HONG KONG - TRAVEL SURVIVAL KIT
AS OF 27 January 2018 - EXCHANGE US$=HK$7.75 : POUND=HK$11
For the latest rate see
www.oanda.com/converter/classic I really do recommend staying in Hong Kong for at least four days, perhaps even a week. It isn't as expensive as what people make it out to be (count on about 25 quid a day - for accommodation, transport, 2 simple meals and a few supermarket beers, but very little nightlife!). It is very rewarding and you won’t regret it. Even a three-week stay is not too much…
If you do decide to stay for only 2-3 days then head off to Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) on the Kowloon mainland. This is the hectic centre of the Hong Kong (HK) shopping and nightlife scene, and it is very overwhelming (crowded, noisy and quite polluted). However, if you are only here for a short while, you may as well stay in TST, as it is cheaper and far more accessible than the YHA in Kennedy Town (on the HK Island side) - a wonderful and very highly recommended place.
NOTE - all dollar prices here are in local HK$. For the last 35 years It’s rate has been pegged to that of the US$ at 7.75. Currently it’s about HK$11 to the pound.
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W E A T H E R
A 9-day weather forecast at
www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/fnd.htm F R O M T H E A I R P O R TFirst check out the HK Tourist Office. It is extremely informative and helpful, and they have information sheets on just about any topic you can imagine. If they can't help you there, they will be very happy to do an Internet search for you!
www.discoverhongkong.com/uk/index.jspIf you are only in transit, or have a long bus/train ride ahead of you - there are
Complimentary Shower Facilities at the airport. You do need to supply your own towel, though!
If you intend to stay in HK for anything like a week – then be sure to buy a
OCTOPUS STORE CARD which can be used on all public transport, vending machines, kiosks, fast food places etc – just as cash but without the hassle of carrying coins. Costs $150 (refundable $50 deposit plus $100 refundable credit). If you refund it within 3 months, there will be a $9 admin fee to pay, otherwise it is free. Note, if over 65 or a kid from 3-11, there is a discounted 50% special card.
OTHERWISE, BE SURE TO STOCK UP ON AS MUCH LOOSE CHANGE AS POSSIBLE.
All public transport demands exact amount in change, and they are always very strange prices ($1.70, $2.30, $9.40 etc.) so get at least $30 worth of change!
C H E A P E S T T R A N S P O R TTO KOWLOON
E21 bus to Nathan Road – Sham Shui Po or King Edward Stations ($14) plus another local bus number 2, 3 or 7 ($4) from Nathan Rd to TST for the Chungking Mansion / Mirador Mansion guest houses. Ask the driver for Holiday Inn Hotel TST. Total journey about 1 hr.
Alternatively, follow the locals to the nearest MTR underground by taking the yellow double-decker shuttle bus S1 or S56 (2nd slightly faster) from outside Terminal 1 to the
Tung Chung MTR – cost $3.50 or $3.60 with journey 15/12 mins. TST MTR is only $17 from there - journey time also about an hour.
N21 bus is an all-night service as the E21, above. It costs $23 and there will be no local bus from the top of Nathan Rd. Instead just walk down the road for 15 mins.
A21 bus is an expensive airport bus ($33), but the advantage is that it does go all the way down Nathan Rd to the Holiday Inn (Chungking Mansions).
GETTING TO HK CENTRAL (For Kennedy Town and YHA) -
Take E11 bus ($21). Journey time is about 40 mins. If departing the airport before 0800 -get off at the Macao Ferry Terminal (Connaught Road West- one stop after the Western Tunnel) and grab the 0930 am shuttle bus to the YHA.
If arriving between 0900 and 1400, then continue on same bus to Queens Road Central (Hong Kong Bank & Star Ferry) and head to The City Hall Library (on corner of Connaught Rd Central, near the Star Ferry). At the ground level of the library you can deposit your bags at the cloak room for $1.50 per item.
LIBRARY O P E N I N G H O U R SMon-Thur 1000-1900 ; Saturday & Sunday 1000-1700 and Friday from 1000-2100.
They also have FREE Internet for up to 2 hours (11th floor) and newspapers (9th fl).
A11 Airport bus does exactly the same route as the E11 and costs $40...
N11 is an all night service - if you wish to use it it’s $35 and a taxi from Macao ferry terminal to the YHA is about $60. NOTE – the Youth Hostel is locked between midnight and 0700.
