The MTR, Hong Kong's mass transit rail system, is a world class transportation wonder. It's…read moreextremely efficient, extremely widespread as a metropolis-wide network, very clean, and also very economical. The fares vary by distance, but many of our one way fares were in the range of only $0.60 USD to $0.90 USD. We used it numerous times, and I don't think we waited more than 5 minutes for a train to arrive. Often, it came quicker than some waits we had for the hotel elevators lol. The MTR stations are everywhere in the Hong Kong area, and you never seem to have to walk very far to get to one. There is an MTR station at virtually every major mall in the Hong Kong vicinity. An Octopus card can be loaded into your Apple wallet and a nod of your smartphone at their smart turnstiles will get you in or out of a station effortlessly. When our trip was completed, I applied via the Octopus app for a refund of our unused balances, and instead of the stated 6-8 weeks wait, the refund showed up in my checking account in 2 days! Each train of maybe 8-10 long cars had one car dedicated to first class. For grins, we tried it once for a short ride. First class is very comfortable with bigger seats, like on a comfortable bus coach, and there is never a need to stand, which is often the case with regular MTR rides. The fare is about 2-3x that of the regular fare. It's an option but not really something most consumers would opt for. Overall, I was just as extremely impressed with the system today as I was 32 years ago when I first encountered it.

I was asked about getting around in HKg. Definitely take the MTR! It's a little daunting, but…read moreyou'll get the hang of it. I think it is the best mass transit systems around. Here's my pro tips: Get an Octopus Card. Good for fares and almost anything else. Trust. Remember what entry and exit you need to use at each station. They are lettered A - ? and there might be 12 or more! Be prepared to walk a bit inside the station. It's not like New York or The Bay. The stations are as big if not bigger than Grand Central Station. It's very safe. Just understand that it may be crowded. Oh, if you're going to Kowloon and you have time, take the Star Ferry!

My only experience with this terminal is arriving from Macau. One of the few things I did right…read morewas buying my ticket in advance for departure and getting a mid morning start from Macau. Both my ride to and back from Macau were premium cabin. Service on both rides were good so no complaint. I got lucky in picking which terminal to arrive at as my hotel was located less than a mile from here so it was "easy" to walk to my hotel. If you are staying on Kowloon, this is the ferry terminal you want to pick. When you get off the boat, follow the crowd into the terminal where custom and immigration is. Sort of like arriving at the custom and immigration at the airport but less discipline and more free for all. I was luck as my boat was not to crowded so the crowd was not bad. When you get past all that, you end up basically in a mall and go downstairs to the street to catch a cab. Luckily in my case, it was less than a mile away but I was a little disoriented in which direction to go. After you make your way to the street, turn right and your several blocks from the Star Ferry terminal.

Okay, one more HK review as an encore…read more Long Win is a bus company that offers bus service to Hong Kong International Airport. Their buses are double decker so there are two floors of seating. On the lower floor, there is a compartment to place your luggage. Though it can be problematic since usually the lower compartments are full and the only space available is on top. Be careful not to hurt yourself lifting the luggage to fit the space. I took the A41P from HKIA to Ma On Shan. The cost, HK$27.70 which can be paid by cash or Octopus Card is cheap for the long distance. If you took a taxi, the cost would be about 10 times that price which includes paying a couple tolls along the way. The journey is about 45-50 minutes. The buses are comfortable and air conditioned fortunately. It is nice to take this bus to get a nice glimpse of the Hong Kong skyline. On the trek back to HKIA, do make sure to read the timetable carefully. The one at Chevalier Garden lists the time that the bus leaves its first stop, so you will need to estimate how long it takes to get to your particular stop. I would take a Long Win bus again if I was heading to a location that they serve. The buses are pleasant and the extra time is not too much when comparing it to taking a taxi. It may take a little longer, but the cost savings are substantial.

Hong Kong International Airport is truly one of the best in the world. It's highly efficient, TSA…read moreonly takes a few minutes and the immigration process is now through face recognition. Everyone working at the terminals is friendly and helpful. The food courts and restaurants is a foodie paradise. It feels like you are dining at some of the best places with service to match. I hate layovers but this is one stop where I actually look forward to. I don't understand why the U.S. airports have not excelled in this area yet. Here are a few food places I recommend inside the airport: - located at Terminal 5, Level 1, we dined at Ryu Shabu Shabu upon landing. Luggages must be left outside the restaurant. Only in Asia can you feel comfortable doing this. We were famished since we didn't eat any of the airplane food. The meal set here was so satisfying. They slice large pieces of Wagyu in front of you. Dipping in that special raw egg with the bright red yolk was heaven. The broth is similar to a Sukiyaki. - Next door to Ryu, I got a hot Longan & Red Dates Nut Mylk. My son who is not into hot drinks took a sip and his eyes show how shockingly good it was. He couldn't stop raving about it. - Duddell's for its Michelin Starred dim sum. Their restaurant is located in Central but they have a spot here at departures hall. - I also highly recommend Yung Kee Restaurant at Terminal 1 (Gates 40-80) for some Roast Goose and Soy Chicken. Service was stellar. Tons of shops for those last minute duty-free gifts. I got a couple of cool magnets for my travel fridge collection. I swear, HK Airport has the nicest smelling restrooms. The sinks were so cool looking I almost took a pic. Lol. Don't forget to checkin to get your Yelp Hong Kong travel badge.

