Travel to Hong Kong
Exciting Vacation Trip With 22 Great Pictures

Travel to Hong Kong for the vacation trip of a lifetime. This mysterious place is waiting for you to discover it. Hong Kong is a fascinating, cosmopolitan area to visit. And China is one of the world's oldest civilizations, with nearly 5,000 years of continuous history, the arts, culture, and architecture.

What Makes Hong Kong a Special Vacation

Hong Kong was a center of trade for a hundred years as a British colony and then was returned to China in 1997. Now Hong Kong is an autonomous administrative region in Southern China, governed separately from the rest of China. The Central district with its sleek skyscrapers looks like a Asian version of Manhattan.

Because Hong Kong was once a British outpost, English-speaking travelers will feel right at home. The maps, streets, shops and hotels have signage in English. In the major stores, hotels and restaurants, many people speak English. There are English pubs and English shops with well-known brands. You can immerse yourself in the Chinese culture, or you can find more familiar experiences.

The climate in Hong Kong is subtropical monsoon and very comfortable during the travel season, October through December. You can save money in June through August, the off-season period of hotter, rainy weather and hurricanes. During the months of September and October, the weather is pleasantly warm, but not humid, while from November to January, you will experience cooler weather on your vacation trip.

Getting Around in Hong Kong on Vacation

Here's how to travel around in Hong Kong on your vacation. There are three main areas in Hong Kong.

1. Hong Kong Island, is an island in the South China Sea, the center of international business and finance. Hong Kong Island is only 30 square miles, but it is packed with attractions. The commercial districts are called Western, Central and Wan Chai. The Southside district is mostly quiet residential areas.
2. Kowloon, with its extensive hotels and shops, is to the north of Victoria Harbor on the tip of the China mainland.
3. And the New Territories are farther to the north on the China mainland.

There are also more than 200 islands as part of Hong Kong. Beside Hong Kong Island, the principle islands are Lamma Island, Cheung Chau Island and Lantau Island. The Hong Kong International Airport is on Lantau Island. On Hong Kong Island, the Mass Transit Railway is the subway system in the central district. Buses, trains and taxis operate in all major streets. The Star Ferry shuttles between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, and other ferries serve the main islands.

Travel to Macau, another vacation area, famous for its gambling casinos. Macau is itself another separate Chinese administrative region, an hour away from Hong Kong Island by ferry.

The Places to See on Vacation Travel in Hong Kong

If museums are your special travel interest, you can visit the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Hong Kong Science Museum. The Hong Kong University Museum and Art Gallery is especially noteworthy.

To discover the natural beauty of Hong Kong on your vacation trip, visit the Deep Water Bay and Repulse Bay, Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardense, MacLehose Trail, Mai Po Marshes, Sai Kung Town and penninsula Beaches. Temples and Monasteries open to tourists are the 10,000 Buddhas Mounstery, the Po Lin Monastery, Hong Kong Life Saving Society, Man Mo Temple and Wong Tai sin Temple. The burning incense and bronze bells are typical of Chinese temples. Other vacation attractions are Happy Valley Racecourse, Ocean Park and Star Ferry.

More shops and markets are the Bird & Flower Markets, Sheung Wan's Markets, Temple Street & Jade Markets.

Exploring the Central district of Hong Kong Island on Vacation Trip

The Central district of Hong Kong Island is simply called Central, and can be explored on foot. It is a display of brand new skyscrapers noteworthy for their architecture. For starters, there's the Legislative Building, the HSBC bank headquarters, the Bank of China and Two International Finance Center. There are several shopping malls, The IFC mall and the Landmark. For travel to nearby districts, Mid-Levels and SoHo, Central is connected by a half-mile of outdoor covered escalators, called Midlevels Escalator, the longest such system in the world. Hollywood Road is known for its shops and vacation sourvenirs, antiques for sale, ancient ceramics, ivory carvings, snuff bottles, old coins and trinkets.

Ride to the top of Victoria Peak

Victoria Peak is a landmark on Hong Kong Island you don't want to miss on your vacation trip. Travel on the Peak Tram, the world's steepest funicular railway, to the top of the Peak at Victoria Gap, and enjoy spectacular views of the island and Victoria Harbor. There's a two-mile hiking trail at the top, a reservoir and gardens. The Peak Tower is a contemporary entertainment center and shopping mall. Here you'll find Madame Tussards, the EA Experience virtual world, cafes, shops and a panoramic viewing terrace.

Visit the Hong Kong Race Tracks

The Happy Valley Races on Hong Kong Island and the Sha Tin racetrack in the New Territories are popular horse racing venues. Open every month except July and August, they are the only places in Hong Kong where gambling is legal. At Happy Valley there is also the Racing Museum to visit.

Remarkable Man Mo Temple, Hong Kong

The Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road, Hong Kong Island, was build in 1847 to honor two Taoist gods, Man, the God of Literature, and Mo, the God of War. The temple was used as an ethnic Chinese community center when the British ruled Hong Kong.

Local Markets on Hong Kong Island

The Markets in the western district of Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island are not far from the Central District, but they are worlds away from modern life. The shops offer native Chinese goods, herbal medicine, sharks fins, fresh produce and typical Chinese food. You might want to try the shark fin soup or 1,000-year eggs. Or, then again, maybe you might not.

The Hong Kong Life Saving Society

The Hong Kong Life Saving Society, on Hong Kong Island, is not what it sounds like. If you ignore the rescue center and life saving equipment, it is like exploring a temple with intriguing statues of gods and mythical animals, smiling bronze Buddhas, and the Bridge of Longevity. Include this stop on your vacation trip.

