Today’s post is a quick one about Hong Kong. If you are planning a trip to HK, here’s a quick look into things you might want to look up before you visit Hong Kong:

 

Travel

 

Airport Express and the MTR

Hong Kong has a brilliant public transport system. There is no better way to commute to and from the airport other than the Airport Express. There is even a complimentary shuttle service provided within the fare of the airport express which you can use to reach to your hotel from either Kowloon or Hong Kong Station.

You can check out the details HERE.

You can also check-in your luggage and get your boarding passes at the Kowloon station itself and that means you can take the airport express Luggage-free (how cool is that?!) to the airport.

Top Tip – You can show your taxi receipt to get a 50% off airport express fares. Check out this link.

For within the city travel, we found the MTR system to be very efficient and hassle free. Simply get your self an Octopus Card and an MTR map and you are all set to explore Hong Kong.

 

 

 

Taxi

The taxi system is excellent. They charge you for a trip by the meter and the drivers are very polite and honest. The Taxis in Hong Kong are colour coded according to the zones – The Red one is for Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, Blue one is for the Lantau Island and the Green one for the new territories.

We used taxis only twice –

1. From Sai Wan Pavilion to the nearest metro station – we used the green taxi.

2. From our hotel to Kowloon station – the red taxi.

*Note – Uber is also available in Hong Kong. Though we didn’t end up using it, but we did check the fares and it was very competitive.

 

Ferry

Another great option is to use the Ferry. We used the ferry once to go to Hong Kong Island side from the Tsim Sha Tsui and we could use our Octopus card on it. I think the locals use it quite regularly, however we used it just for the experience and to enjoy the views of the Hong Kong Skyline from the river. Would highly recommend you try it at least once on your trip.

 

Tram

Again, it’s a fun way to explore the Hong Kong Island. A ride in itself is more of an attraction than a mode of transport. The Octopus card is accepted on the trams as well.

 

 

Local Buses

Its highly unlikely that you would need to use a local bus if you are planning to remain in Hong Kong and do the usual touristy stuff. Though there are buses which take you to Tian Tian Buddha (instead of the cable car) and to Victoria Peak (instead of the tram) and they are way cheaper, but riding the cable car and the tram are part of the attraction I feel …so you can skip worrying about being in a local bus, unless you are really tight on budget.

But if you were to follow our itinerary you would need to ride the local bus to reach to the Sai Wan Pavilion, which also as mentioned above – on our way back we didn’t bother to wait for and just hailed a taxi.

 

 

Food and Drinks

Hong Kong has a great culinary scene and we loved the food overall. It is a sort of an international melting pot so you will get a variety of offerings from all across the world, but do not shy away from having the local treats, especially the street food. We loved the Egg Waffles, Egg Tarts (originally from Portugal though), Pineapple Bun with butter, Fish Balls, Turnip Cake, Rice Noodle Rolls, Milk Tea, a variety of dim sums and of course Tsing Tao beer. However, the sight of chicken feet was very unappealing for us.

Hong Kong has one of the cheapest Michelin Star Restaurant, Tim Ho Wan …we saw a branch in Melbourne as well, but the real deal is here! This is one place you do not want to miss out on when you are in Hong Kong.

We also just loved the McDonald’s here, especially the Pineapple and Chicken burger from its signature collection.

Another great news, especially for my Indian folks – you get Chai here in HK. Simply ask for ‘Milk Tea’ 🙂 You can also have the iced version of Chai!

 

 

Currency

Hong Kong has a linked exchange rate system. What that means is that HKD is officially linked to USD at a rate of 7.8 Hong Kong dollars to one US Dollar.

Credit Cards, Debit Cards and Travel Cards are widely accepted. We usually get our forex from Thomas Cook as it is reliable and completely hassle free and we strongly advise getting their multi currency card if you are a frequent traveller.

 

 

 

Stay

Mongkok and Jordan have plenty of options in different ranges and is centrally located.

Hong Kong Island has a lot of options with some great views, etc. these are slightly more expensive options.

You can also consider Western Kowloon for cheaper options which gives more value for money.

We stayed at Dorset Kwun Tong which is more like eastern part of Kowloon. It’s not centrally located, but it never felt like we were too far away from all the action as the MRT system is just superb.

You can read our detail review of the Hotel HERE.

 

 

Hong Kong Visa Requirement for Indians

A lot of people are not aware of this, but you do not need a Visa to enter Hong Kong if you intend to stay for 14 days or less in Hong Kong on an Indian passport, but what you absolutely need is an Online Pre-arrival Registration.

The registration is free and instant. All you need to do is fill in the details and submit the form. The best part is that you get the registration result instantly. Simply print two copies of it and carry it with you at the time of immigration.

 

 

Hope this article was helpful and that it gave you a basic idea of things you must know before heading to Hong Kong. Hk is truly a beautiful destination and we hope you have an amazing trip!