MTR JOURNEY PLANERwww.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/main/index.html STAR FERRY TST to Central -
www.starferry.com.hk/en/service Upper/Lower Deck $2.70 / $2.20 +$1 if Sat/Sun
STAR FERRY TST to Wanchai
Upper Deck only $2.70 +$1 if Sat/Sun
A MUCH BETTER OPTIONIf arriving on a clear day and you have some time to kill (under 3 hours in total):
Take bus A35 from the airport to Mui Wo (the Terminus) - $15 (or $25 on Sunday), about 65 mins – only five departures of bus A35 daily from the airport, at 06:25 / 06:55 / 08:35 / 18:20 / 23:30.
If your flight doesn’t co-inside with those buses, take the yellow double-decker shuttle bus S1 or S56 (2nd slightly faster) from outside Terminal 1 to the Tung Chung bus station/MTR – cost $3.50 or $3.60 with journey 15/12 mins. Then change onto the
white coach bus 3M to Mui Wo - cost $10.50 ($16.20 on Sunday/ Public Hols) approx 30 mins (departures every 15-20 mins).
All those buses DEPART FROM CAR PARK 1 – across the road from Terminal 1.
From Mui Wo pier there is an hourly FERRY service to HK Island. Slow/ordinary ferry dept every odd hour on the half hour (0930, 1130, 1330 etc.) and only costs $15.90.
It’s a spectacular hour-long ride into the most beautiful harbour in the world...Otherwise, the fast ferry leaves every 40 minutes, is much louder and costs $26.20…
www.nwff.com.hk/route/get_route.php?id=df056ac0-ac9e-4813-ba89-928c441dfec6&route_id=7&submenu_num=3 This ferry docks at Pier 6, about 15 minutes walk to the Macau Ferry Terminal, above
A C C O M M O D A T I O NBy far, the best all-around alternative is the OFFICIAL YHA Hostel on top of Mt. Davis in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Island. (Ph - 852 – 2817 5715).
NOTE, it will take you between 60 to 80 minutes to get there from downtown and they do have a lights out 11pm policy as well as a mid-night curfew/gate lock!
In 2017 they charge $135 for members and $155 for non-members (a member may invite up to 3 other non members to stay) – If not a member, you MUST BUY a FULL MEMBERSHIP CARD for $150 (2017). They also have a few double rooms for $408 and 3 bed rooms for $603 (per room).
The views from the hostel are second to none. Simply breathtaking. It is a very relaxed and quiet place set in the midst of a tropical forest. It has a very clean kitchen, air-con, spacious dorms and hot showers. Free Wi-Fi internet on site.
THESE ARE THE VIEWS!
I recommend taking the hostel’s 12-times a day shuttle service from EXIT C of KENNEDY TOWN MTR STATION (free shuttle bus).
This service is FREE and leaves at 08:00, 09:50, 10:45, 11:45, 14:45, (15:45 Saturday/Public Holiday only), 17:00, 19:45, 20:45, 21:45, 22:15, 22:45.
Get there 10 minutes before departure, as it simply leaves when full (20 to 24 seats).
City Bus 1 (to 'Felix Villas' - costs $3.40) terminates at the foot of Mt Davis Path, so it is easier simply to get off at the end of the line, and walk up the road for 20 minutes. Daily service every 12-15 mins. It can be caught along Connaught Road Central, Des Voux Rd or Charter Rd. Originates in Happy Valley.
The cheapest transport to Kennedy Town is the TRAM.
Only catch the ones that say 'Kennedy Town' as this is the end of the tramline.
In 2017 it costs $2 (paid on EXIT). This is a wonderfully slow-paced and relaxed rickety wooden tramline. Highly recommended.
WALKING UP TO THE HOSTEL FROM KENNEDY TOWNFrom Kennedy Town walk towards the 'WELCOME Supermarket' (the last cheap supermarket) at the corner of Victoria Rd. Walk up Victoria Rd, past a Sinopec Petrol station, until you notice the very end of the high-rise buildings (on your right). You should now notice a very small kiosk on your left. About 50 metres past this there is a curve in the road and a very big white sign saying 'SLOW' in English and Chinese. See Google Maps “404 Victoria Rd, Hong Kong” or
THIS.
This is a blog, but in reverse: up Mount Davis Rd from Felix Villa and down to my recommended starting point on Victoria Road
x3mhkg.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/mount-davis.html There is a staircase immediately next to the sign. DO NOT take that one. You should walk up the stairway about 5 metres BEFORE that. SEE PHOTO HERE.
From the tram-stop to the bottom of the stairs it’s about 10 mins walk. The climb to the top is an extra 20-25 mins.
A C C O M M O D A T I O N I N T S I M S H A T S U IIf you must stay here, and if you can afford to splash out a bit then the YMCA on
41, Salisbury Rd. (next to the Peninsula Hotel and a two-minute walk from TST star ferry) is very modern, clean, offers a spectacular view of HK island and has a 4 bed dorm for $396 as well as doubles for $903. An extra bed can be added for $88.
www.ymcahk.org.hk/thesalisbury/en/accommodation/dormitory_room/index.html Ph - (852) 2268 7888.
