Hong Kong Island – Where most of the western style development is. Sections “Central” and “Wan Chai/Causeway Bay” below Kowloon – The other major part of Hong Kong. It is the end of the peninsula and has all the other notable sections of Hong Kong. Sections “TST” and “Mong Kok” below New Territories – Fishing villages and suburban development that is denser than anywhere in the US. This is where my family all live (in Yuen Long). There are buses and trains that can get you there in about 45 mins but there probably isn’t really any reason to go out there . This area is more rural and less developed and English becomes less fluent out there. Lantau Island – Where the Airport and Disneyland is. There is also the Big Buddha and the Long Ping 360 cable car that takes you to Big Budda but I think it is a bit underwhelming. Great hiking on Lantau Island though Lamma Island (not really a region but listed below) – Tiny but the second largest island in Hong Kong. Actual fishing village and some hiking.
Big Buddha and Long Ping 360 – Cable car and a short walk to the big Buddha on Lantau Island. I think this place is overrated Disneyland – If you are into that sort of thing. Peak views – I cover this in Central below. Cool views but I think the tram is a bit overpriced and not worth it if there is any kind of wait. Ferry Ride – Most people like to take the ferry between Central and TST. It’s relatively short (15 mins) and kinda of a cool way to get between Kowloon and Hong Kong that isn’t the subway or tunnel. Ladies Market – Open air market in Kowloon. You can buy a lot of knockoff stuff there if you are into that sort of thing. Haggle and watch your wallets/purses here. No real crime but it is known for some pickpockets for the totally oblivious. Macao – The Vegas that is right next door with casinos. It was a Portuguese colony for a while so there is an interesting mix of Chinese/Portuguese food there. There are buses now that will go direct but you might have to look up the pickup. Hiking – Directly below Shopping – Everywhere. Hong Kong is one big mall. Sky bars (https://www.hotels.com/go/hong-kong/best-hong-kong-rooftop-bars)
Topography and hiking – Hong Kong is a mountainous set of islands and a peninsula connected to the Mainland. Most of the development is along the flat areas along the coasts but it can get steep really quickly. Comfortable shoes are recommended because there will definitely be some grade on some of the city streets. The mountainous areas are also very naturally beautiful so if you guys are up for a hike, bring something comfortable for that. Popular hikes are a path from Central to a coastal suburb of Aberdeen (3-5 hours), the Dragon’s Back in Shek O, Lantau Island where the airport is is very popular with lots of different hiking routes, and Sai Kung which is the far eastern part of Hong Kong that is a massive nature preserve (very cool but a full day if you can spare it). Lamma Island, which is a quick ferry ride from the pier by the IFC, is a throwback to the old fishing village cultures and has a nice hike across the island (half day and there are restaurants on both ends of the island). On the New Territories side, there is a hike to Shan Fat Waterfall that is pretty cool off of the Tai Mo Shan mountain.
English shouldn’t be an issue in most places you go. Most places that handle tourist traffic at all can manage English. Almost all signage is in English. Google Translate app works wonders with the phone app.
Many of the modern shops will take credit cards just fine. The older places or more traditional places might need some cash. Credit card and ATM card skimming from the more questionable places are a little bit of a concern so I would only use ATMs from banks. If you are going to any of the “markets” I would use cash as well but otherwise restaurants and any retail shops should be good with ATM. It would be prudent to keep some cash around (maybe just HK$1,000 in smaller bills on your person) but that should take care of anything that might pop up.
Public transport is the way to go. Buy an Octopus card (the transport card) from any MTR (subway) station for each of you guys. I think you can get one from the train at the airport station. Put about HK$300-HK$500 on each card because this will generally keep you from having to keep cash around and having a pocket full of change and also avoids buying tickets every time you hop on the subway. In addition to every subway, train, bus, and minibus taking Octopus, all the 7/11, convenience stores, smaller shops, take away food, and tourist areas will generally take Octopus cards. The subway is the way to go for any kind of distance and cabs/walking for any of the shorter distances. There is a MTR app for the subway, a KMB.LWB app for the buses that could be helpful. Google generally works pretty well.
You can check Time Out Hong Kong to see if there are any passing exhibits or shows that sound cool. Like any major city, this city gets a lot of traffic through it so worth checking out but might be a bit slower post-Covid.
Tea shops are really popular and a good pick me up for a little caffeine kick. The most traditional places use a “panty hose” method where they fill up the tea leaves in a long sieve and pour hot water to let it aerate. You can usually only find those at the “tea café” places for the Hong Kong style breakfast. Some popular chains for milk tea with or without boba are: Tiger Sugar (massively popular and might have huge lines), Gung Cha, ShareTea, Ren Tea, and others. I usually get half sugar and half ice on whatever I order because it is too sweet for my liking.
Hong Kong is famous for their tailors. Good place to get a relatively cheap bespoke suit/tux/whatever. There’s a whole range of pricing and quality but I think a good balance is met at Charms Tailor (in TST) and Lords Tailors (in Central). Sam’s Tailor (in TST) is known for a very quick turnaround and I recently had a tux made in Saville Row (in Causeway Bay). Because of the amount of fittings to get it right, I would pick a spot that is closest to where you are staying if you are getting a suit made.
Completely open. There will be some people in T-shirts and some people in full traditional attire. We can help direct some people if they decide to come.
We suggest taking advantage of Public Transportation. The venue is at a MTR station so easy for the subway or bus. There is always the Taxi option as well.