Hong Kong Travel Tips | How Expensive Is Hong Kong? - VoiceTube: Learn English through videos!

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Alright guys, so in today's video we are going to be sharing some travel tips for Hong Kong
and also letting you know how expensive is Hong Kong?
Yeah, how expensive is Hong Kong?
I think we all know the answer to that.
Yeah, it is quite expensive but there is also some really cool aspects about Hong Kong (香港)
almost unlike any other city we've visited.
There is a plethora of free things to do and budget eats.
Budget eats and also transportation is really cheap.
But we're going to break everything down and let you know the costs for Hong Kong.
Okay so first up let's get started with transportation from the airport in to Kowloon (九龍) or
Hong Kong Island (香港島).
Right and like our last travel tips video we've got our notes on our computer so you'll
see us looking down from time to time.
We just don't want to miss anything.
Alright, so the first point we have is arriving by Airport Express.
And that is what we did getting in to Hong Kong.
It is like this really fast train that takes you right in to the city.
You can get off at Kowloon (九龍) or you can go all the way to Hong Kong Island at
Central station.
And it super efficient, really fast, very comfortable.
Um, in terms of the price so you're looking at a $100 Hong Kong dollars all the way to
Central or you're looking at $90 Hong Kong Dollars to Kowloon station.
So that is about $11 to $12 USD dollars.
Something else important to know is that they have free porters to help you bring on your
luggage.
Fancy.
We didn't take advantage of that service.
No one helped us with our bags.
No but if you do have trouble getting your bags on to the train there is someone that
is apparently available to help you do that.
Good to know.
That is really good to know.
Um, an even cheaper option is the buses.
And there is a bus called the a bus system called the Cityflyer and this is how we got
back to the airport.
From the city to the airport when we were leaving.
Yeah and prices can range anywhere from 10 Hong Kong Dollars to 48.
Ah, it is going to be closer to the forty eight range if you're leaving anywhere from
the centre of Hong Kong (香港) which is what we did.
And you're looking at like five to six US bucks for that.
This is also quite a comfortable way to get to the airport.
I remember I think it was air conditioned inside.
I fell asleep so I don't remember much.
Yeah, I mean they have a little section for you to put your luggage and yeah uh as long
as there is not a lot of traffic then it is a fairly efficient way to get from the airport
to the city or vice versa from the city back to the airport.
So we can also recommend doing that.
Especially if you want to save a little bit of money.
And the last option that we have here is taking a taxi.
Oh man.
And that is going to cost you a lot.
That is anywhere from 250 to 350 Hong Kong dollars.
So you're looking at around forty maybe fifty US bucks to get you in to the city.
And I guess the only time we'd recommend taking that is if you were in maybe like a super
rush.
Something like that.
But otherwise why wouldn't you take the first two options.
Save some money guys.
So for accommodations you have a few different options but we're going to tell you right
now it is going to be pricey.
This is probably the most expensive city in all of Asia for accommodation.
And you're not going to get a whole lot of space.
If you watched our Hong Kong hotel room tour there is a shot where Sam is like touching
the two walls.
It was tiny.
And like the beds were tiny as well.
You kind of feel like a giant when you're in a typical Hong Kong hotel room.
You do.
But anyways your best bet if you're traveling on a budget would be a hostel.
So how much would you say that is.
So the dorm rooms can be anywhere from about 17 to 30 US dollars and the price range reflects
on where you're staying and also the quality of the hostel.
Yeah.
So that is about as cheap as it gets.
Also you can sometimes get like a really cheap flop house.
What we call a flop house at that price.
Which technically is your own room but it is almost like it is so small it is almost
like a closet.
Yeah.
So you're not going to get a tonne of value at that price range.
That is just like the rock bottom price for accommodations in Hong Kong (香港).
So the next step up would be kind of like a budget or mid-range hotel.
And that is what we did.
Yeah.
For our visit to Hong Kong (香港).
Yeah.
And well you paid.
Tell us the price.
Yeah, I think we were paying around sixty or seventy US dollars.
And it was the nicest place we've ever stayed in Hong Kong.
But it was super tiny.
