Destination Guide: Hong Kong City

Hong Kong, China’s sparkling harbor city in the south, is a long-enjoyed travel destination in Asia. Since its establishment as a trade center in the early 1800s,  Hong Kong has become a melting pot of different nationalities. The city was under British rule for several decades until 1997. However, Chinese culture is still very much in tact here and if you want to experience the best of traditional and modern China, Hong Kong is your go-to destination.

Image via Flickr by Studio Incendo

Getting There

• The most convenient way to travel to Hong Kong is by plane. It’s a major tourist hub, thus many airlines offer flights directly to and from HK.

• At Hong Kong International Airport, you may purchase the Airport Express Travel Pass, a travel card exclusively for tourists. You get 3-days of unlimited travel on the MTR and 1 ride on the Airport Express, a high-speed train that will take you directly to the city from the airport in around 20 minutes. You may also upgrade and get a roundtrip Airport Express pass. The last station from the airport is Kowloon and from here you may take a cab or bus to your hotel.
• Bus A21 – This is the airport bus which takes  travelers from the airport to the city and vice versa. It stops along Nathan Road in the Kowloon area. Trip intervals are between 10 and 30 minutes.

Transportation Costs

Image via Flickr by David Leo Veksler

Sights & Tips

• Disneyland Hong Kong
• Ocean Park
• Victoria Peak
• Madame Tussaud Wax Museum
• Ngong Ping 360

Image via Flickr by Roller Coaster Philosophy

Sights & Tips

Ladies Market – Visiting a street market is a must-do activity in Hong Kong, there are dozens to choose from. The Ladies Market is a favorite among locals and tourists. It’s located on Tung Choi Street. You can find everything here from herbs to imitated Prada bags, Rolex watches, or Swiss Army Knives.

I spent a few hours cruising the busy lanes of Tung Choi Street, shopping, food sampling, and watching other tourists haggle with vendors. Don’t hesitate to haggle otherwise you’ll always get the tourist price.

Language Barriers –  Surprisingly, despite several years under British rule, English is not as widely used in HK (except in major attractions). You may sometimes find it difficult to simply order food or get directions, having a translations app on your phone may come handy.

Lantau Attractions – Lantau is Hong Kong’s biggest island. The airport and other attractions are located here. It’s around 37 kilometers from downtown HK and it’s quite a trip to to get there. Two favorite Lantau attractions you may want to visit are Disneyland and Ngong Ping 360 (Known for the giant Buddha).

Victoria Peak – Victoria Peak is probably the best place for sightseeing. It offers magnificent views of Hong Kong City. The Sky Terrace and Madamme Tussaud Museum are also located here.

Do check the weather forecast before you go because thick fog on cooler days may totally obstruct the scenic views.

Image via Flickr by Carl Nenzén Lovén

Madame Tussaud Wax Museum – this museum features amazing life-size statues of famous people  from both the past and present.  There are many Madamme Tussauds in big cities around the world. The Hong Kong franchise is located at Victoria Peak.

Bundle promo tickets to Victoria Peak are offered in some hotels. They include admission to the Sky Terrace, Wax Museum, and round-trip tram tickets. You could ask your hotel if they offer this.

Weather Check – Before your trip check the weather. Hong Kong temperatures can range from as low as 15°C in winter to as high as 32°C in summer. This will help you choose the right outfits for your trip. You may also want to consider packing items like umbrellas or sunblock during summer.

Money Changers – There are money changers in almost every corner of HK, but from previous travels I’ve learned that money changers at home often offered better rates. So when possible, I buy foreign currency back home.

Best Time to Travel – Personally, I think the the best time to travel to Hong Kong is on a low-peak season. The city is already super crowded on regular days so you can imagine what it’s like during Chinese holidays. Going on a low season will spare you from long queues and high hotels rates.

Watch the Symphony of Lights – There is a 30-minute lights and music show held at Victoria Harbor every evening at 8 p.m. It showcases choreographed laser lights and music and best of all it’s free! However, go early to get a good spot because the crowd builds up quite fast.

Visit Repulse Bay – Repulse Bay is a beautiful coastal area located in the south. It’s a great place to escape from the intensity of the city. It’s known as a high-end residential area and many of Hong Kong’s elite are said to live here. The public areas including the beach are open to visitors and you can enjoy a leisurely walk or a coffee by the oceanside.

You could also swing by Buddhist shrines and meander in shops along the bay. Keep in mind as you plan your itinerary, that it’s a long trip from downtown HK to Repulse Bay, but I really enjoyed the seaside ambiance here and found it was well worth the trip.

Image via Flickr by sodai gomi

Gadget Shop Schemes – There are countless gadget shops along Nathan road and Mongkok but be wary of sales schemes in these areas. For instance, I inquired about a DSLR camera, then the salesman made a really good offer. He said they have it in stock and pretended to have one delivered from a factory nearby. As we waited, he began to upsell an inferior camera of an unknown brand for the same price. He claimed that that camera was way better than the one I wanted.

The DSLR never arrived and the salesman persisted in upselling the other camera. But, I declined and soon after he got on the phone, feigned a conversation and told me that the camera I wanted was actually out of stock. Later at the hotel, I googled the camera he was offering and learned that  he was selling it at twice its average retail price, so sneaky. The time spent at that shop was a grand waste. For reference, this was the shop, D-Plus Audio & Video Centre on Cameron Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Avoid them!

So my advice is, just avoid shopping for gadgets in HK. You might fall for some kind of scheme or end up buying a clone. Shops here are notorious for selling clones. They’re made so well it’s almost impossible to tell the difference.

Food Costs – Unfortunately, most restaurants in HK do not have bilingual menus so ordering food could be challenging sometimes. I was always in a rush so I just picked dishes that had matching photos. A cheap but great fast food chain is Café de Coral, it’s a food court where you’ll find a wide range of food options.

Accommodation – If you’re on a budget, there are countless hostels around Hong Kong City to suit your needs. However, you definitely need to book in advance. Avoid the noisy mansions along Nathan Road. There are gadget and electronic shops in these buildings and they tend to get noisy and crowded.

Mongkok offers many low cost hostels and B&Bs, I stayed at one called Dragon Hostel. The location was good. It was close to a mall, restaurants, and convenience stores as well as the Mongkok MTR station. Most hostels have very small rooms, mine was clean so that was good enough for me.

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From its days as a British trading stronghold to a modern and dynamic metropolis today, Hong Kong offers everything from exquisite food, culture, theme parks, shopping, and spectacular sightseeing. It’s a crossroads of many cultures and will surely continue to attract newcomers from far and wide.

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Check out these Singapore travel guides for more info on the coolest attractions and things to do in the city

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