Hong Kong
Visitors Information
Food & Entertainment

There is a great variety of Chinese food, generally of a higher standard than almost anywhere else in the world. Cantonese food here is outstanding, as are many other types of regional Chinese cuisine.

There are also a large number of Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese and Western-style restaurants, plus a smattering of restaurants serving almost every cuisine in the world. Chinese tea and beer are the most popular beverages.

A unique experience is the Hong Kong dim sum for breakfast or lunch where you order delicacies in bamboo baskets from carts rolled through the dining area.

There is an abundance of nightlife with many venues remaining open all night, particularly in the Lan Kwai Fong area. You can sample restaurants, discos, jazz, karaoke bars, and supper clubs. Major hotels offer floor shows and sometimes a singer and dance band.  

Activities

Clubs cater for several kinds of sporting activities and visitors are granted temporary membership so they can use the facilities. Most golf courses are open to visitors. The Hong Kong Golf Club has three 18-hole courses at Fanling in the New Territories.  

Squash, basketball and tennis are popular and there are many courts in the territory. Soccer has a big following, amateur cricket is played during the cooler months, and there's plenty of sailing, water skiing, scuba diving and swimming.

Joggers can find company in Kowloon Park and Victoria Park and hikers can use the trails as 70% of the territory is classified as a rural park. For the truly adventurous, the MacLehose Trail offers 100 kilometres of hiking through some of the most scenic parts of the New Territories. But by far the most popular sport in Hong Kong is horse racing and this is held most weekends and midweek from September to June.

Shopping has long been one of Hong Kong's prime attractions, though prices are no longer always lower than elsewhere. The city caters for a sophisticated market of international travellers, many of whom can afford to buy whatever takes their fancy.

The most interesting items are table linen, embroidery, silk, brocades, pewter, copper, jewellery, jade, camphor wood chests, carpets, rugs, furniture, rattan ware, porcelain, pottery, curios, watches, cameras and electronic goods. Ivory export is now barred under international agreement and there are penalties for exporting ivory illegally.  

Hong Kong tailors have a world-wide reputation for speed so you can get suits made in 48 hours, but you will get a better garment if you give them a week.  

The principal tourist areas in both Kowloon and Hong Kong Island radiate out from the Star Ferry piers on each side of the harbour. There is also good shopping at Causeway Bay and Tsimshatsui East.

Market-style shopping is everywhere, with the most famous being Stanley Market on the south side of the island which sells discounted name brand clothes, toys and Chinese artefacts.

Shopping
With competitive prices, duty-free status and staggering variety, Hong Kong offers some of the best shopping in the world. Whether you choose to shop in the territory's many malls, boutiques, hotel arcades, or in the outdoor markets and street stalls, you will soon come to know why Hong Kong is known as a shopper's paradise. There are two golden rules that will make sure you get exactly what you want and at a fair price:

  1. Shop around and compare prices before deciding to buy, especially for expensive items.

  2. Always deal with reputable establishments.

Bargaining Tips: Department stores and many shops have a fixed price policy. Haggling is possible in outdoor markets and with street vendors. What do you do? When you see what you want, don't appear too interested. Pick up a few items including the one you want and ask the prices. Offer less than you are willing to pay and then bargain so that you and the vendor come to a reasonable compromise. Discounts on bargained items are usually around 10-20 per cent at jewellery shops, 5 per cent on electronic goods and about 10 per cent on clothes.  

Getting there & Away
Hong Kong is the major gateway to China and much of East Asia. International air service is excellent and fares are relatively cheap. Visitors should reconfirm onward or return tickets well before departure or seats may be lost. Departure tax is about US$8. In June 1998 Hong Kong opened its new International Airport - Chek Lap Kok - on Lantau Island. There's also an international train link between Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Canton) and a new six-lane highway. An express train to Beijing takes about 30 hours. Several transport companies in Hong Kong offer bus services to Guangzhou, Shenzhen and several other destinations in Guangdong Province. There are also boats that take you to destinations in Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces.

Getting Around
Hong Kong is small and crowded, which makes public transport the only practical way to get around. Public Transport is cheap, fast, widely used and generally efficient. The bus system is extensive and bewildering but you will need it to explore the south side of Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. The north side of Hong Kong Island and most of Kowloon are well-served by Hong Kong's ultra-modern Mass Transit Railway (MTR). Three tunnels link Hong Kong with Kowloon.

The Kowloon-Guangzhou (Canton) Railway (KCR) runs from Kowloon to the Chinese border at Lo Wu. Light Rail Transit (fast, modern, air-con trams) run in the New Territories, connecting the city of Tuen Mun with Yuen Long. Double-decker trams trundle along the northern side of Hong Kong Island. Hong Kong's ferries are usually faster and cheaper than buses and trams. They are also fun, and the harbour views are stunning when the weather cooperates. Hoverferries are about twice as fast as conventional boats.

Metered taxis are red with silver tops (and green with white tops in the New Territories). They will not pick up or put down at bus stops. Car rental is available but don't contemplate it. Bicycling in Kowloon or Central would be suicidal, but in quiet areas of the islands or the New Territories a bike can be quite a nice way of getting around.

When to go
Many prefer to visit Hong Kong during November and December when there are pleasant breezes, plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures. January and February are still doable months, but the temperature can drop to below 10°C (50°F). Warmer tempertures make March and April pleasant months to go but as the year progresses into May the air becomes uncomfortably sticky and humid, and by September you can expect cyclones. See also next weeks weather forcast for Hong Kong.

Factsheet
  • Climate: Subtropical with the year divided between a hot, humid summer and a cool, sometimes chilly, but dry and sunny winter.
  • Clothing: In summer light slacks and shirts for men, jackets are unnecessary except in big hotels and good restaurants. Light dresses or slacks for women. In winter, warmer clothing required.
  • Electricity: 240 volts.
  • Time Zone: AEST less 2 hours; GMT plus 8 hours.
  • Currency: Hong Kong dollars.
  • Tipping: Expected. In taxis round off to next dollar. In restaurants and hotels tip 10%.
  • Departure tax: The Hong Kong Government charge a departure tax on tickets to and from Hong Kong which is included in the ticket price.
  • Visas & Health: A valid passport required. Holders of British passports issued in Britain do not need visas for a stay up to six months. Nationals from most other countries do not require visas provided they stay no more than three months. No medical vaccines required.
  • Holidays, Festivals & Events: Every month has either an important Chinese festival of a major cultural, artistic or sporting event. Hong Kong's festivals revolve around the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. This means particular events fall on different dates each year.

    • Feb 7-9 - Chinese New Year & The Lantern Festival

    • Feb (3 weeks) - Hong Kong Arts Festival

    • Mar 1-16 - Hong Kong Food Festival

    • Apr 5 - Ching Ming Festival

    • Apr-May - Tin Hau Festival

    • Apr (1 week) - The Bun Festival (Cheung Chau Island)

    • May - Birthday of Lord Buddha (Lantau Island)

    • Jun 9 - Tuen Ng (dragon boat) Festival

    • Jun 16 - Queen's Birthday Holiday

    • Jun 28-Jul 1 - HK SAR Establishment Celebration

    • Aug 25 - Liberation Day

    • Aug-Sep - Yue Lan (Hungary Ghost) Festival

    • Sep 16 - Mid Autumn Festival

    • Sep-Oct - The Birthday of Confucius

    • Oct 10 - Chung Yeung Festival