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HONG KONG TOURISM GUIDE (Hotels, attractions, etc...)

HONG KONG CITY OVERVIEW

City Overview

This former British imperial enclave – situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta, on the southwestern coast of China – has been rapidly changing since the hand-over from British colonial to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Or rather, the underlying city presents a new guise without the imperial overlay. Hong Kong’s role as gateway to China is more in question than ever, with the Bamboo Curtain a distant memory, WTO accession opening the entire mainland to foreign economic penetration and China enjoying surging growth while Hong Kong endures prolonged recession. Hong Kong has also become far more Chinese than ever before, with many ex-pats departed and an overwhelmingly Cantonese government presiding over the Filipinos, Indians, Nepalese and other minorities that comprise the city’s ethnic patchwork. Nevertheless, the Hong Kongers resist assimilation, reluctantly yielding to pressures for economic integration while jealously guarding their separate freedoms and identity.

With the political reasons for its creation fast receding into history, Hong Kong’s geographical oddity comes into focus. The few square kilometres of territory conceded to the British now top the UN list for urban population density. Hong Kong Island itself is the core of the old imperial possession, with Kowloon just across the harbour forming the other half of the main conurbation. Further north are the New Territories, leased from China in 1898, which form a slightly more rural hinterland. And around this main focus are the large islands of Lamma and Lantau and the smaller Outlying Islands that complete the patchwork.

This assortment of pinnacles and paddies sits slap in the South China Sea’s typhoon alley. In winter and early spring, the climate can be mild and fresh but, in May, the ever-present humidity skyrockets and summer is both hot and frequently wet. Typhoons hit during summer and early autumn and, even without them, ferocious rainstorms fall intermittently. Hong Kong is not the ideal summer holiday destination.

The city’s economy has suffered since the Asian economic crisis of 1997, never regaining the same vigour (and insane property prices), although commerce is still its defining characteristic. In the proverbial scale of Cantonese values, money comes first. And Hong Kong still has plenty of that. Hong Kong has a more determined sense of its separate identity than ever before, although it remains a thrustingly commercial city, whose dedication to fast money has never been greater. But the city also has its unsung natural beauties, in the shape of looming mountains, secluded islets, white beaches and island landscapes. The Special Administrative Region government recently branded the entire city as ‘Asia’s World City’. Visitors can judge how true that is but, unquestionably, Hong Kong remains unique.

TRANSPORTATION IN HONG KONG

Getting There By Air

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Tel: 2188 7111 or 2181 0000 (enquiry hotline). Fax: 2824 0717.
Website: www.hkairport.com

Twice voted World’s Best Airport (2001 and 2002), Hong Kong’s airport is located 45km (28 miles) from central Hong Kong, at Chek Lap Kok. It opened on 6 July 1998 – replacing the existing Kai Tak airport – and can handle 49 flights per hour and 45 million passengers per annum; planned ultimately to increase to 87 million. Its cargo capacity – increasingly important as the airport develops as a cargo hub – is planned to rise from its initial three million tons to nine million tons. This is especially important, since new ‘open skies’ agreements between incumbent carrier Cathay Pacific and US regulators have opened up many direct and onward routes between Hong Kong and US cities. A new commercial project called SkyPlaza – comprising passenger facilities, office and retail space, as well as an international exhibition centre – floated in 2002, is expected to enhance Chek Lap Kok even more.

The airport is one of ten Airport Core Programme (ACP) projects – one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the world. It includes the 2.2km (1.4-mile) Tsing Ma Bridge – the world’s largest suspension bridge – linking Hong Kong to Lantau. Approximately three quarters of the 12,480 sq kilometres (7800 sq miles) of the airport site was constructed from land reclaimed from the sea, with the rest formed from the excavation of the existing islands of Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau. The airport terminal building, designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster, is Hong Kong’s largest single building and its wing-like roof and glass walls have been hailed as a landmark in modern architecture, although the roof has been known to leak during typhoons.

Major airlines: Cathay Pacific (tel: 2747 1888; website: www.cathaypacific.com) is the territory’s flag carrier, operating direct flights to most major destinations in the West and Australasia. Other major airlines out of the 62 international carriers that serve the territory include Air Canada, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air New Zealand, Alitalia, American Airlines, British Airways, China Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, Emirates, Finnair, Garuda Indonesia, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Malaysian Airlines, Northwese Airlines, Olympic Airways, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai International, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

Approximate flight times to Hong Kong: From London is 11 hours 45 minutes; from New York is 20 hours 10 minutes (due to fall by seven hours or more with more non-stop New York–Hong Kong services launching); from Los Angeles is 14 hours 35 minutes; from Toronto is 15 hours 15 minutes and from Sydney is 9 hours.