Note – Time Travel (as well as STA Travel back in the UK) offer the YMCA at 23 Waterloo Rd (Mong Kok) for 29 pounds ($450) a night. It also has great standards, but lacks the spectacular views or location.
Campus Hong Kong is very modern and clean and has 4-bed dorm for £20 ($220) at the Western end of TST
Best Western Hotel Harbour View on agoda for £65
Try
www.holycarpenter.org.hk/holyHotel/main03.htm Hotel with $450 doubles in Hung Hom, Kowloon
A decent list of prices hostels and cheap hotels (2016) here
www.cedars.hku.hk/residences/nonlocalhousing/listofhostels.pdf THE CHEAPEST OPTIONS IN TOWN…Are at CHUNGKING MANSIONS or a few yards down the road at MIRADOR MANSIONS. Both on Nathan Rd, a few yards away from the Holiday Inn Hotel.
These are both 16 level high buildings offering a variety of over one hundred different guesthouses and hostels from $60 dorms and $90 singles to $250 doubles with air-con and bath. Most are quite dirty and some are bug infested - do check the room out before handing over the cash…
C H A N G I N G M O N E YBANKS charge $50 commission for any foreign currency transaction if you are not a customer. HSBC allows British account holders free exchange at not so great rates…
F R E E S T U F F I N HONG KONGAll local TELEPHONE CALLS are free in HK. Almost every bank and supermarket will offer a complimentary phone. Same goes for most mobile phone users – so feel free to ask a local to use their phone if on the bus or tram – it seems very normal.
You can check-in your backpacks free of charge at the IFC building in Central prior to departing HK airport. Only if using the Airport train though. See below.
There are four S K Y L O B B I E S offering free observation view points :For some nice pictures see
www.cuhk.hk/hk/scenery.htmTWO IFC – International Finance. The tallest building in HK and the fifth tallest in the world at 415m. Offers stunning panoramic views of HK from their 55/F. A very interesting display of the HK monetary history as well. Only open 0900-1700 Monday to Friday, though. Check it out here -
ifc.com.hk/en/office/one-two-ifc/ terrimeyerboake.jpg)
CENTRAL PLAZA - in Wanchai, the second tallest building in HK, has the best 360 degree views. Take the escalator to it’s 4th floor and then the lift to the 43/F.
Monday to Friday only.
HOPEWELL CENTRE – also in Wanchai at 183 Queen’s Road East has a revolving restaurant on their (top) 66/F. Get there between 1000-1100 or between 1500-1600 and they wont mind you not ordering anything. Otherwise, go there after dark for stunning views over a $80 beer!
THE BANK OF CHINA - a very spectacular building, but most of the views from 47/F are now blocked. Nonetheless, it offers a very interesting view of the Harbour, as well as being the only building open on SATURDAYS.
'THE HONG KONG & SHANGHAI BANK' - this building does not offer a sky lobby, but it is perhaps the most spectacular building in HK. At a total cost of over US$1 billion it is one of the most expensive buildings in the world. It only has 4 pillars on it’s corners where it touches the ground, and most of it’s weight is held up from the air. You can also visit it’s Vaults at the basement on the south-eastern corner. The thickest in the world. It’s escalator is the longest freely suspended in the world...
ABSOLUTE MUST DO
A Symphony of Lights
Be dazzled by 20 minutes of a stunning is the world's largest permanent light and sound show according to Guinness World Records.
Do not miss it! Daily at 8pm - locate your self on the upper deck of the Star Ferry promenade TST.
Do not leave, as this finishes, as there is a second show ...
Hong Kong Pulse 3D Light Show Is Back With Added Laser Effects and an Interactive Game to Spice Up the Skyline ...
With THREE daily shows at 8.20pm, 8.45pm, 9.15pm and 9.45pm (about eight minutes per session) Place: Open Piazza, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui.
S T A R F E R R Y R I D E
Even if you only have a single day in Honkers, you simply must do at least one Star Ferry ride.
For a mere 20p - this is the World's most memorable ride! Wanchai to TST is slightly longer...
