Hong Kong is an all-year-round destination. It enjoys a mild climate from the middle of September to the end of February, while the weather from May to mid-September is rather warm and humid. Eighty percent of Hong Kong’s precipitation occurs between May and September, with August registering the highest rainfall. If you are planning to visit in the Autumn months of October and November, these are the most comfortable months weatherwise. The daytime temperatures are around 18˚C to 28˚C with humidity at around 72%. The days in Autumn are usually sunny and clear, although there is a slim chance of a typhoon from time to time.
Millions of tourists flock to experience Hong Kong’s wonders every year. Hong Kong’s visitors seek out a wide range of natural, cultural and cosmopolitan attractions. The most popular attractions during the past few years have included:
From The Peak’s summit, visitors can gaze down on the jungle of skyscrapers and Victoria Harbour, where ferries and pleasure junks glide by. At night, the whole area becomes a dazzling spectacle of lights.
Market shopping is a fascinating part of the Hong Kong experience. Visit the Ladies Market in Mong Kok for inexpensive fashion items or Yau Ma Tei’s Temple Street Night Market for anything from T-shirts to electronics. As well as souvenir markets, visitors can enjoy markets dedicated to birds and flowers.
Ocean Park is one of the biggest entertainment complexes of its kind in Asia. Its reef aquarium, giant pandas, roller-coasters, Kid’s World and Discovery of the Ancient World combine to offer a fun-filled day.
Repulse Bay is one of the most accessible and picturesque beaches on the south side of Hong Kong Island.
Decorated in a riot of colours, Wong Tai Sin is an excellent example of a traditional Chinese temple. Yellow latticework and multicoloured carvings complement the temple’s red pillars and golden roof.
Aberdeen is a scenic highlight of any trip around Hong Kong Island. Brightly decorated trawlers, which double as floating homes for Aberdeen’s fishermen, fill a sheltered harbour whose hillsides are decked with woodland and residential towers – not to mention Hong Kong’s famously glitzy floating restaurants.
The Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre is one of Hong Kong’s defining landmarks, with its distinctive curved three tier roof and vast expanse of glass walls creating a dramatic vista.
Stanley Market is a delight for shoppers, filled with stalls, shops and innovative restaurants.
Hong Kong has its own Disneyland complex, which opened only a couple of years ago.
Hong Kong is geographically compact and boasts one of the world’s most efficient, safe, affordable and frequent public transport systems. Whether by taxi, ferry, rail, bus or tram, you can get around easily and catch wonderful glimpses of the city along the way. Public transportation via bus, ferry or train is efficient, relatively inexpensive and user-friendly. The system covers extension areas of Hong Kong with signs in English and Chinese.
Getting around Hong Kong and visiting the city’s fantastic attractions couldn’t be easier with the quick and efficient Mass Transit Rail (MTR) system that covers all major districts in the territory, and includes stops at the boundary with Mainland China (Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau). The MTR consists of ten lines: Island, Tsuen Wan, Kwun Tong, Tseung Kwan O, Tung Chung, West Rail, East Rail, Ma On Shan and Disneyland Resort, as well as an Airport Express. In addition, The MTR operates a Light Rail system running between Yuen Long and Tuen Mun in the New Territories, plus an inter-city train service into Mainland China. The MTR is not expensive.
A plethora of ferries ply the waters of Hong Kong connecting Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the Outlying Islands, Macau and Mainland China.
Most notable of all is the humble but legendary “Star” Ferry service between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island from piers in Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom in Kowloon and Central and Wanchai on the Island. It offers a memorable and scenic boat trip across one of the most photographed harbours in the world for just HK$2.2 to HK $5.3 for the upper deck, depending on the route. (In NZ Dollar terms that is .40c to .95c)
Ferries operating from the Central Ferry Piers in Central provide service to the main outlying island of Peng Chau, Cheung Chau, Lamma Island and Lantau Island including Discovery Bay. Two types of ferries operate on most routes: standard ferries and the slightly more expensive fast ferries.
For travellers wishing to sail further afield, there are also fast ferries to and from Macau and destinations along the coast of Mainland China. This service is provided from the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan and the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Most restaurants will levy a 10% service charge but waiters will expect to be given some loose change. Restaurants that don’t add a service charge will expect a 10% tip. However, tipping is left to your discretion. Bellboys, porters, restroom attendants and taxi drivers will happily accept loose change.
The standard electrical voltage in HK is 220 volts AC, 50HZ, so you will be able to plug your NZ appliances into the system with the aid of a three-pin adaptor. You can buy an inexpensive adaptor for your equipment before you leave NZ or when you arrive in Hong Kong.
Most hotels have Internet access. You can also access the Internet for free at many coffee shops, large shopping malls, major MTR stations and public libraries in town. For people bringing their laptops to Hong Kong, Wireless Broadband service is common at major shopping malls and coffee shops.
Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world even at night, when people may walk alone with confidence. However, where there are masses of people there will be pick-pockets, so we recommend that you leave valuables at home in NZ or in your room safe at your hotel.
English is widely spoken. There will be few problems in communicating with people in most hotels, restaurants and bars. However, many HK taxi drivers seem to be the last across the border and English is not always spoken or understood by taxi drivers. We do recommend that you carry an address card from your hotel with you at all times. Printed in English and Cantonese, you can show this card to a taxi driver and he will understand immediately where to take you. Ask your hotel reception or concierge for an address card and a complimentary map of the area. They will be happy to oblige.
