May it be British Democracy or Chinese communism, this city of the Far East has always flourished to be the trade center of the region. Hong Kong is situated on the hill slopes overlooking the South China Sea. The climate may not be good all round the year but like any other European cities, everything is cooled artificially. Here you find the true harmony of the western and Chinese culture
As you arrive at chek lap kok airport (or whatever its name is) it might not be hard to figure out that this now one of the biggest airports in the world. This airport was made on a faraway island from hongkong since the original airport literally ran out of space. Getting to Hong Kong takes about 45 minutes and the airport express train is the best way. Taxi will cost you exorbitantly and even though bus route is cheaper, managing your luggage is quite a task. Arriving in Hong Kong, there is simply no dearth of any hotels here. Right from the top class Hyatt and Sheratons to backpacker lodges, the choice is yours.
Hong Kong is also the richest cities around. No slums and every 15 seconds on the road you get to see a Rolls Royce or Lexus. If you compare this city with Singapore, I would say that Singapore is more westernized and Hong Kong is more oriental. By and by both cities serve the same purpose of being trade free zones and house some of the biggest multinational companies.
If you are going sightseeing, there are a few places to go. Don’t miss the aquarium; they have great dolphin shows here. Also take a ride on the star ferry the skyline of Hong Kong looks great from this point especially at night. The top of the world also lets you see the skyline and Hong Kong as a whole from the top of a hill. Since Hong Kong is a tourist city, they keep adding new attractions you better check out the latest brochure if you are getting there.
If you are coming to Hong Kong you are coming here for shopping. You will get to see the latest electronic items here in Hong Kong. Other than electronics, if you are planning to buy items such as Chinese silks or spices, WAIT! Don’t buy these non branded items in Hong Kong. There is still shenzhen. I’ll come to this point later. For your Branded items go to City center. Here you’ll find many Shops having franchise Of International goods. If you are buying electronics, there is no dearth of them here. Every shop on the block sells these items. You can get video cameras, mobile phones, washing machines and what not. Shoppers, Enjoy!
Shenzhen is the last city on the Chinese side and is stated as special economic zone of china. You can get its visa on arrival. Shenzhen is the showoff of the country as to how much close can the Chinese come when it comes to duplicating. To get to shenzhen, you can take the suburban train till Kowloon tong.At Kowloon tong interchange the train to go to hung hom.Hung hom is the last station on the Hong Kong side. Get your Chinese visa and enter china by foot. This process takes about 1 to 2 hours so plan your visit to shenzen accordingly.
Once you get here you will be amazed by their prices. Rolex watches for 300 rs, DVD’s for 100 rs, Nike shoes for 200 rs. It seems like the world is on a sale here. However do remember everything here is duplicate/pirated but so close to the original, that even an expert may make a mistake in the first look. Also bargain like anything. Drop prices to a quarter and the shopkeepers will happily part their goods with you. If you are quality conscious this is not the place for you. Their quality falls apart the day you step back in your country. Hence I said buy non technical items here like crystals, Chinese silks etc.
Coming back to Hong Kong the night life here is packed with excitement there are a lot of restaurants and pubs. If you are looking for more Indian type of entertainment, go to chunking mansion which primarily consists of Indians.
All in all Hong Kong is the shopper’s paradise. A 3-4 day visit to this island will generally be considered enough. Tourists take Hong Kong as a stopover on their further travels. Hong Kong grants visas on arrival, so no need to obtain any visa at home. So Next time you are heading for the far east, take a connecting flight via Hong Kong.