HK bus tour
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what are the transport-related items that I should look out for to collect as memos such as service guide/bus guide, railway maps, tickets etc?
any former SBS buses that I can find in HK?
how about Star Ferry services? which routes to recommend for joyrides?
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Originally posted by SBS3688Y:
what are the transport-related items that I should look out for to collect as memos such as service guide/bus guide, railway maps, tickets etc?
any former SBS buses that I can find in HK?
how about Star Ferry services? which routes to recommend for joyrides?
For the star ferry.....there are 2 routes that i recomment: Central to Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry & Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry. If u want to take photo or video, i highly recomment u sit at lower deck, as there are no windows at the front, however there is no air-cond. (PS. ferry travel from Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry only open the lower deck at peak hour)
Lower deck video from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry
Upper deck video from Tsim Sha Tsui to Wan Chai
former SBS buses.......not easy to find now
transport-related items........MTR station has service guide / station map to take
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Add on sometimes buses will hand on the poles a stack of leaflets if there is any route amendments/diversions, i taken a few before
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A must go shop is 80M...the Langham Place shop is a small one...go to the bigger one @Pioneer Center 2F/250A , 750 Nathan Road, Mongkok, Kowloon.. This is biggest shop so far and has many of bus items..... I make it a point to go there everytime i am in HK...
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Originally posted by SBS3688Y:
what are the transport-related items that I should look out for to collect as memos such as service guide/bus guide, railway maps, tickets etc?
any former SBS buses that I can find in HK?
how about Star Ferry services? which routes to recommend for joyrides?
Depends whether you have the time or nt...
can try
68X to Yuen Long[Nathan Rd]
968 to Yuen Long
75K to Tai Po
91 to Sai Kung
81 to Wo Che -
thank u fellow bus fans for your earlier posts sharing ur HK bus experience.
btw, what is the bus route to Victoria Peak? I think must be very interesting to travel all way uphill and later downhill?
For the Star ferry services, I remembered travelling on a similar old double-deck ferry by PSA from Kusu Island back to Clifford Pier when I was very young, probably the 80s. I suspect that ferry was imported 2nd hand from HK. The seawater can get into the lower deck while travelling at midsea. How about HK ones? I also noticed in the YouTube from Basiling in the earlier post the HK Star ferry seemed to travel at rather fast speed!
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Originally posted by SBS3688Y:
what are the transport-related items that I should look out for to collect as memos such as service guide/bus guide, railway maps, tickets etc?
any former SBS buses that I can find in HK?
how about Star Ferry services? which routes to recommend for joyrides?
You may buy a bus guide from KMB. But it is ifamous for ERRORS.You may collect pamphlets at MTR service centres.
You may find a demobilised Atlantean at Tung Chung Citybus bus park as noise barrier.
It is still relatively cheap and worth to take Star Ferry, although the price has risen for two times in 1.5 years. All routes except the expensive tour are recommended. Just take one of them would do.
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Originally posted by SBS3688Y:
thank u fellow bus fans for your earlier posts sharing ur HK bus experience.
btw, what is the bus route to Victoria Peak? I think must be very interesting to travel all way uphill and later downhill?
For the Star ferry services, I remembered travelling on a similar old double-deck ferry by PSA from Kusu Island back to Clifford Pier when I was very young, probably the 80s. I suspect that ferry was imported 2nd hand from HK. The seawater can get into the lower deck while travelling at midsea. How about HK ones? I also noticed in the YouTube from Basiling in the earlier post the HK Star ferry seemed to travel at rather fast speed!
To Victoria Peak, take NWFB15 from Central. Alternatively can also take NWFB15B from Causeway Bay.
My recommendation would be to take 6 from Central, it plies via Repulse bay to Stanley Market thru some pretty narrow and steep roads. Something similar to 15 just that it dosent go that high, but the journey time is longer and more scenery to see.
On the way back, Try either the minibus 40 to Causeway Bay or NWFB14 to Shau Kei Wan. The minibus will bring u back via Repulse bay, Deep water bay, Ocean park enterance, and aberdeen tunnel. While the 14 will bring u to another route via the Tai Tam Dam. (It brings u ontop of the dam and crosses it) Pretty nice view i would say.
If u still have time, also can try Svc 9 to Shek O, but i would say its not really a tourist hotspot so its really just for sightseeing on your own.
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are there any old buses similar to SBS such as MBO305, Leyland Atlantean, etc that I can look out for in HK?
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Originally posted by SBS3688Y:
are there any old buses similar to SBS such as MBO305, Leyland Atlantean, etc that I can look out for in HK?
