Author: Irina
And also: how to save money on Victoria Peak, why go around Hong Kong around the perimeter and why is the famous laser show a complete disappointment?
A couple of months ago, we studied what to see in Hong Kong, and diligently filtered the information. Now, having visited and really looked at the city, we are writing our review, full of friendly advice and life hacks 🙂
In 1 day from Hong Kong and its inhabitants (number), you can only be stunned, in 2 days - more or less run through popular locations. But in 3 days you will be able to feel, see everything that is needed and not needed, and decide whether you want to return here. We, personally, no 🙂
Where to look for flights to Hong Kong? We prefer the online search engines Skyscanner and Aviasales. By going through the numbers and using cool service features such as a low price calendar or monthly prices, you can find interesting dates. So, our flight from Samara cost 9,000 rubles per person. But this is a big sale, usually tickets cost in the region of $ 14-17 thousand.
Do Russians need a visa to Hong Kong?
It would seem logical: in which country is Hong Kong -> in China -> China is a visa state -> it means that a document must be drawn up.
However, the city, all so isolated from China and emphasizing this in every possible way, pursues its own policy: a visa to Hong Kong for Russians in 2021 will not be needed if the period of stay does not exceed 14 days.
Advance booking at the hotel and return ticket are also not required. Upon arrival at the Hong Kong airport, the Arrival and Departure Card are filled in, the foreigner is presented to the officer, who for some reason does not mark him with the coveted stamp, and the gates to the crazy metropolis are open.
How to get from the airport to Hong Kong city center?
Tip # 1. Before you start exploring Hong Kong on your own, download the free offline maps app, maps.me, to your phone. It's not scary to get lost among the skyscrapers with it 🙂
Hong Kong airport is huge, as befits an international and hyper-busy airport. In addition, it is located on an artificial island, and therefore there are plenty of ways to get to the city center.
- Expensive: Aeroexpress - 115HKD (* 1HKD ~ 8 rubles)
- Very expensive: taxi - from 250HKD
- Acceptable: Bus A21 (Kowloon) or A11 (Hong Kong) - 33-40HKD
- Cheaper, but inconvenient: bus S1 + metro - 23-29HKD
- Order a transfer for $ 130
TOP 7 attractions in Hong Kong
As you may have heard, the city consists of 3 parts: the island of the same name, Lantau Island (airport) and the Kowloon Peninsula. Focused landmarks on Hong Kong Island. There are also a couple of significant places on Kowloon, but still more people go there to contemplate the real life of Hong Kongers, without neon tinsel, expensive boutiques and Tesel on the roads 🙂
What can you see in Hong Kong?
- Usually, the photo shows Hong Kong from one angle - from the Victoria Peak observation deck, which opens the coolest panorama of the island and mainland of the city and its stunning skyscrapers. This view is not cheap - 52HKD. Plus, all city guides strongly recommend getting to the top by funicular (which is another 52HKD round trip, along with hourly queues). You can take a combo ticket (funicular + viewing) for 99HKD, but:
Tip # 2. Be aware that in fact, once you arrive in Hong Kong, Victoria Peak is free to visit. And how we did it, see our video and subscribe to the channel.
In general, Victoria is a hill, and a popular observation deck is located on the roof of a shopping center, which is about 3/4 of the way to the very top of the hill - the peak. The site, so to speak, is for the lazy: you get up by transport, pay and admire, raking with the hands of the same tourists 🙂
How to get there: bus # 15 (10.3HKD) from the stop near the pier to the terminus. Skip the entrance to the shopping center, walk a little further and see an upward turn to the left - for free views there.
It will not be easy, the road goes uphill, but you are climbing the peak! In about 20 minutes, when the heart is about to jump out of the chest, and the legs ache from overload, the skyscrapers of Hong Kong will appear in all their glory. But, most importantly, few know about this place and dare to climb. The utter silence, broken by the rustle of grass, the space city at a glance and endless space and time for photos - your reward for your efforts.
This view opens from a free observation deck
- Lion Rock. There are 3 tourist routes in the Lion Rock Park, choosing one of which you will enjoy the picturesque nature and possibly see a long-tailed macaque or a black-eared kite. , and then from a few hundred more steps to the top of the cliff and the instagram landscapes of the city.
How to get there: Wong Tai Sin Subway Station
- When heading to Lion Rock, take a look at Wong Tai Sin Temple, located near the metro. Wall of 9 dragons, Garden of good wishes, fortune-tellers "kau chim" and palmists - you will hardly see anything like this for free.
How to get there: Wong Tai Sin subway station
- Big Buddha Statue. Well, could the sights of Hong Kong do without the huge monument to the patron, typical of Buddhist countries? 🙂 It is located on the island of Lantau. If you are in Hong Kong in transit, this is exactly what you can really see in 1 day along with Victoria Peak and Kowloon Walk.
