Cruise Guide
Hong Kong (Kowloon)
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Hong Kong (Kowloon) Cruise Guide

Overview

Bustling, glitzy and brash, Hong Kong has long been a major cruise destination. It has undergone a sustained period of change since handover to China in 1997, but has retained its exotic and glamorous appeal as a port of call on cruises in southeast Asia.

Hong Kong has also become far more Chinese than ever before, with many expats departed and a Beijing-facing government presiding over the former British colony.

Hong Kong Island itself, with its glistening array of skyscrapers clustered around the spectacular harbour, is the core of the old imperial possession, with Kowloon just across the harbour forming the other half of the main conurbation.

Further north are the New Territories, leased from China in 1898, which form a slightly more rural hinterland. And around this main focus are the large islands of Lamma and Lantau and the smaller, quieter, Outlying Islands that complete the patchwork.

Sightseeing

Hong Kong is one of the most riveting and unexpectedly beautiful spectacles on earth. The harbour view reflects the architectural boom of the 1980s and 1990s;a mixture of Manhattan and San Francisco, with added shipping bustle.

At night it just gets better; the view from the Peak of Hong Kong's glittering lights is unforgettable; almost as dazzling are the towers of Central seen from the lovers' walk of Kowloon's Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. This tax-free, bustling port and commercial centre has many attractions worth visiting.

Highlights
• Ocean Park
• Miu Fat Monastery
• Fishing villages such as Aberdeen
• Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island
• Night markets
• Victoria Peak (The Peak)
• Hong Kong Museum of History
• Ngong Ping 360 cable car
• Disneyland Hong Kong

Tourist Information

Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Information Centre
Causeway Bay MTR Station (exit F), Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Tel: +852 2508 1234.
Website: www.discoverhongkong.com

Shopping

Whether you're shopping in modern air-conditioned arcades or more traditional street markets, the range of goods available in Hong Kong is vast. Places that display the HKTA sign (Hong Kong Tourist Association) are the best guarantee of satisfaction. Bargaining is practised in the smaller shops and side stalls only. 

Where? Tsimshatsui, Stanley Market, Western Market, Temple Street, IFC Mall.
What? Handicrafts, tea, jade, tea, electrical items.

Eating Out

Hong Kong is the home of authentic Chinese food from all the regions of China, which may be sampled as snacks from the many streetside stalls, or in a vast range of restaurants of all levels - eating is very much part of the Southeast Asian culture.

Hong Kong specialities
• Dim Sum (savoury snacks, usually steamed and served in bamboo baskets on trolleys).
• Cha siu bao (barbecue pork bun).
• Zhian Jing (a rice wine served hot like sake).

When To Go

In winter and early spring, the climate can be mild and fresh but, in May, the ever-present humidity skyrockets and summer is both hot and frequently wet. Typhoons hit during summer and early autumn and ferocious rains fall intermittently.

Hotels

In keeping with its importance as a major business and tourism centre, Hong Kong is liberally supplied with hotels. The top level 4 and 5-star properties are generally found in and around the main commercial district of Central, on Hong Kong Island itself, while a broader range of budgets is catered for across the water in Kowloon.

Getting There

By Water

Ocean Terminal
Kowloon
Tel: +852 2118 8951.
Website: www.oceanterminal.com.hk

Port of Hong Kong
Between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island
Tel: +852 2542 3711.
Website: www.info.gov.hk/mardep

By Rail

Hong Kong Hung Hom Station (Intercity Services)
Hung Hom, Kowloon
Tel: +852 2881 8888.
Website: www.mtr.com.hk

By Air

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
HKIA Tower, 1 Sky Plaza Road, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong
Website: www.hongkongairport.com

Transfer Times

Nearest Destination

Kowloon.

Transfer Distance

2km (1.2 miles).

Transfer Time

10 minutes.

Key Facts

Region

China

Time Zone

GMT + 8.

Currency

Hong Kong Dollar (HK$) = 100 cents.

Language

Chinese and English.

Location

Southeast Asia/southern China at mouth of Pearl River Delta.

Population

6,985,000.

Government

People's Republic.

Religion

Officially Atheistic, but the stated religions and philosophies are Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism. There are also a large number of Muslims, Protestants and Roman Catholics.

Social Conventions

In China, the family name is always mentioned first.

When dining, guests should wait until their seat is allocated and not begin eating until indicated to do so. If using chopsticks, do not position them upright in your rice bowl as the gesture symbolises death. Toasting at a meal is very common, as is the custom of taking a treat when visiting someone's home, such as fruit, confectionery or a souvenir from a home country.

Conservative casual wear is generally acceptable everywhere, but revealing clothes should be avoided since they may cause offence.

Tipping: Still not officially approved of in China, tipping is more commonplace in Hong Kong. It is usual in tourist hotels and restaurants, and with tour guides and drivers. A service charge is often added by restaurants in large hotels.
When most people think cruise the Caribbean or Med are the first places which spring to mind, but many spectacular cruises tour the far east. Why not try a different kind of cruise this year?
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