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Hong Kong
 
About Hong Kong
People & Culture
Passport / Visa
Getting around
Currency
Time Zone
Telephones & Communications
Shopping
Do's & Don'ts
Concept Voyages Recommendation
Events Calendar
About
Hong Kong: Hong Kong is
situated on the southeast
coastline of China, facing the
South China Sea. To its north is
the province of Guangdong
(formerly Canton) whose capital
Guangzhou (Canton city), is 135
kms (85 mils from Hong Kong, Hong
Kong is located just south of
Tropic of Cancer at about the same
latitude as the Bahamas, Hawaii
and Mexico city. The climate is
sub-tropical with distinct
seasons.
People & Culture: More
than 95% of the Hong Kong's
population is of Chinese descent.
the international community
includes people of many
nationalities. Three ancient
religions, Buddhism, Taoism and
Confucianism have wide followings
in Hong Kong. Other widely
followed religions include
Christianity, Islam, Hinduism,
Sikhism and Judaism. Hong Kong's
two official languages are English
and Chinese. English is the
language of business and the
service industries.
Passport / Visa: Hong Kong
retains control of its own
immigration. Unlike mainland
China, most Western visitors do
not need to obtain visas in
advance, but a separate visa is
required to enter mainland China
from Hong Kong.
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Getting around: Hong Kong
have five rail systems. It is very
easy and convenient to travel in
Hong Kong. The Public
Transportation System in Hong Kong
is excellent. Hong kong Tramways,
the narrow double-decker city
trams trundling on the north coast
of Hong Kong Island are a Hong
Kong icon. Almost 100 years old,
own and operate a fleet of 163
tramcars which includes 2 antique
tramcars. It is the world's
largest fleet of double-deck
tramcars still in operation,
carrying an average of 240,000
passengers every day. The KCR
trains, MTR trains, the light rail
trains, the buses, taxies,
mini-buses, and ferries comprise a
huge transportation network
radiating in all directions of the
whole city. 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.
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Currency:
Legal tender is the Hong Kong
dollar (HK$). There are 100 cents
in a dollar. Coins, issued by the
government, are bronze-coloured
for 10 cents, 20 cents and 50
cents; silver-coloured for HK$1,
HK$2, and HK$5; nickel and bronze
for HK$10. Notes issued by HSBC
and Standard Chartered Bank have
denominations of HK$10, HK$20,
HK$50, HK$100, HK$500, and
HK$1,000. The Bank of China issues
all of the denominations except
HK$10. The display of net rates of
exchange by money changers is a
legal obligation. Visitors are
advised to check them - and also
the amount of any additional
commission payable for the
exchange of travellers' cheques -
before handing over the money for
exchange. Receipt notes must be
issued by law. There are no
restrictions on currencies being
brought in or taken out of Hong
Kong.
Time Zone:
Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +8
hours. No daylight saving time at
the moment
Telephones & Communications:
As one of the world's highest per
capital users of cellular phones
and radio pagers, Hong Kong
thrives on efficient
telecommunications. Local calls
from public coin phones cost HK$1
for five minutes. Using your
mobile phone in Hong Kong is
convenient as most of the
telephone systems used around the
globe like GSM 900, PCS 1800 and
CDMA operate in Hong Kong. If for
some reason you decide not to
bring your mobile phone with you,
you can always rent a mobile phone
when you arrive in Hong Kong at
the international airport. By the
way, to make an international call
in Hong Kong you must dial 001.
Useful Telephone Numbers
Directory Enquiries: 1081
Time: 18501
Weather: 187 8066
Collect Calls: 10010
Overseas IDD and Card phone
Enquiries: 10013
Emergency Service (Police, Fire,
Ambulance): 999
RTHK's Service Hotline (News
line): 2272 0000
Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor
Hotline: 2508 1234
General Police Enquiries: 2527
7177
Consumer Council: 2929 2222
Hong Kong International Airport,
(24 hours): 2181 0000
Hong Kong Immigration Department
(24 hours): 2824 6111
Department of Health: 2961 8989
Visitor Hotline (multilingual)
+852 2508 1234
*If you're dialing from outside
Hong Kong please add the area code
(852).
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Shopping:
Along with large departmental
stores, Central and Admirality
are renowned for brand-name
luxury goods, designer labels
and shopping centres such as
Charter House, The Galleria, IFC
mall, The Landmark, Prince's
Building and Pacific Place are
popular with tourists. Western
Market is Sheung Wan is a
handsomely renovated Edwardian
building filled with Chinese
handicraft stores and fabric
shops. Most Hong Kong stores are
opne 7 days a week and many stay
open late, Most shopping malls
are open until 9 PM, In Hong
Kong Island Central and Western
opens at 10 Am till 7.30 PM.
Causeway Bay and Wan Chai opens
at 10 AM till 9.30 PM. In
Kowloon the main shopping areas
Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei and
Mong Kok open at 10 AM till 9
PM. Tsim Sha Shui East opens at
10 AM till 7.30 PM. While
shopping always compare prices
with other stores before you
buy. Department stores and chain
store prices are always labeled
while smaller shops and street
markets are a great place to
practice your bargaining skills.
Watch out for bait-and switch
tactics. Unscrupulous retailers
showcase a product at a low
price, but the item will be "out
of stock" and the retailers
tries to sell an inferior item
at an inflated price. Always
look clearly for market prices,
shop around before you buy,
check for included accessories
and shop where you see the
Quality Tourism Services or QTS
sign. Among the must buy items
in Hong Kong are the Chinese
clothing, Chinese Tea, assorted
cakes, tableware and
handicrafts.
Do's
& Don'ts:
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Spitting and littering on
streets is prohibited in Hong
Kong.
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The tourists are requested to
keep Hong Kong clean and
beautiful!
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Keep your money, valuables and
travel documents in the hotel
room safe.
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Attend to your belongings
especially when you are in a
crowded place.
-
Beware of people making dubious
offers.
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Be wary of people offering
gambling or investment
opportunities.
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Beware of people who may try to
distract you and take away your
belongings.
Concept Voyages Recommendation
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Hong Kong Disneyland: is
a theme park at Hong Kong
Disneyland Resort. The park
features four themed lands
similar to those at other Disney
parks: Main Street, U.S.A.,
Adventureland, Fantasyland, and
Tomorrowland. It also features a
daily parade and nightly
fireworks.
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Victoria Peak: 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.
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Open-Air Markets: 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.
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Ocean Park: 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.
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Repulse Bay: Repulse Bay
is one of the most accessible
and picturesque beaches on the
south side of Hong Kong Island.
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Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin
Temple: Decorated in a riot
of colours, Wong Tai Sin is an
excellent example of a
traditional Chinese temple.
Yellow latticework and multi-coloured
carvings complement the temple's
red pillars and golden roof.
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Aberdeen: 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.
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Hong Kong Convention &
Exhibition Centre: 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.
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Stanley Market: Stanley
Market is a delight for
shoppers, filled with stalls,
shops and innovative
restaurants.
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