There used to be. But there is no more except one or two preserved in hidden places in the countryside... -
Originally posted by Anthony lui:
There used to be. But there is no more except one or two preserved in hidden places in the countryside...Tung Chung to be precise...
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From various travel guides, I have gathered that the following buses can get me to Stanley Market: 6, 6A, 6X, 260, 73 & 973 (did I miss out any others?)
Most of them seem to be terminating/originating at the same terminals, so
What's the difference between the variations for service 6 & 260?
Which service is the most recommended (fastest route or best views etc)?
Does any of the services connect Stanley Market with Ocean Park?
In addition, are there any bus services linking the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island with Tai O, and between Tai O and Mui Wo? If there's any, are they as reliable? The plan is to explore Lantau taking the MTR to Tung Chung, cable car to Ngong Ping, then somehow make my way to Tai O and Mui Wo, from where I can take a ferry back to Hong Kong.Thanks in advance!
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Originally posted by TIB1171R:
From various travel guides, I have gathered that the following buses can get me to Stanley Market: 6, 6A, 6X, 260, 73 & 973 (did I miss out any others?)
Most of them seem to be terminating/originating at the same terminals, so
What's the difference between the variations for service 6 & 260?
Which service is the most recommended (fastest route or best views etc)?
Does any of the services connect Stanley Market with Ocean Park?
In addition, are there any bus services linking the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island with Tai O, and between Tai O and Mui Wo? If there's any, are they as reliable? The plan is to explore Lantau taking the MTR to Tung Chung, cable car to Ngong Ping, then somehow make my way to Tai O and Mui Wo, from where I can take a ferry back to Hong Kong.Thanks in advance!
Ngong Ping - Tai O: NLB 21
Tai O - Mui Wo: NLB 1not very reliable, about 1 hour headway, but theres timetable online at the new lantao bus website http://www.newlantaobus.com/nlb.html
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Originally posted by TIB1171R:
From various travel guides, I have gathered that the following buses can get me to Stanley Market: 6, 6A, 6X, 260, 73 & 973 (did I miss out any others?)
Most of them seem to be terminating/originating at the same terminals, so
What's the difference between the variations for service 6 & 260?
Which service is the most recommended (fastest route or best views etc)?
Does any of the services connect Stanley Market with Ocean Park?
In addition, are there any bus services linking the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island with Tai O, and between Tai O and Mui Wo? If there's any, are they as reliable? The plan is to explore Lantau taking the MTR to Tung Chung, cable car to Ngong Ping, then somehow make my way to Tai O and Mui Wo, from where I can take a ferry back to Hong Kong.Thanks in advance!
click on www.nwfb.com.hk
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Originally posted by TIB1171R:
From various travel guides, I have gathered that the following buses can get me to Stanley Market: 6, 6A, 6X, 260, 73 & 973 (did I miss out any others?)
Most of them seem to be terminating/originating at the same terminals, so
What's the difference between the variations for service 6 & 260?
Which service is the most recommended (fastest route or best views etc)?
Does any of the services connect Stanley Market with Ocean Park?
In addition, are there any bus services linking the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island with Tai O, and between Tai O and Mui Wo? If there's any, are they as reliable? The plan is to explore Lantau taking the MTR to Tung Chung, cable car to Ngong Ping, then somehow make my way to Tai O and Mui Wo, from where I can take a ferry back to Hong Kong.Thanks in advance!
6, 6X and 260 are daytime services and ply different routes towards stanley market/prison from central. 6A is a peak hour service. Fastest route would definately be 260, and if u are lucky, can get to try the E400 too.. 6 would give a good view and an exciting trip especially if u are sitting at the front.
If u are going to Stanley from Ocean park, take 73 and 973 from ocean park's main entrance (have to walk out to the main road). Otherwise if u plan to visit stanley first (which i dont recommand coz its nice to spend a full day at ocean park) then u can only take 73 from stanley as 973 would charge u cross harbour fares.
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hong Kong tours?!
Well you want to plan a tour in hong Kong right?
do u have in mind:
1) Tour tour tour sights and place of interest?
2) Spot bus
I think everyone above has pretty much covered item no 1. Mostly research for whad bus to go say ocean park la, Peak la Star ferry la already can find on internet.
one thing missed out is the open top Dennis Condor on NWFB 15C. can take that to peak tram lower station if u prefer. then take peak tram up to Peak.
To add on abt Chinese tourings , yes they create a mess of shouting n crowding. Even at the Wan Chai Exhibition flower area. Do stay clear of The peak on weekends fri evening n sat n sun. To avoid crowd.
