First off...
Holy moly HK's population is so densly packed. Don't wear flip flops because feet will get squished, street water spat on, accidentally stepped on etc.
Shopping
Wow. The people in HK are insane shoppers. It's like boxing day sales in Sydney everyday in HK and when there's a sale in HK, sardine squishing yourself in and out is required. Chances are there won't be time to try anything on and all there is to see are visitors from China that pretty much run HK's economic growth.
HK's amazing customer service is definately worth noting! Most shops have heaps of sales assistants all eagerly ready to help you and help they do! They know everything about the products and they all greet you with cheery smiles when you come in and out despite their long working hours.
What I learnt:
-Don't save things to buy for later on. I found that it is easy to run out of time to go back to it later on + it'll most likely be gone within a week. (maybe this part was just my timing)
-Even though some shops are very common they don't all have the same stock but for some shops you can ask for it to be sent to the branch of your choice within a week (like Uniqlo).
-Preference: go shopping on weekdays (less crowded) and to the city (central and admiralty) on weekends (less city people)
-Shops open around 10-11 and most close at 10pm. Markets open around 10-11 and close at around midnight.
Supermarket
Free samples... everyday? Yay!!
What I found interesting was the HUGE supermarket queues despite having like 20 checkouts and ialso their nice little self service bagging areas.
Transport
Amazing!
The maximum time l had to wait for a train in my 2 weeks in HK was 3 minutes!
Don't run for the trains especially since there are 2 barriers that are quite painful if you get squished in between them. Just wait a minute and poof, you'll be on the next train. On the other hand, in Sydney it is expected to wait for around a 15 -30 min wait for your next train.
-They stand on the RIGHT
-Wear a mask if sick! It looks silly in Australia but it's the norm in hk with its dense population.
-I don't recommend sitting unless you are prepared to give away your seat easily. I noticed an old/pregnant person would enter the train almost always before I reached my destination. Priority seating people are surprisingly much more common in hk than Sydney, Australia.
-When on a bus, run to a seat! Once the doors close, ZOOMMM off the bus goes at lightning speed and crazy driving.
-Taxi's are cheap too compared Sydney's, which are relatively expensive compared to trains and busses.
-Taxi's are cheap too compared Sydney's, which are relatively expensive compared to trains and busses.
Toilets
I loved how all the taps were automatic and had friendly cleaners to say bye to you!
-Bring your own toilet paper/tissue! Always always! In some of the less expensive restaurants (which is equivalent to an average looking australian restaurant/just a place to eat) they never provide toilet paper
-Most mall toilets are auto flushing ! If sitting for a while be prepared to jump up because it will flush even if you are still sitting on it!
-They auto flush after about every 5 minutes
Restaurants
-paying with octopus was more convenient for me - I lost track of all the spare coins
-they include service charges so you don't have to tip but if you do tip at more expensive restaurants apparently $10HK is sufficient
Housing
There are pretty much no houses (as in one or two story houses) in HK. Tall apartment blocks everywhere!
Housing
There are pretty much no houses (as in one or two story houses) in HK. Tall apartment blocks everywhere!
Environment
Their pollution issues are noticeable when sunlight struggles to peek through the almost always cloudy days. The only time I ever saw clear sunlight was when I went further out from the border dividing China and Hong Kong (around Stanley markets). Despite this, it is still quite humid in HK even at around 20 degree temperatures (as opposed to chilly winds in 20 degree temps in Sydney).
On a similar environmental note, there was almost no 'real' grass in HK. I say that because there are noticeably fresh turfs of grass rolled out in small patches, on say, a small building. There is barely no fields of grass or large areas of natural land unlike Sydney.
Thankfully there are trees scattered around HK...
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Their pollution issues are noticeable when sunlight struggles to peek through the almost always cloudy days. The only time I ever saw clear sunlight was when I went further out from the border dividing China and Hong Kong (around Stanley markets). Despite this, it is still quite humid in HK even at around 20 degree temperatures (as opposed to chilly winds in 20 degree temps in Sydney).
On a similar environmental note, there was almost no 'real' grass in HK. I say that because there are noticeably fresh turfs of grass rolled out in small patches, on say, a small building. There is barely no fields of grass or large areas of natural land unlike Sydney.
Thankfully there are trees scattered around HK...
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Day 1: Took the afternoon flight to HK.
-packed as little as possible to prepare for more baggage. From my two week trip I added about 7-9kgs to my luggage
-add a distinctive string or stick something really ugly and big onto the luggage to identify it more easily. This prevented the devastation when you realise 95% of luggages are black/ dark colours, the same size and on the same conveyor belt. Somehow, they just all seem to look like your luggage.
