Hong Kong’s Top 10 : Transports of Delight – Top 10 Sights from the Escalator

1. The Escalator

   The
   series of escalators in the steep Mid-Levels district of northwest Hong
   Kong Island is designed for commuters, but most appreciated by
   sightseers who can rest their legs and enjoy the fascinating sights.
   Take a stately (and free) ascent past busy street scenes, traditional
   shops and apartment windows. .
   

   
   

   
   
   

   Mid-Level escalator

2. Trams

   Hong
   Kong’s trams date back to 1904, making this one of the oldest
   continuously used tram systems in existence. They are still one of the
   best ways of exploring the Hong Kong Island shoreline. Trainspotter’s
   trivia: it’s also the only double-decker tram system in the whole world.

   
   

   
   
   

   Old-fashioned tram

3. The Peak Tram

   Since
   1888, this funicular railway has made the jaw-dropping ascent of
   Victoria Peak, and remains a must for visitors. Under the unwritten
   rules of colonial times, certain seats were reserved for high officials;
   now, seating is an amiable free-for-all. .
   

4. Airport Express Link

   Should
   your attention span wane on the fleeting 24-minute ride from the
   airport to Central, the AEL offers personal TVs in the back of every
   seat. Bright, shiny and a joy to use.

5. MTR

   Hong
   Kong’s underground railway is a world leader, handling three million
   people a day with rapid and robotic efficiency. Signs are in both
   English and Chinese, delays are almost unheard of, and with fares
   starting from the price of a cup of coffee, a trip around the city is
   surprisingly affordable, too.

6. Ferries

   The fabulous Star Ferry
   connects Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. Pay half the price of a cup of
   coffee for a first-class view of one of the world’s most remarkable
   harbours and skylines. Other ferries connect Hong Kong to the outlying
   islands and parts of the New Territories .

   
   

   
   
   

   Star ferries

7. Rickshaws

   There
   are just seven rickshaws left in all Hong Kong, their elderly drivers
   earning a living by charging tourists for photos. Don’t ask for a ride,
   unless you want richly-deserved abuse from passers-by: these old guys
   can’t make their way halfway down the road without collapsing in an
   exhausted heap.

   
   

   
   
   

   Rickshaw

8. Taxis

   Hong
   Kong cabbies are as psychotic as big city cabbies everywhere. Their
   rudeness is legendary, but you probably would be too if you had to deal
   with Hong Kong traffic all day, every day. Fortunately, tighter policing
   means that overcharging is now a rare occurrence.

9. Limousines

   On
   a per capita basis, Hong Kong probably has more Mercedes and Rolls
   Royces than anywhere else in the world. Some 15 of the latter are owned
   by the Peninsula Hotel alone – including a Phantom II dating from 1934.

10. Buses

    Hong
    Kong’s double-decker buses are a British legacy, although these mostly
    come air-conditioned and (in a universally loathed development) with
    onboard TVs blaring ceaseless advertising. The low cost of using them
    may help you overcome this irritant.

    
    

    
    
    

    Open-top bus

Top 10 Sights from the Escalator