Airport facilities: Hong Kong International Airport has a suite of facilities appropriate to its size and importance. There are 118 immigration desks for arriving passengers and 88 for departing passengers, operated by Hong Kong’s Immigration Department. Twelve baggage carousels give an estimated baggage reclaim time of as low as ten minutes. The Hong Kong SkyMart shopping centre (open 0600–2430) has over 150 shops, including 26 food and beverage outlets – soon to expand still further. Three information centres (open 0600–2400) provide extensive services, including hotel reservation and touch-screen passenger information kiosks. Free multimedia and Internet access lounges are available in the passenger terminal; wireless broadband access is available to passengers with wireless Ethernet cards. Bureaux de change are open daily 0600–2330. The passenger terminal building offers special-needs facilities for passengers with disabilities. Car hire is available at the Ground Transport Centre from Avis, Hertz and other major operators.

Business facilities: The PCCW HKT business centre (tel: 2883 3863) provides Internet services, fax and telegram facilities, as well as a small conference room accommodating four or five people.

Arrival/departure tax: There is a departure tax of HK$80.

Transport to the city

Rail, bus and taxi links from Hong Kong International Airport to central Hong Kong leave from the Ground Transportation Centre. The easiest connection is via the high-speed MTR Airport Express train (tel: 2881 8888), which runs daily 0550–0048 and leaves every ten minutes, taking passengers from the airport to central Hong Kong in just 23 minutes, via stops at Kowloon and Tsing Yi stations. A single adult ticket costs HK$100 (concessions are available) to Hong Kong Station, and HK$90 to Kowloon – the likeliest destinations for international travellers. The Airport Express is operated by the Mass Transit Railway – MTR (see Public Transport), which also connects districts through Kowloon and Hong Kong Island with the airport. There is a combined Airport Express Tourist Octopus three-day Hong Kong transport pass available, which allows for a single journey into Hong Kong, plus three days of unlimited rides on the MTR. This costs HK$220 – or HK$300 for two journeys on the Airport Express plus the rest of the package. Passengers can also take advantage of free shuttle buses linking MTR’s Hong Kong and Kowloon stations with major hotels; there is also a free check-in service at both stations for up to a day before departure.

By bus, the quickest way to central Hong Kong is on the Airbus (tel: 2261 2791) and Cityflyer airport bus (tel: 2873 0818), which departs every 15 minutes (journey time – 1 hour) at a cost of approximately HK$40 for services to Central. About 30 franchised routes serve the airport, including night buses, with 17 pick-up bays. The earliest ‘A’ route express bus services run 0530–2400, when the ‘N’ night-bus service takes over from 0015–0500.

Taxis to Hong Kong are readily available. Red taxis serve Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, green taxis serve the New Territories and blue taxis serve Lantau Island (journey time to Hong Kong – 45 minutes). The fare to Central is typically HK$330, while to Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon Side, this is HK$270. Limousine hire is available from desks in the arrivals hall, from International Hire Car (tel: 2261 2155) and Parklane Limousine (tel: 2261 0303). Ferry links operate between the airport and Tuen Mun in the New Territories every 30 minutes, daily 0600–1000, costing HK$15 (journey time – 9 minutes).

Getting There By Water

Water: The Port of Hong Kong, situated right at the heart of the territory, between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, is a major global maritime hub, providing a stream of ocean traffic visible from the city centre. It is administered by the Marine Department of the Government of Hong Kong (tel: 2542 3711; fax: 2541 7194; e-mail: mdenquiry@mardep.gov.hk; website: www.info.gov.hk/mardep). The public passenger ferry terminals process approximately 18 million passenger trips a year.

Hong Kong harbour’s Ocean Terminal (tel: 2118 8951; fax: 2736 2481; website: www.oceanterminal.com.hk), situated on Kowloon Side, is a major cruise destination, able to accommodate the largest liners. Many of the cruise trips, however, are overnight casino trips to international waters, catering for the Chinese passion for gambling. The Ocean Terminal contains 24-hour customs and immigration services at Western Anchorage, left luggage, banks and bureaux de change. The facilities at the adjacent Harbour City mall are extensive and include banking, duty-free shops, department stores, cafes and restaurant.

Some hydrofoil and jet catamarans depart from China Hong Kong City Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Others depart from the Shun Tak hydrofoil terminal in Shueng Wan, Hong Kong Island, which is also the terminal for hydrofoil services to Macau.

Ferry services: Cruise lines serving the Port of Hong Kong include Club Med Croisieres, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland American, Norwegian Cruiseline, Princess Cruises, Orient Lines, P&O Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises and Star Cruises. Hovercrafts and jet catamarans link Hong Kong Island and Kowloon with Chinese ports in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other neighbouring centres, including Shenzhen Airport. Far East Hydrofoil Co Ltd (tel: 2921 6688) is the main provider. There are also a number of ships sailing to major Chinese ports, although these are less frequent. There is a fast hydrofoil link to Macau. Ships berth at the China Hong Kong City Terminal, in Tsim Sha Tsui. Cruise ships of the Star Line also berth at the Ocean Terminal, giving a superb view of central Hong Kong from arriving boats.