STAR FERRY TST to Central - www.starferry.com.hk/en/service
Upper/Lower Deck $2.70 / $2.20 +$1 if Sat/Sun
STAR FERRY TST to Wanchai
Upper Deck only $2.70 +$1 if Sat/Sun
A D I Y H A R B O U R C R U I S E
Yes, it is possible to take 1-hour Champagne Cruises for $200m but i do recommend doing it yourself, by simply taking the regular Star Ferry ($13) to Cheung Chau - 55 minutes on the slow ferry, hourly at 15 minutes past the hour from Pier 5, next to Start Ferry Central Pier. If you are limited with time, and want to also explore Aberdeen, there is a fast/expensive ferry directly from Cheung Chau to Aberdeen ($30)
THE HONG KONG EYE
Although I agree with most Honkers, who find it a huge eye-sore ... the views from the top of it, especially at night, are superb! And, it is only $20 which is less than £2 ...
RIDE THE TRAM ON HK ISLAND
The best possible way of seeing Hong Kong Island is with a slow rickety wooden tram ride. All the way from Kennedy Town to Happy Valley its almost an hour. A great way to see Hong Kong and it costs ... $2 ...
T H E M I D - L E V E L S ESCALATORWant a free ride on the world’s longest escalator system? From Central Market, this climbs along 3 km. and almost half way to the Peak. It runs down from 6am to 1000, and then up from 1030 till 2100 (there is a parallel staircase).If you get off at the Robinson Road stage (two before the end), turn left and head down towards the FREE Zoological & Botanical Gardens. There is a fairly cheap 'Park N Shop' Supermarket along this road. This area offers spectacular views of the Central banking district. Continue down until Albany Rd. The Garden's entrance is just on your left. Head down Garden Rd, past the US Consulate, turn right and you will arrive at the Victoria Peak Tram station (in total less than 20 min walk).
From here you can either take the tram up to the Peak ($22 / $33 single/return), take the CHEAPER regular bus to the Peak from in front of Town Hall (number 15, $9.30) or continue walking down. On your right, just off Cotton Tree Drive, where the Hong Kong Park offers sweeping views of Central. There is a very pleasant and interesting 'Flagstaff House - Museum of Tea Ware'. FREE entry (closed Tuesdays).
B E S T V I E W S At night the view of the Central banking district from the promenade (next to the Star ferry in TST) is nothing short of exhilarating. Be sure to climb to its upper level and don’t miss the 8pm “Symphony of Lights” from Central. This goes on for 20 minutes and is unforgettable. Three language commentaries (English / Cantonese / Mandarin) are available on the local radio. See it here -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsBQO6ZzH5Q The car-park next to the City Hall in Central has the best photo opportunities of the stunning HSBC BANK from its roof-top.
The south-east upper level corner of the Bank of China has a sweeping view of the IFC 2 as well as the harbour with it’s somewhat cheesy stone garden as a foreground.
The same bank of China building, but it’s south-west corner, offers the best view of BOTH Lippo Center buildings, as does the HONG KONG PARK, just up the hill.
If staying at the Youth Hostel, walk all the way to the top of the hill – a further five minutes. There are spectacular harbour views as well as good views of Aberdeen from the old English bunker, to your right as you walk up from the stairwell.
N A T U R E W A L K S There are dozens of wonderful day-walks all around Hong Kong. Some of them are spectacular and if you do them on weekdays, you will have them to yourself. There are a handful of week-long trails as well. Most definitely worthwhile, but be sure to get ample info from the HKTA. See
martinwilliams.tripod.com/hkhiking/hkhiking.html T A I C H I L E A S O N S On Sunday, Tuesday and Friday at the Hong Kong Park in Admiralty (see below) there are FREE Tai Chi lessons given in English between 0815-0915, but not if its raining... Call 2508 1234 to make sure.
www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/heritage/ck/he_ckcl_taic.jhtml Also at Ave of Stars, TST Promenade (next to the Hong Kong Museum of Art).
(TST MTR Exit E, take pedestrian tunnel ahead and follow the signs to the Avenue.) 0800-0900 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)
As well as at The Peak Tower rooftop viewing terrace (0900-1000 (Saturday only)
William Ng - 30 people per class HKTB Visitor Hotline +852 2508 1234
F R O M V I C T O R I A P E A KYou can walk down a very pleasant and well-marked path towards ABERDEEN in less than an hour. This goes via Peel Rise and the Reservoir, very near to the Old Chinese Cemetery, in POK FU LAM. About five minutes below the reservoir, you will hit Pok Fu Lam Road. TURN RIGHT for the stunning cemetery that you will see within ten minutes. Walk down through the cemetery towards the bay, until you reach Victoria Road. Here, you can choose to either head back to the HOSTEL (its about 15 minutes along Victoria Rd to Mt Davis PATH – look out for the No 5 buses). If its TUESDAY you might consider walking further down, towards the Bay to the new SHOPPING & CINEMA COMPLEX – about 15 minutes and cheap Tuesday films.