-no liquids over 100ml - they will just chuck it away and sometimes with no questions asked especially when they are a bit grumpy ( understandable when they are at work at 6am!)
-carry all the important stuff in a hand luggage - definately carry your passport on yourself just for safety reasons
-consider checking in online first - the seats that your travel agent has requested are just what they have tried to get for you. They may not be the seats you actually get, something which I misunderstood.
Checklist to the airport:
-get to the airport 2 hrs before boarding or even check in!
Public transport is definitely not reliable! Being on time yourself is even more unreliable! Duty free shopping kills a lot of time. Getting through to customs in Australia took longer than expected waiting in line (20 mins)
Checklist at the airport:
-check the ginormous board for directions
-eat since plane food isn't filling
-list luggage as fragile (no extra costs)- better to be safe than sorry
Day 1/2: Flight and arrival into HK
In-Flight-Keep an eye on hand luggage stored above especially when snoozing- I've been warned people steal even in flight
-Don't wear contact lenses when travelling on the plane - incredibly uncomfortable for rest/sleep
-Preferably wear flip flops or open shoes -more comfortable plane ride
-Consider watching the documentaries on there - they are so interesting!
Arrival in HK:
-Get an Octopus card and load money onto it =easy travel to home -HK150 was sufficient for me for the first few days/first top up
note: cost of transport to and from the airport is much more expensive like most countries
Day 2: Sleep
-Get a sim and set up phone, contacts etc - I didn't answer unknown numbers and ignored unknown texts since most were likely to be advertising and as I wasn't on a plan so HK charged partially for incoming calls and texts unlike Australia which doesn't-Applied to renew my right to land non-permanent identity card before applying for a one day China visit visa
-Since I was going to China for a day getting a China visa was longer than expected - Prepare to wait around 4 working days to apply and receive one for around AUD$30 so plan ahead of time unless your prepared to pay AUD$100ish for an express one.
Day 3: Visiting all the markets day! (Mainly Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po)
Markets
Pros:
-can haggle to pretty much 50% off
-there is variety to a certain extent-about 10 of the stalls will sell the same thing that you see e.g. phone covers with the same designs
Cons:
-Haggling can be scary -I made a mistake by haggling during opening hours even though my dad warned me
-I found that I often got better quality in non-market stalls for the same price -when shops at shopping centres have sales it is equivalent to the price of something you'll get at the markets
e.g. with Uniqlo and Bossini they always have promotions and for Bossini we got a 30% off voucher so really good quality sweaters were AUD$10-15 which is the equivalent price of buying tops from markets
-when buying food from the little front of the restaurant shops, I was warned to consider the chance of food poisoning - its better off paying a little extra for a cleaner looking stall (non-popular/non-corner shops)
-careful when buying fake branded goods that are noticeable like bags - someone got fined at the airport
-toilets are very hard to find so preferably go when possible
Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon (Ladies street)
-Note to self for this street: do NOT go and try to haggle during opening hours which is around 10-12- the owners look super duper harmless (even a tiny asian lady) but once I spoke word of a lower price on two occasions they yelled and chased me down the street forcing (not literally but shouting to the point of having to give in) me to pay.
Haggling later say in the arvo or night is preferred.
Never have l been so scared to go to the markets ><
-If the item is not 100% liked, don't buy it -theres a high chance there will be something similar that will be of better quality and price. I find that all HK markets sell pretty much the same things yet they all survive.
Fa Yuen Street (neighbour east of ladies street)
This street is much more tame. I identified it by it's shorter shops. Plus, they don't chase you down the street and yell at you, they are more accepting. However, it is at the cost of being less likely to haggle as much.
Shops behind these market stalls
Don't forget these little shops. In my opinion they offer better things. My favourite one was Starry Fashion which has 2 stores on the street (it has a modern wooden interior)
Pros
-slightly better quality goods compared to market stalls
-still super cheap
-Lots of variety even though for clothes they sell many of the same styles of clothing
-still great customer service compared to Australia
-you take home a new one -they usually give you a new packaged version of what you want as opposed to Australia where the item of clothing you try on/are holding is the one you take home
Cons
-can't haggle
-can't try on clothes in majority of the stores
Goldfish street, Mongkok
Loved this street!