Transport to the city: The Ocean Terminal is a major node for bus and taxi services on Kowloon Side and is adjacent to the Star Ferry services linking the terminal to Hong Kong Island. Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station is a short walk away. Transport from the Shun Tak hydrofoil terminal is from the nearby Sheung Wan MTR station

Getting Around

Public Transport in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has one of the most efficient and diverse public transport systems in the world, incorporating an underground railway, light urban railways, buses, minibuses, boats, ferries and trams. However, the diversity of operators prevents full integration and it is not possible, for example, to transfer from train to minibus on the same ticket, although the Octopus Card is very widely accepted.

The Mass Transit Railway – MTR (tel: 2881 8888; fax: 2795 9991 website: www.mtrcorp.com) has five underground metro lines including two cross-harbour lines, as well as the Airport Express link. It is more expensive than the ferry but quicker, particularly for those travelling further into Kowloon than Tsim Sha Tsui. The MTR runs daily 0555–2435. The only other railway line is the Kowloon–Canton Railway – KCR (see Getting There By Rail), which has 13 stations within Hong Kong. Fares are metered by the number of stations, with only limited zoning. The cheapest fare (for one to two stations) is KH$4 (concessions available).

Bus routes run throughout the territory, with cross-harbour routes via the tunnel. These, however, are often very crowded. Exact change is required for those passengers not in possession of an Octopus Card. Air-conditioned coaches operate along certain Hong Kong and Kowloon routes. Citybus (tel: 2873 0818; fax: 2857 6179; website: www.citybus.com.hk) and New World First Bus (tel: 2136 8888; fax: 2136 2136; website: www.nwfb.com.hk) are the two licensed operators for bus services on Hong Kong Island. Kowloon Motor Bus (tel: 2745 5566; website: kmb.com.hk) operates on Kowloon Side. Buses operate daily from around 0600–2430. A night bus service runs all night. Bus fare is generally around HK$5.

Minibuses operate on fixed routes. These pick up passengers who flag them down like taxis and stop on request – the procedure is for passengers to stand up and yell – except at regular bus stops and other restricted areas. Payment is almost invariably by cash and the kamikaze dash through busy traffic favoured by most drivers is a totally Hong Kong experience. Drivers are not compelled to move without a full load, however, so they often loiter at traffic lights, waiting to pick up more passengers. Fares vary by distance and are usually incomprehensible to non-locals; most are around HK$5–7 – some minibuses now accept Octopus Card payment. Minibuses run daily from around 0600–2430 and a night service operates on specific routes – between Central in Hong Kong and Mongkok or between eastern Hong Kong Island and Kennedy Town in the west.

Trams are only available on Hong Kong Island. They are frequent and cheap, with a standard fare of HK$2 for the entire journey – temporary visitors are unlikely to encounter the far more advanced supertrams in suburban Kowloon. The Peak Tram, on the Island, is a funicular tramway to the upper terminus on Victoria Peak (see Key Attractions).

The Star Ferry (tel: 2367 7065; fax: 2118 6028; e-mail: sf@starferry.com.hk; website: www.starferry.com.hk) ride across Hong Kong harbour is a tourist staple, as well as the cheapest way to make the crossing at HK$1.70, or HK$2.20 for the nominally air-conditioned upper deck. Star Ferry terminals are in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central. Services operate daily 0630–2330. Other ferry services also connect with the outlying islands of the territory and other destinations.

An MTR Tourist Ticket, valid for a full day of unlimited rides, is available at a cost of HK$50. The price of the pass includes a map and souvenir ticket. A three-day Hong Kong Transport Pass is also available for HK$220 for one Airport Express single journey and three days of unlimited MTR rides, or HK$300 for two Airport Express journeys and three days of MTR rides. Both can be upgraded for an additional HK$20 for use on all buses, trams and other public transport services. The price includes a refundable deposit of HK$50; the value of unused travel can be refunded at the end of usage.

However, for visitors staying for a week or more, it is worth getting the Octopus Card – a smart card that automatically deducts the cost of the journey when it is placed on a sensor. The card costs HK$150, which includes a refundable deposit of HK$50. Any other credit remaining is also refunded when the card is handed in. At present, the card may be used on MTR services, as well as on the Kowloon–Canton Railway, major bus routes, some minibuses and some ferries. Plans are underway to extend its use to other routes and means of transport, as Hong Kong’s transport system becomes more and more integrated. It can already be used in convenience stores and branches of Starbucks. The MTR Tourist Ticket and Octopus Cards are available for purchase at the ticket kiosk of any MTR station.

Taxis
Taxis are plentiful in Hong Kong and Kowloon and are extremely cheap – most journeys cost less than HK$20. Minimum fare is HK$15 in central Hong Kong (less in the New Territories). There are no specific taxi companies in Hong Kong, as taxis are individually operated. There are taxi ranks in busy locations but taxis can be flagged down anywhere on the street. Red taxis serve Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, green ones serve the New Territories and blue ones Lantau Island. Taxis with a rectangular red plaque on their dashboard are generally cross-harbour taxis. Some journeys incur an extra toll, such as trips through the cross-harbour tunnel (HK$20). Charges are also sometimes added when carrying luggage. It is common for passengers to round up the fare to the nearest Dollar, although this is not mandatory.

