The cost of life will comprise 6 areas: Housing, Communications, Transportation, Services, Groceries, and Entertainment.
The Cost will be detailed in 2 scenario: Single/Couple & a Family of 4/5.
The costs in this article will be indicated in Euros, for immediate projection purpose.
You can consider that 1$ = 1€.
It will make values more understandable.
It will even out in most cases.
If you wish to know more about currency pair velocity you can search about the Eurodollar evolution & Currency Pair: EUR/USD on sites like Investopedia or other financial websites.
Housing
Good to know : About the minimum wage.
In France the minimum monthly wage, for a 35-hour week, is €1,219 after deduction of social security taxes & income tax (as of 01/01/2020).
Rent
As a Single person/Couple rent could cost you as little as 575 euros Charges Comprises for a 3 rooms 2 bedrooms 70m² apartment on southern Paris.
The rent itself would be 450 euros + 50-125 euros of Charges (water, waste, & in this case heat).
This cases are not the norm, but they do exist if you contact the owner directly.
A realtor may make you pay up to 900-1000 euros for a 2 bedroom appartment.
A Family of 4/5 could find a 6 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 121 m² apartment for as little as 850 euros Charges Comprises in Provence, Laragne-Monteglin.
Again, try to contact the owner directly via a website like lefigaro immobilier (immobilier = real estate).
A realtor may add up to 650 euros fee on a similar product raising the rent to 1500
Les Charges Comprises (Utilities) are a fraction of the housing included in the rent.
They include Water, Wastes & Garbage.
They could include Electricity (general & Heating/Cooling).
They could include Telephone & Internet.
La Quotion.
The owner will often ask you an upfront payment on the 1st month equal to a month of rent.
It is asked by the owner to secure the rent & to cover the reparation costs.
On the Single/Couple example it would be 575 * 2 = 1150€ on the 1st month.
On the Family example it would be 850 * 2 = 1700€ on the 1st month.
La Quotion is only due on the 1st month, and is returned to you at the end of the rent period if the property hasn’t been degraded.
The last thing will be ‘l’assurance habitation’ (house insurance), more on this in the Bank section.
Communications
France as many other countries, offers package deals (Internet + Phone)
3 of the most popular package deals are the SOSH(Orange) package 15€/m, the Free package 20€/m & the B&You (Bouygues) package 20€/m.
Both of these packages include International phone calls.
They are ‘Sans engagement’ meaning the contract can be interrupted at any moment (you still have to pay the actual month).
If you are form the US or the UK some of your favorite shows may not be available in France due to region restriction.
So we recommend you use a VPN.
VPNs can be found for as little as 5€/m.
Transportation
Good to know : As you arrive at the Airport, it’s a good idea to have 50 euros in cash to pay for transportation.
ATMs are available in every airport.
A One-way Ticket for the Local Transport will cost from 1.7 to 2€.
The ‘Carte d’abonnement’ (subscription card) are value season ticket.
They allow you to subscribe to a transportation service for a week, a month or a whole year.
Les ‘Carte d’abonnement’ will generally cost you around 70€ (Navigo) as an adult, and 35€ as a child/student on Paris.
On Marseilles the Regular Price of a Monthly Pass is 48€.
They also serve as transportation titles, be sure to have it with you at all times.
Know that the transportation expenses can be exonerated from your taxes if you are subscribing via a ‘Carte d’abonnement’.
‘Carte d’abonnement’ become particularly advantageous when it comes to Trains.
La SNCF(main train company), offers la ‘Carte Liberté’ a yearly pass that cut the cost of all your train travels by 45%(1st class) to 60%(2nd class).
It also allows you to exchange or refund your tickets without additional cost.
It’s 399/y for an adult.
Up to 3 accompanying children (age 4-11), get another 50% off based on the fare paid by the cardholder.
It is valid for all types of travels, in France & in Europe.