How to get there yourself: take bus # 23 (16HKD, Sunday 25HKD) from the Tung Chung Town Center stop in 45-50 minutes or take the Ngong Ping cable car (ticket - from 235HKD).
- Disneyland. From the name it is clear that this is an option for traveling with children. Yes, adults also want to feel a fairy tale, but, alas, reviews of tourists sadly note that there are no attractions or interesting things for "big" people here. But for the little ones - some magical emotions. Cost - 639HKD for an adult, 475HKD for a child.
How to get there: from the Lantau Link Toll Plaza stop on the R8 bus. Routes to the stop and prices can be found on the Nwstbus website. There is a combo ticket option - park + transfer + guide >>.
- Hong Kong Park A glass-concrete metropolis with a minimum of free space and a maximum of high-rise buildings desperately lacks a breath of fresh air and a green oasis. Therefore, parks in Hong Kong are very popular places. Specifically in this - tropical gardens, birds, turtles, ponds and fountains, a tea-ware museum - everything disposes to a calm rest from the sounds and smells of an overpopulated city.
How to get there: metro station Admiralty Station
- Star Alley. It stretches along the embankment, and the most valuable "exhibits" here are the handprints left by Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. We advise you to combine it with a walk along the embankment, we would not look separately.
How to get there: Tsim Sha Tsui subway station
The photo was taken from a transparent elevator, on which you can free
take a ride in the city center
What else to see in Hong Kong? + cool locations for photos
Hong Kong is rich in attractions. Almost a thousand of them are officially registered! You only need time, and there is always something to see in Hong Kong.
Interesting places that have been marked on our map:
- Hopewell Center. Located near the Tesla store. A 64-floor building with a glass elevator and a great spot for a photo of Hong Kong in the midst of skyscrapers! The glorious Australians told us about it. Come in, follow the elevators, go up to the 17th floor, then go to the elevator in the Grand Buffet, and up to the last floor. Free 🙂
- Residential building Yick Cheong Building. In general, in the understanding of the locals, this is a completely ordinary courtyard among completely ordinary high-rise buildings. For tourists, it is a living illustration of how Hong Kongers survive in conditions of overcrowding and an acute shortage of land. House-anthill, where people are literally "on the heads" of each other.Caution: often visited by Instagrammers because of the opportunity to make cool shots 🙂
Most likely you saw this photo on the Instagram accounts of various bloggers.
- Stanley Village. Getting to this location, you can capture two more peculiar sights of Hong Kong: a double-decker bus (and here they are exclusively like that) and travel along the western line of the island. In short, an atypical route for those who are tired of skyscrapers.
From the stop at Peking Road (Peking Road; Kowloon Park Drive) to Stanley on bus # 973, you will see the outskirts of Hong Kong, immersed in greenery and framed by the sea, white beaches and cliffs. If you wish, you can return in the same direction or continue the trip to the eastern part, thus having traveled around the entire island. Well, Stanley Village is a tourist village where mostly Europeans spend their holidays. Nice place 🙂
- Central's longest surface escalator is the Mid-Levels Escalators. In fact, it doesn't smell like something remarkable here - it's an ordinary escalator, except that it takes about 20-25 minutes to ride on it. And walk back up the steps.
- Temple Street Night Market. A myriad of shops with Chinese trinkets, clothing, and sometimes food. Worth a visit for a vibrant experience.
- Light show on the waterfront at 20:00. We didn't like the word at all. A bunch of people gathered to admire the unremarkable beams of a green-blue-yellow laser, shining randomly into the sky. That's all. No music, no wow. And then you just can't get out of this crowd! We do not recommend it.
We did not get to see the following sights in Hong Kong, but they say they are good:
- Ocean Park Water Park
- Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas (Sha Ting District)
- Bank of China Tower Skyscraper
- Sky observation deck on the 100th floor of the International Shopping Center
- Exchange Square Office Center
- Nan Lian Garden on Diamond Hill
- Chi Lin nunnery with ponds and lotuses.
In general, after several sights in Hong Kong, you can just walk through the streets and squares, both on the island and on the peninsula. Walk leisurely, looking up at the skyscrapers, bumping shoulders with the Chinese, soak up the smells of an insanely expensive city, record in moments and enjoy
When is the best time to go? The tourist season in Hong Kong lasts all year round, but the most suitable weather is in November-December.
Beaches in Hong Kong
Hong Kong, according to the common point of view, is not the resort where people go to relax on the coast and swim in the sea (here it is, by the way, South China). What can I say, this opinion was in vain 🙂 The beaches of Hong Kong can compete with the resorts of Thailand, and even surpass them in terms of service. They are open all year round, but the water temperature for comfortable swimming is suitable from May to October.
There are about 40 equipped beaches in total. Most Popular:
- On Lantau Island: Silvermine Bay
- On Hong Kong Island: Repulse Bay, Stanley Beach, Golden Beach.
- On Kowloon, the sea is dirty, you can only sunbathe on the Silver Strand beach.
