Hong Kong, which literally interprets into “perfumed harbor, is a sophisticated town busy with shops, eateries, clubs, and folks. Getting around may seem dismaying initially, particularly with the unfamiliar Chinese characters and the strange-sounding words, but it is essentially quite simple. Hong Kong may act, look, and smell like a massive town, but in this example, “enormous” is only metaphorical.

With an area of only four hundred square miles ( about one thousand sq.km ), and a well-developed transport system, the farthest point is only ever 2 hours away, and getting from here to there really isn’t a difficulty . The very first thing a traveler to Hong Kong should know is that Hong Kong is essentially a tiny group of islands and is divided appropriately. There’s Hong Kong Island, where almost all of the action is ; the Kowloon Promontory , a neat place to go and do some shopping ; Lantau Island, home of the global airfield ; and the New Territories.

Most holiday makers to Hong Kong will often concentrate themselves around the Hong Kong and Kowloon areas. To get anywhere using public transportation, you’ll need an “octopus card,” which is accepted by the tube, buses, trams, ferries, and even parking meters. Also remember that maps are generally available and can be gotten from most hostels, trains stations, and bus stops. There are three train systems in Hong Kong. There’s the Light Rail System, the Kowloon-Canton Train line ( KCR ) and the Mass Transit Railway ( MTR ). The Light Rail runs in the New Territories and is not exactly ever tried by visitors.The KCR links Hong Kong to Mainland China and also goes thru the western part of the New Territories. [Read more...]