To many Filipinos, it’s the destination of their first overseas journey. Only ninety minutes away by plane, Hong Kong is the the leading Asian destination for Filipino tourists, businesspeople and migrant workers.
Asia’s premiere International center, Hong Kong is ever-changing and always exciting. Seven million people live here, including about a million expatriates, and a hundred thousand kababayans, placing us among the top non-Chinese ethnic group in the territory.
Our kababayans occupy a wide range of positions from domestic helpers, to mission workers, to musicians, entrepreneurs, and professionals in major Hong Kong companies. Even most of Mickey’s performers in Disneyland are Filipino!
If all you’ve seen in Hong Kong is Tsim Sha Tsui, with maybe a peek at Causeway Bay, and The Peak, there’s still so much more to Hong Kong that will amaze you!
The highly developed public transport system in Hong Kong ensures that it’s easy to get around and plan your own tours whether on foot, by cab, by ferry, or Mass Transit. And with Hong Kong’s advanced road and transit network, you’ll rarely waste time b eing stuck in traffic.
In the arrival area, right after customs, be sure to pick up a handful of Hong Kong Tourism Board’s free brochures: The essential Hong Kong Visitor’s Guide with a comprehensive overview of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Walks do it yourself walking tours guide to the scenic and shopping districts, The Hong Kong Family Fun Guide with directions to major family attractions and children’s shopping districts, the Hong Kong Leisure Guide for Business Travellers with information on major shopping malls, dining centers, local nightlife, and sport venues.
Don’t forget the free maps for everyone in your travel group, and go ahead, get extra copies for friends in Manila planning a visit to Hong Kong.
Many of these guides are available online as well. There are even downloadable interactive versions for Windows CE and Palm PDAs available on the site.
Hi-tech Hong Kong offers the Mobile Host service, a guided audio tour delivered via your mobile phone for for 72 hours of service. For details, read the Mobile Host guidebook and be sure to purchase a local SIM card at a 7-11 to avoid prohibitive roaming charges. Your Hong Kong friends will also appreciate being able to contact you without IDD charges.
Local SIMs vary from HKD50 to HKD100 depending on features (more expensive SIMs offer free IDD to selected countries — North America, and selected European countries, but not the Philippines).
For special interests, there is the Hong Kong Museums and Heritage Guide with directions to local museums and sites of archeological interest; the 2006 Winterfest Guide for the seasonal events until January 1st; the Hong Kong Jockey Club Guide for Horse Racing aficionados, also available online at http:// ; the Newsletter of the Hong Kong Museum of Art; and the Disneyland brochure.
The ever helpful Hong Kong Tourism Board also has two public centres to provide the latest information on tourist activities, and help you plan itineraries, or book HKTB sponsored tours.
On Kowloon side, visit the HKTB Info Center at the Star Ferry Terminal. On Hong Kong side, visit the HKTB Info Center inside the Causeway Bay MTR Station. There is also a visitor hotline +852 2508 1234, available 8am-6pm daily, to assist with your travel queries.
Also, HKTB has organized the Quality Tourism Services seal of approval, that requires merchants to provide only genuine products with clearly displayed prices, present accurate product information and/or menus in food establishments, and employ staff with extensive product knowledge.
The QTS sign makes it easy to find shops and restaurants to trust, just look for it prominently displayed in establishments that have qualified for this exclusive recognition.
Among Hong Kong’s must–visit attractions are four major theme parks with exciting adventures for everyone:
Disneyland Hong Kong on Lantau Island, is the first in a territory that doesn’t require visas from Filipino travellers. Join Mickey and friends as they welcome you into their magical kingdom, and invite you to stay at picturesque Disneyland Hotel or glitzy Disney Hollywood Hotel.
Ngong Ping 360 Theme Park on Lantau Island is built right next to the world’s largest sitting Buddha. Enjoy a vegetarian lunch at the Po Lin Monastery, enjoy the serenity of the Temple grounds, then journey through the culturally themed village and watch enlightening shows about the life of Buddha. Then take a cable car ride on the Ngong Ping Skyrail with panoramic views of Lantau Island, Chek Lap Kok Airport, and the South China Sea.
Ocean Park in Aberdeen, Hong Kong Island, has more than 40 parkwide rides and attractions, spread out over six main areas: Lowland Gardens, Kid’s World, Marine Land, Headland rides, Adventureland, and Birds Paradise. Take a scenic cable car ride to see stunning performances by seals, dolphins and sea lions, the Atoll Reef with its huge coral aquarium, and the all-new sea jelly aquarium, the first in Asia.
The Wetland Park builds upon existing wetland ecosystems in Tin Shui Wai, NT, Hong Kong. With 60 hectares of opportunities to learn about wetlands, it features outdoor exhibits, boardwalks, and bird hides.
Over 250 different species have been recorded in the park, so you’re sure to see something new each time! A 10,000 sqm. visitor’s centre features interactive exhibits to illustrate the biodiversity of wetlands and mangrove areas and issues related to human culture and conservation.