The Hong Kong Zoo

The Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens, on Abbey Road in the Central district of Hong Kong Island, is full of exotic Asian animals, lemurs, orangutans and red-cheeked gibbons, with a collection of Asian birds, plants and ancient trees.

Visit the Panda Bears at Ocean Park

Travel to Ocean Park, the local amusement park, at Aberdeen on the south side of Hong Kong Island. It has themed areas like the Lowland Gardens with the Butterfly House, and the Goldfish Pagoda. Most people look forward to seeing the four giant pandas, the lovable native animals of China. There are performing sea lions, a pirate ship, a train and lots of rides.

Beaches and Scenery on the South Side

Near Ocean Park, on the south side of Hong Kong Island, is Deep Water Bay for beach relaxation and scenery. It was the setting for the 1955 movie "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing." There are good beaches and scenic bays along the road between the towns of Aberdeen and Stanley. Someone compared this area to the French Riviera with its sandy beaches and upscale homes for the wealthy. Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-shing lives in this upscale area.

Kowloon, Hong Kong Vacation Trip

The Star Ferry runs green ferry boats that commute from the terminals in the Central District of Hong Kong Island across Victoria Habor to Kowloon and to other ports. Traveling by ferry boat offers you a chance to take in the spectacular skyline on your vacation trip. The waterfront district in Kowloon, where the Star Ferry docks, is called Tsim Sha Tsui. Nearby is the Hong Kong Cultural Center with plenty of attractions, halls, theaters and galleries for tourists. There is a Space Museum, the Avenue of Stars for film people, and an Observation Wheel.

The Hong Kong Museum of Art in Kowloon

The Hong Kong Museum of Art is also in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Kowloon. Its display of antiquities, painting and pottery is remarkable. As you know, the Chinese are famous for their exceptional work in ceramics, jade and bronze carving, lacquer ware, ivory, glass, silk rugs and fine porcelain.

The Hong Kong Science Museum in Kowloon

Also in Tsim Sha Tsui area of when you travel to Kowloon, The Hong Kong Science Museum is one of those interactive children's centers for hands-on play and learn. I never miss these whenever I visit a new town. Here you can learn about electricity, gravity and weather and robotics, computer chips and virtual reality on your vacation trip.

The Hong Kong Museum of History in Kowloon

The Hong Kong Museum of History captures the olden days before modern skyscrapers. Dioramas of traditional villages and old photographs are on display, along with relics of the Bronze Age like daggers, pottery and arrowheads. There is also an exhibit of toys made in Hong Kong.

Shopping in Kowloon

Nathan Road is the main road to travel through Kowloon running north from the waterfront. They call part of the road the Golden Mile for its shops and hotels, tailoring shops, Cantonese canteens, antiques, neon signs, and local crowds. At the street markets in Kowloon, you'll find clothes, electronics, souvenirs, and food carts. Temple Street is a evening market in Yau Ma Tei where the shopping and the haggling are unbeatable. Fake designer goods, souvenirs of Chairman Mao, fortune tellers, Cantonese operas and street food vendors give it lots of local atmosphere. The Jade Market is open during the day for more shopping. In Kowloon, the Bird and Flower Markets are also a novelty. Here you can watch people use chopsticks to feed crickets to the singing birds. Birds are a favorite pet in Hong Kong. Old men bring their caged birds to the tea houses for morning tea.

Wong Tai Sin Temple in Kowloon

The Wong Tai Sin Temple in Kowloon has altars and shrines to Buddhist, Confucian and Dao gods, an equal opportunity temple. It is dedicated to the god Wong Tai Sin, a shepherd known for healing powers. The temple is often crowded with local worshippers. Fortune tellers outside will reveal your future and answer questions in English by interpreting bamboo sticks.

Heritage Museum in the New Territories

Heritage Museum in the New Territories covers the 6,000 years of China history from prehistoric life, through village society, and colonial rule under the British. Here they explain the Cantonese opera traditions, display calligraphy and provide a Children's Discovery Area.

10,000 Buddhas Monastery in the New Territories

Also in the New Territories of Hong Kong is the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery. Golden Buddhas are everywhere here, large and small, life-sized and over-sized, in many poses, riding a white elephant, riding a huge dog, outside and inside the tall red pagoda. As part of your vacation trip, this monastery makes you realize how important Buddhism is in Chinese life.

The Walled Villages of Fanling in the New Territories

The Walled Villages of Fanling in the New Territories include 5 walled villages and 6 other villages built by the Tang clan, some still in use. Outside the villages are the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall from 1525 and the Fung Ying Seen Koon Temple of the Dao religion. The temple is dedicated to the gods of the Chinese Zodiac. You've probably seen the Zodiac calendar, with the rotating 12-year cycle that includes the Year of the Dog, the Year of the Rabbit and so forth.

Disneyland on Lantau Island

Hong Kong Disneyland is located on Lantau Island, a quick drive on the expressway from the airport. Disneyland, a popular place for the locals, introduces Mickey Mouse, the Disney characters and the familiar theme park attractions. It is built on land reclaimed from the South China Sea. While you are on Lantau Island, you might want to take a half-day cruise to spot candy-pink-colored dolphins, an endangered native species.

The Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island

On Lantau Island, the Po Lin Monastery is famous as the site of the Tian Tan Buddha, the world's largest seated Buddha at 242 tons. Near the Buddha is the peaceful Wisdom Path, a 5-minute walkway around 38 towering tree trunks carved with the Chinese Characters of the Heart Sutra, a 5th-century Buddhist prayer.

I hope you have an exciting vacation.
I wish you a very happy day.

Travel Guide Jeff, Travel Welcome

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Travel to Hong Kong Vacation Trip



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