Hong Kong Island

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Hong Kong Island is the heart of the city. Most of the action is on the north coast of the island, a thin strip of land between sea and mountain, albeit one that has grown considerably through land reclamation. Especially when seen at night from the Kowloon side, the tightly packed skyscrapers offer a heart-stopping panorama.

	hong kong island Travel Guide : 1 Understand 2 Districts 3 Get in 3.1 By boat 3.2 By bus 3.3 By metro 4 Get around 4.1 By escalator 4.2 By tram 4.3 On foot 5 See 6 Do 7 Buy 7.1 Shopping malls 7.2 Markets 8 Eat 8.1 Mid-range 8.2 Splurge 9 Drink 10 Sleep 10.1 Mid-range 10.2 Luxury

Understand

The great majority of Hong Kong Island's development is packed on the northern shore. In order from west to east, the major centers of what has fused into a solid mass of buildings are Kennedy Town, Sheung Wan, Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and North Point. As you might guess from the name, Central is the focal point with the highest skyscrapers and tallest buildings, while the scenery becomes more low-rise and residential the further away you travel.

Leading up from Central is the Escalator and the Peak Tram (see Get around), which pass through the hip district of Soho and the residential Mid-Levels. Up top is the The Peak, the tallest point on the island and traditional residence of the governors, and thus still the most expensive place on the island to live (monthly rents can easily top $100,000).

Developments on the south of the island, exposed to typhoons and historically on the wrong side of the hills, are more limited but growing thanks to better connections including a cross-island tunnel, although the MTR is still notably lacking. Larger centers include Aberdeen and Stanley.

Districts

Hong Kong Island consists of many small districts, however for administration purposes the Island is broken down as follows:

• Wan Chai
• Central and Western
• Eastern
• Southern

Get in

There are numerous ways to get to Hong Kong Island.

By boat

Star Ferry (http://www.starferry.com.hk) is the classic way to get to Hong Kong Island from Kowloon. There are 4 routes operated by Star Ferry.

• Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon - Central, Hong Kong Island — the busiest route by far, and only $2.2/1.7 on the upper/lower deck. Upper deck gets you air-con, but the views are actually better from the windowless lower deck.
• Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon - Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island
• Hung Hom, Kowloon - Central, Hong Kong Island
• Hung Hom, Kowloon - Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island

New World First Ferry (http://www.nwff.com.hk) operates some other routes between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

• Hung Hom, Kowloon - North Point, Hong Kong Island
• Kowloon City, Kowloon - North Point, Hong Kong Island

Fortune Ferry operates one route.

• Kwun Tong, Kowloon - North Point, Hong Kong Island

Coral Sea Ferry operates two routes between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

• Kwun Tong, Kowloon - Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong Island
• Sam Ka Tsuen, Kowloon - Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong Island

The Transport Department also provides an online directory (http://www.info.gov.hk/td/eng/transport/ferries_table.html) on Hong Kong's ferry service.

Note that, due to an ongoing reclamation and redevelopment project in Central/Admiralty that includes a new ferry terminal, much of the shoreline is presently a mess and access to the ferries can be a little confusing — take heed of signs warning about the ever-shifting arrangements.

By bus

For bus numbering of cross-harbor Busses, see the Hong Kong section.

Bus fare is ranging from $8.9 to $9.4 for routes linking the urban areas in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Some routes heading for more remote places are charged at a higher fare.

By metro

From more distant points the three lines of the MTR crossing the harbour may offer a faster alternative. In particular, if coming from the airport, the Airport Express's Hong Kong station is the heart of Central.

Get around

By escalator

The world's longest outdoor escalator travels from Central through Soho to the residential developments of the Mid-levels. The escalator moves down in the morning rush hour but up the rest of the time, and using it is free — in fact, you can even get Octopus crs from machines along the way for being willing to use your feet!

By tram

Operated by Hong Kong Tramways (http://www.hktramways.com/), the narrow double-decker city trams trundling on the north coast of Hong Kong Island are a Hong Kong icon. Trams are slow and the route — which follows along the coastline a century ago, long since pushed inland by reclamation — is tortuous, but with a flat fare of only $2 even if you travel the full 1.5 hours from end to end, they're the cheapest sightseeing tour around.

