I'll be in Hong Kong in September and am trying to figure out where should I stay? Should I stay on Kowloon or on the island? I've been to Hong Kong a couple of times before, but this time I'd like to make sure I experience the nightlife. If that's the case, which side is the best?
If you're looking for nightlife, Island side is best. Especially anywhere around Central, Soho, Lan Kwai Fong or Wan Chai where most of the bars & clubs are.
I've been looking for hotels and it seems cheaper to stay in Kowloon. I think I may just stay there especially since my relatives live on that side as well. But, how easy and safe is transportation at nite over to Hong Kong island (I may be going solo)? I've heard that the MTR closes at 1am and reopens at 6am, so I'd have to go out and really do some serious partying.
Kowloon is still fairly close to HK Island, the trip by MTR from Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon side to Admiralty on HK side is only about three minutes.
There is no MTR between 1am-6amish but taxis are plentiful and cheap. You'll need to find the right one (HK and Kowloon have separate taxis) or you'll pay extra for their return trip. A typical fare from the nightclub areas on HK Island to MongKok or TST would be about 50 Hong Kong bucks (maybe about $6.50 US). Some buses run all night between HK Island and Kowloon as well.
HK is a very safe city, there are no problems travelling by MTR or walking streets late at night alone (with very few exceptions). As with anywhere, be alert and don't do anything stupid when you're out and about and you won't have any problems.
