The best of both worlds.

Hong Kong has long been a popular entry and exit point for families adopting from China, for two key reasons:

First, kids coming over from China with Western visas do not require special permission or paperwork to enter Hong Kong, as long as they have arrangements in place for onward travel.

Second, flight options out of Hong Kong are more plentiful than from Guangzhou, and often somewhat less expensive.

Hong Kong’s blend of Chinese culture and energy, and British organization and language, in a compact, easy-to-get-around city with great food, fun activities for families, and gracious and helpful citizens, makes it an ideal place to start transitioning back to Western society and your everyday life.

Guangzhou and Hong Kong are the bookends of the Pearl River Delta, and about as far apart as Chicago-Milwaukee or Montreal-Ottawa. There are numerous and inexpensive shuttles between the cities - express trains, buses, and even high-speed ferries. There are dedicated services taking passengers directly to Hong Kong International Airport, or you can choose a service that delivers you into the central city, if you plan to stay for a few days. Your adoption agency representative will arrange a transfer from your Guangzhou hotel to the appropriate station for your mode of transport. You will go through an immigration and Customs check - usually at the border - but this does not take very long.

Layout of the City

Hong Kong is made up of several different regions, each with completely different attractions and personalities:

1. •Kowloon
   

If you take the train or bus and are planning to stay in HK for a few days, you’ll probably end up in Kowloon, famous for being “the most densely-populated district on Earth.” It’s true - the forest of residential towers is stunning.

Most Western hotel chains have outposts on the southern end of the peninsula, in the neighborhood called Tsim Sha Tsui (TZIM-sha-TZway). Many inexpensive, kid-friendly museums line the harborfront, as well as a mile-long promenade with amazing views of the city, boats parading by, and statues of famous HK movie stars. At 8:00 pm every night, walk down to the waterfront and be treated to a laser light show that fills the entire harbor.

Modern shopping centers, department stores, and open-air markets are located throughout this area, along with limitless dining options. From here, you can catch the famous Star Ferry across the harbor to other neighborhoods, or take the convenient subway (MTR) to many other parts of the city.

1. •Hong Kong Island - North Side
   

The high-rise, high-fashion, high-rent districts hugging the heart of the northern shoreline also serve as the transportation hub of the city - most MTR lines, ferry routes, and the Airport Express high-speed line all converge at Central. This is the financial capital, dominated by bank headquarters, luxury shopping, and expensive automobiles. Uphill from the harbor are the iconic skyscrapers in the “Mid-Levels”, topped by the city’s ultimate attraction, Victoria Peak.

Tall mountains bisect the island, and while there are mansions up along the peaks, there are also verdant jungles, parkland, and extensive hiking trails.

Back along the waterfront, to the eastern and western sides are more-everyday working-class neighborhoods such as Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, accessible by double-decker tram.

1. •Hong Kong Island - South Side
   

Facing the Pacific Ocean, the jumble of harbors, mountains, and rocky peninsulas that make up this half of the island were home to traditional fishing villages, inaccessible except by boat. Today, an expressway tunnel has punched through the mountain range, opening up the coast to development and turning sleepy little towns into desirable beachfront housing colonies. Yet, the charm of the original villages has managed to hold on - and the better access makes it easy for you to explore by convenient, frequent bus service to all the towns.

Ocean Park, the city’s biggest amusement park and aquatic center, lies right in the middle of this district - immediately outside the tunnel leading to the northern side of the island. It’s a much different experience than going to the Hong Kong Disney out on Lantau Island.

1. •New Territories
   

To the north of Kowloon, stretching all the way to the Guangdong border, is the former frontier of forests and farms and native villages. Today, dense suburbs, universities, multiple MTR lines, and criscrossing expressways help spread the region’s population out and integrate Hong Kong with Shenzhen and the rest of the Pearl River Delta. Big reservoirs hold and process the city’s fresh water, and big reserves of parkland help keep citizens connected to the natural environment.  There’s not all that much “touristy” stuff in the New Territories for a family staying just a couple days, however.

1. •Lantau and the Outlying Islands
   

Lantau, where Hong Kong International Airport and HK Disney are located, is almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island, but until the Tsing Ma Bridge was completed in 1997 (as part of development of the airport), there was no road connection. Even today, most of the island is undeveloped.

Because Lantau and the many smaller islands have not been turned into high-rise suburbs, they offer travelers the opportunity to visit the “original Hong Kong” - or at least a laid-back, small-town environment with modern conveniences and good restaurants.

On Lantau, the “new city” of Tung Chung, Disney, and the airport are all accessible by MTR trains, which makes it very convenient if you’re coming in from Kowloon. The astounding cable-car ride to the Ngong Ping monastery and giant Buddha leaves from Tung Chung. Towns on the south side of the island connect by bus to Tung Chung, or most people take ferries directly from Central.

Another very popular (and much smaller) island is nearby Cheung Chau, home of the famous Bun Festival. It can only be reached by ferry, but these run several times an hour. Likewise, Lamma Island - another tourist favorite, and just southwest of Hong Kong Island - is connected with frequent ferries.

Island jaunts are good half-day to full-day trips - the boat rides are only a half-hour to 45 minutes in most cases; there are usually beaches, gardens, and jungle hikes available, and of course numerous local eateries.

