Hong Kong is a great place to visit for tourists to Western Asia. This country is the Chinese culture, but with a heavy Western influence, so the culture shock is less than step off the plane in Myanmar or Cambodia. Hong Kong is small and urban, so it can see most of the highlights in a few days by walking around the island by foot or using public transport. This guide will show you how. Traveling to the New Territories is recommended if you’re planning to spend more than a weekend in Hong Kong, or prefer to spend your time in a more natural environment visiting beaches and forests.

Attractions
A trip to Hong Kong is just not complete without a cable car ride to Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. It costs about twenty U.S. dollars roundtrip per person, and is well worth the cost. The cable car travels from the Tung Chung MTR subway station to the peak of Lantau Island, and the ride is quite spectacular, especially when there are low-lying clouds. At the peak is the monastery where you will find a temple and monks residing, and adjacent is the largest outdoor sitting Buddha statue in all of Asia. Give yourself a few hours for this trip, and make sure you have a good pair of shoes on, as the stairway up to the Buddha statue is quite long.

During your trip to Hong Kong, you need to spend a moment at Victoria Harbor. The best place to enjoy the dazzling view is from the Kowloon waterfront looking over towards Hong Kong Island. The iconic skyline makes for a fantastic photo. A great place to enjoy the view during the evening is from the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel in Kowloon where you can enjoy a drink and a snack while taking in the lights.

Shopping
Many people visit Hong Kong to shop. If brand names like Gucci and Louis Vuitton are what you are looking for, then you will not be disappointed. However, many visitors prefer to visit the markets where haggling is commonplace and knockoffs are available. There are numerous markets throughout Hong Kong but the two biggest are the Temple Street market and Stanley Market. The third option is Nathan Road in Kowloon, but you will mostly find camera shops and tailors offering to stitch you a suit.

The Temple Street Night Market is the biggest market in Hong Kong and the most popular. Here you can find all kinds of knock-offs and small trinkets and memorabilia at a reasonable price. The market is just south of the Yau Ma Tei MTR station in Kowloon along Portland Street, a couple of blocks West of Nathan Road. Stanley Market on Hong Kong Island is similar, but a bit smaller, and runs during the daytime. Most tourists leave with something or another, but travelers who have been around Southeast Asia and have visited the higher quality night markets in Thailand and Cambodia will be a little disappointed with what is available in Hong Kong.

Transportation
When you arrive at Hong Kong airport, you might feel naturally inclined to jump into a taxi to enter the city. Do not do this. Take the Airport Express train instead. There’s a ticket agent outside of baggage claim and the platform for the train is connected to the airport so you do not need to step outside. However, once you are in the city, the taxi is not a bad transportation option for short distances. The drivers are honest and the taxis are easily identifiable by their red and white colors.

The best way for a visitor to get around Hong Kong is by ferry or subway. The subway system is extensive and clean, and can take you to most parts of the island that are worth visiting. The ferry is the most scenic and enjoyable way to travel across the harbor between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Star Ferry is the popular company that has operated in Hong Kong for over a hundred years, and their iconic green and white ferry boats depart to most destinations every ten minutes.

In Hong Kong cars for sale are to be found in many locations the average expat wouldn’t expect. You won’t find acres of open air lots with used cars scattered about, as open space like this is at a premium in Hong Kong. Where you will find used car dealers is in the basements of building car parks or occupying part, or all of a level of a multi-story car park. These car lots may be a single used car dealership, or many smaller dealers sharing the space.

All makes of cars are available, with some models possibly differing from your home country. The most common vehicles on Hong Kong roads would be BMW, Mercedes and Toyota. Most of these vehicles can be found, as used cars, for reasonable prices, although not many dealers offer any kind of warranty.

One thing many expats find confronting when dealing with local used car salesmen, is that many of them who are not used to dealing with us will require you to negotiate and decide on a price for the car before you test drive it. This is standard practice for many used car dealers here as to them it shows that you are serious about buying the car. Of course it should be understood that you are free to change your mind or renegotiate should the used car’s test drive not be up to expectation.

If you’re thinking of buying a used car in Hong Kong you must have somewhere to park it. May sound obvious but many apartments will not have a parking space included, or even available. There is a healthy market for car parking spaces as many people who are not using theirs often lease or sell it.