Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [231]
The easiest way to see the full extent of Victoria Harbour from sea level is to join a circular Star Ferry Harbour Tour ( 2118 6201/2; www.starferry.com.hk/tour.html), of which there are a number of different options. A single daytime round trip, departing hourly from the Star Ferry pier in Tsim Sha Tsui between 2.05pm and 5.05pm daily, costs $50/45 for adult/concession (children aged three to 12 years and seniors over 65). A full-/half-day hopping pass, available from 11.05am to 7.05pm/5.05pm, respect-ively, costs $170/75 for adults and $153/68 for concessions. At night, a two-hour round trip (at 7.05pm and 9.05pm) is $100/90 for adult/concession. A single night ride taken between 6.05pm and 11.05pm costs $95/85. There are also departures from the piers at Central, Wan Chai and Hung Hom; see the website for details.
Many agents, including Gray Line ( 2368 7111; www.grayline.com.hk), Splendid Tours & Travel ( 2316 2151; www.splendidtours.com) and Hong Kong Dragon Cruise ( 2131 8181; www.nwft.com.hk), run by New World First Travel, offer tours of Victoria and Aberdeen Harbours, but the company with the longest experience in these is Watertours ( Map; 2926 3868; www.watertours.com.hk; Unit 1023A, 10F, Star House, 3 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui; 9am-9pm). Some eight different tours of the harbour and the Outlying Islands, as well as dinner and cocktail cruises, are available. Prices range from $230 ($135 for children aged two to 12 years) for the Morning Harbour & Noon Day Gun Firing Cruise to $400 ($370 for children) for the Harbour Lights & Lei Yue Mun Seafood Village Dinner Cruise.
For the Outlying Islands, HKKF Travel ( 2815 6063; www.hkkf.com.hk) has a five-hour Outlying Islands Escapade ($370) that takes in Cheung Chau and Lamma Island. Departure is from pier 4 at the Outlying Islands ferry terminal in Central.
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Bus
A good way to get your bearings in the city centre is on the hop-on, hop-off, open-topped double-deckers run by the Big Bus Company ( 2723 2108; www.bigbustours.com; tours adult/child $320/200), which runs two tours. The Blue Tour takes in much of the Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom waterfront, and the Red Tour explores Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay.
For first-time visitors to Hong Kong eager to explore further afield,Splendid Tours & Travel ( 2316 2151; www.splendidtours.com) runs some interesting ‘orientation’ tours of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. The tours last four to five hours and cost $320/220 per adult/child aged three to 12 years. Another tour company to try is the old stalwart Gray Line ( 2368 7111; www.grayline.com.hk), which has a five-hour tour ($320/215) taking in Man Mo Temple, Victoria Peak, Aberdeen and Repulse Bay.
Some of the most popular surface tours of the New Territories are offered (or subcontracted) by the HKTB (Click here). The ever-popular Land Between Tour takes in the Yuen Yuen Institute temple complex ( Click here) in Tsuen Wan and Tai Mo Shan lookout ( Click here), as well as several other sights. The full-day tour (adult/child under 16 or senior over 60 $420/370) takes 6½ hours and includes lunch; the half-day tour ($320/270) is five hours, without lunch. The five-hour Heritage Tour ($320/270), which does not include lunch, takes in New Territories sights such as Man Mo Temple ( Click here) in Tai Po, the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall in Leung Yeuk Tau village and the walled settlement of Lo Wai. Contact the HKTB tours reservation hotline ( 2368 7112; 7am-9pm) for information and bookings.
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Walking
For tailor-made, personal walking tours of both urban and rural Hong Kong, contact Walk Hong Kong ( 9187 8641; www.walkhongkong.com), which is run by a couple of long-term expatriates. For other walking tours, see the Neighbourhoods & Islands chapter ( Click here).
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Almost everything you could possibly need in the way of photographic accessories is available in Hong Kong. Stanley St on Hong Kong Island