In a league of its own is the Peak Tram (http://www.thepeak.com.hk/tram/location.html), Hong Kong's first mechanised mode of transport, opened back in 1888. The remarkably steep 1.7-km track up from Central to Victoria Peak is worth at least one trip despite the comparatively steep price ($20 one-way, $30 return; return tickets must be purchased in advance).

On foot

Your own feet remain one of the best ways to get around the crowded northern shore of the Island. Note that there are often no level crossings of major roads, so keep an eye out for walkways and underpasses.

See

• The Peak, 1 (http://www.thepeak.com.hk). Overlooking the Victoria Harbour from the island side, offers views of the Hong Kong and Kowloon skylines, as well as many other touristy but fun attractions. To get there, take the scenic 10-minute Peak Tram from Central ($20), and then enjoy a high-speed rollercoaster ride down with green minibus #1 from below the Peak Galleria ($7). Get away from the hordes by taking a circular walk around the Peak. The walk starts along Lugard Road, and follows the beginning of the Hong Kong Trail. It finishes along Harlech Road. The walk along Old Peak Road is also recommended, but take the tram up and walk down unless you are fit.

• Hong Kong Planning and Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery, 1F City Hall, Central, 2 (http://www.info.gov.hk/infrastructuregallery/). Mostly of interest to infrastructure buffs, but to its cr this small propaganda exercise manages to make even, say, sewage treatment reasonably interesting with well-presented exhibits, some interactive. The highlight, however, is the Infrastructure Walk, with a giant scale model of a wide swath of Hong Kong showcasing projects completed and planned. Free admission, open daily except Tuesday from 10 AM to 6 PM.

• Man Mo Temple Hollywood Road, Hong Kong Island's oldest temple. It was built in the 1840s

Do

• Check out Ocean Park on the southern side of Hong Kong island.
• The many beaches of the southern coast are a nice escape on a sunny day, especially outside the weekends when they're often packed. Repulse Bay is largest and the most popular of the bunch. To get there from Central, take bus 6 or 61 for a scenic, slow and cheaper trip over the Island's hills, or expresses buses 6A/6X for a faster trip through the Aberdeen tunnel.
• Walk around the grocery market in Wan Chai
• Ride the tram between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan. The journey takes round 80 minutes and costs $2. The Hongkong Tramways runs between the West and East of Hong Kong Island. Starting from the old district Kennedy Town, you can see the residental areas, followed by the Chinese herbal medicine wholesalers in Sai Ying Pun. Then the tram goes in the famous Central district with high rise commercial buildings and banks. Wan Chai and Causeway Bay are the districts popular with shoppers and are always crowded with people at all times. Travelling further east are North Point and Shau Kei Wan areas, which are of completely different styles from that in Central and Causeway Bay.

Buy

Central's shopping malls are packed with expensive branded goods. For department stores, head to Causeway Bay.

Shopping malls

Causeway Bay is probably the best place for shopping in Hong Kong in terms of variety and price. There are several large department stores like Sogo which are popular meeting places for locals. The area around World Trade Centre is also full of shops.

• IFC Mall. Upscale shopping mall located in Hong Kong's newest and tallest development, the International Financial Centre complex right above MTR Hong Kong/Central stations.

• Times Square. A shopping centre in Causeway Bay with an excellent concentration of mid-price range shops and restaurants.

• Pacific Place. A well organized shopping mall near Central. Pleasant for shopping on mid price range to expensive branded goods.

• The Landmark. Right in the centre of expensive real estate in Central, the focus of all the most expensive designer fashion in Hong Kong.

Markets

• Stanley market. On the southern side of the Island is this reasonably pleasant outdoor market filled with stalls selling all kinds of things. Take one of the versions of bus 6 to get there (see Repulse Bay under "Do").
• Chun Yeung Street. A local market near the North Point Tram Terminus. You can find traditional Chinese food, especially Hokkien style food there. There is a variety of household items, clothes and fresh food there. It is a typical bazaar in the Hong Kong Island.
• Lanes buy chinese dresses, watches, leather bags and many other things here.Li Yuen Street West and Li Yuen Street East, between Queens Road and Des Voeux Road Central
• Cat Street probably the best place to buy souvenirs, lots of Mao memorabilia, porcelain, buddha statues and "antiques". Lok Ku Rd, walk down Hollywood Road towards the west, when you see the Man Mo temple walk down the stairs on the right hand side.