The question of how to get there will not arise, because transport "makes its way" to any point in the metropolis.
Rental housing in Hong Kong (hotels and apartments)
Hotels in Hong Kong are literally at every turn, but it is ALWAYS better to book in advance. Firstly, there will be plenty to choose from, and secondly, the cost will be acceptable. It so happened that the reservation was canceled two hours before arrival in Hong Kong, and on the spot we had to check in at an unreasonably expensive, but at the same time low-grade hotel.
Housing in the metropolis is very expensive, because there is little space, there is not enough space for building. Therefore, the rooms and rooms are not even small, but miniature - for two people 4-5 square meters!
Here are the approximate prices for Hong Kong hotels for two per night:
- hostel from 1400 rubles
- hotels with 1-2 * from 1750 rubles
- hotels 3 * from 2400 rubles
- 4 stars from 3300 rubles
- five-star with a pool from 6200 rubles
It should be noted that such a price tag is mainly on Kowloon. In the center of the island, it is much higher.
The best accommodation options, optimal in terms of price / quality ratio, can be found, but having spent at least half an hour on searches. Do not rush to rent an apartment, being led by an attractive figure, otherwise you will later chase cockroaches along the walls (and this is a common problem in Hong Kong!). Read the reviews in detail, see the photos and estimate the size of the room, so as not to be too surprised upon arrival 🙂
Renting an apartment in Hong Kong has a place to be, and in this case the assistant is Airbnb. Alas, literally a dozen apartments for the whole city are rented inexpensively. You can rent a nice one-room apartment for the night from 1,556 rubles. Follow the link and get up to 4000 rubles as a gift for your first booking! 🙂
I decided to play basketball with the local guys
(not worth it - it's very hot)
Transport in Hong Kong
Transport links in Hong Kong are at the proper level, and, what pleases, the traffic is organized and almost without traffic jams.
Let's start with a taxi. What distinguishes it in Hong Kong is that all the cars of the same brand are Toyota terry, and the drivers are important, in a suit and gloves. Taxi cost - 24HKD for the first 2 km, then 1.7HKD every 200 meters.
Tip # 3. To use the following modes of transportation in Hong Kong, please purchase the Octopus Card. It gives a discount on travel and allows you not to ring with trifles in your pockets or frantically search for large bills to change. You can buy it already at the airport, one per person, at a special counter for 150HKD (100HKD on the balance, and 41HKD + the remaining money is returned when the card is returned at any metro ticket office).
The Hong Kong subway has stations almost throughout the city, and it is unrealistically huge, like the second Hong Kong only underground 🙂 Going down to the underpass, you can walk 8-10 minutes to the platform! In principle, the metro is understandable, all stations are duplicated in English. The money from the card / one-time travel pass is debited at the end of the trip. The cost varies from distance, the minimum is 5HKD. You can find out exactly with the help of stands at the stations.
One way to get from the mainland to Hong Kong Island is by Star Ferry. By the way, they are also included in the sights of Hong Kong, although they look well shabby and humming strained (after all, they have been working since 1888) 🙂 From the deck opens that very skyscraper panorama of the city, slowly growing before your eyes.
The cost is HKD 2.2 on weekdays and HKD 3.1 on weekends.
From Hong Kong, you can take a ferry to neighboring Macau - Chinese Las Vegas, full of hundreds of casinos. Prices for such a trip start at 171HKD, the journey takes no more than an hour, and the departure every 30-60 minutes.
Photos from the ferry,
which ferries you to the central island of Hong Kong
The bus is a popular transport in Hong Kong along with the metro. If only because most of them are two-story, and the trip is very exciting. Prices also depend on distance and are usually indicated on revolving counters near stops.
Trams can also be double-decker. They are proud of them in Hong Kong, because they have been working since the beginning of the 20th century. They run only on the island of the same name and on 6 routes. The ticket costs HKD 2.6.
Tours to China from Moscow 2021 (Hong Kong, Hainan)
Package tours from Russia to China have been suspended for the time being.
The price is indicated for one person when buying a tour for two
Did you know that it is Hong Kong that is recognized as the most visited city in 2017? Unsurprisingly, almost half of them choose to travel on their own.
By the way, a usual tour to China, to Hainan Island, can be diversified by adding a couple of days in Hong Kong! The flight will only take about an hour and a half.
Flights from Moscow to Hong Kong
The best way to get to Hong Kong is, of course, a plane. And, ideally, a direct flight 🙂 Direct flight from Moscow is carried out by Aeroflot.
- How often do flights depart from the capital? - Daily.
- Which months are the highest demand for airline tickets? - The last decade of October - the end of November, New Year and Christmas holidays, the first half of April.
- How long to fly to Hong Kong? - The flight time from Moscow is on average 9 hours 20 minutes.
- What are the prices for flights Moscow-Hong Kong? - The cost of a round-trip ticket starts at 29,000 rubles.