Dun forget to catch the lazer light show at Star ferry Kowloon side. 8pm on all days. show was featured in <<Flash Forward>>. (hahaha)
ZYX
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hong Kong tours?!
U can read maps and u know what is google map. pro. So good ah? Ok u are ready to plan a bus tour in HK.
first u need to research out the bus routes (in general lah) and their district patterns. Bus routes cna be found on the bus operators websites. KMB website got maps!
then u find out about the bus models. then how to optimise the bus system using their STEP fare system.
Uze http://www.1005.idv.hk/index.php?page=11&p=291 as a nice website to follow bus deplpyments.
After that u decide first, you want to spot some bus models to try>??? or you want to joyride bus routes (like some suggested in earlier posts)? List down what you want to joyride bus route or what bus photots u want or what bus models u wanna ride on.
ok great. you are ready to plan.
you need a decent bus guide from hong Kong. not jsut any lousy one listing bus rotues only. u need well detailed maps.
The book must contain the following
1) Bus routes from all operators including minibus
2) Bus stop names. these are important as bus stops in Hong Kong are always staggered type. u wun find all your bus routes at one bus stop pole. another bus stop pole might be 100m nearby obnly3) Listing of bus route an prciing of the STEP fare.
4) most improtant thing maps . u need the book also to walk around using the detialed maps.
sadly the KMB bus guide cannot offer the above. So what i propsoe is the
HOng Kong Bus Atlas (HK$ 98) low in stock in major book stores and some say 7-11.
Only problem is, the route detials are in Chinese . In this case you will find the NWFB/CTB and KMB bus websites useful for transalations. Also the maps on KMB blow up to bigger size and u can plan in more detials.
Sadly the NWFB and CTB website does not show out in map form.
for MTRbus and NLB, the book is reliable enough in Chiense chracters. There are english words on the map so its OK.
lets go thru an example...
EXAMPLE
You wish to walk the mid levles escalators and yet take a trident on CTB 13 at Caine Rd (Dr Sun yat Sen Villa) .
planning:
Internet research shows pcitures of how this mid levels escalators look like,. Using google maps, u can roughly find the start point. Its opposite some Central market building along Queens Rd. U trace the route out on <Hong Kong Bus Atlas>. u note the walking path to Caine Rd.
At Caine Rd u find a bus stop listing bus 13. that is the bus stop u wait for 13 to try Dennis trident.
EXAMPLE (DISTRICT PLANNING - West side towns)
You want to ride Enviro 200 and yet also want to ride Noeplan Centroliner and the ASU series of bus.U realsie all are found in Nothern territories. west side.
u know they have a Nam Cheong Day pass for HK$20 for unlimited rides on West Line MTR, LRT and the MTRBus feeder services up west there.
planning:
using http://www.1005.idv.hk/index.php?page=11&p=291 you note that there is ASU on 60X and 69X and also neoplan centroliner on 60X. Also u reckon 268C is a nice route to try to go ride. Internet youtube searches say that Enviro 200 Dart can be found on A73, K68 and K75.
next step find out where these bus routes go. piece them up like a jigsaw.
Example -
campe at Ntahn rd for 60X or 69X ASU if cannot wait so long, hop on any 60X Neoplan Centorliner. u neeed to cater for a back up plan. that is later how are u gonna spot the ASU or Neoplan that u missed. Some though clearly indicates u have two chances of Neoplan on a possible route so u shd really camp it out for a ASU on 60X or 69X.
U end up at teun Mun lets say on a 60X. Alright MTR station go control offwick buy the day pass for west area.
u realise its over peak hours. drat. A73 runs only during peak hours and it has Enviro 200. how how how...
U know K75 ends at Tin Shui Wai or TSW. using the free pass, take the MTR down to TSW. campe for K74. take the bus round to its end pt. there got LRT. ok good can try LRT. take to Yuen Long. using the map can find the 269C bus int.
269C layover at this open int . good cna see what is the enxt bus of 269C. its a neoplan woopee.
end-
er.. note of coruse with the Nam Cheong-Tuen Mun Day pass, we highly suggest u spend the entire day riding LRT or spotting other MTRBus services uopp west there.
Happy planning
ZYX
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Originally posted by XiaoTaro:
6, 6X and 260 are daytime services and ply different routes towards stanley market/prison from central. 6A is a peak hour service. Fastest route would definately be 260, and if u are lucky, can get to try the E400 too.. 6 would give a good view and an exciting trip especially if u are sitting at the front.