They sell other little adorable crawlies too like mice, rabbits and turtles
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| Fishies |
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| Three non-blind mice |
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| At that size, I swear the turtle could've swallowed the kid |
Pros:
-cheaper-There similar items to the ones sold on ladies street or fa yuen street here but for a cheaper price since they sell it at wholesale
-good for textiles
-it's very quiet compared to the other markets - good if you prefer more space
Cons:
-less suited to youth in my opinion - more for a bit older ladies
-hard to haggle/no haggling at all
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| You can identify the streets as they have these wholesale bags chucked everywhere on the street |
Mens street (next door to fashion street)
It is quite deserted but offers lots of shops for men for suits, casual, etc
Day 4: Visiting shopping centers day
Shops that I must mention:
UNIQLO
Uniqlo is amazing imo! At this point I must dedicate a whole section to it!
Why?
-I could almost guarantee that you would buy something from there
-It has lots of basics at affordable prices and when it has sales, it is even better. The good quality thick wool sweater were selling for AUD$18 which is a great price relative to Australian sweaters.
-The staff are super friendly and helpful - customer service like you've never seen in sydney, unfortunately. Further, they can ask other branches for the stock you want on the spot with their headsets, greet you when you come in, can measure you
-They offer free alterations (but not on the same day, I think you can pick it up a couple of days later)
-I've never experienced waiting in a fitting room line for more than one minute despite their hundreds of customers. That's because they only allow you to try on 3 at a time.
-great sale section - you can get really good quality tops or cardigans for around AUD$10 and jeans/work pants for AUD$15-25. All again, relatively cheap compared to Sydney stock.
The minor downsides?
-Just the 3 items per fitting room visit which is understandable for the efficient system that they have going on.
-If you exchange something you can't exchange it again or refund it. Bummer =(
-Some sizes are just never there. Even if they say they check in the back for you, they never come back with the size you want even if they do have it. However, if they didn't have the size during the sale periods, then come back when there isn't a sale, they restock in sizes and some out of stock items after sales.
-You can't refund items like leggings
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Favourite store!
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MUJI
MUJI is awesome too but too pricey for me to buy any clothing from there.
It sells interesting/creative clothes, cosmetics, food, furniture, like a mini department store but a unique one!
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MUJI has quirky food/tea/snacks
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Sasa This shop is amazing! Best part of it were the miniature sized fragrances and skincare you can buy for low prices relative to Sydney. (Apparently, they don't give out free samples in HK)
Haagen dazs They have these amazing little ice-cream fondues *dies*
Grand Century Place (has a good mix between high and low-end stores)
Where -MTR Mong Kok East Station
To me this was a good mix in-between expensive stores and less expensive stores. However, I didn't stay here long.
Pros:
Pros:
-8 stories
-they sell pretty much everything - Not just fashion brands but cosmetics, electricals, drugstore items, toys, gifts etc
-good food court but not that big
-cinema
Walked from GCP to Langham Place
Langham Place Shopping Mall (great mix of high and low-end )
Where - connected to Mong Kok MTR station
Woah 15 floors! In Australia, shopping centres are almost always less than 5 floors.
This place had the longest escalator I've ever seen in my life.
Pros:
-many interesting and creative shops - you could spend all day browsing the 15 levels.
-many interesting and creative shops - you could spend all day browsing the 15 levels.
-had shops that you would never see in Australia -H&m, interesting boutiques, MUJI, log-on (both creative shops)
-lots of good tourist attractions -had an amazing winter wonderland type display on one of it's top floors and other good visual merchandising scattered around the shopping centre.
Cons:
-the shops aren't too cheap- To me it was above what you expect to pay at shops like h&m (which has prices that I'd compare to Dotti, Forever new and Portmans in Australia) since they are boutique-y kind of shops.
Pacific Place shopping centre (more on the high-end side )
Where - connected to Admiralty MTR station
Pros
-This too has good tourist attractions but has lots of office buildings and hotels attached that you can't really explore
-4 stories
-Has zara, affordable sports wear shops
Cons
-Plenty of expensive luxury brands
-Has zara, affordable sports wear shops
Cons
-Plenty of expensive luxury brands
Queensway Plaza
Where- connected to pacific place shopping centre
-Huge corridor of cosmetic brands like bobbi brown, benefit etc brands you'd see in myer/david jones and lots of others that Australia doesn't offer
They even have a benefit cosmetics vending machine!
