Hong Kong Travel Guide how to spend Time in Hong Kong and things to do in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Travel Guide and how to spend Time in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Hotels and things to do in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is an autonomous territory, and former British colony, in southeastern China. Its vibrant, densely populated urban centre is a major port and global financial hub with a skyscraper-studded skyline. Central (the business district) features architectural landmarks like I.M. Pei’s Bank of China Tower. Hong Kong is also a major shopping destination, famed for bespoke tailors and Temple Street Night Market.
Hong Kong is one of the two Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of China (the other being Macau). Before the transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997, Hong Kong had been a British colony for nearly 150 years. As a result, most infrastructure inherits the design and standards of Britain. During the 1950s to 1990s, the city-state developed rapidly, becoming the first of the "Four Asian Tigers" through the development of a strong manufacturing base and later a financial sector. Hong Kong is now famous for being a leading financial center in East Asia, with the presence of local and some of the most recognized banks from around the world. Hong Kong is also famous for its transition port, transporting a significant volume of exports from China to the rest of the world. With its political and legal independence, Hong Kong is known as the Oriental Pearl with a twist of British influence in the culture.
Hong Kong is much more than a harbor city. The traveler weary of its crowded streets may be tempted to describe it as Hong Kongcrete. Yet, this territory with its cloudy mountains and rocky islands is mostly a rural landscape. Much of the countryside is classified as Country Park and, although 7 million people are never far away, it is possible to find pockets of wilderness that will reward the more intrepid tourist.
Districts of Hong Kong :
Hong Kong Island :The site of the original British settlement and the main focus of most tourists. Most of Hong Kong's highest skyscrapers and the financial centre can be found here. Overall, Hong Kong Island is more modern and wealthy and considerably less dirty than the other areas of Hong Kong. The Peak is the tallest point on the island, with the best views and highest real estate values in the world.
|
New Territories :
Named by British officials when leased from the Chinese government in 1898, the New Territories contain a curious mix of small farms, villages, industrial installations, mountainous country parks and towns that have populations the size of some cities.
Lantau Island :
A large island west of Hong Kong Island. You will not find many idyllic villages, but once you get over the stray dogs and the ramshackle buildings you will find beautiful mountains and beaches. The airport, Disneyland, and the Ngong Ping cable car are located here.
Outlying Islands :
Well-known weekend destinations for the locals, the Outlying Islands are most of the islands surrounding Hong Kong Island. Highlights include Lamma (南丫島), well known for its seafood and Cheung Chau (長洲), a small island that used to be a pirates' den, but now attracts seafood aficionados, windsurfers and sunbathing day trippers.
The Octopus Card is a prepaid contactless debit card that can be used to pay for almost all kinds of public transport (except taxis and some red minibuses), as well as for paying in convenience stores, supermarkets, many restaurant especially chains such as McDonald's and Cafe de Coral, vending machines, museums, all roadside parking and some car parks, any many more. The Octopus Card functionality can also come in the form of personalised cards, ornaments, key-chains, and watches, which can be bought online. Some housing estates and schools use the card for identification at entry.
Hong Kong's written official languages are Chinese and English, and the spoken official languages are Cantonese and English.
Hong Kong doesn't have street benches to sit down. Whilst "sitting down areas" are around, these are generally hard to find. A notable exception is the recent Central and Western District Promenade on Hong Kong between the Central Star ferry terminal and the convention centre. It is therefore recommended to bring a foldable camping chair to travel around Hong Kong.
A lot to see in Hong Kong such as :
Victoria Peak
Hong Kong Disneyland
Ocean Park
Tsim Sha Tsui
Victoria Harbour
Tian Tan Buddha
Lantau Island
Ngong Ping 360
Po Lin Monastery
Mong Kok
Lamma Island
Repulse Bay
Lan Kwai Fong
Tung Choi Street
Cheung Chau
Temple Street Night Market
Ngong Ping
Madame Tussauds
Sky 100 Hong Kong Observation Deck
Stanley Market
Peak Tower
Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower
Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple
Hong Kong Museum of History
Hong Kong Wetland Park
Central-Mid-Levels Escalators
Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
Hong Kong Global Geopark
Hong Kong Park
Dragon's Back
Frontierland
Nan Lian Garden
Kowloon Park
Golden Bauhinia Square
Chi Lin Nunnery
Victoria Park
Tsing Ma Bridge
Lion Rock
Star Ferry Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong Zoological And Botanical Gardens
Hong Kong Space Museum
Soho, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Science Museum
International Commerce Centre (ICC)
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Adventureland
MacLehose Trail
Peng Chau
Tai Mo Shan
Chinese (Lunar) New Year
Spring Lantern Festival
Ching Ming Festival
Birthday of Tin Hau
Birthday of the Buddha
Cheung Chau Bun Festival
Tuen Ng Festival
Hungry Ghost Festival
Chung Yeung Festival
The best beaches to use include:
Repulse Bay is a large urban beach on the south side of Hong Kong island. It has recently had money spent on its facilities and will appeal to those who have young children.
