafe which was bizarre to see outside of the UK, but still delicious.

Landmark Mall

Be warned: this shopping centre is expensive. We're talking highest-high-end expensive. Did I buy anything there? No. Did I consider buying anything there? Yes.

Mong Kok

Ignore the hilarious name... this place is awesome. It's a complete assault on the senses but it reminded me of the Bangkok markets I'm used to, since I've travelled a lot to Thailand. You enter Mong Kok knowing most of the stuff for sale is fake, but at such low prices and considering the fakes look sometimes better than the real thing - do you really care?

#clothes #shoes #nike #brands #travel #hongkong #china #shopping