Financial & Health Services
Health & Social
The National Social Security (l’Assurance Maladie) covers almost every Health/Social-related expanses.
Doctor’s visit is around 25€, fully refunded.
Almost every merchandise bought in Pharmacy is refunded.
Additionally, you can pay for a ‘Mutuelle santé’ which will cover certain specific treatments & expenses (essentially paramedical expenses).
Insurance
Insuring your Car & Home is mandatory.
Most Home insurances cover an apartment.
They can highly variate, between 96 & 352€ per year, so we will detail how to choose your insurance depending on where you live in another article.
2 of the most cost effective options are the Inter Assurances comfort plan (112€/y) & the Carrefour formule essentielle (157€/y).
Banks
For extra convenience, most banks propose an housing insurance plan.
As for Insurance companies, Banks annual fees can hugely oscillate, between 23€ & 242€ per year.
3 of the most cost effective options are the Boursorama banque (23€/y), the Fortuneo banque (28€/y) & the Orange bank(40€/y).
Note that the bank account opening will cost you 80€ for the 3 aforementioned banks.
Self-Catering & Groceries
Super-Markets
As a Single person /couple monthly groceries cost around 200€
As a Family you could go up to 500€.
The main supermarket/hypermarkets chains are Carrefour, Auchan & Super/Hyper U.
Convenient stores are the less cost effective option.
Markets/Marches Locaux offer a diversity of fresh products, at extremely competitive prices.
Every City/Town/Village has a weekly market.
The biggest Cities & Regional Capitals have daily markets.
More on markets with our Marches Locaux & Regional Specialties tops.
Entertainment
Cinema
The ticket costs around 10€.
Some cinemas like UGC & Pathe/Gaumont offer a monthly pass for unlimited access at 20€/m.
Restaurants
The price on the bill includes service, you don’t need to leave a tip.
A 3-course meal for 1 person: 20-30€.
A Lunch for 1 person: 10-15€.
Snack-Bars, Cafes & Boulangeries
Cafe: 2-4€, it’s more expensive if you drink it on the terrasse.
Pastries/Viennoiseries: 2-3€
Sandwiches/Pizza/Tartes: 5-7€ (with Fries? Add another 2€)
Salads: 7-10€
Baguette/Bread: 0.9€
Food Delivery
Web services such as Deliveroo & Glovo are available in France.
You may already know about them, so…
Hairdressers & Barbershops
Around 30€ for women (80€ for a color), 20€ for men, 10€ for children.
Salon products may cost around 20-40€.
Gym club
30-50€ on Paris, around 40€ on Lyon & Nice, around 30€ for the rest of the country.
Landmarks, Museums & Art Galleries
The access to many Museums in France is around 10€.
Some Museums, like Musee d’Orsay or Centre Georges Pompidou offer 2 types of tickets.
Le ‘Billet coupe-file’, that will allow you to have preferential access to the art pieces (14 to 16€).
La ‘Visite guidée’, which entitles you to a tour of the Museum (49€ for Orsay, 94€ for Pompidou).
The access to Museums & Landmarks is free on holidays & festivals such as Journées du patrimoine or 14 Juillet.
Certain Museums & Landmarks will also allow you to enter for free on Sundays.
Expenses
Euros €/m
Housing Studio/1 room 2 rooms 3 rooms 4 rooms
500 600 800 1200
Rent Charges/Utilities
430 – 1000 80 – 200
Communication
Phone + Internet (wifi/mobile) VPN
20 5
Transportation (monthly pass)
One-way Ticket Bus + Metro + others Train (Yearly Discount pass)
A smart destination is a destination enhanced by the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence & the will to deliver great customer service.
To make your journey smoother & more in-depth smart destinations have developed policies such as:
Save resources to welcome more & more people
Synergize the artificial & natural environment
Create a consistant web where people & information circulate easily
Upgrade & promote traditional & local landmarks
Make your journey smoother & more in-depth
Smart technologies helps tourists to become more aware of their environment & provide suitable alternatives.