Many drivers speak a little English but visitors would be advised to carry a map or have their destination written in Chinese characters. It is also wise for passengers to ask if the taxi is a Hong Kong or Kowloon taxi when boarding, especially late at night – drivers are happiest sticking to their own side of the water.

The more traditional taxis, rickshaws, have disappeared from regular transport and are now purely a tourist attraction, usually found at the Star Ferry terminal in Central. It is advisable for passengers to agree the fare in advance. A typical rickshaw ride lasts some five minutes and runs around the block, costing in the region of HK$50. Supplementary charges will be added for a photograph taken sitting in the rickshaw – this is typically around HK$20.

Limousines
Intercontinental Hire Cars (tel: 2336 6111) and Oriental Travel Service Ltd (tel: 2865 2618; fax: 2865 2984; website: www.orientaltravel.com.hk/tours/limousine.htm) both provide chauffeur-driven limousine services with prices starting from around HK$280 per hour.

Driving in the City
Driving in Hong Kong is best left to professionals. With one of the best public transport systems in the world and ubiquitous taxis, there is no need for visitors to risk going behind the wheel. Rates on cars are strong deterrents, with a 100% vehicle import tax and petrol tax, as well as hefty insurance and vehicle registration fees. This does, however, make second-hand cars surprisingly cheap, even once the price of shipping one home has been factored in. The Ferraris, Maseratis and other premium vehicles lined up in Central in the evenings, show that cars are expensive toys in Hong Kong.

Major car parks in Central are at the Parking Building, Murray Road, and the Airport Express Terminal, Man Cheung Road. In Causeway Bay, the World Trade Centre, near the Excelsior Hotel is the main parking point, while in Kowloon, parking can be found at the Lippo Sun Plaza, Kowloon Park Drive in Tsim Sha Tsui. Parking prices are approximately HK$22 per hour, with a minimum stay of two hours in many locations.

Car Hire
It is wise for one not to be in charge of a rented vehicle in Hong Kong’s vertiginous streets, as the average HK$5000 refundable deposit on hire cars testifies. Car hire companies usually require drivers to be over 25 years. A valid driving licence from the country of residence or an International Driving Permit is required, as well as minimum third-party insurance. Hire rates for a standard saloon car start from about HK$1000 per day. Major operators include Avis (tel: 2890 6988; website: www.avis.com) and Hertz (tel: 2525 1313; website: www.hertz.com).

Bicycle Hire
It might be consoling to know that if one chooses to cycle in central Hong Kong, the traffic will kill one long before the appalling air quality does. In any event, the Hong Kong authorities actually prohibit bicycle riding in Central. Nevertheless, there are places for visitors to enjoy cycling – out on the islands or in the New Territories.

Bicycles are available for hire from Hop Cheong Bicycle Shop (tel: 2896 0816) and Siu Kee Bicycle (tel: 2981 1384) in Cheung Chau. The New Territories offer bicycle hire at Tai Po KCR station, where there are numerous small stalls located directly outside. For a standard bicycle, hire prices average HK$50 a day.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview

One should pity the poor locals who never lift their eyes from the streets – Hong Kong can be one of the most riveting and unexpectedly beautiful urban spectacles on earth. A two-minute walk from the bustle of Central reveals a harbour view that the architectural boom of the 1980s and 1990s has turned into a mixture of Manhattan and San Francisco, with added shipping bustle. At night, it just gets better. The view of Hong Kong’s glittering lights from the Peak by night is unforgettable – almost as dazzling are the towers of Central seen from the lovers’ walk of Kowloon’s Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade or the famous glass-walled ladies’ toilet of Felix in the Peninsula Hotel. By contrast, the south side of Hong Kong island, at Stanley or Repulse Bay, is an entrancing islandscape straight out of a classical Chinese ink painting. And any backstreet market provides folksy, ethnic charm by the barrow load.

Old colonial Hong Kong may have been short on grand monuments but the now famous Bank of China and the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank give the place a 21st-century buzz suited to one of the Pacific Rim’s most important economic hubs. These buildings are sharing the limelight with the rainbow-coloured light show of The Center skyscraper, the waterside steel wings of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and a host of lesser marvels, with others still under construction – such as 2 International Finance Center and Union Square Phase 7, due to rank, however briefly, as the world’s tallest buildings. Die-hard colonialists can content themselves with Government House, the Former French Mission Building, the Former Gate Lodge on the peak, the Former Kowloon–Canton Railway Clock Tower, the Former Kowloon British School and a host of other ‘Olds’ and ‘Formers’.