If u are going to Stanley from Ocean park, take 73 and 973 from ocean park's main entrance (have to walk out to the main road). Otherwise if u plan to visit stanley first (which i dont recommand coz its nice to spend a full day at ocean park) then u can only take 73 from stanley as 973 would charge u cross harbour fares.
Pls note on HK Island, even with a suffix X, it does not mean the bus services on HK Main island itself are express. i got fooled once before.On Kowloon however, X services charge higher fares but are real express.
ZYX
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Originally posted by Acx1688:
hehe not a lot of pple noe tt
Bus stop is opp the GTC, the same one u alight if you take E11 from the city[Hong Kong side]
N S1 is mostly E500 busesoccassionally with CTB and Dennis Lance buses :D
S1 bus stop is outside the departure area i think, it doesn't serve the GTC....
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Originally posted by ZYX2005:
Pls note on HK Island, even with a suffix X, it does not mean the bus services on HK Main island itself are express. i got fooled once before.On Kowloon however, X services charge higher fares but are real express.
ZYX
Lol. i never say anything about express? Never even use the word express, why so eager to shoot down my post.
Its true that in Hk island there's no standard of defining express services, except that services which begins with a 7xx are mostly services that brings u around faster via the Island Eastern corridor. Can be faster than MTR at times, depending on route and traffic
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Originally posted by ZYX2005:
Pls note on HK Island, even with a suffix X, it does not mean the bus services on HK Main island itself are express. i got fooled once before.
On Kowloon however, X services charge higher fares but are real express.
ZYX
Haha, buses serving Tuen Mun Rd are considered long long expresses to me liaoz
968 is a express spammer, tai lam tunnel, ting kau bridge, cheung tsing tunnel, western kowloon corridor, western harbour crossing, enough for you to sleep on the bus already....
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Please note my reply to the above passages above:
Tung Chung to be precise...
Well, A633? was at Tung Chung Citybus Depot. It is not the remote one I said. I said the O 305 was hidden in countryside, although it was not any in the SBS fleet.
From various travel guides, I have gathered that the following buses can get me to Stanley Market: 6, 6A, 6X, 260, 73 & 973 (did I miss out any others?)
You missed 14 and 314 from the east.
After that u decide first, you want to spot some bus models to try>??? or you want to joyride bus routes (like some suggested in earlier posts)? List down what you want to joyride bus route or what bus photots u want or what bus models u wanna ride on.
ok great. you are ready to plan.
you need a decent bus guide from hong Kong. not jsut any lousy one listing bus rotues only. u need well detailed maps.
The book must contain the following
1) Bus routes from all operators including minibus
2) Bus stop names. these are important as bus stops in Hong Kong are always staggered type. u wun find all your bus routes at one bus stop pole. another bus stop pole might be 100m nearby obnly3) Listing of bus route an prciing of the STEP fare.
4) most improtant thing maps . u need the book also to walk around using the detialed maps.
sadly the KMB bus guide cannot offer the above. So what i propsoe is the
HOng Kong Bus Atlas (HK$ 98) low in stock in major book stores and some say 7-11.
Only problem is, the route detials are in Chinese . In this case you will find the NWFB/CTB and KMB bus websites useful for transalations. Also the maps on KMB blow up to bigger size and u can plan in more detials.
Sadly the NWFB and CTB website does not show out in map form.
for MTRbus and NLB, the book is reliable enough in Chiense chracters. There are english words on the map so its OK.
lets go thru an example...
EXAMPLE
You wish to walk the mid levles escalators and yet take a trident on CTB 13 at Caine Rd (Dr Sun yat Sen Villa) .
planning:
Internet research shows pcitures of how this mid levels escalators look like,. Using google maps, u can roughly find the start point. Its opposite some Central market building along Queens Rd. U trace the route out on <Hong Kong Bus Atlas>. u note the walking path to Caine Rd.
At Caine Rd u find a bus stop listing bus 13. that is the bus stop u wait for 13 to try Dennis trident.
EXAMPLE (DISTRICT PLANNING - West side towns)
You want to ride Enviro 200 and yet also want to ride Noeplan Centroliner and the ASU series of bus.U realsie all are found in Nothern territories. west side.
u know they have a Nam Cheong Day pass for HK$20 for unlimited rides on West Line MTR, LRT and the MTRBus feeder services up west there.
planning:
using http://www.1005.idv.hk/index.php?page=11&p=291 you note that there is ASU on 60X and 69X and also neoplan centroliner on 60X. Also u reckon 268C is a nice route to try to go ride. Internet youtube searches say that Enviro 200 Dart can be found on A73, K68 and K75.
next step find out where these bus routes go. piece them up like a jigsaw.