Alternatively, you might consider carrying on to Aberdeen – about 30 minutes away.
www.discoverhongkong.com/taiwan/sightshow/hkwalks/ta_walk_lmap08.pdf www.afcd.gov.hk/parks/trails/Eng/hiking/hktrail/hktrail_01.htmwww.afcd.gov.hk/parks/trails/Eng/hiking/hktrail/hktrail_02.htm
F R O M A B E R D E E NThere is a FREE boat shuttle to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant. This leaves from two places; one downtown (3 mins ride) and one further west along the pier (offering a nice 15 mins ride amongst the many junks).
lunsmarineworld.com/jumbo.htmlFrom here, either catch a green minibus back to Kennedy Town, Bus 70 back to Central or another Ferry to LAMA ISLAND.
Ferries from Aberdeen to Lama go to 2 places:
Yung Shue Wan (in the north-west) or Pak Kok Tsuen (in the Centre)-
both cost $10, and take 25 noisy minutes.
F R O M L A M A I S L A N DThere is a very pleasant 2-3 hours walk from one ferry pier to the other.
B A C K T O C E N T R A LFrom Yung Shue Wan -
www.hkkf.com.hk/en/ferry/schedule.htm $11.80, 40 min, frequent service, last one back at 2330. Fast Service – $16.80 noisy.
From Sok Kwu Wan (seafood restaurant) - $14.80 but $19.60 on Sundays, express and very noisy service for 35 minutes, at 1600, 1740, 1920, 2100, 2240.
www.hkkf.com.hk/en/ferry/schedule01.htm From Pak Kok Tsuen (back to ABERDEEN) - $12.80, express and very noisy service for 25 minutes, at 1810, 1910, 2010 only.
Stanley Market and Repulse Bay are worth checking out. As are Cheung Chau island, Lantau Is (Po Lin monastery with the biggest outdoor Buddha in the world), and places in the New Territories such as Kam Tin Walled Village (a very spooky and mystical place, not for the faint hearted) and Sha Tin Temple of 10,000 Buddhas.
S U N D A Y S IN HONG KONG F I G H T I N G A T M O U N T D A V I S
Every Sunday scores of young Honkers arrive atop this wonderful summit (just 60 or 70 steps beyond the Youth Hostel gate) fully equipped with army gear and uniform to make battle. Shooting white rubber bullets and take it very seriously
T H E F I L I P I N O T H I N G Sunday is the only day-off for the female Filipino workers in town. Hence, about half a million of them seem to congregate around Statute Sq in Central eating, chatting and playing cards. Its quite a spectacle.
H O R S E R A C I N GThe very low entrance fee of $10 is waved for foreign tourists on Wednesdays at the Happy Valley Race Course. But anyone may enter free of charge if the races are already half-way through. For the schedule of the race, visit here
www.hkjc.com/english/index.asp The weekend races are usually held at Shatin race course, New Territories (up to ten races), while the weekday races held in Happy Valley race course on Wednesdays.
If you do go to the Happy Valley racecourse, be sure to check out the
GURUDWARA SIKH TEMPLE, a mere 5-minutes away, at 371 Queen's Rd E. Its a stunning building and the free food on offer daily (1pm-7pm) is gorgeous.
And yes … DISNEY LAND HONG KONG is now open, near the airport and a very affordable $300 in the off season (but $580/£50 otherwise) – see here
park.hongkongdisneyland.com/hkdl/en_US/home/home?name=HomePage S H O P P I N G I N H O N G K O N GAs a general rule most things come from China and can be bought there at about 50% of the price. For clothing, note that as well as XL size there is also 2XL and 3XL (sometimes XXL, XXXL). A standard westerner is usually at least 2XL. Shoe sizes are in Chinese numbers - 28 is UK 10.5 or European 45. Some Examples :
Designer watches are $20-25 (these are cheaper here than anywhere else in Asia)
Silk ties $6-8
'Funny' (Disney type) ties $13-16
Designer long sleeve shirts $25-35
Designer (fleece type) jackets $40-50
Designer rain coats $50-60
Designer big thick coats $70-100
Football tops (good quality) $30-35
Silk kimono dressing-gowns $50-60
Silk waist coats $25-30
Rice paper hanging painting (1.5 m.) $25-30
All to be found in Mong Kok district (northern part of Nathan Road) along LADY’S MARKET (Tung Choi Street) from 1400 onwards. Also at TEMPLE STREET MARKET (just north of Jorden Road) after dusk (around 18.00 onwards.
MUSIC CDs and CD-ROMs can be had at $15-20
VIDEO CDs (VCD) $13-15
DIGITAL (DVD) $13-15
At and around the 'GOLDEN ARCADE' computer centre in SHAM SHUI PO. (2 MTR stops after Mong Kok, and within walking distance, just off Nathan Road.)