In this regard Augmented Reality is one of the most important, if not the most important, functionality.
Allowing you to access real-time data on the place you are visiting or on the location you wish to reach by displaying them through CG imagery is quite possibly the 1 thing that will make your journey become futuristic.
Gamification of travel becomes real.
The AI assistants provides location & general information about essential city services.
Find in a instant the closest police stations, healthcare centers, train stations, and other administrative offices.
The same goes for restaurants, museums & other places of entertainment.
Save resources to welcome more & more people
Resources preservation is a common financial & environmental topic, but in the case of smart destinations another aspect is added: aesthetic & attractiveness.
All information you need are available via visually optimized apps, for more ergonomy & less information on paper.
Energy saving is also achieved by using evolutive lighting that can adapt through Computer Vision & AI.
Oslo is one of the leading cities in terms of lighting efficiency.
Barcelona is making use of Internet of Thing technology & cloud computing to optimize its energy consumption.
Carbon neutrality is a major concern of smart destination.
It is achieved by growing a more efficient, more secure & more attractive Public transportation system.
Prohibiting cars in the City centers & other parts of the capital to make traffic smoother is another major solution.
Multiple parts of Tokyo, such as Ginza, have already implemented this policy.
Cycling is popularized & solar-powered cycling spreads.
Tokyo is a city where the use of electric vehicle gradually becomes the norm.
Synergize the artificial & natural environment
By developing synergistic Architecture smart destinations display a new sense of aesthetic where nature & civilization benefit each other visually.
This functionally leads to synergistic Urbanisme.
Cities are build by taking more into account the geography & topography allowing to benefit from the specificities of each location.
Oslo is working on a full restructuration of its urban structure, and particularly its transportation network.
By investing in sustainable hotels & other accommodations smart destinations enhance service quality.
The most important sustainability policies are presented through City tours where you’ll have the opportunity to try them yourself.
It is the occasion to discover the most essential parts of the city or parts you’ve never heard of.
Create a consistant web where people & information circulate easily
Easily reach your destination, that’s important.
Smart destination understood it.
Reaching your destination easily, safely & conveniently, that’s even better.
The crowd management system developed through the use of Computer Vision & Machine Learning recognition allows all of this.
When they are, of course, combined with a diversify public transportation system.
Less crowded vehicles may also mean more secure circulation.
That is why many smart destinations offer you multiple transportation means.
Barcelona is making use of Internet of Thing technology & cloud computing to increase its transportation network safety.
Through city apps you are sent itinerary suggestions in order to reduce traffic congestion.
This is achieved by providing evolutive data on parking slots availability, zones to & local traffic.
Making the country more accessible to tourists is every country’s concern.
Making the country more accessible to tourists who don’t speak the language is a growing concern.
Real time translation apps are essential for countries where English isn’t widely spread.
Making destinations more accessible to the elderly & people with disabilities is also a major concern.
Touristic agencies & destination management organization have began to address it by providing tours adapted to the specific needs.
Upgrade & promote traditional & local landmarks
Cities tend to promote local businesses, principally local restauration & local craftsmanship.
They also wish to display lesser known districts.
This is achieved through the creation of public open space, mainly cultural spaces such as museums & libraries, where tourists are invited to discover the history of a particular district or landmark.
Promoting low season visits & lowering prices is another increasingly successful strategy.
A sustainable touristic taxation system is also developed to normalize fees differences between the cities & states.
This last point is critical for the hostellerie industry intrinsically dependent of real estate and subsequently impacted by an efficient taxation system.
Conclusion
Smart tourist destination are developed to make your journey more convenient.
Wherever it’s safer & smoother thanks to computer vision.
Or easier to navigate through the emerging Augmented reality technology.
Finally, it makes that new country more accessible thanks to real-time translation, powered by Natural Language Processing.
A smart destination is 1st & foremost tourist oriented.
