e-travel-to Hong Kong - Hong Kong Travel News

Fast Facts

Click the picture to find some images of Hong Kong

• Population: 6.8 million. 95% are Chinese, the rest are foreigners.
• Language: Mostly in Traditional Chinese and English. But Simplified Chinese are increasingly popular as there are more mainland Chinese visitors visiting Hong Kong.
• Geography: Hong Kong Island + Kowloon (Kowloon Peninsula) + New Territories (including Lantau Island and 200 other outlying islands).
• Administration Districts: 18 districts, such as Hong Kong's Central, Wan Chai, Eastern, Southern, and Kowloon's Yau Tsim Mong (YAU Ma Tei + TSIM Sha Tsui + MONG Kok), etc...
• Currency: Hong Kong Dollar, pegged with the US Dollar at around HKD$7.8 to USD$1.
• Time zone: GMT+8, same as Mainland China, Taiwan or Singapore.
• Voltage: 220 Volt, 50 Hertz.
• Water Supply: Clean, but most local residents boil the water before drinking.
• Taxes: Hong Kong does not have sales tax / GST / VAT.
• Service Charge: Most restaurants have 10% service charge. Customers also pay some tips.

Hong Kong is a contrast of old and new, east and west, big and small. There seems to be no rules in this city, and as such, Hong Kong is an amalgamation that leaves the crowded city as a big melting pot of cultures, design and attractions.

There is constant rejuvenation in Hong Kong’s buildings, attractions and hotels. No sooner does one building shoot up, than another goes down to be re-built taller, bigger and more stylishly. Most buildings are designed based on the ancient theories of Feug Shui, to ensure prosperity for all concerned.

However, visitors to Hong Kong can choose to enjoy the amazing skyline by simply walking around the city, or taking a quick trip up to the Victoria Peak where the city is laid out for all to see. The best way to get to the Peak is by travelling on the Peak Tram, a short 20 minute journey from Central that shows off Hong Kong’s greener side and history as it was originally opened in 1888.

From sight-seeing to visiting some of the world’s most popular attractions such as Disneyland Hong Kong, visitors can also take time to indulge in one of the city’s favourite past times – shopping.

Hong Kong is a shopper’s paradise, with something for everyone. The city has a wide range of the world’s leading boutiques, electronic and jewellery shops, not to mention, some local markets that are a must-see, even if there’s nothing you want to buy.

Some of the world’s top restaurants are also located in Hong Kong, and even though the Chinese food is generally some of the best across the globe, those who want some Spanish, Italian, Swiss Japanese or Greek, just to name a few, will not be disappointed with the variety and quality of restaurants in the city.

Visitors travelling to Hong Kong can expect to see experience something different on every trip, and with so much happening so quickly in this city, be prepared to be surprised.

Climate

Hong Kong has a subtropical climate:

Spring (March - mid-May): Temperature and humidity rising. Jackets or sweaters suggested. Average temperature: 23°C (73°F), humidity around 82%, sea temperature, 22.3° C (72° F)

Summer

(late May - mid-September): Hot and humid. Temperature may rise to 33°C (91 °F) with humidity up to around 90%. . Shirtsleeves, cotton clothing, a sweater for indoors and an umbrella for outside suggested Average temperature: 28°C (82°F), humidity 80%, sea temperature 28°C (82°F).

Autumn

(late September - early December): temperature and humidity drop. Clear sunny days. Shirtsleeves to sweaters and light jackets suggested. Average temperature: 23°C (73°F), humidity 72%, sea temperature 17°C (63°F).

Winter

(late December- February): Cool with low humidity. Suits, light woollens and sometimes overcoats suggested. Average temperature: 17°C (62°F), humidity 72%, sea temperature 17°C (63°F).

Hong Kong Airport Arrival Transfer
Save time and money and book your transfer services before you go! Visitors will be met by an English speaking representative at Hong Kong Airport, and transferred to your city hotel. This is the ideal way to start your holiday or business trip.
More Hong Kong Airport Transfer & other Transfers

Tourism

Visiting Hong Kong can feel like wandering onto a movie set. Standing on deck of the Star Ferry as it glides across the harbor, riding the ultramodern railway across the island, or taking in the stunning views from atop Victoria Peak; one might feel they have somehow landed in the middle of an epic drama where the past has melted into the present.

