Touring Hong Kong in Crystal Bus 水晶巴士

The very first time I have heard about the crystal bus service was from my friend who booked one as the hospitality for his wedding. It was very attractive to me and my mum. Therefore I made a reservation of 2 to enjoy a wonderful time with her during a weekday afternoon. There are 2 P.M. tours. The earlier one tours around the busiest area in Hong Kong; while the other one takes you away from the hustle and bustle to enjoy the breathtaking scenery along Tsing Ma Bridge. Because of some other prior arrangements, we ended up choosing the earlier one, which is going around the city centres of Hong Kong. The purchase was made through the official website at http://www.crystalbus.com.hk.

The bus stop is not that obvious and honestly I couldn't see any bus stop at all. The tour starts at 12:15 and it would be good to arrive 10 minutes earlier to make sure you could spot the bus out from the busy street. The bus parks along on Hankow Road, next to the Peninsula Hotel. So bear in mind the two keywords when searching for the bus: Hankow Road, Peninsula Hotel. 

The bus is double decker. The lower deck is the VIP area and it could accommodate 10 persons. In the VIP area of course there is air conditioning. 

Apart from stylish dining tables, what makes it so special is that there are audio equipment, LED TV, PlayStation 4 and virtual reality headset for PS4! For sure it will be fun if you could arrange a group of friends or relatives to enjoy the together time.

We were assigned to a table on the upper deck. The bus is furnished with more than 100000 pieces of Swarovski crystals by foreign experts, which is certainly an attraction to ladies. It is also equipped with a very clear broadcasting system to serve as a commentary on the scenic spots in Cantonese, Putonghua, English, Japanese and Korean.

The tour started quite punctually. From Kowloon to Hong Kong Island, here we go
(1) The Penisula Hong Kong, Hong Kong Space Museum
(2) Chungking Mansions
(3) Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre
(4) Park Lane Shopper’s Boulevard
(5) Nathan Road
(6) Temple Street
(7) Portland Street
(8) Langham Place
(9) Prince Edward
(10) Olympian City
(11) New Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter
(12) International Commerce Centre.
(13) Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park
(14) Star Ferry Pier and Hong Kong Observation Wheel
(15) Statue Square
(16) The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
(17) Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
(18) Golden Bauhinia Square
(19) Central Government Complex
(20) Hong Kong Monetary Authority, International Finance Centre (IFC)
(21) Shun Tak Centre、Western Market
(22) Western Harbour Crossing
(23) West Kowloon Terminus
(24) Canton Road, Harbour City
(25) 1881 (1881 Heritage)
(26) Hong Kong Clock Tower、Hong Kong Cultural Centre

At point 9, a Michelin awarded Cantonese dim sum meal would be served. The dim sum was provided by One Dim Sum. There were shrimp dumplings, siu mais, turnip cake, spring roll, steamed glutinous rice and barbecued pork bun. All of them were hot and yummy, much beyond my expectation. I am sure that would be a great chance for foreigners to try out the traditional and local Cantonese cuisine.

When arrived point 14, the bus would stop by for sightseeing and a toilet break.

Afterward we enjoyed the dessert mango custard rolls. That’s something shouldn’t be missed either – though sweet tooth might be disappointed as it’s not really that sweet, but after all, desserts in Hong Kong generally aren’t that sweet when compared to Japanese or French styles.

There was a bottle of drink provided free of charge, either oolong tea, orange juice or water. For an additional bottle, HKD10 would be charged.

The tour ended at 2:45 and we got off at Hankow Road. Me and my mum were both satisfied with the tour – the cozy bus and the friendly staff.