going to Hong Kong for the first time? Download these (free) apps!
Hong Kong is a city that is bound to leave quite an impression on you if you’re a first-time visitor. Some parts are really modern and in other parts of the city the odds of running into someone that can speak English are realy slim. Before you head off to Hong Kong, check out our list with an overview of the best neighbourhoods of Hong Kong. I’ve put a map on my smartphone with a couple of apps that I often use whenever I’m in Hong Kong. Long live the modern technology ;-). From food apps to handy apps for public transportation. Download these apps before you leave for Hong Kong to start your vacation in the best way!
8 x apps you’ll want to download before leaving for hong kong
In this list we’ll link you to the app store so you can directly download these apps. If you use an Android system it’s best to search for the name of the app in your app store!
MTR Mobile: For small distances a taxi can be convenient if the weather’s not that good, but for logner distances I can recommend MTR. The metro system in Hong Kong is super efficient and it’ll get you to all of the parts of the city. The MTR app is really handy to plan your trip on how to get from A to B and in the app you can also find exactly per station what kind of things are there and what connections. You can download the app for free!
XE Currency: I can firmly say that I can’t go without XE Currency whenever I’m travelling in another country where you can’t pay with Euros. In this app you can set your valuta to the country that you’re travelling to on your vacation and once you’re there, you can calculate the Hong Kong Dollars to your own valuta at any given moment.
OpenRice: The most well known restaurant website of Hong Kong is without a doubt openrice.com. A recommendation for anyone who loves great food, because you can honestly find the real tips where the locals go to as well. There are even street food stalls mentioned! Via the app you can conveniently look through the different neighbourhoods, the options in cuisines, what you would like to spend per person and see photos of locals that have been there before. This app is free by the way!
Food Panda: In The Netherlands we have foodora, in Hong Kong they have Food Panda. Through this app you can order food from restaurants and have it be delivered at your hotel or to your AirBnB address. Very handy if you’re really jetlagged or don’t feel like going out to eat.
HK Weather: Nothing as unpredictable as the weather in Hong Kong. This app gives you accurate weather forecats in Hong Kong with data that comes from the Hong Kong Observatory among others. In this app you can see what the weather will be like till 9 days ahead and the app is free.
Uber: Great news for anyone who, just like me, regularly gets an Uber abroad. In Hong Kong this taxi service is still allowed! Keep in mind that you need a mobile data connection for this.
Hong Kong Taxi Translator: A tip if you’re taking a ttaxi in Hong Kong, make sure you always have the address with you and preferably can show it on Google Maps and that you have the address also written in Chinese to show the driver. This can be a reason to take an Uber instead ;-). Even though the most taxi drivers effortlessly know the way to the most well known spots, it can come in handy to use the app Hong Kong Taxi Translator. The app costs $ 0,99 in the App store and this app holds over 3.000 locations and names of the streets.
Beanhunter: If you’re a real coffee lover you’ll definitely want to know this app. As with this app it won’t be necessary to go to the well known coffee franchises to get your dosis of caffeine. Via this app you can see where the best independent coffee shops are located where you can get specialty coffee, based on your location. This app is not only convenient to have when you’re travelling to Hong Kong, as it has tips for 179 more cities worldwide!
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Hong Kong Travel Tips
> THIS IS HOW YOU’LL GET THERE: During my trip I flew with Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong. From Hong Kong you can then fly on to tons of destinations in Asia. Find your tickets here now >>
> Tip: For a mere € 100,- you can arrange a stop-over in Hong Kong with your regular ticket of Cathay Pacific!
> YOURLBB’S FAVORIETE HOTELS IN HONG KONG:
– The Peninsula: beautiful view of the skyline of Hong Kong
– Mandarin Oriental: unknown luxury in this classic hotel
– Ritz Carlton: the famous Ozon bar is also situated in this hotel
– Hotel Stage: trendy hotel in the area of the evening market at Temple Street
– Madera Hollywood: the location of this hotel in the heart of Soho is perfect!
– The Jervois: one of the best hotels in the trendy Shueng Wan area
– Cordis Hotel: lovely luxurious hotel in Kowloon next to a gigantic shopping mall
– East Hong Kong: cute lifestyle hotel with an awesome rooftop bar
– 99 Bonham: nice and trendy hotel in the great neighbourhood Shueng Wan
– W Hong Kong: recommended if you’re in Hong Kong during the summer because they have a pool!
– Cue Hotel: very affordable lifestyle hotel in the Wan Chai area
– One96: are you staying in Hong Kong for some longer time? If yes, choose a serviced apartment!
– The Park Lane Hotel: nice hotel in Causeway Bay with a very nice rooftop bar
TIP: discover more hotspots and travel tips in my books DE AMSTERDAM CITY GUIDE & WANDERLUST!
WITH LOVE,
ANNE
