Preferred transit from Shenzhen to Hong Kong?

[Mikael_Shim]

Time goes fast here in China  . Now i have to make the traditional leave and entry to keep my F Visa valid. The tickets by flight to Hong Kong from Beijing differed alot so i have booked flight to Shenzhen tomorrow (half price). What is the best way of transit from Shenzhen to Hong Kong for those of you who have done it before? The speed boat or the KCR/Metro from Luo Hu Port? Any advice or anything specific i should know?

Thanks in advance.

[shaun]

Speed boat it isn't but it is fun.   I did go by bus that turned out to be a minivan ride only.  Either way the price was about the same.  The bus I think would be faster.

I did the bus through Holiday Inn travel for 250RMB.  The boat was 230RMB.

[Mikael_Shim]

Where did you buy the busticket?  . We found Bustickets from Shenzhen airport to Hong Kong for 90rmb or 160rmb roundtrip. And it seems the simplest way i think.

[Rhonald]

When I did the minivan it cost 140 rmb one way, but the minivan ride was direct to the airport. I imagine that you would be headed into Hong Kong & not the Hong Kong airport. Also you would be arriving to Shenzhen at the airport, that once again, is outside of Shenzhen. If the price you were quoted was from Shenzhen airport to Hong Kong city, then as you mentioned, I think this your best option. Just the bus ride from the Shenzhen airport to Shenzhen city center one way is already 30 rmb.

I have gone to Hong City from Shenzhen by train through either Lo Wu & Lok Ma Chau border crossing, and Lok Ma Chau was the less busy border crossing. I think Philip might have the better knowledge since he lives in Hong Kong & might have a good idea since he has done the trip probably more often then me.

[Mikael_Shim]

Correct, im heading straight for Kowloon and the bus we found is said to go there and is departing from Shenzhen Airport.

[shaun]

The van or bus as they call it stops in several hotels in Shenzhen and the airport.  Most go to the airport but I was told that they go almost anywhere Hong Kong. 

The company name is Trans-Island Chinalink.  They have 2 numbers.  85223361111   or   868008309291.    Don't know if this will help but you might give it a try.

[Mikael_Shim]

Yeah, its same, Chinalink, the bus from Shenzhen Airport to Kowloon costs just 90rmb

[Pineau]

When I go to Hong Kong I used the train at Luo Hu. Cost was not really that much different. It's  not a long trip. I think the longest part of the journey is the border crossing at Luo Hu station. 

If your not in a hurry, the bus is fun and makes a lot of stops along the way. It stops at Sha Tin , below a nice big shopping mall.   I used to take the train from Shenzhen into Sha Tin and shop for a while and then continue into Hong Kong on the bus.  If you dont care about the shopping then take the train straight into Hong Kong.

[Mikael_Shim]

Well, i took the bus from Shenzhen airport straight to Kowloon , or more precisely Tsim Sha Tsui (Harbour city) just next to Victoria Harbour. 5 minutes walk from the hotel where i was staying. Bus costs 90rmb and the trip is quite fast and simple. Passing through customs at HK was no problem at all either when i went to HK or back to China. Took about 10 minutes to pass.

So uhm .. well. My first impression of Hong Kong  , not what i expected and far from what im used to here in Beijing. After stepping of the bus, it took merely 5 minutes to get to the hotel where i was met by the horrid sight of a pakistani druglord beating up a foreigner who was bleeding from the head. I quickly checked in and left my stuff in the room and went out for a walk which lasted about 10-15 minutes when a couple of ill-natured-looking stonehigh Africans questioned me about my needs which i kindy explained whatever they offered would fail to suffice. Another ten minutes walk and a handfull of moslems would had me questioned where im from, where i live, how long, etc etc. For what reasons remains a mystery but these guys certainly didnt look like anyones i would trust for a second back home.

I cant say i would recommend Hong Kong as a safe place for a lonely traveller. Certainly not an inexperienced. However i certainly would recommend hong kong if u just want to buy some cheap ladies and drugs. I did not feel safe and i had to look over my shoulder constantly. The staff at the hotel was a+++, and theres alot of indian people everywhere who i have nothing but positive to say about. Very friendly and helpful, even if you dont want to buy anything from them. The black guys all looked like hardened criminals and whatever they wanted to sell im sure i did not want. And plenty of middle east drugdealers. The whole area inside Chungking Mansion smelled like someone just smoked a boatload of ganja. For a second i almost thought i was back in Sweden 

Now i only had limited time and only spent time around Harbour city so i shouldnt judge all of HK by just that. But my impression of Harbour City wasnt all that impressive. We are going back this summer to spend some longer time on both HK and Macau and hopefully i will have some better impressions then. Also i was alone this time and i felt that i would probably had enjoyed it more in good company.

But in 90 days from now when i need do exit and re-enter again ... i will take a 24h trip to Tokyo instead. Flights are even cheaper then go to HK.

[shaun]

When I was in Hong Kong in July I stayed at the Royal View Hotel (852)3716-2888.  It is about a 15 minute bus ride from where you are staying.  There wasn't any riffraff there at all.  It is a very nice place on the beach and reasonable prices.  They also have a hotel bus leaving either every hour or half-hour, I don't remember.  It is free to you if you are staying at the hotel.  They may have a stop near where you need to be.  Next time I am in Hong Kong I plan on staying there.

[Arnold]

This really goes to show , how a City can look from different People's view of a Place . Qing and I stayed on HK Island and we incountered nothing of anything even close what Mikael written about . We walked the street's at night as well as day-time and not even have one Person come up to us to sell something .. including the Buses which are very cheap by the way .. 2 HK dollars from one side to the other . But , I did not been to Kowloon .. other then get of the Train from Shenzhen to HK . Mmmmmh .. maybe I'm to Ugly to be approached ? haha

[Mikael_Shim]

Haha well i was heavily surprised because what i saw and experienced what far from what i expected and have heard from others. Maybe i was just unlucky for my very short stay, i did not move into any other areas then Harbour city and just went Nathan RD up for a 30 min walk and back down to the harbour and then around the harbour area, all is nighttime. We are going back this summer after we have spent holidays in Thailand to stay a week or two in HK and Macau and im guessing it will be a more positive experience.

[Arnold]

Well , I certainly hope so Mikael . When I travel , I usually like to see .. the GOOD - the BAD and the UGLY ( not that I'm looking for something BAD .. haha ) . Like Shanghai for an example , I told my Wife that I just don't want to see the Tourist Area's .. I want to see how the average/poorer Chinese lives . This way one get's the feel for a City/Country and has a more overall view , before opening up ones Mouth to speak .. this or that . I was in HK only three day's , so not much time to explore the entire City .

[chen yan]

Hi Makael, Chungking Mansion is a famous economic hostel center ,that street indeed make you feel an safe but donn't worry they just try to make money ,Hong Kong is a very safe city compare China mainland. I feel very relex when I visit Hongkong, But in mainland my own city I have to keep alert when travelling.
Hope you could have another great trip in Hong Kong next time.

[Mikael_Shim]

Yeah i noticed they were renting lots of cheap rooms in Chungking Mansion , was stopped and offered for as low as 80hkd/night. But really seems like i just happened to wander around in the least favourable spot of all HK  . Looking forward to a longer and more thorough trip there later this summer.