Nice.
What was really cool about our particular room is that it had a really good shower.
Yeah.
But everything else was really small.
Our bed was super tiny.
Our desk was like almost a bit of a joke.
Like I could barely sit down on the stool.
But um yeah this is what you're going to pay and it is usually about 40 US dollars all
the way up to a 100.
So we were still on the lower range of that scale.
I think our room was typically around 80 dollars but we found it on special so it had a bit
of a discount.
But still you don't get a lot of space for that amount of money.
Yeah, I don't think you really start getting like typical small hotel space until you're
spending at least probably over a 100 US dollars.
So yeah.
It is very expensive.
Yeah.
So the next option would be to do a luxury hotel.
A luxury hotel.
Yeah, how much would that be?
100s of dollars.
Thousands of dollars.
Well over two hundred and probably like anywhere from two hundred to five hundred to six hundred
US dollars.
Depending on location.
Yeah, if you want to live it up you definitely can in Hong Kong (香港).
Woo!
And then the other option would be to do an AirBnB or an apartment rental.
And between the thirty five and eighty dollar range you can usually get a room in someone's
house.
Um, closer to the eighty dollar range sometimes you can get a really small room but it is
almost more like a hotel size.
Like a tiny hotel.
But then if you're bump it up to the 80 to 200 dollar range sometimes you can get a whole
apartment or a studio.
Something like that.
So that is something to consider.
We didn't do that on our trip but maybe in hindsight that might have been a good idea.
So another place that you could consider staying in as a traveling on a budget is the infamous
Chungking Mansions.
Hahaha.
Ooh.
Yeah.
Um, that place is scary.
That place is it is kind of this sort of rundown building it is near the Tsim Sha Tsui (尖沙咀)
area of Kowloon (九龍) and um yeah it is also a good place to get a curry.
You can get some really good Indian food but I remember a few years back we were looking
at rooms in there and it is like dark and damp and run down and super sketchy characters
outside.
Yeah but that is about as cheap as you're going to get.
Yes.
If you're looking for excellent.
If you're looking for ultra hardcore backpacker beeline it to there.
Yeah.
But some other cool areas also on Kowloon (九龍) to consider is Mong Kong.
It is a really cool busy area.
You're nearby a lot of really good night markets.
Lots of good restaurants.
The Ladies Market.
Yep.
Yep.
And also the Temple Street Night Market is nearby too.
And if you want to go to Hong Kong Island (香港島) there was one time it was before
I met you where I stayed at a hostel at Cow's Way Bay.
Cow's way?
Cow's way bay.
Causeway Bay.
Not Cow's Way Bay.
Causeway Bay.
So next up let's talk about transportation around the city.
And Hong Kong is a place where you have like so many different types of transportation.
You've got the ferry, you've got the subway, you have double decker buses.
So plenty of options that is for sure.
Trams.
You've got it all.
You've got it all.
And the card that you're going to want to pickup to travel on all of those options is
the Octopus Card.
You can pick it up right from the airport and I think it is called the Octopus card
because of the what the eight arms.
8 arms.
Are there 8 modes of transportation in Hong Kong?
I think so.
I think that is what it is.
I don't think I could list all 8 of them.
Me neither.
Anyways yeah you can pick it up right at the airport.
Um, and then it is one of those reloadable cards that you can just deposit some money
on it and it makes transportation so much more efficient because there are certain modes
of transportation in Hong Kong where if you're paying by cash or coins you need the exact
fare.
Or you won't get anything back.
Yeah.
No change.
Right.
Right.
So if you have the Octopus Card you avoid that.
And it is also a really versatile card in the sense that you can use it for some museums,
you can use it in certain convenience stores.
Apparently you can use it in McDonald's.
We didn't try that there but yeah it is one of those really highly versatile transportation
travel cards.
Well worth getting.
So the transportation we actually ended up using the most especially when we were pressed
for time was the MTR.
Which is Hong Kong's metro subway system.
And it is an awesome way to get around.
It is cheap, it is efficient, it is clean.
It can be extremely crowded during peak times.
Oh yes.
So try to avoid rush hour.
