Pocket Rough Guides

Rough Guides

• Publisher: Rough Guides
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781789195217
• Edition: 4

Discover these exciting destinations with the most incisive and entertaining travel guide on the market. You can take this handy, pocket-sized book out with you anywhere, anytime.

Whether you plan to admire the Tian Tan Big Buddha, feast on seafood at Temple Street Night Market or go pink-dolphin spotting, Pocket Rough Guide Hong Kong and Macau will show you the ideal places to sleep, eat, drink, shop and visit along the way.

Perfect for short trips - compact and concise, with all the practical info you'll need for a few days' stay. Free pull-out map, as well as full-colour maps throughout - navigate the pedestrianised Three Lamps District oramble along the Avenue of Stars waterfront promenade without needing to get online.
Things not to miss - our rundown of Hong Kong's unmissable sights and experiences.
Itineraries - carefully planned days to help you organize your visit.
Independent, trusted reviews written with Rough Guides' trademark blend of humour, honesty and insight, with options to suit every budget.
Stunning images - a rich collection of inspiring colour photography.
Detailed city coverage - whether visiting the big sights or venturing off the tourist trail, this travel guide has in-depth practical advice for every step of the way. Chapters cover each neighbourhood in depth, with all the sights and the best of the nearby shops, cafes, restaurants and bars.

Areas covered include: Hong Kong Island (including Central, Kennedy Town, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Happy Valley and the south side); Kowloon (including Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan and Diamond Hill); The New Territories; Lamma; Cheung Chau; Macau.
Attractions include: Maritime Museum; Ocean Park; Temple Street; ShamShui Po; Kam Tin.

Day-trips - venture further afield to Lantau, Coloane, Taipa Village, Tai Mo Shan or Kadoorie Farm. Accommodation - our unbiased selection of the top places to stay, to suit every budget.
Essentials - crucial pre-departure practical information including getting there, local transport, tourist information, emergency numbers, festivals, events and more.
Background information - an easy-to-use chronology, plus a handy Cantonese language section and glossary.

Make the Most of Your Time on Earth with Pocket Rough Guide Hong Kong and Macau.

About Rough Guides: Escape the everyday with Rough Guides. We are a leading travel publisher known for our "tell it like it is" attitude, up-to-date content and great writing. Since 1982, we've published books covering more than 120 destinations around the globe, with an ever-growing series of ebooks, a range of beautiful, inspirational reference titles, and an award-winning website. We pride ourselves on our accurate, honest and informed travel guides.

PLACES

1 Hong Kong Island: Central to Kennedy Town

2 Hong Kong Island: Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Happy Valley

3 Hong Kong Island: the south side

4 Kowloon: Tsim Sha Tsui

5 Kowloon: Jordan to Diamond Hill

6 The New Territories

7 Lantau

8 Lamma and Cheung Chau

9 Macau

Hong Kong Island: Central to Kennedy Town

Shops

Restaurants

Bars and clubs

Set on Hong Kong Island’s north shore, Central and the adjoining districts are where the city coalesced after Hong Kong was seized by the British in 1841. Businesses blossomed between Victoria Harbour and The Peak’s steep lower slopes, a narrow strip with so little room that buildings had no choice but to evolve upwards into a forest of tall concrete and glass towers interconnected by a web of elevated walkways. Central’s atmosphere is contemporary and upmarket: banks all have their headquarters here, shopping opportunities are high-end, and it throngs with clubs, bars and restaurants. For a contrast, seek out older buildings or unwind in Hong Kong Park, while a trip up The Peak offers superlative views of the city and a real break from the crush at street level.

The Star Ferry

MAP

Central/Tsim Sha Tsui.

starferry.com.hk/en/home. Daily 6.30am–11.30pm, every 6–12min. Lower deck $2.20, upper deck $2.70.

By far the best way to arrive in Central is by Star Ferry over from Tsim Sha Tsui, dodging container ships and coastal vessels along the way. The sight of Central’s skyscrapers, framed by the hills and looming up as the ferry makes its seven-minute crossing of busy Victoria Harbour, is one of the most thrilling images of Hong Kong, especially when the buildings are lit up after dark. The portly vessels, each named Evening Star, Northern Star etc, have been running since 1898, and the current 1950s-style green-and-cream livery together with wooden decks and seating are charmingly anachronistic. This isn’t just a tourist sight though – the double-decker boats carry about one hundred thousand passengers a day, mostly locals, so come prepared for crowds.

The Star Ferry

Tim Draper/Rough Guides

Maritime Museum

MAP

Central Pier 8, next to the Star Ferry pier

3713 2500

hkmaritimemuseum.org. Mon–Fri 9.30am–5.30pm, Sat & Sun 10am–7pm. $30; free on Wed.

Hong Kong’s long heritage of maritime trade, piracy and war is given a thorough airing at the well-planned Maritime Museum, and it’s not difficult to spend an hour or more here. High points include the scores of models – some unearthed from 2000-year-old tombs, others lovingly crafted from wood – covering every known type of Chinese craft; beautifully illuminated antique maps of the nearby coast and cities; paintings of eighteenth-century Chinese ports by Gentiloni; export porcelain salvaged from local shipwrecks; and a nineteenth-century bronze cannon used during the Opium Wars (during which Hong Kong was taken as a prize by the British). The upstairs displays are less relevant, but the feature windows here allow fantastic, unobstructed views across harbour.

Victoria Harbour

Central is the best place to ponder Hong Kong’s magnificent Victoria Harbour, from whose Cantonese label (Heung Gang or Fragrant Harbour) the entire SAR takes its name. This safe haven for shipping was what drew the British to the island in the first place, and after the colony became established, international trading concerns – which at the time depended entirely on maritime transport – were naturally attracted here. Today, Hong Kong’s money-making enterprises have shifted into Central’s towers, and the harbour is shrinking as land is reclaimed in order to build still more skyscrapers: at 1km across, the harbour is half as wide as in 1840. This narrowing has reduced the harbour’s ability to flush itself clean, though since 2015 sewage – once pumped raw into the water – has been treated first at a plant on nearby Stonecutters Island. Despite this, it’s still difficult to beat the thrill of crossing the harbour by boat; alternatively, you can walk along Central’s landscaped waterfront or Tsim Sha Tsui’s Avenue of Stars for a view of the maritime activity that originally made Hong Kong great – junks, ferries, motorboats, container ships, cruise liners and sailing bo...

Table of contents

• Contents
• Introduction to Hong Kong
• Places
• Accommodation
• Essentials
• Maps and Small Print