I recently visited Hong Kong and thought it will be helpful to share some of my learnings here for future visitors. Here goes:
Immigration:
I did not have a good time here and was called aside for questioning like many other Indians. It was also not a good idea to carry my old passport because that only made them do more checks and make me wait longer. But I guess they are doing their duty so would be best to be prepared with as many proofs as possible. So do carry print outs of your return ticket, hotel reservations, and even carrying your company ID might help since they want to know if you have a stable employment back home and less incentive to stay on there. They will ask in detail about your itinerary too....nothing to worry about though! It was visa on arrival for us but if you are an Indian going to HK after 23rd January then you need to apply for visa beforehand.
Local Travel:
This is one of the best parts of HK. They have a well connected Metro system and we did all our travelling through it. Just Google to find your nearest entry into the Metro system and once you get in, you will find maps which show you all the lines and how you can get to the station you want. Even travelling to and from airport can be done through Metro or bus. Get yourself an Octopus card at HK airport which you can swipe at the Metro, buses, and even shops. The people in HK are not very helpful with directions (probably also because of a language problem) so you will really need Google maps and I recommend getting a SIM card with a data plan, And Google has information on all the important places so no worries there.
Food:
Getting vegetarian food in HK is not impossible. You can research in advance about it since there are some Indian restaurants (like Sangeetha) and some local vegetarian restaurants (definitely try M-Garden which has very good food!). You can also get vegetarian pizza/ risotto in Pizza Hut or an egg and cheese burger/ mushroom and corn soup in McDonalds. Do try the milk tea in the small juice shops...they are pretty good. Also, it always helps to carry some snacks from India like cakes, biscuits, and cup noodles. I had even taken Tetley tea bags because no respectable Indian can live without kadak chai :D (branded sugar and milk powder packets can be carried along though would avoid loose ones)
Weather:
Winter in HK can be really cold, especially if you are visiting places at a height like Victoria Peak and Lantau Island Buddha. More than the temperature, it is the chilly winds so do be prepared with scarves in addition to a thick jacket.
Shopping:
HK is a shopper's paradise when it comes to chic and reasonably priced clothes :D Definitely visit the Ladies market which has a lot of variety of stuff at reasonable prices. But you need to really bargain there and you can start with 1/3rd of the initial price :D It starts closing after 10 so try to go before. Temple Street market is ok too and there were many small 50 HKD shops (where all items are priced at 50 HKD) in Mong Kok which had really nice tops, skirts, and sweaters. Skirts especially are really cute there and I got two for 50 HKD each which is great even by India standards! People there also specialize in cute animal printed clothes so I got a very very cute and kiddish teddy bear night suit :D
Places I Visited:
Immigration:
I did not have a good time here and was called aside for questioning like many other Indians. It was also not a good idea to carry my old passport because that only made them do more checks and make me wait longer. But I guess they are doing their duty so would be best to be prepared with as many proofs as possible. So do carry print outs of your return ticket, hotel reservations, and even carrying your company ID might help since they want to know if you have a stable employment back home and less incentive to stay on there. They will ask in detail about your itinerary too....nothing to worry about though! It was visa on arrival for us but if you are an Indian going to HK after 23rd January then you need to apply for visa beforehand.
Local Travel:
This is one of the best parts of HK. They have a well connected Metro system and we did all our travelling through it. Just Google to find your nearest entry into the Metro system and once you get in, you will find maps which show you all the lines and how you can get to the station you want. Even travelling to and from airport can be done through Metro or bus. Get yourself an Octopus card at HK airport which you can swipe at the Metro, buses, and even shops. The people in HK are not very helpful with directions (probably also because of a language problem) so you will really need Google maps and I recommend getting a SIM card with a data plan, And Google has information on all the important places so no worries there.
Food:
Getting vegetarian food in HK is not impossible. You can research in advance about it since there are some Indian restaurants (like Sangeetha) and some local vegetarian restaurants (definitely try M-Garden which has very good food!). You can also get vegetarian pizza/ risotto in Pizza Hut or an egg and cheese burger/ mushroom and corn soup in McDonalds. Do try the milk tea in the small juice shops...they are pretty good. Also, it always helps to carry some snacks from India like cakes, biscuits, and cup noodles. I had even taken Tetley tea bags because no respectable Indian can live without kadak chai :D (branded sugar and milk powder packets can be carried along though would avoid loose ones)
Weather:
Winter in HK can be really cold, especially if you are visiting places at a height like Victoria Peak and Lantau Island Buddha. More than the temperature, it is the chilly winds so do be prepared with scarves in addition to a thick jacket.