Getting Around

Hong Kong’s public transit system is a comprehensive web of amazingly frequent, stunningly inexpensive rail, bus, and boat services supplied by many different companies, and tied together with one common payment system, the Octopus Card. If you are going to be in town even two days, it will likely be worthwhile to pick up these stored-value cards, because they also work as electronic wallets at convenience stores, supermarkets, and vending machines.

Hong Kong’s neighborhoods are compact - since there isn’t much room, they grew up instead of spread out - and quite walkable. Kowloon’s districts are mostly flat, while on Hong Kong Island you may have to climb steep hills from one block to the next.

MTR stops are well-marked and not too far-apart. The trams running across the breadth of the north side of Hong Kong Island stop every couple blocks, and of course buses stop frequently depending on the route you take.

Prices to Expect

The Hong Kong Dollar has historically been tied to the US Dollar, trading around HKD 7.75 to 1 USD for many years.

Lodging is quite expensive - even basic hotel rooms at name-brand establishments in lower Kowloon can run over US$200 per night (and you really don’t want to stay in a place you’ve never heard of for US$50.) It does pay to shop around on the Internet, however, depending on where you’d like to go while you’re in the city, and if there are major trade shows happening at the time.

Transportation as mentioned above is cheap - the government subsidizes transit to keep auto traffic under control (not that there’s anywhere to park.) Most trips in Kowloon and northern HK Island are under US$2. Using the Octopus Card automatically gives a discount, as well.

Taxis are expensive but usually not necessary, as there are transit options almost everywhere at any time.

Groceries, fast food, and coffee go for similar prices as you’d pay in the West - a Starbucks venti mocha is about US$4.50; McDonalds’ value menu works about to US$1.20 per item. Convenience stores and supermarkets are common and well-stocked with deli items and everything you’d want for meals and baby supplies (including Western formulas.)

High-end restaurants (and the ones in hotels) can be very expensive, but locals love to eat out and there will be dozens of cheap yet delightfully good noodle shops, congee places, and street corner cafes in any neighborhood you find yourself in.  Do a little Internet research before you go, or simply follow your nose when you arrive - go where you see the locals going, and point to whatever looks good.

Nighttime street markets and daytime specialty areas (such as the Jade Market) can offer very good deals if you know what you are looking for and have a target price in mind, although many items will work out to cost about the same as what you’d pay for the same thing at a Wal-Mart or Target back home. At most markets you are expected to haggle a bit (although the much more relaxed setup at Stanley is more of a fixed-but-fair-price arrangement.) Don’t expect the jade to be REAL jade - do expect to see the same t-shirt, necktie, nightgown, luggage set, and pashmina in multiple stalls - observe prices from block to block and only buy when you are ready to.

There are many conventional shopping centers, and while they do feature many luxury brands and high prices, you can also find some good deals if you look around.

Interacting with Local People

In our travels, we have been struck at how genuinely nice and helpful everyday people are in Hong Kong, especially with families and kids. HK society does seem to value and respect children.

The English language is widespread, although you may find yourself in places where no one uses it anymore. Signage everywhere is bilingual, as are the MTR announcements, so you can always navigate. There are plenty of English-language media available for entertainment and news, and packaging for food and goods is easily understood.

Cantonese is the primary dialect, although Mandarin is being taught in the schools and is used on many TV channels. The older generations don’t use it unless they have to interact with outsider Chinese, however.

Life is fast here - HK is truly a 24-hour city - but people aren’t impatient or rude. The next train comes in 30 seconds and is always on time, so there’s no need to panic or push people out of the way. Prices are reasonable and there seem to be plenty of middle-class jobs; while you do see some homeless people and beggars in the outer districts, it is far, far less of a problem compared to just over the border in Guangdong (or most cities in the US, for that matter.)

People are polite, but not artificially quiet - they talk and laugh on the train, but it never gets too loud. Lines for attractions may get long, but the lines actually move. Teenagers roam around in the malls after school, and they may act goofy, but they’re always polite and smartly dressed.

Finally, about kids - in Hong Kong, their job is to learn, so the school day runs until late afternoon. Teenagers are expected to participate in afterschool clubs and activities to further their education - not to get part-time jobs at night. So the shop clerks you interact with are adults working full-time - they have experience in what they are doing, can give knowledgeable advice, care about you as a customer, and take pride in their work. It’s a refreshing experience...

Getting to the Airport

From the major hotels, direct bus service is available to HKIA, taking 45 - 75 minutes depending on where the hotel is. This is typically the cheapest option.

The Airport Express high-speed train departs from the Central and West Kowloon stations, where airline check-in counters and baggage drops are located, and delivers passengers to HKIA in 25 - 30 minutes. Upon arrival at the airport, you can proceed directly to security without having to handle luggage. These are dedicated trains - not commuter service, and as such have a premium price. There aren’t many “family” hotels near the two Airport Express stations, however, so usually this is a less-convenient option.

In the middle price-wise and time-wise are the regular MTR trains, taking 40 - 50 minutes. Many hotels are near MTR stations, but to get to HKIA always requires a change of train up in the northern suburbs. This can be a pain when trying to manage luggage and children - since the express buses are so convenient, this is what we recommend in most cases.