Example -
campe at Ntahn rd for 60X or 69X ASU if cannot wait so long, hop on any 60X Neoplan Centorliner. u neeed to cater for a back up plan. that is later how are u gonna spot the ASU or Neoplan that u missed. Some though clearly indicates u have two chances of Neoplan on a possible route so u shd really camp it out for a ASU on 60X or 69X.
U end up at teun Mun lets say on a 60X. Alright MTR station go control offwick buy the day pass for west area.
u realise its over peak hours. drat. A73 runs only during peak hours and it has Enviro 200. how how how...
U know K75 ends at Tin Shui Wai or TSW. using the free pass, take the MTR down to TSW. campe for K74. take the bus round to its end pt. there got LRT. ok good can try LRT. take to Yuen Long. using the map can find the 269C bus int.
269C layover at this open int . good cna see what is the enxt bus of 269C. its a neoplan woopee.
end-
er.. note of coruse with the Nam Cheong-Tuen Mun Day pass, we highly suggest u spend the entire day riding LRT or spotting other MTRBus services uopp west there.
Happy planning
The transport guide should also include tram, MTR... You also need to compare the fare, the distance and the operation period. A bus guide ("Bashi Guido" in Japanese :D )should be a person instead as I am not contented in any book / website currently offering if you are going for bus spotting.
Not 100m, but 10m.
Hong Kong Route 13 is operated by NWFB instead.
U means "Un Long" (Yuen Long) depot. But not necessarily be all buses in NT West. The "U" in ASU does not have this meaning.
What ZYX does in HK is just like what I usually do in SG. But I would ask some local people as I plan my trip, with time and places for confirmation.
Pls note on HK Island, even with a suffix X, it does not mean the bus services on HK Main island itself are express. i got fooled once before.
On Kowloon however, X services charge higher fares but are real express.
I think you must have taken the slow part of 5X, 8X or X962.
"X" in Hong Kong / Kowloon / NT would somehow refer to an express route from one district to another, but it usually is circuituous within the area. e.g. Observe many parts of Boon Lay and Express through AYE and observe many parts of Bukit Merah. I think this can give you a better idea.
S1 bus stop is outside the departure area i think, it doesn't serve the GTC
S1 bus stop is under the departure area. It does not serve GTC. You can take the bus opposite to GTC on the slip road.
Anthony Lui
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Originally posted by XiaoTaro:
Lol. i never say anything about express? Never even use the word express, why so eager to shoot down my post.
Its true that in Hk island there's no standard of defining express services, except that services which begins with a 7xx are mostly services that brings u around faster via the Island Eastern corridor. Can be faster than MTR at times, depending on route and traffic
boh shoot down. just not happy with 6X...lol
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To Anthony
i dun usally ask for timing because i prefer to camp and hunt and get the results myself rather than rely and cheat using timings. its juz the way I bus spot.
=D
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Er i am clearly aware that the U with cricle is bus belong to Un Long but i prefer to say Yuen Long.l Sorrie Singaporean Chiense. i mean seriuosly here, the Yuen is spell as Yuen not Un...lol
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Indeed, intrrestingly on thr tram thing, most bus guides dun even show tram baording stations. My HK Atalas shows it as well.. woopee. NB: the 2006 edition i have does not show tram stations..chui.
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Indeed a person on the local ground will know much more. On the other hand, A bus spotting session can still be done and be successful with the reliable info on the ent and a good bus book.
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yes confusing as it is, most bus service suffix dun even follow the set rules. due to lots of rotue amendment and "strengthening of bus services". Dun assume a P service is just a few hours only or an S service is just mornin gpeak premium. I think cna list one of them KMB 275P for example. or is it the KMb 275S. it ops to the Hong Kong NIE and is similair to our 1789 vs 179A idea.
Fares:
With STEP fares, for a general guide one shd always try to take the end part of a bus route or the full, route. that way u are safe from expensive fares. never take a CHS for part of the route, always cross the harbor with it. Pay more on some X routes, but beware of cheaper alternatives.
if possible always find the chance to do a BBI, that way u get a free or discounted ride on 2nd leg. be sure to trf at the right bus stop and use ur Octopus (Paul??)loll card .
ZYX
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Originally posted by SBS8214Z:
occassionally with CTB and Dennis Lance buses :D
S1 bus stop is outside the departure area i think, it doesn't serve the GTC....
S1 is jointly operated by CTB/KMB
S1 bus stop is a zebra crossing away from GTC