The images of Hong Kong are captivating in their contrast; old wooden boats bobbing beside huge ocean liners; squalid alleys behind luxury hotels; tiny tenements next to sleek skyscrapers; market vendors selling chicken feet while talking on cellular phones, the list is endless. Add all this to an excellent infrastructure, an efficient subway system, superb international facilities, and you’ll find an extremely soft entry into the Chinese world.

Because of these dazzling contrasts, Hong Kong offers visitors something unique - the chance to experience a vibrant Chinese city without sacrificing the comforts of home. Much of Hong Kong's Western framework comes from the legacy left by the British, who ruled the colony until 1997, when it was handed back to China as a Special Administrative Region (hence the SAR abbreviation).

British influence is still evident, from the school system and free-market economy, to the double-decker buses, English pubs, afternoon tea and orderly queues. Although the city was molded by the British, it has always been, at its heart, Chinese; with Chinese medicine shops, street vendors, lively dim sum restaurants, old men taking their caged birds for walks in the park, and colorful festivals.

Hong Kong has much to offer and caters to nearly every interest. Its mixture of East and West has created a unique culture. Besides fantastic views, first class hotels, bustling streets which offer some of the best shopping opportunities in the world and over 20,000 restaurants, nearly 75% of Hong Kong's land is countryside and an incredible 40% of the territory is conserved country parkland.

There are 22 scenic parks while other rural and marine stretches have been declared Areas of Special Scientific Interest. The countryside parks are within easy reach and offer great opportunities for a quick getaway to relax from all the excitement of the bustling city.

Seeing all the sights is easily done by Hong Kong’s superb system of public transportation. Between the highly efficient MTR (Mass Transit Railway/subway), and the plush Jetfoil ferries, visitors will find getting around a breeze.

Chinese and English are the official languages and are widely spoken. Cantonese is the most common Chinese dialect, though Mandarin, Shanghainese and other Chinese dialects are also spoken. Many people, especially in shops, hotels, and service industries, speak English.

Hong Kong is Cantonese for "Fragrant Harbour", a name inspired either by the incense factories that once dotted the island or by the profusion of scented pink bauhinias, the national flower.

Hong Kong is comprised of 1,078 sq. km, which includes Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories, including 235 outlying islands. Except for the big island of Lantau, most of the remaining islands are small and sparsely populated. A large floating population of boat dwellers docks in the territory's typhoon shelters.

The heart of the metropolis is the capital of Victoria on Hong Kong Island, which climbs almost vertical streets halfway up Victoria Peak. Rising to a height of 556 meters, the top of the peak has the majority of Hong Kong’s few detached houses and mansions.

Steep terrain has forced about 90 percent of Hong Kong's population to congregate in just 15 percent of the land area, creating the highest population density in the world. With no place to expand but upward, Hong Kong has some of the world's tallest buildings outside New York City.

For those who wish to journey farther a field, Macau, a former Portuguese colony handed back to China in 1999, is just an hour's boat ride away; and vast China itself lies just beyond Hong Kong's border, making it the perfect gateway for trips to Shanghai, Beijing, and beyond.

La Dolce Vita

Who knows what the Romans would make of this open-plan Italian café bar in the heart of bustling Lan Kawi Fong but we love it for its drink, food, friendly staff and street-front locale. A top spot for people watching, grab a pavement table at breakfast, sip on a coffee and watch the city come alive in front of you. At lunch the kitchen does salads and seafood and at night the whole place buzzes with beautiful people - although they’re often a too-posey cross section of yuppies, bankers and Prada-clad babes. Staff offer a variety of beers, cocktails and champagnes from behind the beautiful curved wood bar, and we highly recommend you toasting them with a glass of Krug for coping with the crush. La Dolce Vita indeed.

Hong Kong Bars & Cocktail Lounges