Chek Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong

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Hong Kong International Airport, is a very convenient airport. Lots of shops, clean and modern. And it has one of the best lounges (if you don't fly business class, show your diner's club) there are with a buffet style resto.

Airport mainland coach services to Guangzhou (and other destinations) are available in the Arrivals Hall. Very straightforward.
There is some major competition between the competitions and the (mostly) girls are ain fierce yelling competition to get you to their counter. We went first with a little buss from the airport to the Chinese "border". There we had to wait a while for a buss who drove us to the actual border. There we had to get out, get into China, in another buss. All in all it took quite a while. All in all it took about 2-3hrs.

The airport bus and express services do not operate between 12am and 5:30am, so if you have need to be at the aiport anytime between these off-peak hours, you'll have to rely on a taxi.

Taxis are easy to come by, with several 24-hour rinks vailable at various points throughout the city. However, you can always ask your hotel to arrange a pick-up for you. If you do decide to just pick one up from a taxi rink, make sure the rink has taxis going to the airport, as some just do inter-city runs.

We took a taxi from the rink on Paterson St in Causeway Bay. The total fare from this point (including the tolls going to the airport) totaled 320HKD. The ride took about 25 minutes.

Taxi prices are pretty set, with a listing of all applicable charges posted to the window of the backseat. So if you are unsure of what charges are applied, check out this listing to add it up yourself. But, overall, we found HK taxi drivers to be very trustworthy and honest.

One of my favorite airports although it was not so fun during the past SARS outbreak of having to wear surgical face mask.

Airport has two main terminals connected by a "skytrain". Almost miss a flight because of fairly long queue at immigration and the distance need to travel in the transit area. So give yourself plenty of time to check-in before boarding.

Really like the variety of great Hong Kong dim sum and delicacies available in the transit restaurants. The signs are bilingual, in Chinese and English.

The cheapest way to Kowloon from the airport is by using the bus. Also you will get a chance to view the three beautiful bridges along the way. Upon arrival, check with information desk counter the direction and which bus number to take to your hotel destination. You can always get a cab from your nearest bus stop.

Note: The taxi ride is hefty in price. Of course, if you are on company or have extra cash.

You will fly into the new Hong Kong Airport at Chep Lak Kok. Very modern hotel with a great duty free and restaurants. There is also a place to get a foot massage, a beauty salon and shower rooms. An option is to take the Airport Express MTR Train into Kowloon or Hong Kong Station (Centra; this will cut down on your costs and avoid a taxi ride. See Airport Express Info.

Chek Lap Kok Airport is located on the island of the same name, just off the north shore of Lantau Island. It opened for commercial operations in 1998 and is a gateway for destinations in mainland China, East and Southeast Asia. The airport is the third busiest airport for passenger traffic in Asia with around 69 international airlines servicing the airport. It is the primary hub for Cathay Pacific and Dragonair, along with several other smaller airlines, including Hong Kong Express, CR Airways and Oasis Hong Kong Airlines.

The fastest local passenger transport to the airport is the Airport Express train that zips you in and out from the Kowloon and the Central district. The journey takes only 23 minutes with a ticket each way costing $60-$100, or a round trip for $110-$180, depending on the distance travelled. After arrival, free shuttle buses connecting to major hotels in Kowloon and Central are provided, or you can continue onward by MTR.

HK's Chek Lap Kok Airport is one of the most organised airports that I've seen. There are clear signs everywhere, and the operations is highly organized and efficient. This is especially important since Chek Lap Kok is one of the largest airports in the world (or in fact, the largest, as I've read somewhere before).

Getting to the airport itself takes about 30 mins from the Central area in HK, and probably slightly less if you're in Kowloon, and a cab ride cost me about HKD350 (or USD 45).

But the cheaper way (and just as convenient) is to take the airport express. You can check-in at the downtown counter near Central on HK Island, and from there, it's a 20-odd minute ride to the airport.

The bane of any business traveller is getting stuck in an airport for some time, with nothing to do. In Chek Lap Kok, you will not have this problem. There's plenty of food outlets and the duty-free shopping is incredible (great range of major brands, local food to buy for the folks back home, very competitive prices). I think next to Changi Airport (my homebase airport), this is probably the best airport in Asia.