Exploring Hong Kong: New discoveries

Sometimes it's fun for me to explore Hong Kong from a visitor's point of view: discovering hidden gems, finding new places & spaces or just pretending to visit certain spots for the very first time.

I did this twice last week. Once with my girlfriend when checking out this brand new foot massage place in the Sheung Wan district. And the other time with my dad who just arrived in Hong Kong a few days ago for his vacation.

Photo credit: ZENturium

In case you didn't know this: Hong Kong is a foot massage heaven. In fact, I tell all my visitors from overseas to treat themselves to a decent massage at least once and it often turns out to be the highlight of  their whole trip. So, in order to impress them and of course, as a side benefit to treat myself, I'm always in the search for the ultimate, super-relaxing foot spa that won't break the bank. It is so common here to pamper your feet after a long day of work or a crazy shopping tour that new places spring up like mushrooms to fill demand. So it happens that I found about this new foot spa called "ZENturium".
Its website features inviting photos of a Zen-like spa with comfy seats, dark wood furniture and organic oils from Thailand. So, off we went on a late afternoon, ready to be treated like princesses.

We found the place to be hidden in a little side street and were actually quite surprised how tiny it was. The manager was very friendly and a tad over-excited, eagerly showing us around and trying to persuade us, of course, to opt for the pricier treatments on the menu. We were disciplined enough to go for the standard treatment only, however, we couldn't resist adding 15 minutes of shoulder/head massage. The interior of the spa proved to be exactly the same as featured on the website. We walked on a goldfish tank to our massage chairs which were broad and comfy. A big positive surprise for me was discovering an Iphone charger next to my seat (well, yes, your smartphone is part of the relaxation, right?).

Our therapists were experienced and well trained, but unfortunately not as smooth as other therapists I had before. We often had to tell them to adjust their pressure while massaging our feet. Also, they kept on chatting for most of the time which is a huge turn off for me in a spa. So, all in all, it is a nice place, but we were a bit disappointed. I guess the highlights for me were the massage oils which smelled divine, the beautiful interior and the fish tank.

Another must-see spot for my overseas visitors is the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui along the Victoria Harbor. The view to opposite Hong Kong island's skyline - especially at dawn - is just incredible. That day we were really lucky to have a clear sky and exceptionally air quality which is rather rare in the city nowadays.

I found myself having fun playing around with my camera and taking photos of the area from different angles. Once again I was reminded how pretty Hong Kong actually is - don't you think?