Shopping:
HK is a shopper's paradise when it comes to chic and reasonably priced clothes :D Definitely visit the Ladies market which has a lot of variety of stuff at reasonable prices. But you need to really bargain there and you can start with 1/3rd of the initial price :D It starts closing after 10 so try to go before. Temple Street market is ok too and there were many small 50 HKD shops (where all items are priced at 50 HKD) in Mong Kok which had really nice tops, skirts, and sweaters. Skirts especially are really cute there and I got two for 50 HKD each which is great even by India standards! People there also specialize in cute animal printed clothes so I got a very very cute and kiddish teddy bear night suit :D
Places I Visited:
- Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery - It was a nice serene place with a well groomed garden.The nunnery itself is rather hidden behind a flight of stairs that don't look very important so don't end up missing it because it's really beautiful. The statues of God were beautiful and I really liked the inscriptions in front of the rocks which were profound and poetic. One of the highlights of this place is the vegetarian restaurant which has nice and mild vegetarian dishes (only they require each person to order for a minimum of 50 HKD)
- Victoria Peak - This is a high viewing point giving a great view of HK and its tall. shiny buildings. In this regard, Christmas and New Year are a great time to travel because everything is so lit up and decorated. You can totally experience the Christmassy feeling everywhere and they have lovely flavours like Gingerbread coffee in McDonalds and Starbucks at this time. You can take the tram to go up to the top but the queue was too much so we took a cab both ways which was only 50 HKD one way. And all cabs are supposed to run on meter so dont let any cab drivers fool you (one guy quoted 480 HKD one way for the cab -_-)
- Disneyland - This warrants a separate section by itself and will give the details there :)
- Lantau Island Buddha - This is also a must-go because I don't know of anything similar anywhere else in the world (except the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro). We took the crystal cable car which has a glass floor. It was totally, totally worth the extra price and to save a bit, you can just take it one-way and return by bus (bus no. 23 will take you from the hill top to the metro). The trip by cable car was beautiful with the serene mountains and water and the first view of the Buddha sitting towering on the hill top was almost surreal. The ride is approximately 30 mins and you can also view the airport on one side. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me.
Disneyland:
Disneyland was Disneyland and no more to be said! A long time dream fulfilled :) But if you really want to make the most of it, do plan your day in advance. Thanks to my friend delegating this task to me, I went through all the attractions and events and prioritized them based on our interest and their popularity. It is better to visit the popular rides like Hyperspace Mountain and Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars in the morning as queues grow long in the afternoon when more people arrive. You can buy the tickets online with a validity of 6 months. It would also be useful to download the HK Disneyland app as it has a more easy-to-read map than the one available there which is very confusing. The app will also give real-time updates on the estimated wait time for the different rides and which characters you can meet in the vicinity.
There are mainly three things to do in Disneyland: visit the attractions, attend the events, and meet Disney characters. Below are the top attractions and events that are a must-visit (though this is not an exhaustive list and may differ based on your interests):
- Hyperspace Mountain - This is like a mini roller coaster ride through outer space. I enjoyed this the most and it is a must-go for space buffs!
- Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars - This is also a mini roller coaster with some wonderful surprises :) Apparently this Disneyland is meant mainly for kids so none of the rides are too scary or puky :D This and the previous ride are quite popular so definitely visit them as soon as possible
- Mystic Manor - This is a trackless ride with some wonderful illusions and creative surprises. One of the best rides there!
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster - This is a fun ride with laser guns to shoot targets on the walls
- The Many Adventures of Winne the Pooh - A cute little ride which a simple story of Winne the Pooh and some 4D features
- Lion King Musical - I was going to skip this but thankfully we went. It was brilliantly done and the performers are very good. It is a re-telling of the first Lion King movie with human performers and some singing, dancing, and acrobatics. Definitely worth a watch and better to be there half an hour before it starts (shows are at 2 pm and 4.30 pm)
- Parachute Drop in Toy Story Land - This looked like fun but I didn't try it
- it's a small world - This is a very cute boat ride passing by toys of singing children from all over the world. Very colourful and must-go for the unique Disneyland feel! Less of a thrill ride and more for the colours.
- Disneyland parade - There is a parade at 3.00 pm and one at 7.30 pm. I attended the latter and it was really. That's where you really feel like Disneyland so definitely attend atleast one!
- Disney in the Stars Fireworks - This is a 15 min fireworks show at 9.00 pm and it takes place above the Sleeping Beauty Castle. To get a great view, try to find a spot straight ahead of the castle (on the street itself). We stood on the pavement to the right of the castle and some of the view was blocked by a tree!
Definitely do a thorough research of your own from the website on which attractions you want to visit.