Middle Bay is popular with gay people and is a 20 minute walk from the crowds at Repulse Bay. Middle Bay has lifeguards, showers, changing rooms, shark nets and a decent cafe serving drinks and snacks.
Shek O is a beach popular with many young Hong Kong people. It is away from the bustle of the city but is well served by restaurants and has a good bus service from the north side of the island. The Thai restaurant close to the beach is worth a try.
Big Wave Bay This beach is smaller than others on Hong Kong Island but still has good services which include a number of small cafes close to the beach. Big Wave Bay, as the name suggests, has the sort of waves that appeal to surfers.
Hung Shing Yeh beach is highly regarded as the most popular beach and is located on Lamma Island. This beach is Grade 1 and shows off powdery, fine sand as well as clear water.
Many Hong Kong people like to camp in large groups, talk loudly and stay awake until very late, so if you are noise sensitive try to find a remote campsite or learn to keep your temper. There are five major trails in Hong Kong:
Shopping Malls & Markets in Hong Kong :
The cheapest food is in the popular street stalls. Most of the people working there do not speak much English and there is no English on the menu. However if you could manage to communicate, street-style eating is an excellent way to experience local food. Point, use fingers (or Cantonese numbers) and smile.
Seafood is very popular and is widely available. The best places to eat seafood include Sai Kung, Sam Shing, Po Doi O and Lau Fau Shan in the New Territories and Hong Kong's islands, particularly Lamma and Cheung Chau, are abound with seafood restaurants. Seafood is not cheap. Prices range from HK$200 per head for a very basic dinner, to HK$300-500 for better choices and much more for the best on offer.
Due to the large number of foreign residents in Hong Kong, there are many restaurants that serve authentic international cuisine at all price levels. This includes various types of Indian, Thai, Korean, Japanese and European foods. These can often be found in, though not restricted to, entertainment districts such as Lan Kwai Fong, Soho or Knutsford Terrace. Of these, Soho is probably the best for eating as Lan Kwai Fong is primarily saturated with bars and clubs.
Barbecue (BBQ) meals are a popular local pastime. Many areas feature free public barbecue pits where everybody roasts their own food.
While Hong Kong has long banned dog and cat meat and has strict rules on importing many meats of wild life animals, snake meat is commonly seen in winter in different restaurants that bear the name "Snake King". Served in a sticky soup, it is believed to warm your body.
Wet markets are still prevalent. Freshness is a key ingredient to all Chinese food, so frozen meat and vegetables are frowned upon, and most markets display freshly butchered beef and pork (with entrails), live fish in markets, and more exotic shellfish, frogs, turtles and sea snails. Local people often go to the market every day to buy fresh ingredients, just like the restaurants.
The number of restaurants in Hong Kong can make choosing one daunting, not to mention it is easy to find food, but not so easy to find great food. There are several licensed tour operators in Hong Kong specialising in food tours.
Accommodations in Hong Kong :
With more than 50,000 rooms available, Hong Kong offers a huge choice of accommodation from cheap digs to super luxury. However, budget travellers who are spoiled by cheap prices in the rest of Asia are often shocked that the accommodation cost in Hong Kong is closer to that of London and New York.
While it is possible to get a dorm bed for HK$120-150, a single room for HK$270-400, and a double room for HK$400-500, you should not expect anything in these rooms except a bed, with barely enough space in the room to open the door. Accommodation with reasonablespace, decoration, and cleanness is usually priced from HK$150-200+ for a dorm bed, HK$450-600 for a single room, HK$700 for a double room, and HK$800 for a triple room.
Most cheap guesthouses are located along Nathan Road between Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok. Expect a tiny, undecorated room with just enough room for a bed. Bathrooms are often shared and noise could be a problem for light sleepers. Be sure to read the online reviews before booking as bed bugs, dirty beds, and unclean bathrooms have been reported. Keep your expectations as realistically low as possible.
If the mansions and hostels are too cramped for you, Hong Kong is a good place to spend a bit extra and get a proper hotel room. Many rooms in basic business hotels in the city centre can be had for $700 per night.
For affluent travellers, Hong Kong houses some of the best world class hotels that run a fierce competition for your wallets by offering pick-up service by helicopter, a Michelin star restaurant, and extravagant spas. Major international chains are also well-represented. Five-star hotels include The Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, The Upper House, Grand Hyatt, Conrad, Le Meridien, W, InterContinental, The Langham, JW Marriott, Ritz Carlton, and Shangri-La. Rooms usually start from HK$2,000.
There are also some four-star hotels such as Hilton Garden Inn, Marriott, Novotel, and Crowne Plaza. Prices start from around HK$1,500, depending on the season.
( Hong Kong - China ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Hong Kong . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Hong Kong - China
Join us for more :
|


























No comments :
Post a Comment