From Nathan Road at Sham Shui Po you can either catch a number 2 or 3 bus down to the TST Star Ferry ($3) or bus number 904 ($6.40, 15 min.) to Kennedy Town.
From Argyle Street in Mong Kok you can also catch the 904 bus to Kennedy Town (West, towards the western tunnel).
M A I L, P O S T & C O M M U N I C A T I O N S
Aerogrammes ANYWHERE are only $2.30. Postcards are $3 and
letters up to 30g/40/50grs cost a VERY EXPENSIVE $5.30/$6.60/$7.90
SURFACE MAIL PARCELS differ from country to country
(price for first 1kg / price for additional kg / sample price for 7 kg):
Denmark – 102 / 13 / $180 for 7 kg.
Belgium - 108 / 17 / 210 for 7 kg
Holland - 110 / 16 / 206 Germany – 135 / 20 / 255
Israel – 120 / 18 / 228 The UK - 145 / 22 / 277
If you are merely sending up to 2 KILOS – be sure to do this BY AIR.
To the UK 1 or 2 kg costs $190 / $256. NOTE Surface mail can take up to 3 months!
C A L L I N G O V E R S E A SAlthough both local and mobile telephone calls ARE FREE in Hong Kong, you are still highly advised to BUY A SIM CARD. This usually allows you INTERNATIONAL PHONE CALLS to landlines for a mere 25 cent / per min! NOTE, that if your callers call you back using the INTERNET at
www.voipcheap.co.uk or at
www.voipcheap.com they can even call your mobile FREE OF CHARGE. Many phone cards can be purchased from Filipino stores or Money Exchange places and these often offer up to 80 mins for $5
H O S P I T A L S E R V I C E S The medical care in Hong Kong is superb – way better than the NHS! And best of all, it still remain almost free! If you need any medical care at all go to the A & E building at the QUEEN MARRY HOSPITAL in Pok Fu Lam, just south of Kennedy Town. Number 54 green minibus goes there from Exchange Square, via Kennedy Town. Its $6 from Central or $3.60 from KT.
Any further out-patient referrals beyond the first treatment are $44, and any overnight hospital bed is a mere $68. The initial consultation and any medication are all FREE. Bring your passport!
DENISH SEAMAN'S CHURCHIt’s not only for Danes and not just for Seamen… Quite a nice atmosphere and they offer free coffee and cake on Tuesdays. 11, Middle Road, Kowloon (Ph : 2368-8261).
H O N G K O N G N I G H T L I F EYes, this can be very expensive. But it can be a lot of FUN as well. The cheapest way to do it is by getting VERY cheap cans or bottles of beer from a local supermarket. WELCOME is perhaps the cheapest, followed by Park N Pay, and CircleK. A can of imported beer (Dutch-Oranjaboom, South African-Castle, Denish or German) can be as little as HK$ 2.50 (that’s 30 cents American). Bottles (680 cl.) of local San Migual are around $6. In pubs average prices of a tap Pint will be $35-50, but many of these will have HAPPY HOURS. You can easily have a continuous 2-for-1 happy hour if you chop and change between the many venues.
NOTE – BC Magazine is a must for any nightlifer. It’s FREE and you can pick it up at any bar or café in town.
LONG KWAI FONG - is perhaps the main nightlife strip. A good and quite cheap place here is the Yelts-Inn. Other good places are Club 64 and Hardy’s. Dillonger’s and it’s upstairs Milk Bar have quite decent (alternative) music.
WANCHAI – has a reputation for sleaze, but it is also worth trying. Good dance places include Dusk till Dawn and Time after Time. The ULTIMATE place to end your night would be NEPTUNE’S. This place kicks in around 4am and goes on until 11.30am! Enjoy.
M U S E U M SMost museums are free of charge. Some that usually DO charge (like the SPACE MUSEUM and the NATURAL MUSEUM) are FREE ON WEDNESDAYS.
S A M P L E A V E R A G E C O S T SDormitory bed - $100-150
Double room - $220-280
McDonald's Meal - $24
Supermarket beer can 330ml - $3-5 (RSA Castle / Dutch Oranjeboom)
Supermarket 200 gr. Steak - $10
Noodle meal or Congee meal (rice porridge) in simple hole in the wall restaurant - $10-$20
3 course set lunch in simple restaurant - $80-100
All you can eat lunchtime Indian or Japanese $120-$180
A beer in a pub - $65-$85 (almost all day happy hours with 2 for 1).
Cheese, good bread and cheap wine can be found at the Hypermarket at Times Square in Wanchai. They have a dozens of Cheeses and 10 types of Olives (Greek, Cyprus) Wines there start from $18 for a fairly decent French.