-a few mini clothing stores still on the pricier side imo
Took a tram to IFC mall
IFC mall (more on the high-end)
Pros:
-has a huge apple store
-has a huge apple store
-luxury mall with zara and other expensive shops
-cinema
-has posh bars and restaurants surrounding it
-not as crowded as other shopping centres (except the apple store as you can see)
-It has a Godiva store! Super expensive but delicious chocolate
-not as crowded as other shopping centres (except the apple store as you can see)
-It has a Godiva store! Super expensive but delicious chocolate
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| Crazy packed apple store |
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| Amazing Godiva Dark Chocolate shake - it has little bits of crushed Godiva chocolate in it - around AUD$4-5 |
Took a ferry from wharf next to IFC mall to Star Ferry Pier connecting to Harbour City
Harbour City shopping centre (high-end shops with the exception of a few)
Where - Tsim Sha Tsui
Pros:
-has fantastic tourist attractions - when I went a major alice in wonderland themed christmas trees and decorations filled the whole hallway leading to Harbour City
-has Uniqlo (favourite shop in hk) which is super affordable -but this branch didn't have many sizes because all the tourists shop there
-has great little dessert/chocolate shops scattered around
-has great little dessert/chocolate shops scattered around
Cons:
-expensive since it's mainly luxury brands
-very crowded
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| Great views from the ferry |
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| Great Christmas display |
Harbour City- Canton Road - the street with designer brands
Along Harbour City streets are all luxury brands with lots of tourists lining up just to get in
The part of the road that I loved the most is China Hong Kong City Outlets
They have a g2000, bossini, espirit, baleno, I.T, ISA and other good quality affordable brands and at much cheaper prices.
g2000 is good for work gear (I'd compare it to Myer Tokito City work clothes) -I managed to buy black work pants for AUD$12 in great condition which originally retailed for over AUD$30 and a collared work shirt for around AUD$15-20
Pros:
-has mainly luxury brands but a mix of h&m, sasa
-it has OUTLETS - cheap, not crowded, has fitting rooms that you can take a while in, great staff
-At the end of the street towards the avenue of stars is a super duper gorgeous european-like-architectured-shopping/tourist photo-area (not sure how to describe it!) if you turn in to an escalator opposite the road of Lukfook jewellery on Canton Road.
Cons:
-Nothing really if you're just doing window shopping besides the street being crowded
-Queues for branded shops
-Queues for branded shops
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| The luxury brands all over the road |
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| The european-like-architectured-shopping/tourist photo-area I was talking about! |
Walked from Canton Road end to the Avenue of Stars via the Convention centre
Avenue of Stars
Pros:
-great for tourist photos
Cons:
-Chinese tourists shotgun photo opportunities super duper fast haha
-lots and lots of tourists
Walked to the end of avenue of stars via Wing on plaza to Jordan MTR Station and trained it home
Day 5: Causeway Bay
Where- catch train to Causeway Bay MTR station
Sogo
Pros:
-huge department store with everything you need
-has a huge food hall on its lowest level with restaurants in it too
-Check out the sale floor
-they have elevator attendants :)
-Check out the sale floor
-they have elevator attendants :)
Cons:
-weekends and sale weekdays are super packed like sydney boxing day sales (preferably go on a weekday)
-If you want to get into the luxury brand shops like Gucci or something you have to queue up!
-Take the escalator, don't wait for the lift as the lift guard/lady told me
-If you want to get into the luxury brand shops like Gucci or something you have to queue up!
-Take the escalator, don't wait for the lift as the lift guard/lady told me
Forever 21 (men and women)
Pros:
-interesting to see the hype since theres no F21 in Australia
-has a men and women sale section on it's underground floor
-has sales but only when l went on the weekday
-huge 5 story building!
Cons:
-Woah amazing, it's stock goes so fast! I made a trip to F21 and then a few days later l went back and some items weren't in existence anymore
-fitting room lines are long - better to diversify by going on different levels
-not many promotions
-very crowded on weekends - preferably go on a weekday
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| 5 stories! |
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| Lots of ladies |
Lee Theatre
Where - 5 min walk from Sogo/Causeway bay MTR station
Pros:
-Had popular stores in HK - Uniqlo, MUJI, Espirit
-Not as crowded as other centres
Cons:
-only 4 levels and not many shops as uniqlo, MUJI and espirit take up each floor
-they don't stock as much as other branches of Uniqlo and MUJI despite taking up a whole floor each
World Trade Centre
Pros:
-similarly has interesting little stores
-has MUJI and Uniqlo
-small popular cosmetic stores
cons:
-nothing really special about it
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| Very modern looking shopping centre |
Day 6: Stanley markets
-Took a long bus ride to Stanley markets since you have to cross over mountains, a massive bridge, beaches etc to get to this tourist spot but it is worth it.
