Hong Kong Polytechnic University
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3 weeks in Thailand on the way home from Hong Kong
After finishing up my time studying in Hong Kong, I thought I would make the most of being in south east Asia and cheap flights, so met up with a friend and spent three wonderful weeks exploring the south of Thailand. I would have loved to have done the north, but didn’t have enough time and decided it would be better to spend more time in each place to properly see it then rushing around just to tick off the whole if Thailand. Phuket: I spent 2 nights in Phuket as this is where I flew into. Phuket was probably my least favorite place in Thailand, I stayed in Patong…
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Best Food Spots Near PolyU Halls
By Anna Belsham, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong One of the biggest adjustments when moving to Hong Kong was having to eat out for most meals. In Hong Kong the groceries are super expensive and at PolyU halls there are limited kitchen facilities, so it works out cheaper to eat out for most meals. There are 1000s of restaurants in Hong Kong and it can be overwhelming, after living in halls for a year I found some great nearby places to eat that are not too expensive. Here are a list of my favorites:
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14 Days in Vietnam
By Anna Belsham, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong After finishing up my studies in Hong Kong I took the opportunity to make the most of being in Southeast Asia and met up with two of my friends from home to spend two of the most magical weeks in Vietnam. It was one of the most amazing places I have travelled to, bursting with culture, breathtaking scenery and the most kind people I have ever come across. Hoi An: 3 Nights Accommodation: Fuse Hostel Old Town. Would highly recommend staying here, was super social with so many hostel activities and lovely staff that will help you to book things. In…
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Adjusting to Life in the UK
By Madeleine Dodd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong The inevitable end has arrived after a tumultuous and unforgettable year abroad. It is a shock to transition from an exciting and chaotic lifestyle to a stagnant one. Where my days were once filled with questions of where to explore next, they now consist of job hunting and pulling out winter jackets despite it being June. It’s not all bad though. I had seeing family and friends to look forward to and my first night sleeping on a mattress. A full fridge, tap water and space to walk on sidewalks (Hong Kong was like playing Mario Kart every time you needed…
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Exam Season at PolyU, Hong Kong
By Madeleine Dodd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong, Hong Kong Exam season is always a stressful time, especially if it’s in a different country with different teaching styles and grading systems. Whilst the majority of other exchange students only faced a pass or fail outcome, my results contributed 20% to my degree and were to be later translated to the UK grading system equivalent. This only added more stress to the ambiguity of a different country’s exam style. But, like many of the host universities, PolyU was supportive and attentive to my worries. Workload Throughout the term time, lectures covered the content that will eventually be tested in the…
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The Best Easy Hikes in Hong Kong
By Madeleine Dodd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong, Hong Kong My 3 must-do hike recommendations for those who want amazing views of Hong Kong without the need for experience. Dragons Back There are many different routes and finishing points for this one, we actually got a bit lost and had to do the last leg by minibus to reach our destination of Shek O Beach. It took around 4 hours but was not challenging to do (other than the heat!). https://www.hongkonghike.com/how-to-hike-dragons-back-hong-kong-most-famous-easy-hike Sheung Luk Waterfall From one of the best beaches in Hong Kong, Tai Long Wan in Sai Wan, this short hike leads you to a glistening waterfall. Simply…
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Review of PolyU Student Halls of Residence (Hung Hom)
By Anna Belsham, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong When deciding to do an exchange year one of my main concerns was going back to living in student halls, especially as most of the exchange options were shared rooms, which is unheard of in the UK. But I have ended up having a very positive experience and I would not let this put you off doing a study abroad, I think it is a great experience and very character building. Price: Hong Kong is known to be very expensive to live in, with extremely high renting prices. However, the price of PolyU halls is extremely cheap (in comparison to anywhere…
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14 Days in Japan
By Madeleine Dodd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong, Hong Kong With endless things to do and areas to explore, planning a trip to Japan can be overwhelming. I’m going to share a day-by-day itinerary of what I did…and ate.
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Christmas Break in Japan
By Anna Belsham, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong During my four week Christmas break from HKPU, I met my Dad in Japan for two weeks over Christmas and New Year, only a short 4 hour flight away. I have always dreamt of visiting Japan and it was everything I imagined and more. While I was there I spent 7 nights in Tokyo, 2 nights in Osaka, 2 nights in Kyoto and 4 nights in Fukuoka, I loved everywhere but I would say that my favorite places where Tokyo and Kyoto and if I went back I would spend more time in Kyoto. I have never been anywhere that is…
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An Accident Abroad
By Madeleine Dodd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong, Hong Kong As the beginning of my exchange drew near, the long checklist of forms, flights, visas and necessities weighed heavy. Ensuring everything is in line to avoid issues along the way, alongside the nerves of moving across the world encouraged me to rely on the help of the program staff. Months later, I paid a heavy price.
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A Long Weekend in Taipei
By Madeleine Dodd, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong, Hong Kong The great thing about being situated in Hong Kong is that any national holiday (and there are a lot) is an invitation to travel. For the 75th Anniversary of Republic of China, we jetted off to Taipei, Taiwan.
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Top Places to Visit Whilst on Exchange in Hong Kong
By Anna Belsham, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Out of any place I have been to in my life, I would say that Hong Kong has the most things to do! From such a vibrant city full of museums, temples, parks, shopping, food, to endless beaches and hikes and even islands, it can become very overwhelming when you first arrive, it is hard to know where to begin. This blog post will hopefully give you somewhere to start, but there are still endless amounts of places in Hong Kong that are still on my list to go to, that are not included.