There are far older relics of the region’s past still surviving the relentless forward drive, especially out in the New Territories. These include the Causeway Bay Tin Hau Temple, Law Uk Hakka House, Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb, Sam Tung Uk Village, Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall, Kun Lung Wai Gate Tower, Yeung Hau Temple and so on. Hong Kong is pinning much of its hopes as a future tourist centre on the Hong Kong Disneyland, projected for Lantau Island. However, this is still years away from completion. In the meantime, visitors can ignore the government’s ambitions and focus on the plethora of sights already on offer.

Tourist Information
Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Information Centre
Ground Floor, The Center, 99 Queen’s Road Central, Central
Tel: 2807 6543 or 2508 1234 (tourist information). Fax: 2806 0303.
E-mail: info@hktourismboard.org
Website: www.hktourismboard.com
Opening hours: Daily 0800–1800.

Passes
The HKTB Museum Pass gives unlimited admission to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Science Museum, the Hong Kong Space Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, the Hong Kong Museum of History and others, as well as some discounts in the museum shops. Valid for one week, the pass costs HK$30 and is available from HKTB offices and participating museums.

Key Attractions in Hong Kong

Statue Square
Previously never a feature of traditional Hong Kong tourist itineraries, Statue Square is now a must-see, on account of its dazzling ensemble of modern architecture. Richard Rogers’ headquarters building for the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation forms the south side of the square and just to the east of it is I M Pei’s Bank of China Tower. Less distinguished but equally prominent buildings jostle around them, towering over the colonial remnant of St John’s Cathedral. In more antiquated contrast, the Legislative Council Building, formerly the Supreme Court, on the east side of the square, houses Hong Kong’s partly elected assembly. The square should be avoided at weekends, however, unless the visitor is seeking a display of flocks of Filipino and Indonesian housemaids, taking time out to chatter and picnic there.

The bizarre profile of Norman Foster’s masterpiece may not look monumental on paper – it is on most Hong Kong Dollar banknotes – but in the flesh (or steel) it is tremendous. Opened in 1986, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation exemplified the fashion for atriums in world architecture and an escalator ride up into the belly of the building, into its towering air-conditioned interior, is a must. The building has no central core – bridge engineering techniques secure the walls and its infrastructure is on the outside – so all 11 storeys of the central atrium are open and unobstructed.

Deliberately planned to dwarf the neighbouring Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Building, the Bank of China Tower is now Hong Kong’s ‘national’ monument. The Chinese-American architect, I M Pei, developed Beijing’s triumphalist intentions into a soaring, gracefully irregular pinnacle, the design characteristics of which inspire lively debate among connoisseurs of feng shui. The triangular and hexagonal structural logic requires some minutes of puzzled scrutiny. Visitors can ascend to the 43rd of its 74 storeys for a particularly stunning view of Central.

Central
Transport: MTR Central station, exit K.

Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Building
Des Voeux Road, Statue Square
Tel: 2822 1111. Fax: 2868 1646.
Website: www.hsbc.com.hk
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 0900–1630, Sat 0900–1230.
Admission: Free.

Bank of China Tower
2a Des Voeux Road, 1 Garden Road
Tel: 2826 6888. Fax: 2810 5963.
Website: www.bochk.com/en/index.htm
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 0930–2130, Sat and Sun 0930–2330.
Admission: HK$9 (concessions available).

Victoria Peak
A miniature hill station in colonial times, Victoria Peak is stratospheric in its social exclusiveness and its rents. Groundlings can still visit, however, ascending by the vertiginous Peak Tram – a funicular in use since 1888, which feels more like the Space Shuttle. Atop the hill is the Peak Tower – a slightly bizarre viewing platform with displays and other facilities – as well as the Peak Galleria shopping arcade. The amusements and shops on offer vary from the appealing to the unforgivably tacky, although there are at least plenty of restaurants and bars to sustain visitors. Dinner at Café Deco, in the Peak Galleria, is a must-do Hong Kong experience – the view down into central Hong Kong and across the water to Kowloon defies description, day or night. Hikers can scale the real peak, some 140m (459ft) above the tram terminus, with vistas over Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the outlying islands.

Garden Road (Lower Peak Tram Terminus)
Tel: 2840 7654; fax: 2849 6237 (Peak Tram).
E-mail: peaktram@peninsula.com
Website: www.thepeak.com.hk
Transport: Peak Tram from Garden Road; bus from Exchange Square; shuttle bus from Star Ferry terminal.
Opening hours: Daily 0700–2400 (Peak Tram).
Admission: HK$20 (Peak Tram); concessions available.

Western Market
This former market – a four-storey redbrick Edwardian building dating from 1906 and occupying an entire block at the western end of Central – was reopened in 1991, as a shopping centre featuring small shops, souvenir stands and curio sellers. Ground-floor shops sell unique merchandise rather than chain store goods, while the first floor recreates the old ‘Cloth Alley’, selling silks and fabrics of all kinds. There is also a dim sum restaurant and a fine antique-shop café.

Connaught Road
Tel: 2543 6878. Fax: 2543 6931.
Transport: MTR Sheung Wan, exit B or C; bus or tram along Des Voeux Road to Sheung Wan.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1900.
Admission: Free.

