If you plan on being in Hong Kong for an extended period, an Octopus card will make your life a whole lot easier. Simply put, an Octopus works like a debit card. You throw down a $50 HKD deposit for the card itself and then add cash credit value to it. Let’s say you’re leaving Hong Kong and don’t need the card. Returns made within 3 months time will get you back the deposit plus the cash value on the card minus $7 HKD. If returned after 3 months, the $7 HKD early return fee is waived and you get the full value of the card plus deposit.

Transportation made-easy is the main reason for an Octopus card. Let’s say you’re taking the MTR during rush hour. The last thing you want to deal with is waiting in those long lines to purchase tickets. Besides saving time, the other advantage is getting automatic discounted rates to your destination compared to higher rates when paying with cash.

At any MTR station, you can check the card value including your past few transactions. Machines are also available at stations for adding money.

Using the Octopus card is simple. Look for the Octopus symbol and scan the card over it. A beep will be heard and a small screen will display how much is deducted and the remaining value.

Use the card at grocery or convenient stores to make checkout quick and painless. Cashiers can also add value to the Octopus. There are reward programs and points you can earn too depending on where the card is used.

The public light bus will also allow you to swipe. However, the fare will not be discounted by this form of transport.

Pay the parking meter with an Octopus card as well. What happens if you go over the value on your card? You are granted one overage scan at which point the card will deactivate until you add money and get out of negative digits. I’ve only given a few examples of places I frequently use my card. The easiest way to get one is at a customer service desk in any MTR station or the Airport Express counter at Hong Kong International airport. Tourist passes are also available for those staying a few days and would like unlimited train system access.

Octopus card details.

Tourist pass details.

So how do you tell real from fake? I did my research and will use the $100 bill above as an example. The other notes, $50, $20, $10, $5, and $1 are the pretty much same as the $100 but different colors. The prominent counterfeit notes are $100 and $50.

Real of Fake?
1. Look for the watermark on the bill. The watermark is located on the white section on the left side of the bill (right above the “DE2370|388″ mark). You should be able to see the face of Mao Zedong distinctly. On a fake note his face will barely be noticeable. It will look faded.

2. Brush Mao’s hair. Use a fingernail and run it through the strands on his head. You will feel the hair on a real bill, but not on a fake bill.

3. Whatever the bill amount is, look for that number in the oval area on the top right (under the red “100″ mark). You need to tilt the bill horizontally and slowly to make it out. If you can’t make it out, it’s fake.

Hope this can help those who plan on traveling to China. I was lucky it only happened to one of my $50 bills. There was one case I read where $1000 USD was exchanged for all counterfeit, and the men not knowing they had fake notes were sent to prison for trying to use them. Don’t know the outcome of that story, but just a caution that you can never be too careful.

Source: Xian Travel

The red bus will take you from point A to point B using what the bus driver feels is the fastest method. That means detours through areas you may not be familiar with. It’s good if you don’t plan on getting off in any in between spots.

The green bus will always stick to the same route from point A to point B. That way you’ll always recognize what you pass, but it may not be the fastest method especially with traffic.

Nothing can be more frustrating than running into hiccups while traveling. Granted there are alternatives to this solution, here are the simple steps I took in getting to Macau from Hong Kong.

1. Get to Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan (上環)

There are various ways to accomplish this (Taxi, Bus, Mass Transit Railway – MTR). What’s convenient about the Shun Tak Centre is that it’s located next to a large taxi stand, bus terminals, and has the Sheung Wan station right below. I took the MTR as it was cheap and the most familiar method. The Centre serves as a transportation portal to Macau and other locations in China.

2. Purchase Tickets

Here I assume you will be taking the 1hr ferry ride. There’s also a helicopter to Macau, but you’re on your own if that’s what you want to take. Towards the upper levels of the Centre is where you’ll find the ticketing counters. The two popular ferry companies are Turbo Jet and Cotai Jet. I rode on both and had good experiences with each. I believe Cotai may be a little cheaper but that’s dependent upon the time you pick and whether you purchase a one-way vs. round-trip. A one-way should gauge around $175HKD while round-trip is about $300HKD. If time permits you should ask around and compare prices.

3. Go Straight To Boarding

The ferries typically depart in 15 minute intervals and sometimes don’t fill all their seats. So there’s a chance you can score a seat in the previous time slot if available. Of course this is optional but wouldn’t hurt to check. If you’re traveling with a group hand all tickets in at once while boarding if you care to sit next to each other. Seat numbers are assigned at this time by placing a sticker on each ticket.

4. Pass Immigration

After arriving, you’ll need to wait in line for an entrance stamp into Macau. The wait can be extremely long, but I learned that it can be to your advantage to stand at the back of the line. Usually those who hold Hong Kong IDs will get processed first because they have lanes dedicated just to them. Once those lines are gone the agents will wave people over from the ‘Visitor’ lane or even open new lanes. The people standing in the back will get to rush over but those up front are trapped between steel dividers and won’t be able to get there fast enough to make the move even worth it.

5. Locate Hotel Shuttle

Probably the easiest step. If you don’t have hotel accommodations there are representative to help you right when you get through immigration. If you already have a room reserved just step outside and head towards the buses and hop on the one for your hotel. Transportation to/from the hotel/ferry is free of charge.

I’m not a good flier. Been scared of heights since I was a kid, and the least bit of turbulence paints a mental image of me plummeting to my death. I’m usually not THAT bad about flying, but when you hear a few small screams within the cabin it gets you thinking. This was with Thai Airways.

My cousin told me turbulence was normal, but he’s a frequent flier to Thailand and said this much turbulence was unexpected. Great, just my luck…

Let’s introduce breakfast, maybe this could take my mind off it. No, false. My cup of water was shaking like in Jurassic Park, and the meal was not appetizing. I miss IHOP. Point is I made it safe. Would I take Thai Airways again? Probably.

There were three modes of transportation that we used in Bangkok. One of them was the auto rickshaw or tuk tuk. It was a free service from the hotel to our second mode of transportation, the Bangkok Transit System (BTS).

There’s essentially only two directions you need to be familiar with if you’re taking the train. You’re either heading to Mo Chit.

Or going to On Nut. Yes, this is a good time to get our school girl giggles out now. Better? Good.

Inside look at one of the trains.

Here’s a detailed route map of all the locations between Mo Chit and On Nut. I spent a lot of time in Siam which I’ll talk about in later posts.

The final mode of transport was the taxi. I didn’t snap any photos, but just imagine a Toyota Corolla with an optional spoiler. However, I did take this inside a taxi. Apparently, if the driver can smell a foul odor and suspects that it’s you, they can deny you service immediately. No, not really. Don’t be so gullible. This driver probably had a lot of mishaps in his back seat that prompted him to put this up.