Hong Kong Travel Guide | She is Wanderlust Female Adventure Traveler

Located in southern China, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. Although it is allowed to operate as an independent country, it is still part of China. A former British Colony, this vibrant city offers an exciting nightlife, and incredible gastronomic experience, a shoppers’ paradise and beautiful nature to explore.

Why Visit

MULTICULTURAL: A former British colony, Hong Kong has a sophisticated mix between eastern and western culture. A big amount of its population speaks english, making it a convenient destination for travelers. It houses a harmonious multicultural community, where a variety of cultures and religions exist side-by-side.

CUISINE: The city is home the most restaurants per capita in Asia, (renowned as the culinary capital of the continent) with a rich gastronomic landscape, guaranteeing a culinary experience. The street-food stalls are something you should try.

SHOPPING: Known as a shopper’s paradise, Hong Kong has malls, shops and markets to fit any budget. Boutiques, luxurious shopping malls, traditional stores and street markets will ensure a unique shopping experience.

LANDSCAPES: Spectacular views can be found all over Hong Kong. Not only the city and the skyscrapers offer breathtaking views of the region, but as they only take up a third of the territory, the majority of its landscape consists of steep, undeveloped mountains and hills with thousands of trails to discover.

Why Visit

Name: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Independence from: United Kingdom
Official Languages: Chinese, English
Currency: Hong Kong dollar (HK$)
Time Zone: UTC + 8

Name: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Independence from: United Kingdom
Official Languages: Chinese, English
Currency: Hong Kong dollar (HK$)
Time Zone: UTC + 8

Bucketlist

What to expect

LANGUAGE: English and Chinese are the official languages of Hong Kong, being Cantonese the most widely spoken. Due to the mix of cultures, around the 46% of its population speaks English.

ELECTRICITY: In Hong Kong the standard voltage is 220 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. That’s the standard voltage in the UK, Europe, Australia and most of Asia and Africa; If you are traveling from the US you will need an adaptor

CURRENCY: The Hong Kong Dollar is the official currency in Hong Kong. Chinese currency is accepted in some shops. You can exchange your currency at any authorised money exchanger. International credit cards such as American Express, VISA, Diners Club and MasterCard are also welcome at many hotels, retail shops and restaurants. 1 USD equals 7.80 HKD.

SAFETY: Hong Kong is one of the safest places in the world, with a really low crime rate. However, no place is 100% safe and occasional robberies, petty crime and scams can occur, so be cautious.

CLIMATE: The country has a subtropical climate with four seasons. It is also influenced by monsoons. There are mild, relatively dry winters and hot, humid, wet summers. March – April and October – November would be the best times to visit as the temperatures are not as extreme.

PASSPORT: Nationals of about 170 countries and territories may visit Hong Kong without a visa, and can stay for periods varying from 7 days to 180 days depending on nationality. Nationals of the US, Europe, Australia, Canada and New Zealand don’t require a visa to enter Hong Kong for stays of 90 days, 180 days for UK nationals.

Nationals of Albania, Armenia, Cambodia, etc. require a visa to enter Hong Kong.

How to get around

By plane: Hong Kong has a really busy airport (ranked among the best airports in the world) that provide connections to major cities throughout the world. Finding a flight to get here won’t be hard.

By bus:Buses are a good option in Hong Kong, as they have approx 700 different lines that cover almost all the region besides certain islands. Almost all of them are air conditioned. Double-deckers are really popular. Price ranges from HKD 8 to HKD 80.

By train: Hong Kong doesn’t have trains but they have the Railway or Metro. It sprawls throughout most of city and even extends to mainland China, and is the cheapest way of transportation with fares ranging between HK$3.6 to $52.6 depending on the distance.

By ferry: Ferries are also a common way of traveling in Hong Kong. The ferry ships people from Wan Chai and Central on Hong Kong Island to Tsim Cha Tsui in Kowloon.

By car: Renting a car in Hong Kong is possible, but not really recommended. You can’t go to China with it, and the region offers a really good public transport network. Is also one of the most walkable cities in the world. If you don’t wanna go on public transportation, taxis are affordable and available almost everywhere.