Eat

Prices on the Island tend to be higher than elsewhere in Hong Kong, but the selection of food (especially non-Chinese fare) is also larger. Soho, halfway up the Central Escalator, has a wide array of trendy and/or atmospheric restaurants serving international food.

Mid-range

• Fung Shing Restaurant (????), 7 On Tai Street, Sheung Wan (in Western Market), tel. 28158689. Very local eatery known for its dim sum, which is cheap and good at $10 and up per serve. Open daily from 7:30 AM for the dim sum breakfast crowd, but no English menu!

• Lin Heung Tea House (???), 160-164 Wellington Street, Central, tel. 25444556. Famous for traditional Cantonese cuisine and dim sum. It is more than 70 years old, and always packed with diners. Do not expect luxury decorations and service in this restaurant, it is a restaurant serving with genuine and traditional Cantonese food but not the decoration and service. The most famous dish here is the whole roast duck ($120), but there's a wide range of other dishes for around $40 or so; try their other speciality, the succulent pork ribs. English menu available.

• Maxim's Palace. 3F City Hall (just east from Star Ferry terminal). One of Hong Kong's most popular dim sum spots, featuring harbor views if you're lucky enough to score a windowside table. The atmosphere and food are very much in the classical dim sum tradition, a large, noisy hall with waitresses pushing around carts laden with goodies; try the siu mai, har gao and mango pudding. Dim sum served from 11 to 3 PM daily, expect to queue on Sundays (when the restaurant opens at 9 AM). Gather up at least 4 people so you can try many kinds, and expect to pay $100-200 a head depending on how hungry you are. Note: Don't confuse this with Maxim's Restaurant on the 2nd floor!

• Yung Kee Restaurant, 32-40 Wellington Street. Tourists flock from all over for the Cantonese food here, especially the roast goose.

• The American Peking Restaurant 20 Lockhart Rd, Hong Kong. tel. 25277770. The Peking Duck, carved in front of the table, is a speciality, best shared amongst several people. Also recommended are the sizzling prawns. Most dishes can be ordered in small, medium or large sizes. The upstairs tables have the best atmosphere.

• The Quarterdeck Club, 1 Lung King Street, Fenwick Pier, Wanchai. This is one of the few harborside restaurants. Currently slightly spoiled by the land reclamation nearby.

• Thai and Chinese Restaurant, by the roundabout, Shek-O. Great at the weekend after you've walked the Dragon's Back.

Splurge

• Luk Yu Tea House (????), 26 Stanley Street, Central. Famous for the excellent tea and traditional dim sum. It is a popular meeting place for businessmen. Service, once famously surly, has improved in recent years and they now even provide an English menu on request.

Drink

The best nightlife locations are Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai.

One special feature of Hong Kong is the drinking places high-up on commercial buildings. For example there are some funky drinking places in Hennessy Building on Yan Pan Road, which is at the juncture between Happy Valley and Causeway Bay, and it is always nice to sip your drinks while having an overview of Hong Kong Island ? especially as the drinks are cheaper than those at Lan Kwai Fong (about HK$50-80 per drink).

Sleep

There is a plethora of high-end accommodation available on the Island, but less at the cheaper ends of the scale.

Mid-range

• Novotel Century Harbourview. 508 Queen's Road West, tel. +852-2974-1234, 3 (http://www.accorhotels-asia.com/hotel/nov/index.asp?hc=3564). A fine if unremarkable business hotel, just don't expect harbor views unless you get a room high up on the top floors. The reason this is a little cheaper than the competition is the somewhat poor location near Pok Fu Lam, a 15-minute tram ride to Central and the nearest MTR stop. Internet rates can go for under $600.

Luxury

• Conrad Hong Kong. Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, 4 (http://www.conradhotels.com/en/ch/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=HKGHCCI). Probably the Peninsula's top competitor for the title of Hong Kong's best hotel. Rooms $1500 and up.

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