Getting Around Hong Kong – Public Transport
As of every country, there are 4 main modes of public transports in Hong Kong. This post will serve as a guide to tourists who are on a free an easy tour in Hong Kong. Hopefully it’ll make your holiday trip planning easier after reading this.
Taxis / Cabs
Unlike Singapore, taxis can be categorised into 3 main types depending on their colour. Red coloured taxis serve the city areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong, and their meter rates are more expensive. Green taxis only serve the “New Territories”, e.g. Shatin, Ma On Shan, Tai Po, etc. Lastly, Blue coloured cabs should be only located within Lantau Island.
Clockwise from Left: Red Taxi - Hong Kong, Kowloon; Blue Taxi - Lantau Island, Green Taxi - New Territories
Some of the red taxis are only familiar with the roads in Kowloon. So if you’re hiring a cab from there, to Hong Kong island, always make sure that they know the route before you hop on.
Last I recall, cab fares started at about HK$15 (approx S$3). The cost of travelling from Hong Kong to Kowloon (or vice versa), would be in the region of HK$70. Ultimately it depends on the exact location. If you’re crossing over from Kowloon to Hong Kong or vice versa, I’d suggest to take the ferry / MTR, then change to a taxi.
MTR (Trains)
In my opinion, Hong Kong’s underground train system is probably one of the best in Asia, if not the world. The only other train system I can think of that’s worth comparing to is the one at Tokyo. In Singapore we only have about 3 different lines till date.
Hong Kong MTR Map
To be honest, I think Singapore’s train system is nothing compared to Hong Kong. Its true our trains are cleaner and more spacious, but in terms on convenience, we are still far away from their standard. Just take a look at Hong Kong’s MTR network and you’ll know why.
Moreover, each station has countless number of exits. Hence as long as you know where you’re going, trains are even more convenient than taxis. Reason being that taxis are only allowed to stop at designated locations. In Hong Kong many places are restricted to cars stopping, similar to Singapore’s “double yellow zig-zag” line. Hence you may have to walk a distance after alighting the cab, in order to reach your destination.
In short, the MTR network connects their commuters to almost anywhere, be it Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories, Lantau Island, or even Mainland China! Impressive isn’t it? Point to note though, always always avoid the rush hour.
Buses & Trams
I shan’t explain too much about buses since its more or less the same anywhere. If you’re a tourist, I suggest that you skip the bus rides unless you really know which bus number to take. Here’s the official bus website.
Hong Kong Tram
On the other hand, if you’re travelling within Hong Kong island itself, then the tram is a good transport option. For starters, its very cheap (approx HK$1 or S$0.20) per ride. On top of that, the route it takes is very direct. The tram takes you from one end of Hong Kong island to the other, cutting through the city area with lots of stops in between. (North Point -> Causeway Bay ->Wan Chai -> Admiralty -> Central -> Sheung Wan)
I think there’s approximately one stop every 500m. So you can hop on and off at any one point in time. If you over shoot, just alight and walk back. Simple as that.
Ferry
Hong Kong is actually made up of two portions. Hong Kong island, and Kowloon, with a huge waterway dividing them apart. Hence Ferries play an important role as a public transport to the locals. Many use it to cross over either to work or to head home, though for those who are rushing for time, the MTR is a much more viable option.
Star Ferry Hong Kong
Star Ferry takes you from Central Hong Kong, across to Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon. The ride takes no more than 10mins, with each interval being about 15mins or less. As a tourist to Hong Kong, I’d definitely think you shouldn’t miss this out. Star Ferry takes you through one of the busiest harbours in the world, and the view across the waterway is simply magnificent in the day, yet magical at night.
Hong Kong Night Scene
With that the guide to getting around Hong Kong comes to an end. Its rather basic, but I hope it helps you guys understand the Hong Kong public transport system better. Have fun in the meantime!
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