Hong Kong is a beautiful city and we are so excited for everyone to visit!

We are so grateful to our friends and family who are able to make it to our wedding in Hong Kong. Here's a few tips and recommendations for your trip!

Travelling to Hong Kong

Flights

We recommend booking flights as soon as possible to keep costs down. You may want to arrive a few days earlier, especially to recover from jet lag!

For those travelling from the UK, here are some airlines we recommend:

  • Cathay Pacific - Hong Kong's main airline. They mostly do direct flights from London Heathrow and Manchester Airport. However, they are usually the most expensive.

  • British Airways - They offer a variety of options - Direct flights mainly from London Heathrow T5. However, they work together with other airlines, including Qatar airways for indirect flights with one stop.

  • Qatar Airways/Emirates - We have never flown with them before, but hear great things about their food. They usually offer indirect flights with one stop in the Middle East.

  • Finn Air/Lufthansa - Friends and family have used them before with fairly good feedback. They offer indirect flights with one stop in Europe (Finland/Germany respectively) and are often cheaper than other airlines.

Visa

Most passports holders (including British, Malaysian and Canadian) do not need a visa to enter and stay in Hong Kong for up to 90 days.

Please check carefully before booking your flights and let us know if you need assistance/documents for your visa application.

Currency

Hong Kong uses HK Dollars (HKD). Most places take card, but taxis and some shops still prefer cash. It might be useful to have some handy just in case.

E-Sim Cards

A quick and easy way to get online whilst abroad is to use E-sims. We recently tested it and seems to work well! There are also physical sim cards for quite cheap at 7-elevens.

You can order it before you arrive on their websites/apps:

We would recommend SoSIM - https://sosimhk.com/SoSim/main/en/eshop/local/esim

Others include: Airalo, Nomad and SimOptions.

Hong Kong is famously dense, with many skyscrapers and high rise buildings. It is one of the most vibrant cities and there are many options when it comes to finding a nice place to stay. Admittedly, we have not stayed in many hotels as Viv's family live in Hong Kong.

Areas for Accommodation

For the wedding, we suggest staying on Hong Kong island for convenience. However, Hong Kong is a small city and most places are within half an hour to 45 minutes way, with a great network of public transport.

Popular areas to stay on Hong Kong Island include:

  • Wan Chai: Convenient, relatively central area which is slightly more laid back and less crowded. It is popular with ex-pats and has a good variety of local food as well as bars/pubs. Overall, relatively cheaper compared to Central and Causeway Bay.

  • Causeway Bay: Busy area with many shopping malls as well as a huge selection of restaurants. It is regarded as a family friendly place and always full of life. It has a lot to offer, but is slightly more expensive.

  • Central: The financial centre of Hong Kong and it probably has the most skyscrapers. It is also the home to SOHO/Lan Kwai Fong - one of the best areas for nightlife in Hong Kong. It has many luxury hotels and is the most expensive area compared to the others.

  • Sheung Wan: Charming and hipster area which has been quite up and coming. It has many nice cafes and is a relatively calmer and chilled area, although right next to Central. Prices are likely similar to Wan Chai.

  • South side: This is the area where Hong Kong Country Club is. It is further away from the hustle and bustle of the city and closer to the beaches and Ocean Park - a theme park with rides and many animals including dolphins, sharks and Giant Pandas.

Popular areas to stay in Kowloon include:

  • Tsim Sha Tsui: The central of Kowloon side - a convenient and popular area with a more authentic and local vibe. It has a wonderful variety of food and shops and also the best view of the Hong Kong side skyline. It is regarded as a great place to stay for first-timers.

  • Mong Kok: The most authentic/local and probably one of the cheapest areas to stay out of all of the ones we've mentioned. It is the home to many street markets where you can get good bargains for souvenirs, electronics and it is also where Mark gets his cheap t-shirts with Viv's dad.

Please make use of good old Google and AirBnB for options. There are many choices catering for all budgets. If you would like specific hotel recommendations, please just ask!

Where to Stay

Airport Express

After you arrive at Hong Kong International Airport, one of the easiest ways to get into the city is by using the Airport Express. There are also buses and taxis if you prefer.

The airport is on Chek Lap Kok island and it is 25 minutes away from Hong Kong station (Central) via the airport express train which is part of the MTR network. Trains depart at approximately 10 minutes intervals from 05:54 to 00:48 daily.

You can either use buy a ticket at the kiosks, get an Octopus card (see above), or buy a QR code ticket with this link. (Ticket valid for 92 days)

MTR - Hong Kong's Railway System

MTR (Mass Transit Railway) is our favourite way to travel around Hong Kong. It is efficient, quick and covers basically everywhere including connections to Mainland China. Please download the MTR app here.

Trams

Hong Kong's historic trams are an alternative but peaceful way of travelling across Hong Kong Island. Also known as the 'Ding Ding' by locals - it is a slow but cheap mode of transport which allows you to enjoy the view along the way.

