When to Go
Hong Kong's peak tourist season used to be in the spring and fall, but now tourists are flocking to the territory year-round.  No matter when you go, therefore, make hotel reservations in advance, particularly if you're arriving durinf Chinese New Year or one of the festivals described below. 

Money
Cash/Currency  - The basic unit of currency in the colony is the Hong Kong dollar, which is divided into 100 cents.  Two local banks, the HongKong ans Shanghai Banking Coropration and the Standard Chartered Bank, issue versions of their own notes in denominations of HK$10, HK$20, HK$50, HK$100, HK$500 and HK$1000. As for coin, they're minted in England in bronze for HK$0.10, HK$0.20, and HK$0.50 piececs and in silver for HK$1, HK$2, and HK$5.  In 1995 new HK$10 coins were issued; they will gardually replace the HK$10 note.

Throughout Hong Kong you'll see the dollar sign ("$"), which of course refers to Hong Kong Dollars, not U.S. dollars.

TRAVELER'S CHECKS - If you want to pay with cash rather than credit cards, your money is safest in traveler's checks, which will be replaced if lost or stolen; traveler's checks can be readily exchanged for Hong Kong dollars at banks, hotels, and currency-exchange offices (banks provide the most avorable rates).   Traveler's checks also entails a slightly better exchange rate than cash. For one thing, shops, restaurants, and hotels are not as willing to accept travel's checks for payment as they are in, say, the United states.  Secondly, you can use leftover travel's checks in Hong Kong dollars much either be reconverted (which is not financially advantageous, because you lose money with each conversion) or saved for future trips to Hong Kong.

TIME ZONE
Hong Kong is 13 hours ahead of New York, 14 hours ahead of Chicago, and 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles.  Since Hong Kong does not have a daylight saving time, subtract one hour from the above times if it's summer.  Because Hong Kong is on the other side of the international Date Line, you lose one day when traveling from the United States to Asian.  Don't worry-you gain ir back when you return to North America, which means that you arrive back home the same day you left Hong Kong.

TIPPING
Even though  restaurants and bars will automatically add a 10% service charge to your bill, you're still expected to leave small change for the waiter.  A general rule of thumb is to leave 5%, but in most Chinese restaurants where meals are usually inexpensive it's acceptable to leave change up to HK$5.  In the finest restaurants you should leave 10%.  You also expected to tip taxi drivers, bellboys, barbers, and beauticians.  For taxi drivers, simply round up your bill to the nearest HK$1 or add a HK$1 tip.  Tip people who cut your hair 5% or 10%, and give billboy HK$10 to HK$20, depending on the number of your bags.  If you use a public restroom with an attendant, you may be expected to leave a small gratuity-HK$2 should be enough.   In addition, chambermaids and room attendants are usually given about 2% of the room charge.

CLIMATE   
Because of its subtropical location, Hong Kong's weather is generally mild in winter and uncomfortably hot and humid in summer, with an average annual rainfall of 89 inches.  The most pleasant time of year is late September to early December, when skies are clear and sunny, temperatures are in the 70s, and the humidity drops to 70%. January and February are the coldest months, with temperatures often in the 50s. In spring (March to May), the temperature can range between 60F and 80F and the humidity rises to about 84%,with fog and rain fairly common.  That means there may not be much of a view from the cloud-enveloped Victoria Peak.  By summmer, temperture are often in the 90s, humidity can be 90% or more, and there's little or no relief even at night.   This is when Hong Kong receives the most rain; it's also typhoon season.   However, Hong Kong have a very good warning system, so there's no need to worry about the physical dangers of a tropical storm.

Hong Kong is located at the southeastern tip of the People's Republic of China, some 1,240 miles south of Beijing; it lies just south of the Tropic of Cancer at about the same latitude as Mexico City, the Bahamas, and Hawaii.  Most people who have never been to the Orient probably think of Hong Kong as an island--and they'd be right if it were 1841.  Not long after the colony was first established on Hong Kong Island, the British felt the need to expand, which they did by acquiring more land across the harbour on the Chinese mainland.  Today Hong Kong Island is just a small part of the entire territory, which covers 404 square miles and measures 23.5 miles north to south and 31 miles east to west
Hong Kong can be divided into four distinct parts: Hong Kong Island with the Central District and such major attractions as Victoria Peak, Stanley Market, Middle Kingdom, Ocean Park, and Hong Kong Part; the Kowloon Peninsula with Tsim Sha Tsui at its tip; the New Territories; and 235 outlying islands.  The New Territories is by far the largest area, stretching north of Kowloon all the way to the Chinese border..