Asia

5 Tourist Warnings Regarding Hong Kong

Sporting a perfect mix of modernism, Asian traditionalism and British colonialism, Hong Kong is a unique travel destination, located right where East meets West. One of the busiest places on the planet, Hong Kong is internationally known as a prime shopping destination, but it offers a little bit of something for everyone. Though it is known as one of the world’s safest destinations, there are a few things you ought to know about Hong Kong:

Avoid the street food

Despite its high population density and crowded streets, Hong Kong is famous as one of the cleanest places on the planet, comparable to Tokyo and Singapore. Still, there are food vendors who don’t care much about food safety and try to sell it in questionable conditions, right on the street.
street-food
Illegal food shipped from mainland China is often quickly spoiled by humidity and high temperatures and displaying it on dusty, polluted streets certainly doesn’t help one bit. Keep in mind this applies only to some outdoor food vendors, Hong Kong cuisine is otherwise exquisite.

Watch out for pickpockets

Just because Hong Kong is considered a safe tourist destination, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise common sense. The city streets tend to be very crowded pretty much every day and that’s just the way pickpockets like it, so watch your belongings like a hawk especially in crowded means of transportation.
Hong-Kong-pickpockets
You should know Hong Kong pickpockets rarely target locals, but have a soft spot for unsuspecting tourists bedazzled by the sights. The best thing you can do is get a safe box at your hotel and enjoy all of Hong Kong’s sights in peace.

Electronics shopping can be tricky

Electronics merchants in Hong Kong’s areas like Nathan Road and Kowloon are known to use a series of scams to sell their products at much higher prices than usual. Most of the times they display trendy electronics with no price tags on them and offer incredible deals for them. Right after you’ve paid for the products, the vendors will tell you they are out of stock and suggest completely different products for ridiculous prices.
Hong-Kong-gadgets
Some Hong Kong travelers advise you to never let electronics dealers to go to the back of the shop and wrap your purchase, as many of them replace it with a damaged product. Hong Kong offers an excellent shopping experience, but if you “get burned” not even the police will be able to help you.

Stay away from tap water
Hong-Kong-water
Most locals will tell you tap water in Hong Kong is drinkable, but you won’t see any of them consuming it without boiling it first. The water reservoirs around Hong Kong look pretty clean, but apparently the pipe network isn’t as new as it could be, so you’re way better off buying bottled water from the supermarket.

Make the best of toilets
Hong-Kong-toilets
I know this sounds a bit weird, but toilets are sometimes very hard to find in Hong Kong. And the last thing you want is to find yourself in the center of a shopping mall looking for a place to…let loose. So when you do spot a public restroom make sure you take advantage of it, who knows when you’re going to stumble into one again. Oh, one more thing you should know about Hong Kong public bathrooms, they rarely restock on toilet-paper so be sure to have tissues on you at all times.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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9 Comments for "5 Tourist Warnings Regarding Hong Kong"

chris bass says on February 14th, 2010 at 12:16 pm:

The water cpomes mostly from china now withthe new pipe lines. And you should be warning traders about hong kongs business scamms.I know one personally that claims 300 emloyees called sharp china run by the wong family.I was Sarina wongs huisband along with herothwertwo husbands she neglected to mention wheni married her. Thewre are about 3o emoployees total and the factories in chuna athey claim to own are frauds . they are subcontracted dummy companies set up for show. Sharp chona has 95 pervent of its work done in ch9na and the wquality isNOT american stanfdard anymore. Iwas quality control officer so they claimed behind my back and claimed american quality using my reputation to build up business. Itwas alla lie. true for a shjort timei was there buti was never paid as promoised and never got my share ofthe businesswhen Sarina wong divorced me in favor of sleeping with clients atthier hotels to get bisiness. I am an american disabled veterqan who got suckered intothe business and mariage. Sharp china was doing 3.5 milipon in business two years ago wheni was kicked out ofthe company and swindled out of my 50 percent of the business and out opf a learning center my wife got her hands into as well.
Be warned I am chris bass andi got swindledand these chinese have no concience. Andthey dontwanta straighjt shooter like me involved.Any boidy who knows peoplein Levis compnay warn them. I tookin the Levis contractand shortly was outsed fromthe companies because i dared ask for my commissions from all the companies i brought in. They started with 9 clientsi was told wheni was brought on board. now it lists over 300. Many areNOT happy with beingscrewed, wellthe traders who met my wife Xwife got screwqed twice hahaha
Sarina has herbies i am told. I pity the next traders and cleints she beds down hhahaha One of her clients called emand complained . hahahaha stupid man.
I warn you all about sharp china and about allthe chinese companies. though they claim they own factories, dont believe them. Always have an independant check them out first. remember chinese stick uop for chinese. and CAN be bought. Send someone who knows what he is doing. I am chris bassand anyone who wants to know the truth about Sharp china can conteact me at relativeusa @ yahoo.com Sarina wont Bac man wanong Devil wong, alien wong . all need help in my opinion and Sarina wong was locked up for attempting suicideand thelife of her husband her daughters father who i may add is stillmarried to another hong kong woman. Thats Sarina for you
Shelikes multiplicity. Be warned

Aland says on May 25th, 2010 at 11:29 am:

It’s true that the city never sleeps. As a budget traveler I had booked with a cheap hotel Hong Kong for a week’s stay and I went around whole nights just street shopping and eating.

Peter Jones says on June 1st, 2010 at 12:41 am:

Having lived in Hong Kong for 8 years and travelled many times to Singapore for stays of up to 14 days plus been almost everywhere in Sinagpore I totally disagree with the comment that Hong Kong is cleaner than Singapore. Two cockroaches found in Singapore and the food outlet is closed for at least a month! and that is one found on two occasions.Can’t tell you how many times I have seen cockroaches and big ones at that even in the “nicest” of restaurants in Hong Kong. I don’t know what part of Hong Kong the correspondent was visiting?

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