G O I N G TO C H I N AFor up to 5 days and for Shenzhen only, you can go without prearranging a visa. You need to join the special queue (upstairs) at the Shenzhen immigration side of the Lo Wu MTR station and pay Y304 (is only Y168 if you have a non UK/USA passport). You may NOT enter Canton (Guangzhou) with this visa (although there really is nothing to stop you from doing this...). However, you are able to get a 3-day visa free entry to Guangzhou or Beijing if flying in …
For foreigners, everything's all on the same level leaving HK. However, when leaving the Mainland, the key is to go up the stairs on the left as you face the Luohu immigration building. Go up just one floor, then follow the signs for immigration.
C H I N E S E V I S A in HKCheapest is to do it yourself, at the Visa office new location -
bio.visaforchina.org/HKG2_EN/aboutus/263699.shtml PLEASE NOTE NEW PRICE INCREASE AS OF 22 JANUARY 2018 TO CIRCA £105 HK$ 1,140When in China first 30 day extension is around Y180 and second 30 days is over Y300. If intending to stay for 3 months get an appropriate Visa. DO NOT overstay your visa. This can cost you over Y100 PER DAY
CTS offices all over HK offer 90/180 day visas. There is another one at the second level of Macau Ferry Terminal as well as another on 20 Peterson St, Causeway Bay (2808 1131).
The Consulate in Macau is especially friendly and fast AS WELL AS
ONLY CHARGING CIRCA £50 FOR 2-DAY and CIRCA £60 FOR following-day CHINESE VISA
thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/messagepost.cfm?postaction=reply&catid=19&threadid=1393114&messid=12239731&iCountryId=84Getting to C H I N A – C A N T O N (Guangzhou)KCR train from Kowloon station (in Hung Hom) to Lo Wu (the HK border). This costs $40, leaves every 3-min and takes 45 min. NOTE - if you only buy a ticket to Fanling, get off and buy a second one to Lo Wu, the total cost is only $37. Note also that It’s 10% cheaper with an Octopus card!
SEE PRICE FINDERTrain / bus F R O M S H E N Z H E N (Chinese border City) to Guangzhou
Both stations are a few minutes walk from the immigration.
TRAIN - second class (ying zo) costs Y79 and takes 80 minutes, departing every 10 minutes or so.
D I R E C T bus / train from HK to G U A N G Z H O U
BUS - Many private hotels in HK offer a 4-hr. direct bus for about $120.
TRAIN – almost hourly train from Hung Hom station to Guangzhou EAST station
Takes under 2 HOURS and costs $210. Expensive, but very convenient. Arrive 45 minute before train departure, to clear immigration.
NOTE – for some reason, the Chinese Currency is officially called the Yuan, but is always referred to as Remminbi (people’s money). In everyday practice it is ALWAYS called a KWAI. Same goes to the pennies. Officially there are 100 fen in a Kwai. They are referred to as 10 Jiao but always called Mao in practice...
From the G U A N G Z H O U S T A T I O NThe best place to stay is on Shimian Island. This is an old Colonial enclave that used to be a no-go area for any Chinese. It still retains a lot of the old character and is much more tranquil than anywhere else in town.
The easiest way to get to Shimian island is on the UNDERGROUND. Hence, it is much easier to catch the train to the EASTERN railway station (Guangzhou DONG hauche zhan) and then look for the Y symbol.
It is 11 stops to the HUANG SHA stop – follow directions as below.
The so-called Youth Hostel is on the Island, opposite the White Swan Hotel. They Charge Y50 for a 8-bed dorm or Y60 for a 3-bed one. To get to Shimian from both the Bus and the MAIN Train Station, walk to the far RIGHT corner of the train station and then turn right. Cross the overhead bridge and about 20 metres down this alley is the TERMINUS of the No. 5 BUS.
Take this bus to THE END OF THE LINE. Walk back the main road for about 5 minutes then cross over onto the island. Walk all the way down (4 streets) then you will easily spot the huge White Swan Hotel. The YH is immediately opposite.
Shoestring and Time Travel in HK offers good deals on 4 and 5 Star hotels. Currently White Swan is offered at $490 a double – half the regular rate. Deng Fang 5* is a mere $340, but far too central. You can also check out Ying On Travel (one at Star House, near Star Fery, TST).
www.yingontravel.com S H O P P I N G IN G U A N G Z H O UTake bus number 57 from across the water (going to the right). The very end of the line is a bus depot. Walk through the gateway (away from the river) and turn right. At the first corner you come to you will notice a BIG COMPUTER STORE on 4 levels.
CD-ROMs are Y8-10
MUSIC CDs VCDs and DVDs are all only Y7 or Y8.
