Journeying to the Red-Light District of Hongkong: No Tips. Just Pure Shenanigan.

For no apparent reason during my last night in Hongkong, I couldn't sleep so I decided to leave my friends in the hotel and explored Mongkok's neighborhood for one last time. An hour later, I found myself lost in a street filled with blinking neon lights with pictures of half-naked women displayed at the sidewalk.

Right then, I knew I was in a different part of the city. See? Getting lost can get exciting.

Portland Street

Inspired out of curiousity with what I saw earlier during that day at Adam's Apple Bar in Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, I went farther to see what's on Portland Street.

Aside from the usual shops and restaurants in the area, massage parlors, karaoke bars, saunas, and brothels also flock the street. Dishing out which of these establishments are legit is fairly easy (and by legit, I mean those that offer clean fun). If you see people — especially women in kinky outfit, standing outside an establishment — then that's where miracles happen.

Take for instance the local who approached me while I was walking — who told me to go inside the bar where she was working for some "clean fun" — but her skimpy outfit and adam's apple on her neck told me otherwise.

Other Locations
Apparently, prostitution is legal in Hongkong but some say it's not. I don't know. Perhaps you can find out  for yourself. One thing's for sure — soliciting for sex in public is illegal.

Aside from Portland Street, Temple Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Wan Chai are also other places where tourists go for some quality time. Cab drivers know exactly where so get to know one on Day 1.

Price Range

According to the locals that I've talked to (and surprisingly most of them speak good English), ordinary massage service range from HKD200 to HKD600 depending on where your masseuse's skin lie within the spectrum of human variation — the whiter and fairer they are, the more it will cost you.

Russians are the cream of the crop with a price tag of HKD590, Chinese/Hongkongers come in at second at HKD250 and, well, Filipinas and Thai at HKD200. Paying more will, of course, get you an "extra" mile.

How about you? Have you had any encounters with prostitution in a foreign country or even in the Philippines? Tell me about it below. Perhaps we can share notes?

More of Hongkong posts here:

• Hongkong Travel: The Six Things You Need to Bring Before You Go
• A Traveling Pinoy's Budget Rundown to Hongkong
• Hongkong Itinerary (to be published soon)
• How to Survive Hongkong's Subway System (to be published soon)

Note: This post does not promote prostitution in Hongkong but rather a call for Filipina prostitutes to fight for their right to move up the food chain. Lastly, the author preferred not to disclose the other events that transpired during that night. It is assumed that he got tired, went back to the hotel and slept it off.