03.05.2013 - DAY3 - HONG KONG - SHENZHEN

Hong Kong - 03.05.2013
It's our 3rd day in the town and we are on the way to The Peak, another popular tourist attraction, which offers spectacular views of the city and its harbours. On the top of hill there are now two buildings and on one of them, there is a viewing deck also has coin operated telescopes that the visitors can use to enjoy the cityscape. The number of visitors led to the construction of two major leisure and shopping centres, the Peak Tower and the Peak Galleria, situated adjacent to each other.

The Peak is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak. The mountain is located in the western half of Hong Kong Island. With an altitude of 552 m (1,811 ft), it is the highest mountain on the island proper, but Tai Mo Shan is the highest point in the entirety of Hong Kong.  Peak Tram, the funicular railway (from 1888) that brings passengers up from the St. John's Cathedral in Hong Kong's Central district, whilst the Peak Galleria incorporates the bus station used by the Hong Kong public buses and green minibuses on the Peak.

Again, because of the useful advice of our dear friend Orkun, we made a clever choice on the way up to The Peak. As I mentioned above, the peak is reachable by a special tourist tram. But due to long waiting queue we avoided to take the tram uphill (Orkun's advice) and we took the bus to go to up to the Peak. It was maybe not as quick as the tram but very convenient except the bloody aircon (bringing hats and pulls is a must :-) ).
How we reached there? We took the metro (close to our hostel) until the star ferry and after that we crossed the sea with a small ferry, which is really recommended for the wonderful view (feels like in Lisbon or Istanbul). But before we get in to the ferry, we noticed a young crowd with their cameras(phones) in the harbor. Here is the reason of the young crowd:

Giant yellow rubber duck deflates :) in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/giant-yellow-rubber-duck-deflates-hong-kong-article-1.1344544#ixzz2UcxWUUGy):

After spending some time, why the people are interested with a 's' toy photos, we crossed the sea with a small ferry, which is really recommended for the wonderful view (feels like in Lisbon or Istanbul):

When we left the ferry, we saw the bus stop for The Peak. So, the name of the bus is The Peak and its a sort of  dedicated bus for tourists who wants to go up to The Peak. It's just around the Ferry Port.

On the way we saw some sky-scrapers and double-decker trams (like electric trolleybus - never seen before):

After 30 mins bus drive in a frigo-bus (pullover, hat, gloves are mustttt!!!), we reached to the hill (The Peak).
The building (The Peak Tower & Galleria - http://www.thepeak.com.hk) that everybody is climbing up for the stunning view is build up like shopping&leisure center with shops and restos and an observation terrace (The Sky Terrace 428). It's a fantastic experience and definitely a must for Hong Kong visitors. The entrance fee is 40HKD but if you don't have cash, you can pay the entrance fee by octopus. You can even come after sunset, which must be very nice as well. Here are the opening hours:

Sky Terrace 428 Opening Hours:
10:00am - 11:00pm (Mon - Fri)
8:00am - 11:00pm (Sat, Sun & Public Holidays)

After spending some time on the hill, we went back to the nearest metro station via the tourist tram, photo as below:

It was again very nice experience. The Peak Tram's route from Central district to Victoria Peak covers a distance of about 1.4 kilometres and a height difference of just under 400 metres. The line has two pronounced curves, one to the left immediately after leaving the lower terminus, and the other to the right in the upper half of the ascent.
Central Station, which is not far from the funicular (5 minutes walk):

We went to our hostel area to have a quick lunch around the hostel and than we took our bags and we are ready for Mainland China:-)
There are many ways to go to China from HK:

But we used long but 'no delay' guaranteed way to go to Shenzhen city, which is just outside of the border of HK. It took us 50mins to reach to one of the border gates / immigration areas.
Here are the both tube (metro) maps for HK and Shenzhen:

As well as there are the following webpages to calculate travel time as below:

http://www.mtr.com.hk/jplanner/flash_eng/index.php?sid=&eid=&x=24&y=3

http://www.mtrsz.com.cn/chi/Operation/StationFacilities?id=10035

If you check the metro/rail map of HK, you will notice that the final both stations of the blue East Rail line as Lok Ma Chau and Lo Wu in the north.

These stations are where the biggest border controls between HK and China are. You can get off the train in any of the two stations and follow the crowd. We made it like that (as common sence :-) ) and noticed that people were rushing to be first in the queue. When we reached the immigration desks, we realised that there are quite many immigration officers on HK side as well as the Chinese part. Lucky enough we didn't wait too long and we were in 25mins in China. It could be quicker but we used the opportunity to give our Octopus card back and get the remaining balance and the deposit on the card.
So, if you don't want to keep the Octopus card as a souvenir, before leaving the country, just go to the MTR office and return your card and get your money (cash) in hand.

