What to do on a rainy day in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a fantastic place to experience all kinds of activities: From sailing a junk through Victoria Harbour to hiking to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island, Hong Kong offers unique experiences by the bucket load. In fact, you might only confront one hurdle during your holiday of a lifetime: the rain.

Photo: Hong Wrong

That’s right, subtropical Hong Kong is prone to a downpour or three, especially during the hot and humid summer months. Even the occasional Typhoon is not unheard of. So what are you gonna do if the clouds burst open? It’s important when visiting the territory, to have a contingency plan for just such a weather event. Thankfully, Hong Kong being the diverse place it is, there are boundless indoor attractions to enjoy as well. It just depends on what rain-free distraction you’re after.

Madame Tussauds

With Hong Kong’s historic links to London, the ex-colony forgivably shares some attractions with its European cousin. In fact, Madame Tussauds Hong Kong was the first of its kind in Asia. The museum is part of the renowned chain of waxwork museums originally founded by French sculptor Marie Tussaud. The Hong Kong museum enjoys a prime location at the Peak Tower on Hong Kong Island and houses nearly 100 wax figures of internationally known personalities, with Asian figures taking up more than a third of the total – 16 of which are homegrown Hongkongers! So if you want to get your picture taken with Jackie Chan or, indeed, the Monkey King form the Ming-era fantasy epic A Journey to the West, you know where to go.

Disco Bowling

Ten-pin bowling is a well-established global activity for those fleeing the outdoor rains. But in Hong Kong, taking things to the next level is gospel, and disco bowling proves just that. At the Tikitiki Bowling Bar in Sai Kung, you can bowl to the grooves of a live band while watching a VJ spin pop vids or while bass of a DJ shakes the floor. With bars on either side of the alleys, the joint is wisely designed and smartly segmented into several sections. The décor and lighting are electric, so much so, that it can be hard to focus on getting a strike. Indeed, if you’re a keen bowler with your own shoes and ball this place probably isn’t for you. But if you’re after a fun-filled afternoon or evening, look no further folks.

Shopping

Not a pastime everyone enjoys but for shopaholics this is an essential business. And while Hong Kong has its fare of street markets and street side outlets, the malls are where you should head when escaping the rain. The Harbour City near the star ferry pier is all you could ever want under one roof and more – restaurants, boutiques, cosmetics, electronics... The halls of this water-front bazaar ring with the ding of the checkout tills. Just across the harbor in Central the IFC Mall, home of Hong Kong’s premium Apple Store, is another epicenter of commerce where high-street brands jockey for space with designer brands and specialist retailers.

Trampoline Park

Hong Kong’s first trampoline park Ryze on Quarry Road in Java Bay is a fun distraction like no other where you can spend an hour or so doing an intense workout by bouncing around a giant trampoline. Can you imagine anything more fun? We thought not. Other activities include dodgeball and diving into a pit of foam blocks, amazing!

Race Car Simulator

Hey it might be raining cats and dogs outside but who cares? You can drive a racecar at Sideways. The city’s coolest driving simulator venue has been offering a realistic driving experience since it raced into our lives in 2004. Pick and choose from a wide range of cars, and enjoy the novelty of being at the only place in the city where you’re encouraged to drink and drive. That's right, a bar is located conveniently beside the simulators, and they’ll even order pizza in if you’re too busy motoring to stop for lunch.

Hit the Museums

Rich and vibrant Hong Kong has a plethora of quality museums to choose from documenting everything from prisons to the fire service. Of note, the Museums of Science, Art and History are all located in Tsim Sha Tsui. Over on Hong Kong Island, you can learn about the city’s relationship with the sea at the Maritime Museum while in the New Territories you can explore all things Cantonese, from Bruce Lee to opera, at the Heritage Museum