Sauce au beurre, wine sauce, jus de viande, you’ll find that everywhere in French gastronomy, but that is in Bourgogne that’ll find it the most.
Just in case you forgot where you were, they put Bourguignon in the name of every dish served.
Same goes for Comtoise.
Stewed dishes & Simmered dishes?
You’ll find both of these in Bourgogne-Franche-Compte.
The Dishes:
Bœuf Bourguignon
Cancoillotte
L’escalope de veau comtoise
Escargots de Bourgogne
Fondue Bourguignonne
Galette comtoise
Gougères
Griottine
Mont-d’or
Pochouse
Potee Comtoise
Poulet de Bresse aux Morilles
Saucisse de Morteau
Bœuf Bourguignon
The pride of Burgundy.
Bœuf Bourguignon is a stew (‘estouffade de bœuf’) cooked in red Bourgogne wine.
The core of the dish is nicely diced Bœuf à braiser & Bacon.
Add to this raw vegetables: bright carrots, big onions & intense Garlic.
A variant consist of adding mushrooms cooked in butter.
Cancoillotte
Cold or hot, on tartines or dressed over potatoes the Cancoillotte will not leave you indifferent.
Generally sold in small 250g pots, this little creamy cheese is perfect for those who look for a low-carb cheese loaded with proteins.
Made out of Metton(another cheese), butter, milk & salt the Cancoillotte is one of the most convenient cheese.
Enjoyed by people who don’t especially like cheese since it has a neutral taste.
L’escalope de veau comtoise
L’escalope de veau is a wonderful piece of veal & Franche-Comté.
1st, it is delicately pan-fried with lots of butter.
It is then covered with smoked cured ham (‘jambon cru’) and grated Comté cheese.
Both the cheese & ham enhance the strength of the meat.
Finally, the escalope is topped with a cream & mushroom sauce.
Many different types of mushrooms are used.
The most popular are morels, chanterelles & champignons de Paris.
Escargots de Bourgogne
Les Escargots de Bourgogne are the most popular variety of snails preparation.
Prepared with the Helix pomatia, or Bourgogne sauvage, & a sauce called Beurre d’escargot.
Le Beurre d’escargot is a mix of melted butter, to which is added minced persil, scallions, garlic & pepper.
Generally consumed on Christmas & other celebrations.
The recipe is will be customized.
Don’t hesitate to ask the Chef for their personal version, they’ll surely have one.
Fondue Bourguignonne
Fondue Bourguignonne is 1 of the simplest dishes of this list, and somehow 1 of the tastiest.
Put dices of strong red meat in boiling oil & voila.
Ask for a fondue sauce, if they don’t serve one.
The most common accompaniment for Fondue is Mayonnaise & its 2 variations: Tartare sauce (with capers, persil & pickles) & Aïoli (with garlic).
Fondue can be also be accompanied with Sauce au céleri (celery, nuts & lemon) or Sauce tomate aux anchois (anchovies, tomato paste & olive oil).
There is even a sauce made of tomato paste & whisky.
Generally served with rice or french fries.
Galette comtoise
La Galette comtoise looks a lot like a pie.
It is 1 of the few French ‘tartes’ that is closed, meaning its garniture is hidden under its crust much like British & German pies.
It can also be found under the name ‘galette bisontine‘ or ‘La galette de Goumeau’.
Made of milk, sugar, butter & flour, as usual, its peculiarity resides in the Fleur d’Oranger.
La Fleur d’Oranger is an arôme used in many French pastries (e.g. Madeleines) used to give the cake a specific taste.
In this case it reinforce the Brioche-like taste of the Galette’s crust.
Many recipes add ‘creme pâtissière’ (a cream similar to custard) to the mix.
Gougères
The Gougères are choux salé.
Much like the cream puffs you know, but filled with cheese.
The cheese traditionally used is Gruyère (Swiss cheese) sprinkled with Muscade.
