BackpackWithUs.com Maren's & Kirk's Trip around the World

Hong Kong

Facts about country

Capital	Hong Kong
Population	6.15 Million
Main Languages	English, Mandarin, Cantonese
Electricity	3 Plug System 220 50 HZ
Currency	Hong Kong Dollar (HK$).
Exchange Rate for US $ as of Oct 2001	7.8 HK$ per 1 US$
Safe to Drink Tap Water	No
Size	1092 sq km (mainland)
Transport	train, bus, plane, taxi, subway
Cash Machines (ATMS)	Yes
Credit Card Usage	Yes
Religion	Officially Atheist; Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Muslim, Christian
Measurement System	Metric System

Recommended Budget per Day in US $

Total Budget per Person	Accommodation	Meals	Transportation	Other
40 $	15 $	10 $	5 $	10 $

Main things to See (we give descriptions only on places we visited)

Things to See	Visited	Brief Description	Recommend (10 is best 1 is don't bother)
Hong Kong	Y	Hong Kong was given back to the Chinese in 1997. The main attractions are Victoria Peak, Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, surrounding islands, shopping and expensive restaurants.	8

Popular activities and Tours (Being not included does not mean they do not exist)

Hiking / Trekking	x
Scuba Diving	x
Historical Sites	x
Sightseeing tours	x
Ballooning
Bunji Jumping
Safaris
Boat tours	x
Fishing	x
Horseback riding
Canoeing
Camping
River Rafting
Sky Diving
Abseiling
Surfing	x
Windsurfing	x
Kayaking	x
Sailing	x
Mountain biking	x
Rollerblading
Motorbike
Sand boarding
Snorkeling
Water Skiing
Skiing
Bicycling	x
Others

Feeling and Opinions on Hong Kong

Hong Kong is expensive and therefore not recommended for budget travelers. Though if you stay in a dorm and have cooking facilities you can be on a reasonable budget. The main attraction is Victoria Peak, which one can ascend and descend via the tram or walking. It is slightly steep but an easy 1 hour walk up. At the top one has great views of the city and the Hong Kong harbor. Hong Kong is not a must to see, but we enjoyed ourselves there.