Maximum fun, minimum money: Hong Kong’s best freebies

Hong Kong is not a cheap place, but with a bit of planning you can spend a day in the city and spend very little money.

Start the day with a free t’ai chi lesson, taking in views of the Hong Kong Island skyline, courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourist Board.

If it’s a Wednesday, you’re entitled to free entry at six of Hong Kong’s best museums: Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, Hong Kong Museum of History, Hong Kong Science Museum and Hong Kong Space Museum, excluding the Space Theatre.
After all that museum madness, you’ll be needing a sit down. Make lunch your main meal of the day for the ideal combination of most calories, highest quality and lowest price. Dai pai dong’s (street stalls) and food courts are your best bet for a relatively inexpensive feed.

After lunch, head to one of Hong Kong’s shopping malls for a bit of free air-con and wi-fi. If you don’t have a laptop, you can catch up on your email by using a free library internet terminal.


If you need to cool off and can’t afford the entry to Ocean Park, take your own white-knuckle ride on the top deck of the bus to Shek O for some free and secluded beach action.

In the evening, hit the bars during happy ‘hour’ drinks and you might also score some free nibbles. Still hungry? Then grab some $20 Tak Fat beef balls at this famous Tsim Sha Tsui dai pai dong, before putting your haggling face on and heading to the Temple Street Night Market for some inexpensive memorabilia, kitsch and crafts.

Other freebies and bargains to look out for include:

• Bank of China: panoramic island views from the 43rd-floor public gallery
• Star Ferry: one of Hong Kong’s must-do experiences, all for a bit of shrapnel
• Chi Lin Nunnery: where peace and serenity doesn’t cost a cent
• Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens: free walks and gratis squawks
• Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden: where the butterflies (and cows and dragonflies) are free
• Tian Tan Buddha: a cost-free superlative
• Hong Kong Island tram: a bargain ride across Hong Kong Island for a couple of dollars
  
  

Weather
Both Hong Kong and Macau have a subtropical climate characterised by hot, humid summers and cool, relatively dry winters.

October, November and most of December are the best months to visit. Temperatures are moderate, the skies are clear and the sun shines. January and
February are cloudy and cold but dry. It’s warmer from March to May, but the humidity is high, and the fog and drizzle can make getting around difficult. The sweltering heat and humidity from June to August can make sightseeing a sweaty proposition, and it is also the rainy season. September is a grand month if you like drama; the threat of a typhoon seems to loom every other day.
The very informative Hong Kong Observatory (2926 8200; 134A Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui) issues weather reports on 1878 200 and on its website. The hotline for cyclone warnings is 2835 1473.


When to go
Hong Kong’s subtropical climate can make it a punishingly hot and humid destination during the summer months. June to mid-September is the hottest time when humidity soars. Summer is also typhoon season, when tropical storms sweep rain and high winds off the South China Sea.


Even in late spring and early autumn, wandering Hong Kong’s streets can be warm work. The best time to go climate-wise is in early spring (March and April) or late autumn (October and November), when the days are generally warm, fresh and (wind direction and mainland smoke stacks permitting) the air often clearer.
Things can cool down a good deal in winter, when it can often be overcast (as opposed to merely smoggy) and temperatures may even feel chilly enough to don warmer layers.