Although these fantastic little puffs can accommodate Comte, Reblochon, Emmental, Mimollette & many others.
Newer versions will also embed Charcuteries & various types of herbs (e.g Herbes de Provence).
The recipe is highly customizable.
Again, try then in multiple restaurants & bistrots to have a bit of the many variations.
Griottes & Griottine
Griottine is a beautiful cake.
This is type of cake you’d like to marry.
And you probably will, because you’re drunk.
Griottine is the name of the cake but also the Liqueur used to make it.
Obtained by macerating Griottes in kirsch, local cherries, the Griottine serves as the core of the recipe.
The cake is made of soft & intense dark chocolate.
Griottes can also be consumed as is.
Mont-d’or
Bearing the colloquial name of the Jura’s mountain, the Mont-d’or is a royal cheese.
Cooked in the oven as is, in tartiflette, or even consumed raw with a slice of bread, the Mont d’or a versatile cheese.
Le Mont d’Or also known as ‘Vacherin du Haut-Doubsone’ is 1 of the most sought-after cheeses of France since it is only produced during a limited period.
It is made from August 15 to march 15.
It is then commercialized September 10 to May 10.
Pôchouse Bourguignonne
Pôchouse Bourguignonne, Burgundian Fish Stew, is an ‘estouffade de poisson’.
Slowly cooked in white wine with vegetables, bacon & thyme/bay leaves, la Pôchouse should satisfy every fish enthusiast.
Many local river fishes are used in its confection such as eel, pike, sea bass, or tench.
Generally served a sauce made of flour & butter, very similar to a Béchamel sauce.
Disclaimer: Most of the dishes you will experience here are Potatoes, Charcuterie & Cheese. Heavy, creamy, ample cheese. If you want to live a long & healthy life do not read the rest of this article.
What are the formidable specialties to come?
Beaufort
Gratin Dauphinois
Fondue savoyarde
Noix de Grenoble
Raclette
Tartiflette
Reblochon
Tomme de Savoie
Beaufort
Many part of France are made of cheese.
But Alpes-Savoie must be one of the cheesiest parts of the country.
The greatest variety of Gruyère, or Swiss cheese as it is also known.
The Beaufort has won the name of “Prince des Gruyères”.
Many Alpines cheeses will be describe as Fruity or Nutty.
The Beaufort is both, and therefore is goes well with fruits, especially grapes, & nuts.
Because of its slight sweetness is can be baked in Tartes, Souffle, Fondue(more of that to come) & even in waffles.
Gratin dauphinois
What a dish.
Finely sliced blanched Potatoes & Heavy Cream.
Embellished with a thin coat of grated cheese.
That’s quite the contrast.
The Gratin dauphinois is the potato at its finest.
Many other dishes in this list will drown the potato’s taste under cream, cheese & charcuterie.
This one does not.
Here, the potatoes are the cream.
If you want to enjoy potatoes with only a little bit of garnish & spices this is the dish.
Subsequently, the potatoes should be cooked with more care.
Fondue savoyarde
When you place a large variety of cheeses in a hot pot & it turns into the savoriest lava.
Usually multiple cheeses are used.
If you’ve never tried a Fondue Savoyarde before we recommend something neutral such as Comte, Beaufort & Emmental,
These 3 are fruity enough, and not too strong to begin with.
Put your little cube of bread on your fork & dive into the pool of cheese.
Fondue can contain white wine, ask for an alcohol-less version if necessary.
Noix de Grenoble
Is it a dish?
It may as well be, you can eat it just like that & it will be satisfying.
Cultivated on the borders of the Isère since the XIth century, it was already a delicacy.
Used in the confection of Confitures, Crèmes de noix, Crèmes aromatiques, and other confectioneries such as Nougat.
The oil will add an original taste to your salads, tartines & pastas.
It is even used in the fabrication of Mustard.
The Noix de Grenoble pairs perfectly with regional cheeses.
It goes also well with honey & chocolate.