Otherwise you are like a sardine squeezed into a can.
Uh huh.
Literally.
And there was times where it was just so full we couldn't get on.
We couldn't get on.
Like the train just left and we were waiting for the next one.
So had to try the next one.
Yeah.
So that is what the experience like is there.
And moving on from there.
So we talked a bit about the trams.
Now this is probably in terms of like ground transportation this is my favorite way to
see Hong Kong (香港).
The double decker trams.
And this is on Hong Kong Island and they are just so cool.
It is just such an iconic and old fashioned of getting around the city.
Especially if you can go up to the second level.
And so the thing to note here is that you enter through the rear and your fare is paid.
You pay your fare when you're actually exiting the tram.
After your ride.
So that is kind of cool.
Um, so yeah definitely try to go up to the second level.
Sometimes it can be a bit crowded on there as well.
So if you see one that is really packed maybe let that one go by and hop on the next one.
And in terms of the price there is a flat rate of Hong Kong dollars two dollars and
thirty cents which in US dollars is about thirty cents.
So it is ridiculously cheap to go on here.
Um, this is somewhere where you'd want to pay with your Octopus Card or have exact change
because they don't give change back on here.
So another form of transportation you can consider in Hong Kong is the Peak Tram that
takes you up to Victoria Peak where you get some amazing views over the city.
Yeah.
But that is actually a sightseeing attraction so we're going to mention that later.
Yeah.
And let's move on to Sam's favorite modes of transportation.
My absolute favorite.
The ferry!
Yes, the Star Ferry going from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon crossing Victoria Harbor is just
so so cool.
Apparently, this is been in operation let me see here.
I had it written down.
So it has been going for over a 120 years.
So it is it is I've mentioned this in our city guide.
Like our things to do guide.
I think it is the most iconic way of seeing Hong Kong.
I believe it is an eleven minute ride and if I look at my notes here it is only like
between two fifty and three forty Hong Kong Dollars.
So you're talking like between thirty and fifty US cents to get on a ride.
So it is just so cheap.
It is such a fun way to experience the harbour and also the skyline in Hong Kong.
Especially cool if you get on the Star Ferry during a Symphony of Lights laser show.
Or at sunset.
Yes, or at sunset.
And um you know what it can be crowded during the rush hour but I find like during the middle
of the day it is usually not very crowded at all.
But even if it is crowded it is still something we recommend taking for sure.
So now let's talk about free attractions in the city.
There is quite a bit that you can do for free around Hong Kong (香港).
So first up we would recommend checking out a Symphony of Lights and this is like a music
and laser light show on the harbor.
And it takes place both on Hong Kong Island (香港島) and Kowloon.
Yep.
But I would recommend being on Kowloon looking out to Hong Kong Island because they have
a really cool skyline.
And it just looks amazing once the lights come and it all starts flickering and flashing.
It is really cool.
So some other really cool free things to do in Hong Kong and this is really awesome because
the museums.
At least three museums are free on Wednesday.
Oh.
So the ones that you can go in to for free on Wednesday are the Hong Kong Heritage Museum,
the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
So keep that in mind if you're going to be there.
If you're going to be in Hong Kong for a whole week maybe plan your museum day on Wednesday.
So for some great free views of Hong Kong we recommend going to Central Plaza.
You can go up to the 46th floor which is called the Sky Lobby and there was hardly anyone
there when we went.
Like we were what maybe there was one other person.
Yeah.
Seriously.
And you get incredible views looking out over the harbor and you can see the other really
tall buildings and you get a great view of the skyline.
It is awesome.
You can actually get 360 degree views.
You can walk around in a circle and it is all like glass windows from floor to ceiling.
And you don't have to pay.
I can't believe it is not more popular.
It is really worth visiting.
Yeah, it is really underrated.
I would say it is the most underrated thing we did in Hong Kong.
There is hardly anyone there when we visited in the morning.
Alright, so moving on to something else that is free there is a lot of really cool parks
you can visit in Hong Kong for free.
Two of our favorites were Hong Kong Park which is a really nice park on Hong Kong Island.
There is an aviary there is just a lot of really nice places to walk around.
