Hong Kong Travel Guide
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Depending on who you talk to, Hong Kong can be described many different ways. For some it’s the island’s shimmering skyline as seen during nighttime, aglow in a blaze of neon brilliance. Others see it as a local melting pot for traditional Chinese cuisine such as elegant dim sum and steaming tea. Outdoor enthusiasts would likely choose to highlight the Hong Kong countryside, replete with accessible beauty and ripe for adventure. As a first-time traveler, it might behoove you to know that these are all accurate depictions of this former British colony.
Known for its subtropical climate, Hong Kong is characterized by hot, humid summers and cool, mostly dry winters. October-December is by far the best months to visit. Temperatures stay consistently moderate, with plenty of clear skies and sunshine. Beyond these months the climate situation becomes mostly hit or miss. January-February are chilly, cloudy, but dry, and typically the best time to secure discount airfare to Hong Kong. March-May are certainly warmer and not a bad time to visit, but is also rife with high humidity and drizzly conditions. The summer months of June-September are a questionable time as well; the sweltering heat and peak humidity make for some pretty sweaty sightseeing, and the looming threat of typhoons throughout the month of September make for a tenuous Hong Kong vacation at best.
The general trend for Hong Kong accommodation spaces fall on the small side of things, at least by Western standards. However, given its place as a financial and cultural center, Hong Kong does offer a wide variety of options, from the ultra-cheap backpacker hostels to the high-end luxury hotels in the heart of the city. In consideration of staying in the city, know that your proximity to its core increases cost exponentially compared to those in outlying areas. Even still, five-star hotels remain cheaper (overall) than they would be in most other major cities around the world, partially due to their reduced size. When searching out something below the luxury line, such as guest houses, hostels, and holiday camps, the government maintains an online listing of licensed hotels and guest houses.
If you talk to enough people, odds are a popular answer to “What is there to do in Hong Kong?” will be “Eat and shop. Then shop some more.” It’s certainly true that there is a lot of shopping to do, with so many malls, street markets, and shops offering bargain-priced everything; designer clothes, jade necklaces, and an overload of all things considered remotely souvenir-worthy. It’s equally true that eating in Hong Kong is a favorite pastime, especially at the corner noodle shops and dim sum restaurants. However there’s more to do on a Hong Kong vacation besides shopping and eating – the Hong Kong Board of Tourism offers many free walking tours, including the Nature Kaleidoscope Walk and Architecture Walk. Another favorite is to take a day trip to Lantau Island, Hong Kong’s largest island, to explore pristine beaches, quaint fishing villages, and spiritual enlightenment at the Giant Buddha Exhibition Hall, where the Giant Buddha (at 111 feet) sits majestically overlooking Po Lin (Precious Lotus) Monastery.
Hong Kong’s public transportation system has been very well developed, and will likely rest at the heart of your travels in and around the territory. It’s practically at the point where the hardest part might just be choosing which transport offering you’ll take. Centamap, produced for free by a local estate agency, is one of the best tools for looking up a location. Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway (MTR) is an underground and above-ground network, and the fastest way to get to different points across the territory; however, what you make up for in speed you often lose in scenery and price. It should be noted that renting a car is basically unheard of in this densely populated nation. Heavy traffic, an extremely complex road network, and rarity of parking spaces make renting a car extremely unappealing, and that’s before giving any consideration to the exorbitant daily rates.