Raclette
La Raclette is the Dish.
Melted cheese on potatoes.
And as you roll these potatoes in, you make the raclette flow.
Raclette is the festival food, because raclette is a festival.
Aromatic, salty, sweet, pungent, raclette is the cheese of the Alpes.
The texture of the raclette cheese is smooth, soft, creamy and firm, hard and slightly crumbly.
It comes with lots of charcuterie : ham and saucisson, and rosette, and salami & so on.
Sometimes they will be served with herbs, garlic & pickles(cornichons).
You could also go for more unusual garnishes such as truffles or tomatoes.
Tartiflette
Savoyard gratin composed of soft potatoes, roasted bacon, minced golden onions & heavy cream.
The tartiflette can be freshen with a selection of aromatic herbs: persil, coriandre, cerfeuil.
Ask for these if you want a greener version.
Covered with Reblochon this gratin is one of the most memorable dishes of the region.
Reblochon
Quite the fatty cheese.
Produced with a milk coming from second milking, or fattier, giving it its creaminess.
‘Reblocher’ means in French to pinch the cow’s udder a second time.
Supple, soft & unctuous with a nutty after-taste the Reblochon is piece of choice on your plateau de fromage.
Tomme de Savoie
A Cheese that tastes like Butter.
Originally, la Tomme de Savoie was made with the skimmed milk remaining from butter’s fabrication.
Therefore, it is quite lean compared to many other French cheeses.
This peculiarity made its popularity even at an European scale.
As with many other French cheeses the milk used in its fabrication comes from its region.
Wedding cocktails, private parties, corporate events, new product launches, etc.
4 options are available : “World Star”, ”Shining Star”, ”Meridian Star” and “Classic Ferry”.
Time & Trajet
The boats are available every day.
The Star Ferry Company shuttles passengers from its pier to Hong Kong Island.
Departure : Tsim Sha Tsui pier on the Kowloon Peninsula.
2 arrivals : the Central pier or the Wan Chai pier on the Hong Kong Island.
The Fare displayed is for the top deck.
The regular ticket is $2.7 on weekdays & $3.7 on weekends/holidays.
The reduced ticket is $1.6 on weekdays & $2.2 on weekends/holidays.
Tip for parents: Two children with height less than 95 cm, accompanied by a fare-paying passenger and not occupying a seat can travel free of charge on regular services.
It is free of charge for Seniors, under presentation of a senior card.
Or extend your point of view with the crystal cabin, which has a glass bottom.
Regular HK$315, child HK$190 & senior HK$235.
Private cabins are also available.
The Standard Cabin fee is HK$3,800 per cabin & HK$4,500 per cabin for the Crystal version.
It may be a valuable option if you came as a group.
The private cabin formula also includes the Walking with Buddha attraction (detailed in the next section).
The other attraction of the NP360 is the Motion 360.
The Motion 360 is a senses enhancing cinema experience.
The movie projected will immerse all your senses in a seat-wrecking journey.
2 shows are available:
Walking with Budha(next section)
Learn to fly with Xiaoding & Taotao in Little Ants Adventure.
Ride an invisible spaceship over the head of the Tian Tan Budha down to seas depths to visit the Chinese Pink Dolphin in Discover Lantau.
At the end of the ride get some gifts at the Motion 360 Souvenir Shop in the Ngong Ping Village.
Visit the Tian Tan Buddha
I thought he had a 1000 hands…
At only 10 min on feet of Ngong Ping Village sits the Tian Tin Buddha.
This statue is the depiction of the founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha, jewel of Hong-Kong & protector of main land China.
It is the world’s second largest outdoor bronze seated Buddha.
It reposes on a lotus throne, the “Altar of Heaven”, situated on a mountaintop.
Which means landscapes shots for your eyes & cameras.
The view is great during the day, but at night the crepuscular views bring a contrasting atmosphere and after night fall the statue is enlightened.