Times Square
The retail plaza to end them all, Times Square is an enormous temple to Hong Kong’s number one deity, Mammon. The vast complex houses nine floors of shops and has a spectacular exterior with a huge display screen and electronic clock – the venue for the big millennium countdown in 2000. At the weekend, the hosts of sacrifices ascending the escalator, to be swallowed up in the belly of this huge idol, demonstrate exactly what the Asian economic miracle was all about. Recession has not visibly blunted the shopping frenzy and there are ever more shops and restaurants under this huge pile.

Times Square, Causeway Bay
Tel: 2118 8900. Fax: 2506 2022.
Transport: MTR Causeway Bay; bus or tram along Hennessey Road to Causeway Bay.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–2200.
Admission: Free.

Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware
Situated in the beautiful Hong Kong Park and overlooking the ultramodern mania of Central, Flagstaff House, dating from 1846, is the former residence of the colonial Commander-in-Chief and the oldest surviving colonial building in Hong Kong. It now houses a fine museum of tea ware, seals and other ceramics.

Cotton Tree Drive, Hong Kong Park, Central
Tel: 2869 0690. Fax: 2810 0021.
Transport: MTR Admiralty, exit F, then up escalator through Pacific Place; bus or tram along Queensway to Pacific Place.
Opening hours: Thurs–Tues 1000–1700.
Admission: Free.

Hong Kong Museum of History
It is somehow fitting that this go-ahead territory has its history commemorated in a dazzling new building. Opened in late 2000, the new museum building, situated next to the Hong Kong Science Museum in Kowloon, houses exhibits covering the region’s history from prehistoric times, including some spectacular period sets. There are traditional costumes, a huge collection of period photographs, replicas of old village houses and an entire street, circa 1881, with its own Chinese medicine store. There are also numerous temporary exhibitions.

100 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2724 9042. Fax: 2724 9090.
E-mail: hkmh@lcsd.gov.hk
Website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/History/english
Transport: MTR Tsim Sha Tsiu, then walk via Cameron Road; minibus no 1 from Kowloon Star Ferry in Tsim Sha Tsiu to Science Museum Road.
Opening hours: Mon, Wed–Sat 1000–1800, Sun 1000–1700.
Admission: HK$10 (concessions available).

Wong Tai Sin Temple
An ornate traditional temple in the heart of Kowloon, Wong Tai Sin Temple combines Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist traditions. Wong Tai Sin himself was a Zhejiang shepherd/alchemist who supposedly concocted a marvellous cure-all. His statue in the main building was brought from the mainland in 1915. The building is spectacularly colourful with its red pillars, golden ceiling and decorated latticework, although not particularly distinguished. Far more fascinating are the fortune-tellers in their arcade of booths and the throngs of worshippers. This is also Hong Kong’s number one temple for Chinese New Year celebrations.

Tai Sin Road, Kowloon
Tel: 2327 8141. Fax: 2351 5640.
Transport: MTR Wong Tai Sin, exit B3, then follow signs.
Opening hours: Daily 0700–1730.
Admission: Free; donations welcome.

Yuen Po Street Bird Garden
Rearing caged songbirds is a time-honoured Chinese pursuit and the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden is Hong Kong’s shrine to this obsession. There are about 70 stalls, each with its own chorus, with ornate cages and cage furniture providing added interest. And while conditions in the average Hong Kong poultry market would give an animal welfare activist apoplexy, the birds here are pampered and cosseted, even fed honey nectar to sweeten their songs. Just north of the Bird Garden, there is also a fine flower market and a goldfish market, closer to the MTR station in Tung Choi Street.

Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon
Transport: MTR Prince Edward, exit B1 or B2, then follow signs.
Opening hours: Daily 0700–2000.
Admission: Free.

Tours of the City

Walking Tours
Walking tours of central Hong Kong are apt to involve elbowing one’s way through crowds of shoppers or tripping over Filipino maids. But the Hong Kong Tourism Board, 99 Queen’s Road Central (tel: 2807 6543; website: www.hktourismboard.com), does have a couple of itineraries, with ‘Heritage and Architectural Walks’ on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. Guides and a rental audio commentary system are available for HK$50. The walks take from two to four hours. The HKTB Visitor Hotline (tel: 2508 1234) or any tourist office provides details. Other operators also run HKTB-approved tours, such as Gray Line Tours (tel: 2368 7111; website: www.grayline.com) or Splendid Tours and Travel (tel: 2316 2151; website: www.splendidtours.com). Details of these are available on the HKTB website, categorised by theme.

Walkers wishing to range further afield have plenty of well-trodden routes for penetrating the rural New Territories and backwoods of Hong Kong Island, such as the 100km (60-mile) MacLehose Trail, the 50km (30-mile) Hong Kong Trail, or even the 3.5km (2.2-mile) Peak Trail. But water bottles are essential for any traveller attempting these routes during the summer.

