Getting to Hong Kong during this adventure was incredible. I honestly didnât know what to expectâI assumed it might feel like Tokyoâbut it turned out to be completely different.
Hong Kong has its own rhythm, its own intensity, its own personality. In some ways, it felt like a glimpse into what visiting mainland China might be like, just with its own unique twist of skyline, density, and nonstop motion.
One thing there definitely wasnât a shortage of? Anime.
It was everywhereâshops, ads, displaysâso naturally, I joined in on the action.
When a city leans into its vibe that hard, the only correct move is to lean with it.
That reel honestly felt pretty accurateâyou really do have to compete for every square inch when there are that many people everywhere.
Even though it was crowded, it was still an unforgettable place to celebrate #Freedom54.
The energy, the motion, the sheer intensity of it allâitâs the kind of place that overwhelms you and impresses you at the same time.
Not peaceful.
Not quiet.
But it was an absolutely memorable once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The number of people in Hong Kong was high, and the overload was everywhere I went. The current population in 2026 is 7,378,602, according to Google.Â
With these 7.3 million residents in a 1,114-square-kilometre (430 sq. mi) territory, Hong Kong is the fourth-most densely populated region in the world behind Macau (a gambling Island off HK), Singapore, and Monaco.
One of the most surprising things for me was the outlying islands. I took the ferry from mainland Hong Kong to Hong Kong Island, which is even bigger and has more people.
It was an incredible visitâbut I donât feel the need to go back.
Itâs one of those places thatâs undeniably impressive, worth seeing, and packed with energy⊠but also a little too crowded.
It was the kind of destination youâre glad you experienced once, soaked in fully, and can now appreciate from a distance.
Some places become favorites.
Others become great memories.
This oneâs a great memory.
 
 
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) can be a bit dramatic at timesâbut I can promise you this: when that train comes through within inches of you, it absolutely feels like a near-miss incident.
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), Iâve genuinely loved writing.
Saigon â Phnom Penh