It is really lush, really green.
It is kind of like this tiny little oasis escape in the middle of the city.
It is kind of in the heart of the city.
And then the next one we really liked was Kowloon Park which was on the side of Kowloon
which is where we were staying basically.
That is another really nice park.
It is very big and very spread out.
Um, highly recommend going for a walk there.
So something else you can consider doing in Hong Kong is hiking.
There are a lot of different hiking trails.
One of the most famous being the Dragon's Back.
Another place we really enjoyed visiting that was absolutely free except for getting there
was the Tian Tan Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery.
Admission to those two places is completely free to visitors.
You just have to pay to take the cable car there.
Right.
Or if you want to go an even cheaper route and I did this several years ago, you can
take the bus up there.
And you don't have to wait in line for that unlike the cable car.
Okay, the next one that we have here is the Temple Street Night Market.
So obviously if you want to eat or shop you're going to pay some money but if you just want
to take it in you can walk through the market for free.
Um, the Noon Day Gun.
This was the one attraction that I really wanted to do in Hong Kong (香港).
I don't know why I liked it so much.
It is a little bit quirky.
Just every day at noon they fire this off.
It is basically near Causeway Bay.
And you have to go underground to get to there.
You have to go through like an underground parking place.
So two other places that we really enjoyed visiting were the Chi Lin Nunnery and the
Nan Lian Gardens and the two are located right next to each other.
They have beautiful gardens with like bonsai and waterfalls and lakes and it is just really
quiet.
Really pleasant.
They play soft music while you're walking through the gardens.
It is very tranquil.
It is just a lovely place to go for a stroll.
Yeah.
And finally so we've done ten things here.
10 free things!
It is the Avenue of Stars and unfortunately this is under construction at the moment.
They are renovating.
Hopefully by the time you visit it will be open again.
And this is where you can see like the iconic Bruce Lee statue.
Yeah and it is basically an area along the waterfront so you also get great views of
the city from there.
So we've talked about free attractions and now we're going to tell you about some attractions
that you're going to have to pay for but these are iconic experiences in Hong Kong so you'll
most likely want to dish out those bills.
Yeah most definitely.
So the thing we recommend doing the most obviously is taking the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak.
And that is like such a steep tram ride.
It is like oh my gosh.
It is like a rollercoaster.
You're like lifting back.
Seriously.
Yeah, exactly and in terms of the price I have it written down here.
So if you just do the Peak Tram only and not the observation deck which is what we did.
You can get some really good free views when you go up top.
It is going to cost you for a return ticket 45 Hong Kong Dollars.
So that is just under 6 US dollars.
So it is actually not that expensive and it is something that we highly recommend.
Although it can be quite crowded lining up to get on it.
Yes.
So be prepared to wait a bit.
And if you don't want to if you kind of want to beat the crowds then don't go right at
night because that is probably the most popular time.
Also it is really popular on the weekends.
So considering going on a weekday maybe mid-afternoon before yeah sunset.
It would be really good time to go.
So now we're going to move on to our favorite part.
The food and the eating and what should you eat.
So first up we're going to recommend a really well known restaurant.
Tim Ho Wan.
They specialize in dim sum and they are a Michelin Star restaurant that is surprisingly
affordable and the food is amazing.
Yeah, and I just have to mention sorry for the construction noises.
There is some building going on.
Ah but yeah we'll just roll with it.
Roll with it.
But yeah Tim Ho Wan is really cool because it is affordable dim sum Michelin star quality
and there is several locations so definitely check it out.
But also don't be afraid to check out your local neighborhood dim sum place because dim
sum is just awesome in Hong Kong and we ate it at several different restaurants while
we were there.
Yeah, we found a little local spot that actually had discounts if you ate mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
Yeah, so it was like 15% off.
15% off.
Sometimes our bill would be just like over 10 dollars for the two of us.
Yeah, for a lot of dim sum.
Yeah, so it is cheap.
It is affordable, it is delicious.
Oh man is it ever good.
But aside from dim sum there are other cool foods that you can try.
So what else?
So in terms of other things you can have congee which is juk.
