Hong Kong was the first stop for the initial Travelling with Allergies tour. The first feeling experienced was that Hong Kong certainly lives up to its name as the "international city of Asia", so much so that it is not difficult to orientate yourself at all once reaching the city. In terms of allergy in Hong Kong, there are many globally recognisable restaurants and fast food establishments on pretty much every street you will find yourself on, and these will thankfully be familiar to fellow allergy sufferers, providing a wide range of reassuring eating options. Furthermore, English is widely spoken, so communicating the fact that you have an allergy or that there are certain foods that you must avoid becomes much easier (for the English speaking among us), and therefore makes travelling with allergies much safer. 

For those of you that wish to try some more traditional food, due to the sheer number of restaurants in Hong Kong, there are an untold number of options, and it is possible to sample cuisines from all around the world here. Hong Kong cuisine is based around Cantonese dishes and so food such as Dim Sum is extremely common. During Travelling with Allergies time in Hong Kong, the most common allergens encountered were wheat, seafood, soy and sesame. However, all allergy sufferers must, as always, be cautious when eating out and always inform the waiter of any allergies. For instance, one example of a dish which could have triggered an unsuspected allergy reaction was a side dish of broccoli, which was topped with chopped cashew nuts. Another example is of a fast food dish containing both peanuts and milk, so as it goes without saying, those with allergies must always know exactly what they are eating.

In Hong Kong there are many market stalls which sell fruit and vegetables and these are usually open from morning well into the evening, so it is also convenient to prepare your own meals if you have access to a kitchen. 

In terms of travelling, there are several options of getting to Hong Kong from the airport. The two most common methods of transport are perhaps the airport metro line which stops at Kowloon and Hong Kong/ Central metro station. This is a very rapid way of getting from the airport and at the time of writing cost 90 HKD for an adult ticket. Alternatively there is an airport bus, number A21 which conveniently travels from the airport to Mongkok, with many bus stops along Nathan Road (a main road connecting several metro stations, and the location of numerous accommodation options). At the time of writing the A21 bus cost about 35 HKD (Buses do not carry change so try to have the correct amount available). Getting around Hong Kong is easy thanks to the efficient Metro system and station names are written and announced in both Cantonese and English.

In conclusion Hong Kong was an easy place to travel in and around thanks to the efficient public transport. Specifically, Travelling with Allergies was also relatively stress free, thanks in part to the huge number of international food establishments and also the wide spread understanding of English affords the opportunity to communicate allergy requirements. The most common allergens that were encountered were soy, sesame, wheat and seafood.