Alternative New Year's Eve options in Hong Kong

Ditch the drunken hordes this New Year's Eve at these alternative spots across town

By Tiffany Lam 31 December, 2009

Lantau Peak offers one of the best spots in Hong Kong to view the sunrise.

Watch the first sunrise of 2010 from Lantau Peak It takes a bit of a hike to get to the summit of Lantau Peak but it’s worth every grueling step: the summit is famous for being Hong Kong’s best vantage point to watch the sun rise.

Lantau Peak, also known as Chinese Phoenix Mountain, towers 934 meters above sea level and is accessible via the 70 km Lantau Trail, which starts at Mui Wo. To watch the first rays of the new year slowly illuminate the city’s natural landscape, begin your 4.5 km climb from the Ngong Ping archway towards Pak Kung Au just before dawn.

These cafés are worth it just for the extra elbow room.

Throw your own party at a Mongkok café Substitute the crass drinking and clubbing scene with a party at an upstairs café. There are hundreds of tiny establishments tucked away at the upper levels of nondescript commercial buildings across town. Most of these cafés can be booked out for less than HK$1,000, and come with cozy sofas, alcohol-free menus and board games that are almost complete (you’ll get half a set of Monopoly if you’re lucky).

Although upstairs cafés have gained the reputation for smelly toilets and overpriced food, here are a couple of good ones:

Pancake Colours Café and Bar, 7/F, King Wah Centre, 628 Nathan Road Mong Kok, +852 2380 0438

Cafe de Verseau, Flat 301, 3/F, Ho King Commercial Center, 2 Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok, +852 3521 1666

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire? We prefer chicken and ribs.
Barbecue in the wild
Hong Kong outdoor BBQs may be a far cry from Western varieties. There’s no electric grill, and people take forever to roast their meat by sticking extended skewers in the fire. You sit on jagged stony slabs and communal tables are usually smeared with diluted honey that people lather their food with (which, of course, attracts ants.)

Still, it’s a wonderfully kitsch way for work-weary Hong Kongers to get out, wind down and welcome the new year, outback-style.

Hong Kong has 21 public barbecue sites scattered across its country parks, most of which are accessible by public transport. The pits are first-come first-served, and day-trippers flock there during holidays, so our advice is to camp early, around 2 or 3pm. Supermarkets stock coal and packs of pre-marinated meat.
We like the Bride's Pool barbecue area in Plover Clove Country Park for its tranquility and pretty scenery.

Former CNNGo staff writer Tiffany Lam produced and scripted current affairs documentaries and was a reporter for a local English newspaper before making the brave, brave decision to write about things she’s actually interested in.

Local Menu

Alternative New Year's Eve options in Hong Kong

you may also like

你可能也會想看

Photo Gallery

Video Gallery