HONG KONG

It's very easy to get around Hong Kong and the sights are close together and easily accessible. Though officially now part of China, the places are so different it deserves a seperate entry. Hong Kong is still surprisingly cheap. It is also a great place for homesick Brits with familiar shop names and road signs in English.

Visas:

Not needed for those from most countries. Check with the Chinese embassy. Be aware that if you go into China and you will need a Chinese visa, available from the visa office in Hong Kong. Also if you go into Hong Kong from China and back again you'll need a Chinese multiple entry permit as this is classed as leaving the country! Any questions, check out http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm

Money:

Hong Kong Dollar

Places to go:

Kowloon - mainland part of Hong Kong.

to stay:
YMCA - cheap dorm rooms and spectacular view rooms. Also a branch on Hong Kong Island. It's right next to the Peninsula which is the best hotel in the city. Bit more expensive than a hostel but so worth it.
http://www.ymcahk.org.hk/sales/html/hst001e.htm.
Kowloon Hotel & New Garden Hostel - excellent location, very convenient for transportation, basic facilities. Book through http://hostelworld.com
Rent-a-room - cheap but nice - book it through hostel world
For cheaper places to stay, check out the Tsim Sha Tsui area.

to see:
Nathan Road - night time markets for all your shopping. At New Year it is closed to traffic and huge crowds head down to the harbour.
Tsim Sha Tsui go to the avenue of stars for a fantastic view of the Hong Kong Island skyline at night.
Sai Kung - great for seafood.
Kowloon Wharf - great laser show at 8pm.
Happy Valley Stadium - horse-racing but also a good place to celebrate Chinese New Year.
See the night time skyline from the avenue of the stars on the Kowloon waterfront.
Clearwater Bay - if you fancy a trip to the beach take the 91 double decker bus from Diamond Hill MTR station and go to the end of the line. Stunning views on the journey through the hills.

shopping:
Punjab House - great place to get suits and shirts tailored.
Tsim Sha Tsui - lots of Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi suit makers on Nathan Road will stop you and give you a business card. Sam the Tailor is the most famous, but a bit expensive.
Temple Street Night Market - fun, near Jordan MTR station.
Mong Kok - Ladies' Street is a great area for crowds and shopping.
Go to Fa Yuen street market. Go to the flower market and the goldfish market.

eating and drinking:
Pacific Coffee - good place for Starbucks-y coffee, newspaper and free internet.

New Territories - Sha Tin

to see:
1000 Buddhas Monastry - fantastic temple on a hill.

Hong Kong Island

to see:
Central - main financial/banking area where expats and rich people hang out. Hit Lan Kwai Fong at night for bars and clubs.
Wan Chai - famous for strip clubs and bars. Watch out for the madams who will grab every white man who walks by and try to lure him inside.
Victoria Peak - funicular up to the top for amazing views, day and night. (There's also a Ripley's Believe it or Not up there!)
Ocean Park - an 'amusement and educational theme park' - home to the Giant Pandas - 'fantastic'.
Stanley (Repulse Bay) - great for shopping and tourist trinkets.

Lantau Island

to see:
Po Lin Monastry and Tian Tan Buddha Statue - huge seated bronze Buddha on top of a hill which can be seen for miles on a clear day. Your entrance ticket will include lunch in the restaurant - negotiate for a cheaper ticket and a meal from the cafe instead. Great food.
Nearby is a small fishing village where the houses sit out on the water.

Macau Island

Fast ferries run from Hong Kong to Macau, a Portuguese part of Hong Kong. You'll have to go through immigration/emigration on both sides. There are loads of money changers in the ferry terminal. Skip the casinos and head to the Portuguese colonial area with the town square and St. Paul's Church.

Getting around

There are so many different types of public transport in Hong Kong - here's the lowdown:
Subway - MTR - The MTR is HK's clean and modern subway. Cheap and easy to use, with stops almost everywhere you want to go. Students can buy a concessionary ticket at half the price. You can also rent an Octopus card for a HK$50 deposit. This convenient rechargable card works on all MTR subways, KCR trains, mini-buses, as well as convenience stores and vending machines. You get the HK$50 back when you return the card.

Minibus/Double Decker - Only needed if you're staying far from the action. Buses don't give change so carry a lot of coins or an Octopus card. Hong Kong has the red double decker buses which London is famous for.

Train - KCR - You'll only need this if you go into the New Territories (eg Sha Tin above) or into Shenzhen, Mainland China (check visa information above). Pretty much the same as the MTR. Buy single journey tickets or use the Octopus card.

Trams - handy for the few short journeys the subway may not take you to (eg Happy Valley Stadium). Only on the mainland.

Taxi - HK's best bargain. Make sure the driver doesn't hit the Extra button while you're not looking. You can try to haggle with the driver before you get in, but they are very unlikely to speak English.

Ferries - HK's famous Star Ferries, plus other types of ferries and speed boats, will take you between the Hong Kong Mainland and the various islands plus Macao.

TOP TIPS:

Avoid staying in the Chunking Mansions. The food is good and cheap but it is a bit scary!
You can save a lot of money if you fly from Shanghai to Shenzhen and then take a boat straight from Shenzhen airport to Hong Kong. The boat ride is about 40 minutes. http://www.turbojetseaexpress.com.hk - for full details and booking.
Take a walking tour through the countryside of Hong Kong. A good groups is http://walkhongkong.com

JET holiday info

Hong Kong