The stairs can be a little rough but climbing them slowly gives you the opportunity to admire the landscape, making every break enjoyable.
Attraction : Walking with Buddha.
The story of the revelation through which Siddhartha Gautama reached enlightenment.
The story begins with a short video in the courtyard.
“Who am I and why am I here?” is the question whose this story will answer.
You will next walk through a path consisting of 3 steps.
The “palace” step is an introductory video projected into the courtyard depicting the palace life of Siddhartha Gautama, his pondering & his departure.
The “temple” step is the pondering step.
Pick a Bodhi leaf, read the words & think.
Then send back the leaf to the Buddha.
The last step is the forest & the “Path of Enlightenment”.
Here you will be presented the origins of Buddhism & the way it spread through the world.
The walk can be a little demanding.
Therefore, Ngong Ping 360 Limited advises that you assess if you are actually fit for it prior to the ticket buying.
Schedule
From 11am to 5pm on Weekdays.
And from 10am to 5:40pm on Weekends & Public Holidays.
The attraction lasts 20 minutes.
Fare
The Adult ticket is HK$40.
The Child ticket (3-11) is HK$20.
The Senior ticket is HK$28.
Wander around Sham Shui Po
Shops and…
The sightseeing opportunities are numerous in Sham Sui Po and its vicinity.
You can find a diversity of buildings retracing the architectural history of Hong-Kong.
As the Maryknoll Convent School, one of the prestigious schools of Hong Kong.
Opened in 1920s, this institution is delivering education up to this day.
In another vein, you can find many artisans & crafter markets that you can visit just for the sights.
In fact, whole streets can be dedicated to a single product such as:
The Nam Cheong Street for Ribbon.
The Ki Lung Street for Buttons.
The Tai Nan Street for Leather.
Subsequently, you will find many traditional fabriques.
A plethora of shops from historical fabriques to flea markets.
You don’t have to buy anything to have a good time around.
But the colors & the odors will probably make you want to buy something, like…
Computer parts?
The Golden Shopping Centre is historically the centre of computer shopping in Hong Kong.
If you are looking for latest PCs, laptops, phones and tablets, you’re where you’re supposed to be.
The Golden Computer Arcade’s entry is near Exit D2 of the MTR.
The Golden Computer Plaza’s entry is located in Fuk Wing Street.
Wholesome food?
The Pei Ho Street Market is an illustrative Hong Kong “wet market”.
On the lower floors you will find everything for self-catering: fresh fruit, vegetables, meat & fish.
On the upper floors you will find the cooked food market: cafe & street food.
Only great fast food at budget prices.
Clothes & Electronics?
Dragon Centre displays electronics shopping, and Hong-Kong brands on its 9 levels.
Inside the Dragon Center is embedded a smaller mall, the Apple Mall.
It specializes in clothing shops for those who look for the trendiest fashion.
A food court and indoor skating ring complete the facilities.
It is located next to the Sham Shui Po Police Station.
Do you want more trendy products & are ready to go a little further around the district?
If so, The Festival Walk is the go-to place for you.
It is one of Hong Kong’s largest indoor shopping malls.
You will find all the large brands here.
The Walk is located at Kowloon Tong, just above the corresponding MTR station.
Snack-bars?
Bath in the food’s Diversity.
Looking for the one of the best dim sum shops of Hong Kong?
Tim Ho Wan will offer you one of the finest selection of dim sums, or Asian sandwiches as they are also known.
Not only it is great, it is also cheap.
Your best bet is the baked barbecue pork buns.
Want to eat outdoor?
The So Kee is a dai pai dong, a rare traditional outdoor food stall.
For the best of the street food experience, go for any suggestion or dish you will come across on that day.
Or you can have a bowl of instant noodles with steamed or broiled meat and a fried egg as a topping.
Really, it’s the occasion to try something you don’t know, since everything will look appetizing.
Don’t forget the Hong Kong-style milk tea.