What I learnt- Don't buy from the tourist shops where you first walk in
What I learnt- Don't buy from the tourist shops where you first walk in
The more exposure the shop gets the more expensive it's goods are so keep walking in
Pros:
-They pretty much all sell the same things so don't accept the first thing you see, haggle haggle
-great tourist spot! walk along the water
-the restaurants there are beautiful but expensive
-probably the only place/time I ever saw the sun and blue skies!
-has a great pier to check out - Blake Pier
-it is extremely modern and western styled restaurants and shops + it has maccas!
-has a great pier to check out - Blake Pier
-it is extremely modern and western styled restaurants and shops + it has maccas!
Cons:
-sort of a long bus ride but it really depends where you're coming from - it is very far from central
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| Great views from the long bus ride |
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| One of the tourist shops |
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| Amazing views from behind the markets |
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| The exterior and interior designs of the buildings here are very westernized to cater to tourists |
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| HK's Ice-cream truck! |
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| Blake Pier |
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| A bus stop's seats haha |
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| The entrance of the markets |
Day 7: Ocean Park
Pros:
-not expensive at all around AUD $30 for an adult ticket if I remember correctly
-you can actually spend all day there!
-they have maccas inside
-the dolphin show
Cons:
-lots of walking
-very crowded with visitors from China
What I learnt?
- Bring rain coats to save money (they sell it at the rides for HK$25)
-the weather changes rapidly when moving up and down the mountain so bring a jacket
- be careful of some of the mini food stalls -I got food poisoning from the korean grilled octopus
-if in a rush, preferably don't take the cable car up or down- the train is faster moving up and down the two parts of ocean park
-preferably buy all souviners at the end at the shop on the left when you first walk in
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| Massive aquariums |
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| Panda prison! jk panda is just taking a little nap |
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| Panda butt |
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| A gigantic sloth resting upside down ><" |
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| I has a cheezie! |
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| Cute lostie penguin dawdling all over the place! |
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| Cable car view! |
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| Dolphin show was entertaining |
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| An ugly fish |
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| A huge variety of key rings to buy |
Day 8-Day 9: Recovery from food poisoning
Day 10: Yum cha!
One of the most loved Yum Cha's in HK is City Hall's Maxim's Palace Yum Cha
Pros:
-Not too expensive for really good yum cha - to fill 4 people it was around AUD$50-60 for brunch so AUD$12-15 per person for an amazing experience, food and views.
-they make their own food
-they a great variety - it caters very much to western visitors too
-great views overlooking the city and if not that great views of their chandeliers!
-relatively, it is not crowded
Cons:
-Get there when it first opens or else you'll be waiting a long time! Just one person to shotgun a table will be enough
Day 11: Times Square + Tai Koo
Times Square Shopping centre (high-end + a few low-end shops)
Where - get off at Causeway bay MTR station
Pros:
-It has so many levels!
-lots of electronic shops - very reliable to purchase cameras, phones, etc from here and they do offer really good freebies with a purchase
-lots of sportswear shops too
-great tourist attraction they have a christmas display on at the moment at the front of the centre and in the middle of it
-they have ben and jerrys and starbucks!
Cons:
-some shops are expensive
-very crowded on a weekend (sydney boxing day sale style crowded)
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| It is worth the squint! Ben and Jerrys!! |
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| Their Christmas display + the amount of people you'd expect on a weekday! |
CityPlaza in Tai Koo (on the low-middle end)
Where - connected to Tai Koo MTR Station
This is probably one of my favourite shopping centres in HK, very similar to west fields in sydney
Pros:
-it's store have lots of stock as it is relatively less crowded
-much more affordable yet fantastic shops like h&m, uniqlo, MUJI, bossini
-has affordable department stores like wing-on, APITA
-great for electronics too with FORTRESS, Broadway
-has an ice rink
-has a massive maccas!
-very spacious (a bit too much space) and not crowded
-so easy to get to its connected to the MTR station and it has two sides to shop at
-has great christmas displays
Cons:
-nothing really!
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| So spacious! |
Jusco in Tai Koo
Where - connected to Tai Koo MTR Station (the other side of the city plaza exit)
Pros:
-great supermarket on its lowest floor (lots of samples!)
-affordable department store with lots of sales
Cons:
-nothing really, relative to other department stores
Day 12: China and Citygate Outlets
Went on a one day trip to China to visit the cemetery for relatives.
