National Geographic has ranked the Hong Kong Star Ferry crossing as one of its “50 places of a lifetime”.
Every day, thousands of people need to cross the Victoria Harbor Bay, mainly to move between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, and during your stay you’ll no doubt be one of them. I can assure you it’ll be an unforgettable experience, one of the most highly recommended for anyone visiting the city.
It was back in 1888 that a cook of Indian origin came up with the brilliant idea of creating a system of ferry boats for transporting passengers. He reckoned the business would be successful, and he was absolutely right!
Initially, the crossing – with one single-tier ferry boat – took almost an hour, but the service became so successful so fast that the fleet grew and was purchased by a wealthy businessman. Today, it’s a public company.
More than a hundred years later, the Star Ferry remains the cheapest and best way to cross Victoria Harbor Bay, and the crossing takes about 10 minutes.
The name of the company was chosen by its first owner who, for religious reasons, christened all the boats with names containing the word Star, like the first ferry that inaugurated the service, the Morning Star.
The moment you step onto a Star Ferry, you’ll realize why it’s so hugely popular with tourists who are impressed above all with the magnificent view of the entire bay and the two shorelines, the skyline on both sides, the hills, the mountains and the thick vegetation of the jungle. If you’d like the magic to last a little bit longer, you can take a Harbor Tour, a brief cruise lasting about an hour that allows you to admire one of the world’s most beautiful views in all its glory and at your leisure.
Let me leave you with an interesting fact: here in Hong Kong you can make any special occasion truly unforgettable. A number of the Star Ferry boats are available for hire, complete with crew, for events such as weddings, birthdays, trips with friends, and office parties… Could there be a better way to celebrate?
