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Getting lost in Hong Kong

(and finding the way back home)

Text by Malou E. Rosal

Photo by Robby Sibal

On this trip, home was the Langham Hotel, right smack in the center of Hong Kong's very own Rodeo Drive. Sitting at #8 Peking Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Langham Hotel is touted to be "a paragon among luxury hotels in Hong Kong." This award-winning five-star luxury hotel is conveniently located in the Tsimshatsu area, so the shopping experience starts right outside your door. It also offers easy accessibility to transport networks: a five-minute walk to the Star Ferry, which takes you across to Hong Kong Island in 10 minutes; a five-minute walk to Tsimshatsui MTR station, which connects you to major urban areas, the airport and mainland China; a 10-minute walk to the China Ferry Terminal that offers ferry services to Pearl River Delta cities like Macau, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Shunde and Panyu; and 40 minutes from the Hong Kong International Airport when taking the regular airport-hotel transfer.

We were in Hongkong recently to attend the HSBC Young Entrepreneur Awards Regional Finals. This annual competition sponsored by HSBC "aims to inspire young people's interest in entrepreneurship." Teams from all over the region are asked to develop an innovative business idea that can become a successful business venture. The team that presents the most creative and commercially viable plan in a convincing and impressive way wins the "Best of the Best Award". Team Philippines, composed of Czaesar Emil Callo of the University of the Philippines, and Mary Kathleen Chan and Eduard Edwynne Capacio both of the Ateneo de Manila University, beat six other teams from Bangladesh, Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Shanghai (China) and Thailand with their project called "ECOntainer", an environment-friendly solution for coffee cups and food boxes made from corn cobs and rice stalks produced by small-scale farmers. The award came with 100,000 Hong Kong dollars from the HSBC business development fund to help them implement their winning business plan.

In between briefings and the competition itself, we had some down time. And while my companions were out buying apparel and accessories at H&M and other trendy shops, I was in search of DVDs. Still Cirque du Soleil crazy in anticipation of Varekai in Manila, I wanted to purchase videos of other Cirque shows which were not available back home. Robert, the Langham’s concierge was very helpful. With his Les Clefs d’Or crossed keys proudly pinned on his suit’s lapels, he took my map and drew detailed instructions to Gateway, where I can find Hong Kong Records on the third floor.

That should do it! How simple was that? With Robert’s voice echoing in my head, I was ready. Upon exiting the hotel, I turned right towards Canton Road facing Harbour City. I made my way on Canton Road, past The Sun Arcade, past the H&M satellite shop, until I reached Silvercord at the corner of Haiphong Road. Right across Silvercord was Gateway. True enough, at the third floor, right beside Ricepaper Restaurant, loomed Hongkong Records. Just like Robert said. This map works! And at the video shop, I was able to buy DVDs of Cirque’s Saltimbanco and Quidam. Very promising, this shopping trip.

But I wanted to explore some more, not as much for shopping but just to see what’s out there. After a few minutes of roaming around Gateway, I realized that I was losing my bearings. At a department store, I chanced upon a conversation being carried out in Tagalog. A Pinoy family was shopping. I edged my way towards the group and then politely asked for directions to other shopping sites. The mother was gracious enough to give me instructions to get to Nathan Road from there.

She said to get out of Gateway and cross Canton Road, back to the side of Silvercord. Continue walking on Haiphong Road, past Ashley Road (where I would see a market), past Hankow Road, past Lock Road. At the end of these roads would be Nathan Road, famous for its endless rows of shops. Following instructions, I did find the landmarks that she mentioned. But it was getting on to noon as I walked and the summer heat was bearing down on me. I bailed out and decided to return to the hotel.

But on the way back to Langham, I passed through Silvercord. It was there where I bought new luggage, a sleek bright blue hard body 360 degree-four-wheeled item that I could easily drag anywhere and everywhere. Happy with my purchases, I walked back to the hotel.

And got really lost.

So there I was, with my brand new maleta in tow, when "uh-oh, I’ve passed this corner twice already." Confused, I had apparently been going round and round the same block. Thank God for the good-natured and patient personnel in Hong Kong establishments, who are probably so used to lost tourists like me asking for directions. The doorman at Cartier ("Excuse me please, where is Langham Hotel?") who, with white-gloved hand gestures to me to turn right; the parking attendant at 1881 Heritage ("Excuse me please, where is Langham Hotel?") who halts an incoming vehicle in order to address my query ("Madame, you need to go back where you came from, then turn right on the first block."; the security person at DFS Galleria ("Excuse me please, where is Langham Hotel?" who, taking kindly to the bewildered lady lugging her shiny new luggage, showed me the way through a basement labyrinth where I eventually emerged on the other side of Langham Hotel. (Ah, so this is the shortcut!)