After passing the HK border, we followed the crowd and walk on the covered bridge (over the river). Chinese immigration part was little more crowded and difficult for us. After entering Chinese part we realize that it's quite difficult to move around without English but we found some people who are extremely helpful (body language of course)))). They helped us to find the famous fake-market and to have an idea about the prices about the fake stuff. If you wonder, it's very close to border station Luohu (Luohu Line - Final Station) which is connected from HK with Lo Wu train station. Both stations are marked in the metro map above.
Btw, buying a metro ticket in Shenzhen was not easy as we get used to it in HK. The metro system was copy&pasted from HK but not the ticket machines :))), so it took some time to understand the logic of it. English menu was available always but we needed to use 10RMB or bigger banknotes or 1RMB coin. There was an issue with paper 1RMB banknotes.
Some tips, how to buy the metro ticket: you just need to find your final destination and insert the banknote in the slot. That was so simple.
After the fake-market visit (no comments) we took the metro (Luohu Line) and the final station was the Shenzhen Airport. It took1 hour and costed around 6 RMB.
The Shenzhen metro system is quite modern, clean, air-conditioned, marked clearly, English subtitled and looks like a cc of Hong Kong metro.

Final station was Shenzhen Airport. There is 5-10 mins walk from there to Check-in area. Be aware and rush, if you are late.

SHENZHEN AIRPORT
Shenzhen Airport is very new,modern, clean with facilities but pretty big like most of the other airports in China. so, pay attention to reach the gates. we realized that for domestic or international flights they apply the rules more strict than Europe. I mean that they close the gates automatically. So, if you are late, you miss the plane 100%. They don't let you in, even your plane is still on the bridge and will be there another 10 mins.

GUILIN - 03.05.2013
After 1h40 mins flight we landed to Guilin airport. another new (or facelifted) airport. As it's everywhere in China, there are couple of ways to go from the airport to town center. Cheep option is via the airport shuttle to the town center and take another bus/shuttle there. But due to our late arrival and next day trip reservation worries we didn't bother for the modern airport shuttle service and we took a cab to our hostel, which was pretty cheap and little more expensive than airport shuttle tickets for 2.
The taxi was a Chinese VW (most be produced only for China) in funny colors. The road or motorway:-)  to Guilin from the airport was a big suprise for us. It was brand new with all the signs, cameras, toll gates and endless roadside flowers. Quite good surprise for tourists like us, who are expecting muddy roads or at least dark & chaotic traffic at night. but it wasn't:-)

02.05.2013 - DAY2 - HONG KONG

Today is our second day in Hong Kong. Our fist plan is to find a bakery to have some salty (at least something with cheese) snacks for breakfast. We found couple of bakeries and we bought many snacks but even the cheese pastries were sweet :)
After this HK style breakfast or pastry degustation trial, we headed to the closest MTR for our first tourist attraction point that we planned today. Our plan is to visit the famous Big Buddha statue and the surrounding complex on Lantau Island. It seems like a national park, which can be easily reached by metro and cable car from town as you can see below (check the Big Buddha logo):

Our hostel is close to MTR - YauMauTel. We took the MTR with a single change until the last stop of Tung Chung. Just get out of the MTR Tung Chung and walk some hundred meters to cable car station (Ngong Ping 360). It looks like a new complex combined with many things incl cable car station.  If you are interested, you can find some additional info on Ngong Ping 360 Website (www.np360.com.hk).

The duration of the journey is appr 30 mins for total of by cable car.Ngong Ping 360 is a dynamic new tourism experience, which combines a stunning 5.7km cable car journey with an impressive cultural themed village and easy access to the Tian Tan Buddha Statue, the world's largest, seated, outdoor, bronze Buddha statue. 
So, when we arrived the cable car station, we noticed the long queue for purchasing tickets on-site. Online tickets are having different queue. 
The pricing was as below:

Thanks to our friend Orkun, we made a clever move to buy our tickets 1+1 Standard & Crystal Round Trip Cable Car. In other words, we took the the normal standard cabin up to the Tian Tan Buddha and on the way back we took the crystal cabin due to long queue on the way back for standard cabin. There is a long queue on both ways but the return journey queue is much longer (min 30mins) for the standard cabins due to closing time of the cable car station.

Here are some pics, to give you some idea how it looks like in the cable car:

Hong Kong International Airport is on the left:

Big Buddha can be seen on the left:

It's closer now:

When we reached the final stop of the cable car, we started to walk inside the tourist village with some attractions inside. We walk up to the Buddha Statue. For us, it was quite impressive to see such a big sized Buddha Statue (was sitting in a Lotus Leaf):

Stairs up to Big Buddha

 For the beginners, just look at the chest of the Buddha, do you remember a similar sign in the past? 