The main Shopping Street for clothing is BEIJING LU.
Y A N G S H O U & G U I L L I NYangshou is a wonderfully magical place where the spectacular limestone formations rocket out of nowhere. Guillin is simply a huge City that is near to Yangshou.
2017 -
www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-north-east-asia/china/best-way-hong-kong-to-yangshuo 2017 – from Yangshou Train G2907 dept at 09:49 arr 12:30 to SHENZHEN NORTH
A C C O M M O D A T I O NNOTE - In China when requesting a SINGLE room you get ONE DOUBLE BED, and a double room is...two double beds…Best place in Yangshou seems to be the Youth Hostel. Above.
There are now quite a few official YHA Youth Hostels in China. They tend to be just regular hotels with dorm rooms, or rooms with two or three beds that people are willing to share for about Y40-50 per head. Check them out at
www.iyhf.org/iyhf_china_focus_gb.html or
www.iyhf.org/china/china.html For a full up to date listing see hostels-com at
www.hostels.com/cn.html F O O D
The food in Yangshou (as in most places in China) is FANTASTIC. Far better than any other Chinese restaurant you have ever been to. The main difference with Yangshou is that it is cheaper than most places, and that it has menus in English. There are many places with weird and wonderful names : Hard Seat Café, Mickey Mao’s, Great Wall Café etc. Minnie Mao’s and The Global Café next door seem to stand out. Over The Moon Café has spectacular toilets – not to be missed. The restaurant across the corner from the above does a fantastic scrambled eggs with onion and tomato, and does REAL CHIPS with home made mayonnaise.
The T R A N S - S I B E R I A N Railway
An excellent source of information is MOONSKY STAR Ltd (used to be known as MONKEY BUSINESS).
They are at the 4th fl. of E block in Chungking Mansions. Check out their 110 page and 120 photo web site at
www.monkeyshrine.comThey also have a partner company in London -
www.trans-siberian.co.ukNOTE - They are far more expensive than their competition and they
currently charge 485 Euro for the Beijing to Moscow ride.
Through the CITS website in China its US$387 (about 275 Euro)
If you prefer to do the Trans – Mongolian journey yourself, and break your trip in Mongolia for up to 30 days you can easily manage to get to whole Beijing to Moscow ticket for a mere 107 Euro. If you are American or Israeli, you can enter Mongolia free of charge. Otherwise, reckon on about HK$430 if you get your Mongolian visa in HK or a mere HK$280 if you get it in Bangkok or Hohhot (Inner Mongolia).
Two OTHER decent TRAVEL AGENTS in HK offer a much cheaper deal :
Trans Mongolian train (Chinese) - HK$ 3160
Trans Manchurian train (Russian) - HK$ 3370
Time Travel, 16th fl. A block Chungking Ma.
Fax - (852) 2739 5413 E mail - timetrvl@hkstar.com
Shoestring Travel, 27-33 Nathan Rd (opposite Chungking Ma)
Fax - (852) 2721 2085 E mail - shoetvl@hkstar.com
L A O S CONSULATE IN HONG KONGThere is a new Laos Consulate near the Macau Ferry Terminal at 2-12 Queen’s Road West. Open Monday to Friday 0900-1200 & 1330-1700. A thirty day Visa costs $300. Collect on the third day. Must be used within 60 days. Phone – 2544 1186.
T H A I CONSULATE IN HONG KONGOne of the friendliest places to obtain this 60 DAY visa. Note that 30-days are FREE on arrival. 2 working days service for $200 CASH! Open Monday-Friday 0930-1230
8/F Fairmont House, 8 Cotton Tree Drive Admirlty – just behind Bank of China HQ.
MONGOLIAN CONSULATE IN HONG KONGFirst, note that American passport holders get up to 90 DAYS Visa FREE of charge upon entry (even at the overland crossings). Israeli passports get 30 DAY FREE Visa upon arrival. Most other Western nationalities pay HK$430 for a 30 day visa – third day collection. See
www.mongolia.com.hkOnly one photo needed. Note that invitation letters are NO LONGER REQUIRED at this embassy! You must ENTER Mongolia within 90 days. They are still required by the Beijing and Hohhot Embassies (where the visas cost RMB 270 – about the same as in Bangkok). Although they are not required by the Chinese border town of Erlian (where SAME DAY processing costs RMB 465 or ONE WEEK processing is RMB 275).
MONGOLIAN VISA in BANGKOK, THAILAND1300 baht (about HK$280) for 30 DAYS single entry- no need for invitation letters.
Following day collection and very friendly service! Just like everywhere else, you must enter Mongolia within 90 days from visa issuing date.
