When it comes to iconic waterways, Victoria Harbour is going to rank near the top of any well-informed list. Important in the past and today as a shipping port, the financial center of Asia has also developed an iconic skyline.
There are several ways to get across the harbour; I traveled into town via the Airport Express subway route, and there is another subway crossing for the more commonly-used lines. There is the possibility of bus service via tunnels, but the historically accurate, most interesting, and cheapest (that I can think of) method is via the ferry.
The ferry buildings themselves are nice to look at architecturally, and the trip across the harbor gives plenty of time and opportunities to take pictures of that famous skyline.
Unfortunately, I never really had nice weather when I had a chance to look across the harbor. But at least you can get a taste of what you might see.
On the Kowloon side, there's a walkway that I'll visit later which also provides great views across the water.
These "traditional" boats can be seen running tours up and down the water.
While the nicest view of Hong Kong should include the Bank of China Tower, there is also a great collection of skyscrapers further down.
Ah, panorama mode. My friend. Kowloon doesn't have a great skyline - it's the Brooklyn of Asia - but like Brooklyn it affords good views of the city across the water.
It seems that weather really wasn't on my side for this trip - I didn't get rained out of anything but the overcast, hazy sky meant that my photography just doesn't feel as good as usual.
The ferry has frequent departures as it is a regular commuter service; try not to get in people's way if you're trying to get photos. I traveled across during a weekday while everyone else was at work or school so my ferry was relatively empty.
The Star Ferry has been running since 1888, and naturally can be accessed from Kowloon or Hong Kong Island. Kowloon's ferry terminal is a short walk from the MTR (subway system) Tsim Sha Tsui Station - head toward the clock tower. On the Hong Kong side (Central), the ferry is at the end of Man Yiu Street, a short walk from Hong Kong Station or Central Station. There is also a ferry at Wan Chai. Ferry rates are $2.50 on weekdays and $3.40 (HKD) on weekends. That's less than 50 cents per ride in US dollars.
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