History buffs will appreciate the 80 declared monuments in Hong Kong, including thousand year old stone carvings, ancient Chinese temples and villages, 19th Century colonial buildings, forts and lighthouses, some in city centres, and many easily accessible by the public transport system.
The diversity of Hong Kong surprises even the most jaded traveller.
Located on the south side of the Island in the quiet town of Shek O, the Shek O Beach offers white sand and the clean waters of the South China Sea. On weekends, the beach is filled with locals having beach barbecues, so its best to go on weekdays to enjoy the beach or savor the fresh seafood cuisine.
The outlying islands of Cheung Chau and Lamma also offer a glimpse of a more relaxed seaside lifestyle, with good hiking and beaches, and delicious fresh seafood restaurants. Yung Shue Wan town on Lamma has a refreshing mix of Western and Chinese style seaside bars and restuarants.
Then, of course, there’s the shopping!
In Hong Kong, you can dress like a million bucks for a million bucks, or spend much less, depending on where and how you shop. For the fashion shopper, Hong Kong offers three distinct shopping venues:
The premiere shopping districts in Central and select high-end malls feature the world’s fabled brands at prices guaranteed to bust your credit cards. But, hey, if you’ve got to have it, Hong Kong’s highend shops gladly oblige!
The mid-market shopping districts are where most Hongkongers shop. These are mainly in East and West Central, Causeway Bay, and in major malls in Tsim Sha Tsui, Tai Koo, and Whampoa Gardens, featuring a mix of local brands and affordable international brands.
Also, in this mix are specialty shops in Causeway Bay and Mongkok that offer high quality unbranded and unknown brand goods from around the world, from leather goods, cocktail dresses for ladies, and office suits for men.
Then, there’s the bargain hunters’ paradises, centered around the specialty street markets in Fa Yuen St., Tung Choi, and Temple Sts. in Mongkok, and the market at the expat enclave of Stanley on the Island’s south side. All offer a dizzying mix of designer label over-runs (be sure to check for small tears and stains, as the items are not returnable), out of season items, lowcost clothes from China, cheap gadgets and curios.
Technology is no longer the bargain it once was with Manila prices more or less in line with regional prices, but Hong Kong offers a wider selection of hard to find items for photo and computer hobbyists. Specialty malls in Wanchai, Causeway Bay, Mongkok, and ShamShuiPo are the best places to shop.
Remember to check equipment for compatibility with our own standards, and if it matters to you, verify that the warranty is honored worldwide. Electronics goods legally imported into Hong Kong are accompanied by an English language manual. Goods with foreign language (usually Japanese or Korean) manuals are often grey market imports without warranty.
Like fashion, eating out in Hong Kong can be affordable. Western fastfoods, like Mcdonald’s, have the cheapest eats in Hong Kong, as does 7-11 with its delicious Chinese rice bowls.
But for a real Hong Kong adventure, try out the little Chinese noodle and congee shops, dim sum parlors, and hot pot restaurants of West Central, Causeway Bay, Wanchai, North Point and Mongkok. English skills vary, so look for the QTS seal for the assurance of an English Menu.
For ethnic cuisine, stroll the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay, and Central Hollywood and SoHo districts for small regional restuarants. Times Square in Causeway Bay offers a variety of casual dining resturants in the upper floors.
Hong Kong’s nightlife has something for everyone, whether it’s a quiet dinner at a fancy restaurant, dining alfresco near the the sea, or joining a boisterous crowd at a trendy nightspot.
Visit the highend restaurants in Central, The Peak or Repulse Bay for some quiet dining, and if you’re in town for business, be sure to drop by the Captain’s Bar at the Mandarin Oriental, where the expat community unwinds daily from 5-8 pm.
For dining by the sea, try the seafood markets in Lei Yue Mun, or Sai Kung or the tourist oriented floating restaurants in Aberdeen.
Hong Kong’s trendy nightlife centers around bars in the Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo districts, the newly redeveloped artsy cafes of Starstreet next to Pacific Place in Admiralty, and Knutsford Terrace in northern Tsim Sha Shui.
Visit Cafe Havana at Knutsford and enjoy their delicious buffet, then groove to the beat of Mang Tony’s pop and reggae band, one of dozens of Filipino bands performing in Hong Kong.
And when you’re done with the weekend nightlife, Sundays are a time to relax in Hong Kong, to visit an outlying Island: Cheung Chau or Lamma via the ferries at Central; or take a bus to Stanley to savor the relaxed European Cafe lifestyle. But don’t forget the late afternoon mass at Rosary Church in Tsim Sha Tsui East, where our kababayans, both residents and tourists, congregate to see who’s in town.
(Photos taken with a compact, affordable and near professional quality Olympus SP-500 series digital camera, courtesy of Nancy Harel & Associates, Axis Distribution, and Olympus Imaging Corp.)