Short of kissing the ground, I was only too glad to get back to my cozy room and plunk down on my cozy bed, too tired, too sleepy and very hungry.

To paraphrase a saying, perspectives can truly get clearer on hindsight. Although I had been to Hong Kong before, this was the first time that I went out on my own. Unfortunately, I had the tendency to look at my map from a reverse angle, hence the wild goose chase. But actually, it’s easy enough to find your way in and around Hong Kong.

Upon arrival at the airport, you can actually take the Airport Express. This train system links the airport with urban centers of Hong Kong, with a route running from the Hong Kong station in the Central and Western District, crossing under the harbor to the Kowloon Station, then crossing the bridge to Tsing Yi Island, passing the Tsing Ma Bridge to get to the northern shore of Lantau Island to the Airport Station, then ending up at the Asia World-Expo Station. The Airport Express also offers a free bus shuttle service that takes passengers to strategically located hotels and sites around Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Although fares can be substantial (single trips from the Hong Kong, Kowloon and Tsing Yi Stations to Airport Station (and vice-versa) cost HK$100, HK$90 and HK$60 respectively), the Airport Express can get you to the heart of the city in about 20 minutes.

Getting around the city is not as troublesome as you think. Of course, with map in hand, you can walk like I did. Feeling more confident, I went to ISquare, corner of Peking Road and Nathan Road to meet the group for dinner. Seeing how the hotel was right on Peking Road, I just kept walking in the direction of Nathan Road, past the intersections of Ashley, Hankow and Lock Roads. I reached ISquare with plenty of time to spare for more shopping. At the HMV on the upper ground level, I was able to buy another Cirque DVD, this time "Fire Within", which is a reality series about the production process of Varekai. Still roaming around, I found Log On at the second level of the mall, where I bought some accessories, chocolates and witty luggage tags.

You can also take the bus. The Hong Kong bus system is quite comprehensive, with routes servicing the whole region. Most of the buses operate from 6:00 am until midnight, with the night buses marked N. All buses are air-conditioned and have disabled access. The main bus terminals on Hong Kong island are located at Central at Exchange Square and attached to Hong Kong Station and the IFC Shopping Mall, as well as in Admiralty, underneath Pacific Place on Queensway. On Kowloon side, the main bus terminal is in front of the Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Another option is the taxi. While taxis abound, it would be helpful to note that they are color coded in terms of service areas. Plying all the areas of Kowloon, Hong Kong Island and the New Territories, the urban red taxis have the highest fares among them at HK$18 for the first two kilometers and between HK$1 to HK$1.50 for every subsequent 200 meters. The green taxis are the the second most expensive at HK$14.50 for the first two kilometers and between HK$1 to HK$ 1.30 for every subsequent 200 meters, serving only parts of the New Territories, including Sha Tin, Tuen Mun and Yuen Long among others. The blue taxis run exclusively on southern Lantau Island, the Airport and Disneyland, and are not as ubiquitous, with HK$13 for the first two kilometers and between HK$1.20 to HK$1.30 for every subsequent 200 meters. Taxis do cross the channel from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island and vice versa, but there may be a fare premium when you travel this route at night.

Then, of course, there is the Mass Transit Railway or MTR. This highly efficient train system was originally opened in 1979. Today, it includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railways stations and 69 light rail stops. Adult fares range from HK$3 to HK$47.50; there are discounted fares for students and the elderly, while children below the age of three travel for free. Aside from the single trip tickets, there is also the Octopus pass, which is a rechargeable smart card that can also be used for other commercial transactions as well.

For a faster commute, our group took the MTR to the first night's briefing at a venue in the New Territories. Right outside our hotel was the Tsimshatsui station, so we boarded its red line up to Mongkok. From there, we switched to the green line and went three stations down up to Kowloon Tong. Here, we switched again, this time to the blue line until we reached Sha Tin, from where we got a cab to our intended destination.

Had I been given another 24 hours, I would probably know my way around well enough to venture to places farther than the shopping district.

Which is exactly what I plan to do on my next trip to Hong Kong. This time, I will be stretching my legs and spreading my wings as I take a ferry and cross over to Macau. With map in hand, I am ready for another adventure. And echoing the NatGeo Adventure slogan, I say: "Let’s get lost!" Because sometimes, finding your way back home can also be an equally fun and rewarding experience.