My trip to Hong Kong in the month of July, 2014 was an unplanned one which eventually got organized within a span of two days. Typically, I plan my trips beforehand and work out all the minute details before leaving. However, this time, I just wanted to experience all the surprises that were in store for me and experience Hong Kong as is. Hong Kong is a cultural hub of Asia and a complete family destination thronged throughout the year by people of all age groups and ethnicity.
I flew on a Jet Airways flight, which took me around five hours from New Delhi to Hong Kong. Built on a reclaimed land in South China Sea by combining the islands of Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) serves as one of the major regional gateways for Mainland China and the rest of the destinations in Asia and across the world. HKIA is one of the busiest airports in Asia and houses the world’s third largest Passenger Terminal building after Dubai and Beijing airports. The airport is well connected through road and sea routes with main Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and New territories through efficient, comprehensive and comfortable multi-modal transport system.
HKIA is an Engineering marvel and should be surfed properly to enjoy its sheer magnitude, architectural brilliance and convenience. Sprinkled with a wide variety of eating joints, souvenir shops, beauty, health and entertainment joints, it gives a feeling of being in a large shopping mall surrounded by aircrafts and sea. UA IMAX theatre, Aviation Discovery Centre and an Education park are some of the prominent entertainment destinations at the airport which you could easily stroll into, in case you extra time on hand.
The Airport Express line serves as fastest connection between the airport and the Hong Kong Island en route to Kowloon. My advice to all the first-time travelers to Hong Kong is to take a round-trip ticket at the Airport Express line counter if they wished to save a couple of dollars; I saved 20 HKD in purchasing one round-trip ticket to my destination, you may save more depending on your chosen destination. It took me approximately 24 minutes flat from the airport terminal to Hong Kong Central station while cruising through some enchanting seaside views, Tsing Ma suspension bridge and scenic sky scraper clusters along the way.
In case you want to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the entire airport Terminal building and its surroundings, you can do so by taking a cable car ride to Lantau island, an outlying cultural island housing some iconic landmarks. The half-hour cable ride will give you a glimpse of some breathtaking views of Chek Lap Kok Island housing this marvelous Airport building in the shape of an arrow.
