Tours of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
China
Hong Kong Tourist Board
Visitors Information Center
Star Ferry Concourse
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Tel: 852 2508 1234
Heliservices
Tel: 852 2802 0200
Cheung Po Tsai
Tel: 852 2116 8821
Concierge.com's insider take:
Hong Kong may have been called a barren rock by its first foreign visitors, but these days it's so packed with attractions that it's hard to get oriented. The government-run Hong Kong Tourism Board publishes reams of maps and touring pamphlets, and organizes bus, boat, walking, and shopping tours. Though the names aren't terribly catchy, some of the best include: the Land Between Tour of the New Territories, Feng Shui Tour, Tea & Tai Chi Tour, and the Come Horse Racing Tour. For more upscale options, lift off from the rooftop of the Peninsula Hotel and look down upon the taipans from Heliservices' twin-engine Aerospatiale Squirrel helicopter. The 15- to 30- minute tours circumnavigate Hong Kong Island and give you a great feel for the layout of the city. Longer, pricier journeys take in the big Buddha, Lantau Island, and the New Territories.
To explore the area by water, hop aboard a traditional sailboat, known as a junk. The best is the Cheung Po Tsai, a 92-foot-long traditional red sailboat named after an infamous pirate who once terrorized these waters. The boat was handcrafted according to original Chinese designs and in traditional materials by an 80-year-old local craftsman. The two wooden decks are among the best spots to watch Hong Kong Harbor's nightly 8 pm sound and light extravaganza in vintage style.