It is kind of like a juk for breakfast but you can also get it anytime of day.
So a juk is a porridge.
You used a Korean word.
Hahaha.
Why is he speaking Korean?
Yeah, I don't know why.
But then you can also get roasted pork over rice which is also really delicious and there
is also really nice baked goods.
Like there is something called wife cake and then of course the iconic Hong Kong egg tarts.
So yeah there is a lot of really good foods to try in Hong Kong.
That is just a few of them.
So now let's talk about a fancy meal.
Not on this last visit but a few years ago we went out for afternoon tea at the Peninsula
Hotel.
Oh my.
Yeah.
That was not a good day for Sam because they do not allow you to make reservations.
So we probably stood in line for two and a half hours and Sam was sulking and then he
refused to come on camera and make a video about it.
Yeah, I lost my cool that day.
I mean it is a really awesome thing to do but you really need to be prepared to wait
for a while.
Yeah.
And it is the most famous place to have tea in Hong Kong and it is cool.
I mean it is popular for good reason.
Yeah, I mean it is a beautiful setting.
But.
It is a beautiful hotel and they have classical music.
Like there is people playing the harp and the violins.
So it is fancy but long wait times and it is expensive.
Right so I'm going to talk about the price right now.
So for two people currently it is 658 Hong Kong Dollars which is roughly about $85 US
dollars.
So you're looking at tea.
You're looking at over $40 dollars per person.
It does come with a generous amount of finger sandwiches and yummy snacks but yeah it is
not cheap.
There is an alternative.
There is a lot of alternative places to have tea in Hong Kong.
And the place we ended up going to recently was a place called the Lion Rock.
So what we did is we called them up for a reservation the same day that we went which
is incredible.
And we arrived on time, we were able to sit down right away and within minutes we were
served our tea and we had really amazing set of sweets and savory foods as well.
And that one was quite a bit cheaper.
I have the price here.
428 Hong Kong Dollars for two people.
Knock.
Ready.
And we are back.
They came knocking to clean our rooms so we've actually been gone a few hours.
We had lunch.
Lunch.
Met up with friends.
We had a little siesta with friends.
The lighting has changed.
So we're not going to pretend we're just rolling seamlessly.
Anyways, we were talking about tea.
The price.
The price.
Afternoon tea.
Right so the price of afternoon tea we were talking about at the Lion Rock and yep that
is 428 Hong Kong Dollars for two people.
And that is basically $54 US dollars so about $27 or $28 per person.
Yeah, it is cheaper.
A lot more affordable than the Peninsula we can tell you that.
Yeah, the advantage are it is cheaper and more affordable and you can make a reservation,
arrive and have it exactly at the time you booked.
That is really nice.
So next up we're going to talk about things we loved about Hong Kong.
Yeah and there is quite a bit we loved about Hong Kong (香港).
So the first being all of the free attractions.
And we've already listed ten of those so we won't ramble on about that.
But Hong Kong is just a city where almost most of the things we ended up doing ended
up being free.
Yeah and it kind of balances out nicely because accommodation is going to eat up a big chunk
of your budget.
Yeah.
But then you can go sightseeing and not necessarily have to spend a lot of money.
Yeah, you could literally plan the whole day just around free activities.
So that is pretty awesome.
Okay, next up.
Second, dim sum.
And I wrote in my notes dim sum is amazing.
Haha.
And it is.
Haha.
I don't know what else to say beyond that.
It is just such tasty food.
It is cheap.
And it is just all over Hong Kong.
And you know what with dim sum you can eat it anytime of day.
Right.
We were having this for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Sometimes it is like a mid-afternoon snack.
Let's get dim sum.
Yeah, exactly.
It is such a versatile meal.
You can have it for lunch or you can have it as a snack.
Exactly.
And we ate it a lot.
Okay number three.
Most diverse and interesting options of transportation in any city we've visited.
Like I can't think of any other city where you can take a ferry, where you can take a
tram, where you can take the metro, where you can be in a cable car or you can take
a steep peak tram going up.
It is just options galore and everything is really efficient.
Everything is cheap and affordable.