 There is a temple near to Buddha Statue:

 Please don't touch the Bell :) The monk must be really annoyed by the tourists :-)

 Ceremonies for praying with lighting multiple candle type sticks:

Some information about the statue:

Here you can find some more additional info about impressive Big Buddha statue: 

Once merely a remote monastery hidden by lush, mountain scenery, the Po Lin Monastery made it to the world map when the extraordinary Tian Tan Buddha statue (informally known as the Big Buddha) was erected in 1993. Sitting 34 metres high and facing north to look over the Chinese people, this majestic bronze Buddha draws pilgrims from all over Asia. The eyes, lips, incline of the head and right hand, which is raised to deliver a blessing to all, combine to bring a humbling depth of character and dignity to the massive Buddha, which took 12 years to complete. Climb the 268 steps for a closer look at this remarkable statue, and to enjoy the sweeping mountain and sea views that can be seen from its base. Opposite the statue, the Po Lin Monastery is one of Hong Kong’s most important Buddhist sanctums and has been dubbed ‘the Buddhist World in the South’. Home to many a devout monk, this  monastery is rich with colorful manifestations of Buddhist iconography and its pleasant garden is alive with birdsong and flowery scents. You can also enlighten your appetite at their popular vegetarian restaurant.

Around the Big Buddha Statue, there are couple of things inside Ngong Ping Village, which can be visited like Wisdom Path, the monastery, Monkey Tail or Walking Buddha Experience etc. 

Another alternative on Lantau Island is a tour to Tai O Fishing Village as an alternative to the attractions on Tian Tan Buddha area. Here are some details about the tour to Fishing Village:

What about the food over there? There are some restaurants and cafes in the Ngong Ping Village. Expect to spend on the Ngong Ping Village area min 1.5 hours even you only visit the Buddha if not you can count 3 hour. If you combine the tour with another trip to fishing village, expect to spend more than half a day there. By the way, there are buses leaving from the Ngong Ping Village to Fishing Village.

01.05.2013 - DAY1 - HONG KONG

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL Airport:

We arrived Hong Kong airport separately. Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is located on the island of Chek Lap Kok. Quite big airport with all kind of facilities. You can have free internet at Hong Kong Airport without any issues.

Transfer from Hong Kong Airport to Hong Kong City Center:
There are couple of ways to go to town from the airport. Taxi, airport-express, bus, speed-boat etc. We used the cheapest solution for that. It was very quick and convenient as well.
We took the S1 bus to go from airport to the cable-car station, where the closest metro line starts & we took the metro to go to town center.
Here is the step-by-step guide from our friend Orkun:
At the airport there is a tour-center or sort of tourist-info, where you can find the Octopus card for your travel(and other payments) in Hong Kong. The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card for making electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Kong. It is active since 1997 and it makes your life easy in HK.
But there is a small issue about it. You have to have cash to obtain or to top-up it. So, at the airport please visit first the 'rip-off' exchange office and change some money for Octopus card.
Octopus card is coming with 50 HKD deposit and with some credit. So, 100HKD is more than enough to reach the town in other words.

When you purchase the Octopus Card, just head on outside of the airport following the Public Transport signs or alternatively you can ask the bus-stop where the bus 'S1' is stopping.

Remember the left side traffic and expect a double-decker bus like in the UK. You have to go until the last stop, which is the MTR Cable Car Station.

This is the first stop of the metro, so you can sit down and enjoy the air-conditioned metro ride until your final stop. That will cost you 10-12HKD, which is the cheapest option for airport transfer.

The Anne Black - YWCA:
We stayed in this hostel. It was very cheap, clean and central. We booked our room from booking.com and paid per night (double room) 440HKD without breakfast and with shared bathroom. It's a multi-storey hostel like most of the buildings in HK but with english-speaking reception, which is a big bonus. Another good suprise was about the Credit Card Payment. They accept it :)
By the way it's YWCA but open for males and females.

Address: 5 Man Fuk Road, Waterloo Road Hill, Hong Kong  / +85227139211

Our twin bed room was looking like that:

First night in HK - Laser Show in Star Ferry Pier:
Every night at 8:00, Hong Kong’s skyline shines with a permanent light and laser show called “A Symphony of Lights.” According the Guinness Book of World Records, it’s the largest permanent one in the world. The show is narrated, but only in English on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But on any night you can tune a radio to FM103.4 MHz for English narration. You can try and time it with a trip on the ferry, but the skyline is beautiful any time of night from the water.

So, we spent our first night with watching part of the laser show and walking in the downtown.

MONEY EXCHANGE IN HONG KONG:
Unlike in Mainland China, HongKong is full of private banks and exchange offices everywhere. But the problem is the exchange rate difference. Sometimes, the difference on Euro is almost 10% or even more. But we were lucky enough to find the official rate in some of the exchange offices. Remember that if you are far from the center, everything is cheaper and more real ;)

China in 12 days 8 cities (Hong Kong - Macau - Shenzhen - Guilin - Xi'an - Shanghai - Hangzhou - Beijing)

We have planned 12 days trip to discover some part of China (incl Macau & HongKong). Our starting point was Hong Kong, where we felt like in the UK. Red double-decker buses, traffic on the left side, post-boxes, telephone boots but couldn't see any Union-Jack. Our final destination was Beijing. Here you can find our travel route with all the cities we tried to visit: