Hong Kong is a really exciting city to visit. There are lots to do no matter day or night. In this article, We are going to give you some very useful tips on how to pack your bag/ backpack for a summer day out.
When is Hong Kong Summer?
OK, so basically I would say Hong Kong summer is from April til November. Just the difference is from April til late of May and from early October to end of November it’s relatively not that hot (around 23 – 30 degrees) . And the rest of time is very, very, very… HOT!!! (over 30+ degrees!)
We used to have shorter summer but then thanks to Global Warming, we are having a much longer hot and sunny summer weather now. I don’t like this weather that much but it’s good news for those who love beaches and sunshine!!
Quick Summary
Here’s a quick summary of what you should pack into your bag for a summer day out:
- A good pair of Sunglasses
- Sunscreen cream and UV protection Lip Balms
- A good thin waterproof jacket
- A pack of tissue paper
- Cool off Towel
- A spare t-shirt
- Deodorants
- A foldable water bottle
- Mosquito repellent spray
- Portable Power Bank
- Portable Raincoat or a small umbrella
- A pair of lightweight sandals
- Octopus Card
What to Bring for a Summer Day Out in Hong Kong?
A Good pair of Sunglasses
- When there is no rain, Hong Kong could be super duper sunny and hot by daytime. It is a good idea for you to bring along a pair of good sunglasses. Not only they protect your eyes from UV lights and snow blindness… but then they make you look a lot cooler under the bright sunlight.
- You would be glad that you did bring along a pair of sunglasses to cover your melted eyeliner.
Sunscreen cream and UV protection Lip Balms
So we’ve protected our eyes from the strong UV lights, it is very important for us to protect our skins and Lips against the very hot and sunny weather too. You are probably going to sweat a lot when you are visiting some outdoor spot and hence it is a good idea for you to bring them out with you so you can keep applying them.
A good thin waterproof jacket
- Hong Kong people just love air conditioning. If you happened to go to Central on a weekday, you will probably it’s filled with suit up people, even it’s hot, sunny 35 degrees day. Don’t get too shocked coz we love air conditioning, and most of the time you will find that it’s freezing cold inside a restaurant. (Probably it’s because they want to leave as soon as possible so they can do more business.)
- Anyway, no matter what, bring a thin waterproof jacket is always a good idea so you won’t be caught a cold when you step into the freezing cold shopping mall from the steaming hot outdoor.
A pack of tissue paper
Bring a pack of tissue paper is always a good idea coz :
- It is quite normal for a local Chinese cuisine or relatively cheaper dining places not to offer napkins, or you may have to pay for a pack of tissue paper.
- Sometimes the toilet may be running out of toilet paper, and honestly, I don’t know why… whenever they’ve just cleaned the toilet, those toilet paper roll tended to be quite wet… It’s not something you want to use honestly…
Cool off Towel
It’s always a good idea to bring yourself a cool off towel coz very likely you are going to sweat a lot. In the past, I was using only a cotton towel or a handkerchief but then once I got a sample of cool off towel and that became my new favorite. Just soak it in water and wrap it around your neck then you can feel the difference.
A spare t-shirt
For the spare T-shirt, for sure I understand that it’s always nicer to go back to the hotel, take a shower, refresh a bit then go out for dinner. But then sometimes we’re just having too little time and could not squeeze that 30 mins to 1 hour out. Bringing a spare T-shirt would be a good idea so you won’t too embarrassed because you’re the only one on the table that stinks.
Deodorants
One of the very best partner to keep you dry and nice after the Ocean Park, or the Big Buddha, or Disneyland… Pair it up with your spare t-shirt would save your night out.
A foldable water bottle
Save the planet by using less disposable plastic bottles! And it’s cheaper too! There is quite a bit of place would offer free drinking water in most of the famous sightseeing spots. Or else you can ask the restaurant to fill up your bottle for you after your meals.
Mosquito repellent spray
Over 70% of land in Hong Kong is classified as Country Park area i.e. A lot of sightseeing place would come in green. For example, the Dragon back hike in Stanley, the walk surrounding Victoria Peak, Sai Kung for seafood… It is always a good idea to bring something to keep the mosquito away from you.
Portable Power Bank
I realized that quite a bit of visitors from westernized countries is not bringing any power bank for their day out. Coz it happened to me quite often that I couldn’t find my friends after their day out because their phones are dead. Although you can pay and get your phone charged in most convenient shop like 7-11, OK, but why not just bring your own one?
My friend loved a power bank with built-in cables like this, I am more a friend of the functions fans, I always pick something like this (water/ dust/ shockproof).
Although I really like a power bank with bigger capacity like this, but then since most tourist coming to Hong Kong may want to visit China too, it is a good idea for you to pick one with you that’s:
- Below 10000mAh
- Have the capacity written clearly on the case
Or else it is very likely your power bank will be taken by the airport security check people.
Portable Raincoat or a compact travel umbrella
Pack a portable raincoat or a small umbrella into your backpack and so you and your gears won’t get wet when it rains. You can see loads of Asians are using the small umbrella under the sun too, it worked well coz it’s gonna be really, really hot by summer time!
A pair of lightweight sandals
Hong Kong is surrounding by loads of beaches, which means there would be loads of activities happened just next to the beach. For example, you will pass by Repulse Bay beach, South Bay beach, and Stanley Beach if you wanna go to Stanley market. Or maybe when you wanna go to Sai Kung for a seafood dinner you will find there is a lot of short boat trips to those outer islands.
Packing lightweight sandals is always a good idea so you can enjoy the beach all the time. Also, You have something spare to wear when it rains and your shoes get wet.
Octopus Card
The incredible Octopus Card!!! You can get these in all metro stations and they are super duper convenient! You can pay for your meals, shops, trams, star ferry, all public transportation except taxi… Honestly, I can’t live without an octopus card in Hong Kong now. Sometimes when I’ve left it at home, what I would do is going to get a new one in the metro station.
You may want to consider of getting this tourist version octopus card, it’s kinda like a mix of souvenir and Octopus Card though!
If you are getting the Discounted Airport Express Ticket too, make sure you gotta collect these 2 tickets from different counters at the airports. The octopus card collection counter is just right next to the arrival hall, not in the airport express station.
Final Words
Alright… so that’s all I can think of what you should bring to Hong Kong during summer. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a message! Have a great time in Hong Kong!