China
-Bussed and trained it all the way to Lo Wu MTR station
-At this station you can cross the border between HK and China by foot
-The border is connected to the station and you just go through the typical passport checks, customs etc
What I learnt:
-Since I had a Right to Land, I had to fill in an entry into China form at the border (apparently my brother didn't have to last year which was odd) and I had to line up at the 'stamp one', not the hong kong resident line 'no stamp'. I was a bit confused since the lady directing people originally told me to line up in the foreigners line but if a China Visa and/or Right to land is mentioned then you can avoid the foreigners line.
-Permanent residents of Hong Kong just need their ID cards to get through to China - so easy peasy for them, no visa needed.
-At the crossing of the border make sure all your valuables are on you
-Also when catching a taxi, pay them the exact fare, no counterfeits.
-I turned off my phone in China just because of roaming charges and they partially charge you for incoming calls/texts even from advertisers
-use the toilets at Lo Wu station if you can even though there is queue because once you enter china their toilets aren't as clean (i.e. hole in the ground and no toilet paper) as HK
-bring your own toilet paper for China they don't provide it and wear enclosed shoes because you'll be stepping on pee and slippery surfaces everywhere
-people smoke inside restaurants
Took a van to the mountains where the cemetery is located and it was a beautiful view. So peaceful.
It is your responsibility to look after your relatives graves but there are people there who ask for money in return for cutting the hedges in front of the grave, cleaning it, and taking care of your rubbish.
On the way back more yum cha and went back to Lo Wu station
From here Dad and I went to Sha Tin MTR station
Sha Tin - Citylink Plaza and New Town Plaza
This was the MOST crowded shopping centre that I visited in HK.
Both combined are huge. I went on a weekday and it was as crowded as boxing day sales in sydney x 2!
Pros:
-They have so many shops you could stay there all day - from low end to high end
-has the popular shops like sasa, h&m, uniqlo, yata, muji, zara, city super and lots of cosmetic brands like jurilique, loccitane, crabtree and evelyn
-has an outdoor playground called Snoopy's world!
Cons:
-It is ridiculously crowded even on a weekday
-Went to Yata and it was impossible to buy anything or even walk around. They do have an amazing food court though
Citygate Outlets
Where - connected to Tung Chung MTR station
This outlet was great. Great for international brands and it is especially great for sportswear! Very similar to DFO in Sydney
Pros:
-not crowded (but I heard it gets crowded on weekends)
-has a sasa on its bottom level (but all the prices are the same as other sasa stores)
-has some shops you can get huge savings on like giordano, the body shop, adidas, nike relative to their non-outlet branches
-known for good savings on sports gear
-known for good savings on sports gear
Cons:
-Lots of branded shops there but if you are getting huge savings then this wouldn't be a con - Burberry, Kate Spade, Bally, Ralph Lauren
-Long commute- it is one stop after disneyland which is still quite far for most
Day 13: Last minute visits + airport
-Last minute gift buying
-Bus to airport took longer than expected! Note to self: leave a huge time buffer between waiting for the bus and airport arrival time.
-Customs in HK is much more stricter than Australia but faster if you don't have to go through customs.
-Customs in HK is much more stricter than Australia but faster if you don't have to go through customs.
Airport
-They have a disneyland shop in the airport! So if you didn't get to go to disneyland you can still buy some things!
-note to self: preferably go to quarantine (anything declared below the first yellow line on the Incoming Passenger Card)(bag scan) vs. customs (anything declared above the first yellow line on the Incoming Passenger card OR nothing declared (I think? )) (bag search) as the process is x3 faster
Day 14: Back in Australia
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| So spacious in Australia compared to HK |
So overall, in my opinion...
Best places to shop - Mong Kok, Causeway Bay and Tai Koo Cityplaza.
Best place to get electronics - usually people wouldn't say reputable electronic store chains but honestly it is worth the reliability - so I'd say at any FORTRESS or BROADWAY branches - you just have to compare the extra freebies/accessories they provide you with your purchase to determine which one is better because they can't lower the set price.
For warranty on cameras - I was told only sony and fujifilm have international warranty.
For warranty on cameras - I was told only sony and fujifilm have international warranty.
Best shops in HK - Uniqlo, Forever 21, h&m and outlets (China Hong Kong City in-town outlets and Citygate outlets)
Must sees - Ocean Park and Disneyworld
Insane shopping experience - New Town Plaza in Sha Tin
Best Yum Cha experience - City Hall Maxim's palace yum cha