Tips for Travelers Who are Going to Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a key destination for many travelers. It has a population of more than seven million, scattered all throughout its more than 200 islands. It is located in Eastern Asia, near China and the South China Sea. Formerly, leased to Great Britain, Hong Kong was officially returned to China in 1997. Hong Kong offers diversity in: culture, religion, and lifestyles.

Chinese, (Cantonese) and English are both the official language here. So foreigners, who are planning to visit, should not have any problems exploring, and experiencing the culture of this vibrant place; since English is widely spoken here.

Hong Kong dollar is the currency in use here. One American dollar roughly equals around 7 Hong Kong dollars.

Hong Kong is known for: its unique energetic vibe, its wonderful food, and beautiful skylines. It’s best to always bring a camera when roaming around in the city, so travelers can capture the essence of this place, and will always have a memento of their visit.

Hong Kong offers many great upscale shopping districts that rival the high end streets of: Shanghai, London and Paris. But the best places to shop here are the unique shops, and street markets that exhibit the charm and uniqueness of the locality.

It is wise to look around at the various stores to compare prices before buying anything. The best part of all is that sales tax is exempted on everything in Hong Kong.

The best way to get around Hong Kong is to purchase an Octopus payment card. This card takes you everywhere. It can also be used on any public transportation system, except taxis. It can even be used in vending machines, restaurants, and convenient stores, fast food places, etc.

Some of the key places in Hong Kong are:

* Hong Kong Island is the most urbanized district. It’s the heart and soul of the city.

* Kowloon is one of, if not, the most populated cities in the world. It also offers the best view of the skyline.

* Disney Land Hong Kong which is located in Lantau Island. This is only the third International sight for a main Disney them park. It is best to make reservations ahead of time for lodging. It tends to be packed, especially during the holidays.

Hong Kong also has a great natural landscape that can be seen by riding a train that goes all the way up to the higher part of Hong Kong Island. With so many things to do and sights to be seen Hong Kong is truly a must see for any traveler.

The history of Asia could (and does!) fill huge volumes of text. So, let us focus on one subject: the China Tea Trade. In the early 1800’s, not long after the end of the Opium Wars, trade with China began to really expand.

Large numbers of American merchants wanted to get in on the opening of China, and they negotiated access to several ports: Canton, Shanghai, Ninghsien, Amoy and Foochow. There followed an explosion in interest in the exotic varieties of teas. Suddenly, Americans were drinking Lumking, Imperial, Gunpowder (yes, that is the name of a tea!), Bohea, Oolong and Mowfoong.

As tea is a perishable product, it became critical to get it from the various Chinese ports to New York and Boston as quickly as possible. Many of the opium clippers – extremely fast ships – switched over to the tea trade. Once the tea was in the holds, the race was on to cross the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, loop around the Cape of Good Hope, and then navigate up the Atlantic to reach the American ports.

One of the first American companies to get into the tea trade was the Low Brothers. They were the twelve sons of Seth Low, a drug merchant from Salem, Massachusetts. Abiel Abbott Low spent seven years dealing in the tea trade, and he made quite the interesting discovery early on in his career.

As tea needs to be kept dry, he decided to buy some cheap Chinese dishes and stack the crates of it in the hold, so that the tea would be up high and dry. He was quite pleased to discover, upon reaching Boston, that the china sold for enough money to pay for the entire voyage! In the years to come, one Low brother after another followed him out to China and continued the family business.

Over the course of many decades, many fortunes were made – and lost – in the China tea trade. The history of Asia is as broad and varied as the history of the entire world. This may have something to do with the fact that Asia encompasses the largest continent in the world.

To focus on only trade would still cover a vast range of subjects. After all, China is known for many things: jade, rice, tea to name only a few. Of course, expanding that list to illegal substances would include opium and other illicit drugs. To look at just one item – tea, can also include many things. After all, families around the world have been tied to that business. So, consider how powerful the subject of tea must be for it to influence the lives of a family in far off Salem, Massachusetts.

Turkey, which approximately has 71,000,000 inhabitants, is located both in Asia and Europe. The country is bordered by Bulgaria and Greece in the northwest region, Iraq in the southeast, Iran and Armenia in the east, and Syria in the south. Its capital city is Ankara but the largest is Istanbul. You can enjoy the best sailing charter Turkey in the south and west of the country’s 80 provinces.

Turkey is full of culture and tradition. Its history is very eventful and dynamic, but full of rage, conflict, and wars. It was handled by many empires. During the ancient times, particularly in 1800 BC, most of the country was inhabited by the Hittites. In 8th century BC, the Greeks occupied the country. After two centuries (6th century BC), Turkey became part of the Persian Empire. However, the Persians did not last long. Soon after, it was invaded by Rome in 395 AD and was administered as a province. Still, the country was invaded by the Ottoman Turks in the 13th century AD.

Cruising a sailing yacht in Turkey means sailing along the many gulfs and bays of the much indented Turkish coast. It is also a journey back in time, with an abundance of archaeological sites, castles and temples that catches its importance in ancient and medieval times.

The Turkish coastline is usually separated into three different cruising areas:

- The Lycian Coast: a wild and rugged landscape with an impressive display of mountains, cliffs and ravines.

- The Carian Coast: this is the most popular cruising area and includes the two largest yacht charter bases; Bodrum and Marmaris.

- The Ionian Coast: a coastline starting in Izmir in the north and reach all the way to Bodrum in the south. Here you will find the best climate in the whole of Turkey and a lot of culture.

The beautiful coast of the Ionian has been a favorite cruising ground by many avid sailors. The reason for this distinction is that the area has the best sailing condition in the whole country. Its shoreline covers Izmir up to Bodrum. The Ionian coast is an ideal yachting spot especially for bareboats and gullets. In the ancient times, Greek and Turkish sailors were amazed of the coast’s gentle winds and very favorable climate.

One of the country’s most attractive tourist activities is sailing along its calm, relaxing, and stunning sea waters. In particular, most tourist sailors go to the coasts of the Mediterranean and the Aegean. Aside from yachting, Turkey can also offer its historical and archaeological sites. You can find a some of the country’s ancient architectures in Istanbul (the largest and the former capital city). You can visit the world-famous Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Pera Palas, Grand Bazaar, Galata Tower, and the Dolmabahce Palace. If you are not into prehistoric buildings, you can have a stopover to Istanbul’s modern shopping malls, which are among the largest shopping centers in the world.