Bus Tours
Numerous themed bus tours are listed on the Hong Kong Tourism Board website (see above), including a ‘Heritage Tour’, a ‘Come Horseracing Tour’, a ‘Healthy Living Tour’, a ‘Morning Tea and Tai Chi Tour’ and a ‘Land Between’ coach tour around the more scenic and folksy areas of the New Territories. Tours typically last about five hours and cost from HK$290 to HK$490. Departure points vary depending on the tour – for details, visitors should contact the HKTB’s Visitor Hotline (tel: 2508 1234) or the Tour Reservation Hotline (tel: 2368 7112). Gray Line Tours (tel: 2368 7111; website: www.grayline.com), Splendid Tours and Travel (tel: 2316 2151; website: www.splendidtours.com) and Sky Bird Travel Agency (tel: 2369 9628; website: www.skybird.com.hk) all offer similar bus tours of the city.

Boat Tours
Boat tours of Hong Kong’s waters are provided by several companies. Watertours (tel: 2926 3868; website: www.watertourshk.com) provides a variety of harbour and island tours from HK$200 to HK$630, while Star Ferry (tel: 2118 6241) provides ferry tours for HK$180. Harbour tours take around two to three hours. Watertours has pick-up points throughout Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, although the tours sail from Queen’s Pier on Hong Kong side or the Kowloon Public Pier on Kowloon Side. The Star Ferry tours sail from the Star Ferry terminals on either side of the harbour. HKFF Travel Ltd (tel: 2533 5339) runs a five-hour tour of the Outlying Islands, departing from the Outlying Islands Ferry Pier in Central daily at 0915. Tours cost HK$320.

Other Tours
A ‘Galaxy of Lights’ tour is available on an open-topped luxury tram, provided by JTT Tours (tel: 2139 3187), under the auspices of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (tel: 2807 6543; website: www.hktourismboard.com). This is a night tour on specially modified and illuminated antique trams, travelling along the chief tram route of Hong Kong Island, from the Western District to Causeway Bay, past the lit-up skyscrapers of central Hong Kong. A tour guide provides narrative accompaniment to this 90-minute tour, which costs HK$60 and departs from the Lower Block, City Hall, Central, nightly at 1845.

Hotels in Hong Kong

All hotel bills are subject to 10% service charge and 3% government tax.

The prices quoted below are the starting prices for double rooms including breakfast and excluding service charge and tax, unless otherwise specified.

Business

Conrad International Hong Kong
One of the Pacific Place hotels in Admiralty, attached to the luxury shopping mall and Hong Kong Park, the Conrad vies for supremacy with the Island Shangri-La next door. Some would argue that the Conrad has slightly less elegance but its facilities are exceptional and meals next to its swimming pool overlooking central Hong Kong are a civilised pleasure. Business facilities are second to none, with nine banquet and meeting rooms, including one of Hong Kong’s largest ballrooms and a comprehensively equipped business centre.

Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
Tel: 2521 3838. Fax: 2521 3888.
E-mail: hongkonginfo@conradhotels.com
Website: www.conrad.com.hk
Price: From HK$2150.

Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
A waterside hotel with a difference, the Grand Hyatt has the most extravagant Babylonian foyer imaginable, with gigantic columns and shining marble. Rooms are appropriately sumptuous for five stars and recently redesigned with state-of-the-art in-room technology. Conference facilities include a grand ballroom and 20 function rooms. The hotel also adjoins the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for easy access to events held there. There are full business facilities, including a grand ballroom and 20 function rooms with complete communications infrastructure. Sports and recreational amenities include a full-size pool.

1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai
Tel: 2588 1234. Fax: 2802 0677.
E-mail: info@grandhyatt.com.hk
Website: http://hongkong.grand.hyatt.com
Price: From HK$1840.

Holiday Inn Golden Mile
Kowloon’s representative of the Holiday Inn chain is situated right on Nathan Road, the Golden Mile of shops and souvenir stalls. Its 600 rooms are furnished and equipped to the usual Holiday Inn standard and it makes an excellent choice for business travellers on a budget, with a luxurious feel that belies its four-star category. Its Crystal Ballroom, three Crystal Rooms and two Jade Suite function rooms provide full resources for events and business functions.

50 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui West, Kowloon
Tel: 2369 3111. Fax: 2369 8016.
E-mail: reserv@goldenmile.com
Website: www.goldenmile-hk.holiday-inn.com
Price: From HK$890.

Hotel Inter-Continental Hong Kong
A five-star agglomeration right on the Kowloon waterfront, the Inter-Continental – originally the Regent, before it was bought out in 2001 – is a favourite business destination. It offers a magnificent prospect of the skyscrapers of Central from many of its over 600 rooms, surpassing even The Peninsula in this respect. The view over the rim of its outdoor Jacuzzi is just as fabulous, making for stylish late-night dips. The Regent makes some nods to Old World elegance, with trimmings such as Rolls Royce limousines for favoured guests, although its chief focus is decidedly modern. Its ballroom is claimed to be Hong Kong’s largest, able to accommodate almost 2000 cocktail guests. Conference and business facilities are equally lavish.