Hong Kong International is one of the best airports in the world. First, it's a beautiful facility…read morewith clean seating, abundant food and shopping, and nice restrooms and purified water filling stations (with free cups). The security, baggage claim, and customs areas seem to be very efficient as well. The airport is connected to the city via an express MTR service and taxis. The taxi stand was easy to navigate and had staff to direct you to a suitable taxi for your group size/luggage. Overall: Very good. It's still an airport and undoubtedly there will be delays and irritating things that come with travel. But, it's a super nice airport.

This newish highway bridge/tunnel system linking Hong Kong directly to Macau is very impressive…read more It is both the longest sea crossing and the longest open-sea fixed link in the world. From the bus terminal located basically adjacent to the Hong Kong airport, we took a comfortable double decker bus and the fare was a modest 65 HKD or $8.38 USD. The total trip from bus terminal to bus terminal was 75 minutes as I recall. The bridge is 34 miles long, opened in 2018, took 9 years to build, and cost $18.8B USD. The bus ride was smooth, comfortable, and scenic.

This is a new bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai. It is faster than going through…read moreTurboJet. If this is your first time you should go to a travel agency or ask your hotel on how to get a ride. We went to China Hong Kong City, a mall next to Harbour City. Here there is a bus company that can help get tickets for you and direct you to the bus stop, which is a level down.

Give yourself plenty of time because you will need to go through immigration and passport control…read more Bathroom is clean in the mall, but often has a line. The ride takes an hour or so. Easy and relatively affordable way to get between Hong Kong and Macau.

My family and my old school friends had a dream-like 2-day trip to Macau. We met at the Shun Tak…read moreCentre in Sheung Wan and took the TurboJet ferry together. Make sure to bring your passport and leave time for immigration, as this is a cross-border trip. Luckily, it was a weekday morning, so the terminal was not crowded at all. It was very fast! Many people take the cross-border bus now, making the ferry terminal much quieter. The ferry ride took about 60 minutes. The boat was clean, comfortable, and had great air conditioning. It was a wonderful, stress-free start to our reunion.

The Octopus card is a great service, especially for tourists. They have different branches…read morethroughout Hong Kong, but I used the one at the airport when I first arrived. The card is like a debit card, except that you don't need to sign for it and they don't ask for an ID. There's a $50HK deposit that you get back when you turn the card in. You preload the card and use the card as cash. You can use it for the metro, bus, ferries, stores, fast food places, almost anywhere. You put it up to the scanner and it deducts from the card. There's no signature or ID needed. Whatever you don't use, you can get back when you turn the card in. The positive is that it's very convenient. I would just bring this card with me to the 7-11 by the hotel and just scan it. I didn't need to look for change for the bus or deal with the metro machines for transportation. The negative is that it's treated like cash, so if you lose your card you won't get your money back. I put just enough so that it would last me a few days. When the amount got low, I would deposit money at 7-11 or at the metro stops.

Great card to have if you are planning on using the public transit at all…read more For visitors and tourists be sure to find the kiosk at the Airport upon arrival. There is a fee for the card which is refundable upon return of the card and acts primarily as a debit for convenience stores, subways, and buses. Also, gives minor discounts from general fare and some nicer discounts for seniors. Any funds unused can be refunded back to you. You don't really need to overload it. Octopus Card reload machines are relatively easy to find in any subway station or 7-11. Was very happy that it save us time since we were a really large group using public transit and primarily a group of senior citizens so it made dealing with fees very seamless and headache free! Highly recommend.

From now on, I might start or end my trip in Macau!…read more This option of taking a ferry to and from Hong Kong International Airport just such a convenient option. Especially when you are taking an International flight with the airlines you are flying that participate the program. Important to make sure that you check the ferry schedule especially if you have a flight to catch! You will need your passport and your flight ticket reference when buying your ferry ticket since you have to be departing Hong Kong the same day in order to take advantage of this arrangement. Once you get off the ferry ride, you would arrive at the restricted zone at HKG, you will find your respective airlines check in counters to drop off your luggage and pick up your boarding pass if needed. The best part is you would get a refund of your HKG portion of your airport tax in cash and there is practically no lines to clear immigration and security and even lines for check in! You might want to avoid this route though during Typhoon Season as the ferry ride might be rough and there might not even have ferry services. Please make sure you do have a Plan B. I was lucky as the weather was nice and I looking forward to another ferry ride in the future.

Easy and quick way to get over to a number of different destinations from the Airport!…read more We took the ferry to Macau after arriving from Seattle. Easy to find in the terminal and the line moves pretty quickly. It was something like $30 per person for tickets and because we carried on our luggage, we were able to catch the 7pm ferry despite buying tickets about 6:45. He actual ferry entrance is just around the corner and has a couple big escalators- very exciting for our little dudes! The actual ride was comfortable and took about 75 minutes. Went through customs after we got to Macau and it went as smooth as it ever has! WiFi on the boat was free and there were refreshments for purchase. Was a very good time indeed!