And that is what is awesome about Hong Kong is it is so easy to get around and there is
so many different options you can choose from.
My suggestion would be to try them all.
Especially the tram and the star ferry.
Another thing we loved about Hong Kong is the views.
Like I think this is a city that has such an iconic skyline.
Yeah.
Especially at night when the lights come on.
It is really amazing.
Yeah, it is cool and if you keep revisiting the city it is always changing.
There is always a new building.
Skyscrapers.
Yep.
Yeah, it is amazing by day and also by night.
So and from different vantage points.
It is really cool from Victoria Peak and it is great on Kowloon where you can see like
the laser and a Symphony of Lights show.
Like there is just so many different cool vantage points where you can see the skyline
and like we mentioned it is totally iconic.
So number five, Hong Kong is a dynamic city and there are not too many comparisons.
Like it is just an assault on the senses.
Exactly.
And there is just so many people, there is so much going on in terms of transportation.
It is just a very exciting city.
You can feel the pulse of the city almost anywhere all the time.
Anytime of day.
But you know what?
That can be a good and a bad thing.
So now this is going to be our transition into things we didn't necessarily love about
Hong Kong.
And there were a few.
So I would say number one for me is the crowds.
There are certain areas in the city or certain times of day where it can feel quite claustrophobic.
Yep.
And we've also been in Hong Kong before during holidays and festivals.
Ooh.
Celebrations.
Yeah we were in Mong Kong and like there was times where we would look out our apartment
window and we're not going to even bother going out.
Yeah.
It just looked like ants scurrying across the street.
Yeah at night.
And as an example I remember a few years ago we decided we wanted to go to the movies on
a Friday or a Saturday night.
It was probably like six or seven PM so we thought oh we'll just walk over to the movie
theatre and buy a ticket.
And we got there and everything was sold out.
For the whole day.
For the whole night.
Nothing.
It is a place where there are so many people that sometimes you need to actually like make
reservations and bookings in advance if there is something you really want to do.
Yeah, exactly so it is a bit of a double edged sword.
You can get swept up by the excitement of the city but is also can be overwhelming especially
when you're feeling a little rundown or a little tired.
Maybe a little sick.
All the crowds can be really overwhelming.
Okay so the next thing is uh I'll just perfectly blunt it is some of the worst value accommodations
you'll find in Asia.
For what you spend like you're just getting very cramped type of quarters and unless you're
willing to splurge and Hong Kong might be the city that if you've been if you have the
resources to splurge it might be worth it.
Yeah.
Because we don't.
You really pay for what you get and at our price range that we paid.
It is quite a bit higher than what we paid in a lot of other cities in Asia.
We had paper thin walls, we could touch our walls.
Babies crying at night.
Couples fighting.
We didn't have one good sleep to be honest because there was babies crying at night and
then there was construction during the day.
So that was a it weared on us over time.
The accommodations.
And the last thing is that uh nightlife and fine dining can get a little bit pricey.
And you would expect that in a big developed city like Hong Kong.
So I just like if you're going out for drinks it is going to be pricey.
It is a lot cheaper to get your drinks from a convenience store and have them at home.
Yeah but I would still experience the nightlife.
At least once.
I think it is a city that you have to experience at least once in your life.
It is truly impressive.
It is amazing and it is just so iconic.
So I would say go to Hong Kong but maybe save up your cash so you can actually have fun,
stay in the types of hotels you want to and maybe splurge on a few experiences and really
enjoy it.
And if you're someone that doesn't have enough money for like a more expensive accommodations
than just plan to be out most of the day.
You don't want to spend a lot of time in your room.
If it is that small.
Yeah.
Anyways we recommend going to Hong Kong.
We loved it.
We've been there many times and we will probably be back in the future.
So those are our tips for Hong Kong.
We hope you found some of this information helpful.
If there is anything else you want to know about this city maybe leave us a question
in the comments below and we'll try to answer that.
Exactly.
If not if you're a local feel free to answer those in the comments.
Because yeah we are just visitors and the local perspective is always better.
So yeah signing off and do visit Hong Kong if you get the chance.
See you later.
Ciao.