Want a steak?
The Flying Eagle is an old-school, Chinese-style steakhouse.
Get into this European style atmosphere and order yourself a bowl of German soup & a plate of pork.
Or a nice steak with fries & cabbage.
Don’t forget the bread rolls & the heavy sauce.
…more shops.
Enter the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
You don’t need a 3rd eye.
Located in Sha Tin.
The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (萬佛寺) is composed of 5 temples, 4 pavilions & 1 pagoda.
Along the path, composed of hundreds of stairs, you will be accompanied by a myriad of statues.
The path is long, you can take your time admiring each of the unique statues’ features.
Watch the various poses & facial expressions.
The path is located in Po Fook Hill Mountains of the New Territories area.
Therefore, taking short breaks just for the view is a good idea.
The hills & mountains are also the home of small monkeys.
So if your walk is mildly paced they may approach you.
Arrived at the monastery, have a look at the surroundings.
The valley is beyond you.
Walk around the peaceful pavilions.
Walk along the nine stories & the veranda surrounded by the golden statues.
The monastery is situated in a mountain area.
Which means the rainfall is more frequent than usual, and the weather is globally more humid.
Therefore, the monastery can be closed in case of heavy rainfall.
Time & Fare
The monastery is open from 9 am to 5:30 pm.
Except special event or particular measures the monastery is open to the public every day.
The restaurant opens from 10:30 am to 4 pm.
It is closed on Thursdays.
The admission to the monastery is free.
…
Dive in Hong Kong Ocean Park
If you want something different from Disneyland.
Hong Kong’s 1st marine theme park.
Thrill rides, family memories & beasts from the seas and the land are all waiting, in Ocean Park.
Thrill rides
The Wild Twister situated in Marine World | Summit.
One of the newest rides combining the properties of many other arm-based devices namely extended arms, twisting seats, independent axes pushing you away from the other participants & back to them.
Rides’ Requirement: height between 137 cm (54″) and 195 cm (77″).
Arctic Blast situated in Polar Adventure | Summit.
Traverse Ocean Park’s snows-cape wonderland on a sleigh!
Bring back photos of the fantastic frozen environment on a roller coaster!
Rides’ Requirement: height above 100 cm (39″), age 4 or above.
Children under 6 must be accompanied by a 15 yo or above person.
The Abyss, VR Space Voyage, situated in Marine World | Summit
A beyond the pale voyage up to Titan and then back to the blue planet.
Dive into the pitch black vista.
Gather alien resources & defend your ship from the asteroid tempests.
Rides’ Requirement: height above 132 cm (52″), age 13 or above.
Virtual Reality’s Requirement:
The Park advises that any person with a serious medical condition, particularly eye-related, vision-related or epilepsy dizziness, to not use VR headgear.
All items affecting the VR headgear safe use must be removed.
Complete consignes can be found on the Abyss page.
Animals
The Giant Panda Adventure introduces you to different types of… Panda.
The giant pandas, you may already have seen everywhere, but also the smaller red pandas.
When you’re done, why not have a snack at the nearby Club Panda?
The Grand Aquarium, situated in Aqua City | Waterfront, will bring you to the depths of the oceans.
Exposing before you a plethora of living beings.
Marine Mammal Breeding and Research Centre situated in Marine World | Summit.
The animal care & ecological research center of the park.
The park motto being, ‘Connect people with nature’, this facility does a crucial part of the job.
Time & trajet
The park is vast and you may not want to go through all of it on foot.
You can move from one attraction to the next via a Cable Car or by using the Ocean Express.
Both the Cable Cars & the Express are adapted for wheelchairs.
Ocean Park is opening from 10 am to 6 pm on weekdays, and 10 am to 7 pm on weekends and public holidays.
Fare
The Adult ticket (aged 12 or above) is HK$498.
The Child ticket (aged 3-11) is HK$249.
Others
Recently the access to the park is limited to visitors who have made a reservation.