Star Ferry

Another historic and slower mode of transport across the Victoria Harbour (Central <-> Tsim Sha Tsui). One of our favourite rides in Hong Kong, the view never gets old.

Travelling around Hong Kong

Octopus Card

The Octopus Card is the most useful thing to get whilst you are visiting Hong Kong. It allows you to pay for all major public transport services. It can also be used at shops and restaurants, similar to contactless debit/credit cards in the UK.

For ease, we recommend picking up a tourist octopus card in the arrivals hall at the airport. This can be paired with a temporary 4G sim card for your stay - book a pick up here.

You can also download the Octopus App to add your Octopus to your phone. There is a refundable deposit of HK$50.

Hong Kong is a very convenient city with plenty of ways to get around. Useful apps for general use include: Citymapper, Google maps, HKeMobility.

Bus and Taxis

Buses allow you to see the city along the way. The main providers are Kowloon Motor Bus and City Bus. The apps are called: APP 1933 - KMB/LWB and Citybus.

Mini buses are smaller with green/red tops. We do not recommend using these unless you can speak cantonese/know where you are going.

Taxis are readily available and are a popular choice of transport. Red taxis are found on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Green taxis operate in the New Territories and Blue Taxis only operate on Lantau Island.

Please take cash with you for taxis. A useful app for taxis is called HKTaxi.

Hit the Beach

The weather in Hong Kong allows trips to the Beach in March. To top up your tan or just to relax and read a book please visit:

  • Shek O Beach

  • Repulse Bay, Deep Water Bay, South Bay beaches

  • Clear Water Bay Second Beach

  • Big Wave Bay

  • Upper Cheung Sha Beach

  • Lo So Sing Beach

Exploring Hong Kong

Sightseeing

  • Visit the Big Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha) and the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery

  • The Avenue of the Stars and the Clock Tower at Tsim Sha Tsui

  • Go for a day trip to the nearby islands - e.g. Lamma Island, Cheung Chau and Po Toi island

  • Theme parks - Ocean Park and Disneyland

  • Day trip to Macau - the Las Vegas of Asia

  • Visit Lan Kwai Fong - party and drink till you drop!

This is a short list of recommendations, there's lots to do and many areas to explore, go forth and let us know your favourites!

Hong Kong is one of our favourite cities in the world (very biased, of course). It is a fast-paced, international city where East meets West. There is amazing food from all over the world, lots of shopping, a great night life, as well as many beautiful hikes hidden amongst the skyscrapers and the hustle and bustle of this vibrant city.

Here are a few blogs we've found that might be helpful:

https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/things-to-see-and-do-hong-kong/

https://tourscanner.com/blog/fun-things-to-do-in-hong-kong/

https://bucketlistjourney.net/bucket-list-things-to-do-in-hong-kong/

Hikes and Outdoor Activities

  • The Peak: Short but steep hike from Viv's house with great views at the top. If you don't fancy a hike, there is also a tram that will take you up. There is also the Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and a few shops/restaurants.

  • Dragon's Back: Probably the most popular and relatively easy hike in Hong Kong. It's about 8.5km - starting at Shek O Road and ending at a beach called Big Wave Bay.

  • Twins Peak and Violet Hill: This is a more challenging hike - personally, the view of the peninsula of Stanley at the end is well worth the terrible battle up the many stairs.

  • Lion Rock: The lion-head shaped rock is only a short hike with a great view point and the perfect spot for watching the sunset.

  • Sunset Peak on Lantau Island: Another challenging one with lots of stairs, but of course, a lovely view at the end.

  • Ng Tung Chai Waterfall Hike: Based in Sai Kung, it is a hike through a forest with lots of greenery and waterfalls - a challenging adventure.

There are many more that we haven't had time to explore yet! Please let us know if you're keen to do some and perhaps we can go altogether.

Other outdoor activities (water sports mostly) include cycling, wake-boarding, wake-surfing and SUP. Let us know if you're keen, we can point you in the right direction.

Attention Foodie!

OpenRice is a great website/app that can guide you through the culinary delights in Hong Kong. Here is a very short list:

  • Coffee: Very important part of our lives, here's two of our favourite spots - h a r a k a k o (Sheung Wan), Chart Coffee (Central Market)

  • Dim Sum - Cantonese tapas if you would like, mostly steamed - Dim Sum Square (Sheung Wan), Tim Ho Wan

  • Cha Chaan Tengs: Hong Kong style cafes - there are many options in each district - things to order include milk tea, pineapple bun and satay beef noodles.

  • Wonton noodles: Very popular and originally from Hong Kong - Mak's Noodles has a Michelin star for a simple bowl of noodles with dumplings!

  • Temple Street Night Market: Classic Chinese night market with a bit of everything!

The world is your oyster when it comes to food in Hong Kong. Enjoy and please ask if there is something else you fancy and we will give you more recommendations!