The Transit Tours Of Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong has been attracting transiting tourist for quite a while now. The most crucial question a transiting tourist at Hong Kong will ask is what to visit and what to skip? Well, it really depends upon the amount of time you have in hand for your connecting flight. In case you have a very small layover approximately 2-4 hours, I would never suggest you to go out of the airport. In such a scenario, you can always visit several shops at the airport itself. I would strongly suggest that you can plan to visit places outside the airport only if you have more than 4-5 hours of layover time. In my case, I had a long layover of around 11 hours which was quite enough for me to visit quite a few places in the town. In case you land at the Hong Kong airport in the early morning, you stand a good chance to avoid the crazy rush of city. In my opinion, with such a good layover time, one must not think of skipping the Hong Kong Downtown and the Peak. Trust me, even if you skip any other places at Hong Kong, you won’t regret it much.

The Majestic View of Hong Kong Sky from The Peak

Frankly, as far as my recent travel experiences goes, the Peak is what I would recommend to visit for all transiting tourists. Another close option I could suggest is the Big Buddha on the Lantau Island which is however, an almost half day tour from the Tung Chung Cable car station. I had a glimpse of the Big Buddha which is situated on a mountain peak on the Lantau Island from the aircraft during my landing at the Hong Kong airport. But, to observe the large Buddha Statue, you really need to focus on the mountains. There is a stream of cable cars continually moving towards the Big Buddha statue which is also prominently visible from the airport.

More than a century ago, this area was entirely rural. Small villages and farming fields dotted the landscape, home to people who farmed rice, tea and other crops. Today, the area still abounds in rural beauty. Yet modern developments have made its mark. Sophisticated new towns exist alongside peaceful woodland. “The Land Between” is the land bridging the motherland in China and the city centre of Hong Kong. It stands both as a gentle reminder of Hong Kong’s past as well as hopes for closer relationship with the motherland in the years to come.

A Spectacular View from the Airport Express on the way towards Hong Kong Central MTR

The land between tour visits the Yuen Yuen Institute where you can see the significance of Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist contributions to society. Then it’s out into the countryside, going up the Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong’s highest mountain. The bus drives past banana plantation, village hamlets and the surroundings of the Tai Mo Shan Country Park. A photo stop is made at the Tai Mo Shan lookout point where you can enjoy panoramic view of the harbor and the industrial / residential town of Tsuen Wan to the south. If the weather is unfavourable, the tour stops at the mountain’s lower lookout point for a view of Shek Kong Valley. The tour continues down the mountain and onto the wooded valley of Lam Tsuen and Fanling. You will visit Fanling Walled Village and walk past the old village wall with gun holes in it and a family ancestral hall where ancestor worship continues to be practised. The village belongs to the Pang family, one of the five great clans of the New Territories.

Then it’s time to head to the boundary with Mainland China by driving on Luk Keng Road. A photo stop will be made at Luk Keng Road lookout point to see natural surroundings of Starling Inlet, and the boundary town of Sha Tau Kok on Mainland, just across the Inlet. Next is a trip through the Plover Cove Country Park. The view is dominated by the water of Plover Cove Reservoir on one side and the massive ranges of Pat Sin Lang Range Country Park on the other. A photo stop is made at Bride’s Pool Falls, which has a constantly flowing waterfall year round. It is a popular place for outdoor BBQ parties in the cooler months.

Hidden away among high-rise apartment towers and busy highways, the past lives on in the New Territories – a living museum shaped by the rise and development of the so called five great clans of Hong Kong (the Tang, Hau, Pang, Liu and Man). Taking in historic sites around the New Territories, the Heritage Tour brings to life the customs and cultures of these clans and provides a fascinating glimpse of Hong Kong’s rich heritage.

The Lantau Island Experience

Whether you are interested in aerial, land or water activities, Lantau has just the right thing to offer – the idyllic fishing village, the renowned Big Buddha, the rare Chinese White Dolphins, local culture and heritage, thrilling water sports. Ngong Ping 360 is where you start your Sky-Land-Sea Lantau adventure.

The Big Buddha at the Lantau Island

Ngong Ping Cable Car

Big Bus Tours in Hong Kong

The Big Bus Tours offers you the best possible sightseeing experience to visitors and tourists. Their speciality includes a 24 or 48 hour ticket, hop-on and hop-off facility, 4 routes with more than 20 breakpoints, fun and entertaining commentary, complimentary rewards booklet and free earphone and tickets to major attraction. You can explore Hong Kong’s famous landmarks; from the high rise skyline of Central, buzzing Nathan Road to world famous Stanley Market.

A Busy Street at the Hong Kong Downtown

If you are for more than a day in Hong Kong, Big Bus is the best way to discover all that Hong Kong has to offer at affordable price.

Hong Kong Wetland Park

Opened in 2006, Hong Kong Wetland Park consists of a 60-hectare wetland reserve area which embraces freshwater marsh, streams, mangroves, farmlands, fishponds, reedbeds, butterfly garden, floating boardwalk and three bird hides. Visitors will explore various wetland animals and plants, and understand the importance of balanced ecosystem.

By demonstrating the best practices in energy saving and sustainability, the Visitor Centre has won many international architectural awards. Three themed galleries showcase the biodiversity of the wetland ecosystem, cultural development and wetland conservation. Visitors will learn from different perspectives through the exhibits, movies and interactive games too. The wetland park tickets can also be booked online and is operational between 10:00 am to 5:00 pm except on Tuesdays.

Spring and summer times are the best seasons for watching butterflies, dragonflies and flowers in Hong Kong Wetland Park. Apart from the beautiful butterflies, spectacular plants such as Common Melastoma, Fortune’s Cape Jasmine, Lidded Cleistocalyx, Water-lily and Indian Lotus are also major attractions. During autumn and winter time, thousands of migratory birds including endangered species like Black-faced Spoonbills take shelter in the park. The three bird hides and Viewing Gallery are equipped with telescopes for visitors to watch birds. The prime time for bird watching is from November to March.

The Park regularly organizes special campaigns to introduce wildlife, such as the annual “Bird Watching Festival” every winter. Guided activities of various themes are held every day in the park. Yuen Long where this Park is located has numerous famous natural or cultural attractions, such as Tsim Bei Tsui, Kam Tin Tree House, Ping Shan Heritage Trail etc. You can also take a 10-minute taxi ride to Lau Fau Shan, a renowned seafood centre, for delicious seafood and souvenirs. Yuen Long town centre is also a great place for Chinese and International cuisine.

How are the locals of Hong Kong City?

While in Hong Kong Central, I interacted with several local people in the City. I found that language is a major barrier in communication among-st the local population. Keeping the language issue aside, I also found them to be indifferent to questions asked by tourists. In face, I found many of them simply nodding a 'No' even before I asked them for directions. Is this an attitude problem? I am not really sure but several local people of Hong Kong are not friendly at all. Most of them are too much engrossed within themselves so much so that they often behave indifferently or sometimes with a whim of anger.

I Love You The Peak

On the contrary, when I was asking my way back to the Hong Kong Airport Express Station to a local person, an old Filipino lady interrupted us and offered a help with guiding me with directions. Another non-local couple spent almost 10 minutes speaking to me advising me with places and markets I could visit around the area. They also suggested me of some Do's and Don'ts while visiting the local markets. Undoubtedly, you can expect a good helping hand from the fellow tourists while in Hong Kong rather than the locals. While interacting with fellow friendly tourists, you would never know if they would be instantly ready to capture a lovely picture with you too ;-)