18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui West, Kowloon
Tel: 2721 1211. Fax: 2739 4546.
E-mail: hongkong@interconti.com
Website: www.hongkong-ic.interconti.com
Price: From HK$2900.

Island Shangri La Hotel
Part of the hotel complex on the hillside above the Pacific Place luxury shopping mall in Admiralty, the Island Shangri-La is a five-star glass tower offering all international top-level services and amenities, as well as appropriately fabulous views. It boasts that its 565 rooms include the largest on Hong Kong Island. All rooms are data enabled with high-speed Internet connections. The Island Shangri-La’s location allows immediate access to transport to everywhere in Hong Kong, from Central to the Peak Tram, while guests desiring a reflective pause from the frantic shopping at Pacific Place can always take a stroll in Hong Kong Park behind the hotel.

Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty
Tel: 2877 3838. Fax: 2521 8742.
E-mail: isl@shangri-la.com
Website: www.shangri-la.com
Price: From HK$2800.

Regal Airport Hotel
Part of the massive infrastructure project at Chek Lap Kok Airport on Lantau Island, the Regal Airport Hotel would never win prizes for convenient proximity to Central or Kowloon but it did win Business Week and Bloomberg’s 2001 award for Best Airport Hotel in Asia. It is also a good hotel for transit travellers and anyone else who requires four-star accommodation in this vicinity. With 1103 rooms, this is one of Hong Kong’s largest hotels. The airport itself is just a five-minute walk by covered walkway and Airport Express trains put Central only 23 minutes away. The hotel has a grand ballroom and over 16 function rooms for business guests. Its spacious facilities lately have made it a favourite venue for raves and other parties.

9 Cheong Tat Road, Chek Lap Kok, Lantau
Tel: 2286 8888. Fax: 2286 8686.
E-mail: rah.info@regalhotel.com
Website: www.regalairport.com
Price: From HK$1850.

Luxury

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
Overlooking Victoria Harbour, from its perch right in the middle of Central, Hong Kong’s five-star representative of the Mandarin Oriental chain is a byword for elegance. Its tearooms and buffets enjoy a loyal following from rich tai-tai wives to romancing couples. Business travellers are equally well catered for, with full facilities including Internet access from guestrooms and 13 function rooms to accommodate conferences and events. The black and gold lobby area has style to spare with a somewhat recherché Art Deco flavour. Top-class dining options include Vong (see Restaurants) and the ground-floor Mandarin Grill, while favourite bars include the Chinnery and the Captain’s Table.

5 Connaught Road, Central
Tel: 2522 0111. Fax: 2810 6190.
E-mail: mohkg-reservations@mohg.com
Website: www.mandarin-oriental.com
Price: From HK$3200.

The Peninsula
The jewel in the crown of Kowloon’s waterfront hospitality palaces, The Peninsula is a colonial foundation dating from 1928, which has kept its supremacy well into the post-colonial era. Comprehensive, modern facilities embellish period grandeur. The tearooms at street level are appropriately magnificent – Noel Coward could walk in any time and feel right at home. Recently given 20 extra storeys, the hotel offers magnificent urban views from some suites, as well as the celebrated glass-walled urinals in Felix, the bar-restaurant on the 28th floor.

Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2920 2888. Fax: 2722 4170.
E-mail: pen@peninsula.com
Website: www.peninsula.com
Price: From HK$2600.

Moderate

Bishop Lei International House
An economical three-star hotel and hostel on Robinson Road, owned and operated by the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, the Bishop Lei is on the escalator that runs between Mid-Levels and Central. The rooms are small but comfortable hotel rooms with en suite bathrooms and many offer splendid panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and the towers of Central. Decor is simple but clean and well maintained. The Bishop Lei offers reasonable, basic business facilities, including a business centre and function room. Other amenities include a swimming pool. There is also a free shuttle bus service to Wan Chai and the Airport Express station in Central.

4 Robinson Road, Mid-Levels
Tel: 2868 0828. Fax: 2868 1551.
E-mail: resvtion@bishopleihtl.com.hk
Website: www.bishopleihtl.com.hk
Price: From HK$530.

YMCA – The Salisbury
A popular economy hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, near the main tourist centres on the Kowloon Side of the harbour, The Salisbury offers the same harbour views as The Peninsula next door, without the price. The hotel has a business centre, some conference facilities and function rooms, as well as most other modern facilities, although aspects of the hotel, such as the dated Art Deco lobby furniture, do show its age. Rooms are simple but comfortable and hotel rather than hostel style. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms. In true YMCA style, there are also extensive sports and exercise facilities, including two indoor pools.

41 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui West, Kowloon
Tel: 2736 0922. Fax: 2405 0922.
Website: www.ymca-hotels.com/hongkong/ymcasalisbury
Price: From HK$600.