Chek Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong

The flight from Seoul to Hong Kong is only a few hours. I took Cathay Pacific and was very pleased with their service. Good food, great service at a nice price.

The Hong Kong International Airport is a very nice, modern facility located on an island 20+ km from the city center.

Immediately after exiting customs & immigration, you will find an ATM where you can get Hong Kong Dollars, a ticket machine for the train to the city, and a hotel finder service. I took advantage of all three. The only bad deal was the ATM. As expected, you get a very poor exchange rate at ATMs in the airport (I think it was about HK $7.2 = US$ 1 compared to HK$7.8 = US$ 1 at money exchanges in the city.

From the airport, you can take a train or a bus to the city. It is a fairly long hike to the train station depending on which terminal you arrived at, and the way is not always clearly marked.

The Hong Kong International Airport is the only other International Airport which in my view gives close competition to Changi Airport of Singapore. It is a very beautiful as well as efficient airport. You can get to the airport by Metro or by Taxi (about 40 mins drive from the heart of the city) both of which are equally efficient.

There are 4 departure terminals and as you approach the airport you will see huge billboards stating which airline departs from which terminal. Even if you make a mistake no worries, you can easily walk it up from one terminal to the other and there are signboards indicating the direction. Due to the design of the departure terminal the sheer number of counters allotted to each airline there is no crowding in a ay particular area which adds to the visual experience and the relaxed atmosphere (unlike Mumbai airport which is a case study on creating chaos at airports ļ). Everybody seems to be going about their work with ease which is reassuring and calming.

There are huge screens which show the status of all the departures from the airport and these screens are there every 30 metres, so all you need to do is check these screens for departure times and gates. There is a may I Help You desk in every terminal where you can seek help if you have any special requirements. Everybody I came across on this airport spoke in English ¡V so the problem you face in Hong Kong city with the cab drivers you will not face in the Airport.

For the detailed review visit my travel blog site.
http://traveltantra.blogspot.com/2010/02/airport-review-hong-kong-international.html

In the main terminal of Hong Kong, there are many shops. Not only are there many shops in Terminal 1, but also Terminal 2, which is a short train ride away. Terminal 1 is generally more crowded, and includes a toy shop, Watsons, Mannings, several electronic stores, and several food stores. Terminal 2 has a Fortress, 7/11, several clothing stores, and several electronic stores as well. Hong Kong Airport shops are usually more expensive or on par with the prices elsewhere in Hong Kong, and there is no sales tax as with the rest of Hong Kong as well.

When we arrived, we were surprised to see one long queue to go through immigration custom. Normally, there is a line each for each counter, now one line just for the many counters. Kind of make things slower, isn't it? Baggage collection is quite fast too and all passengers from Terminal 1 and 2 exit through the same arrival hall.

For departure, take note of which terminal your airline is. There will be quite a lot of walking as the terminals are big. To get to our boarding gates, we even have to take a train. Cool for some, a hassle for others.

Remember to pay a visit to the tourism counter to get some maps or advices before going off. The Airport Express counter is just outside the Arrival Hall to get your Octopus Cards. Restaurants and Shops are plenty and trolleys are available for free usage.

At the departure Terminal 2 of the airport, there are flight schedule display but no information is displayed on whether the gate is opened, boarding, last call.

This led to certain anxieties for departing passengers. We make it just in time for last call which we had not experienced for a long time since.

Travellers are advised to allow ample time from checking in to boarding.

Hong Kong International (Chek Lap Kok) is a tourist friendly hub for travelers. It is easy to navigate even for someone who does not speak the language, there is no problem finding help should you need some. I think the first thing to do when arriving is to buy an octopus card which is readily available at a kiosk as you enter the arrivals hall in the airport terminal. It will allow you to ride the mtr, the buses, the star ferry and airport express in addition to 711 stores, Watson's and Mannings. It is handy so that you are not always trying to find change and you can reload the card should you have a longer stay.

I personally chose to catch the #A21 bus for my 2005 trip and the #A11 my 2008 trip which both stop right right outside the airport. Just follow the signs in the airport to ground transportation. The signs at the bus stops are easy to read and understand. It was about a 40 minute or so scenic ride into Kowloon and/or Hong Kong Island. I very much enjoyed it and a bit less expensive than the airport express.

There is also a left luggage section which you can use should you want to do something on Lantau Island before leaving for Hong Kong Island or Kowloon. It is very inexpensive and they will keep your luggage safe while you go about your business.

There are also many restaurants and stores there for a quick bite if you are hungry or need to snack on something while on your way to your hotel. Flying back home in the departures terminal there are also many duty free shops where you can pick up some last minute gifts for your friends and family back home. They require your boarding pass in order to buy there.

The restrooms are spacious enough for you and your luggage within the stall and they are also extremely clean and tidy. I was pleasantly surprised. There is also a money exchange desk which I used though realized I could get a little better rate within Kowloon at a small kiosk located within a mini mall or even any of the Cheqepoint kiosks in Kowloon. Or, if you have the time to visit any of the banks you can find the best rates there.

All in all a tourist friendly airport with a knowledgeable and helpful staff. I actually like it much better than San Francisco International. It was much easier to navigate

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Approach the Ground Transportation Centre for the Airport Express, busses, taxis and hotel coaches.

Airport Express (AEL), operated by Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC). The high speed rail service takes passengers from the airport to Hong Kong station in the Central business district with two stops, Tsing Yi and Kowloon, route in just 23 minutes.

Airbuses, primarily dedicated to departing and arriving airline passengers. They have fewer stops than conventional routes and stop at all the major hotels in Hong Kong. Airbus tickets are available at the Commercial Service Counter in the meters and greeters area of the arrival hall, or you can pay exact fare when you board the bus.

Hong Kong International is a tourist friendly hub for travelers. It is easy to navigate even for someone who does not speak the language, there is no problem finding help should you need some. I think the first thing to do when arriving is to buy an octopus card which is readily available at a kiosk as you enter the airport terminal. It will allow you to ride the mtr, the buses, the star ferry and airport express. It is handy so that you are not always trying to find change and you can reload the card should you have a longer stay.

I personally chose to catch the #A21 bus which is right outside the airport. The signs at the bus stops are easy to read and understand. It was about a 40 minute or so scenic ride into Kowloon. I very much enjoyed it and bit less expensive than the airport express.

There is also a left luggage section which you can use should you want to do something on Lantau Island before leaving for Hong Kong Island or Kowloon etc... It is very inexpensive and they will keep your luggage safe while you go about your business.

There are also many restaurants and stores there for a quick bite if you are hungry or need to snack on something while on your way to your hotel.

The restrooms are spacious enough for you and your luggage within the stall and they are also extremely clean and tidy. I was pleasantly surprised. There is also a money exchange desk which I used though realized I could get a better rate within Kowloon at a small kiosk located within a mini mall.

All in all a tourist friendly airport with a knowledgeable and helful staff. I actually like it much better than San Francisco International. It was much easier to navigate

I checked out the airport website before I left which was incredibly detailed on the airport layout etc... Do this before you leave and you'll be able to navigate the airport very well.