an Octopus card - these are smart cards which you can buy and add value to in any MTR station; use them on trains and most busses, and

a pocketful of change for some busses and all minibuses as bus-drivers don’t give change in this town (when you board you throw your coins in a steel box near the driver and he checks the amount through a glass window)

The MTR (subway):

Visitors to HK usually take less than one day to figure out the MTR and most agree that it’s one of the best urban mass transit systems in the world - for getting around the city nothing beats it. However, it can be a bit of an intimidating squeeze at peak hours so be prepared for some group hugging. (The MTR carries 800 million passengers per year – that represents an average of 20m people per station making it by far the world’s busiest urban transit system.) To get on, either buy a point-to-point ticket on the station’s concourse level or swipe your Octopus card across the turnstile scanner. And here’s a little tip: if you have to wait for a train, move to the outbound end of the platform. You stand a better chance of getting a seat and less of a chance of getting hit by some suicide who decides to launch himself in front of the train when it comes hurtling out of the tunnel. (This is HK – stuff like that happens!)

The KCR (train):

The KCR works much the same way as the MTR. Dead easy.

Busses:

If you only need to go the equivalent of two stops or less on the MTR, why climb down all those escalators when you can simply jump on a bus heading in the direction you want to go? Just go to the nearest bus stop (they’re everywhere on the main roads) and if you don’t recognise the destination advertised on the bus glance at the fare price (near the driver); if it’s $10 or more it’s going somewhere far and you’d do better to try another bus. For example, if you wanted a bus between Wan Chai and Central, any bus heading west with a fare of $6 or less will probably do the trick. (A bus with a 100 number and a fare of $8.90 will be going under the Cross Harbour Tunnel linking HK Island with Kowloon.)

Trams:

A major pain in the neck to ride during summer and peak times, the ancient trams can also be the most fun way to travel through Hong Kong Island - as long as you’re not in any hurry. (They’re quicker than walking but that’s about it.) Just jump on at the rear and pay with $2 as you leave at the other end.

Star Ferry:

There's more than one of these actually and you can travel between TST « Central or TST « Wan Chai. You pay $2.20 (change provided if you need it) at the station and then you sit back and enjoy the ride through the most colourful night time city harbour around. Do it at least once.

Mini-Busses:

Unfortunately, while most visitors master the MTR and pat themselves on their backs for being able to navigate their way around this exotic town, few ever journey so far from the subway as to appreciate Hong Kong fully. Remember, the MTR only goes through the most densely urban areas and yet most of HK is rural and mountainous. You cannot explore HK properly without getting on a bus and, in many cases, a minibus. These high-speed vans came into existence during the disturbances of the Cultural Revolution when the regular bus system shut down. Today they’ll take you places where no other public transport exists or, if it does, they’ll get you there faster. HK has 4,000 minibuses carrying 1.7m passengers daily. There are two kinds;

• Maxi-cabs (green roof): pay when you get on and no change given. They have fixed stops.
• Minibusses (red roof): pay when you get off and you can get change. You can hail the minibus like a taxi and make them stop almost anywhere on their route.

Taxis:

I know what you’re thinking - I never take a taxi. But here in HK they’re a lot cheaper than back home and sometimes they sure beat a climb up a steep hill or a long wait for a minibus. Flagfall is $15 and this’ll get you about two kms. (A trip from Wan Chai to Central will cost about $20.) But try not to take them across the harbour as they’ll hit you for twice the tunnel toll (You’re paying for them to get back). And each bag in the boot/trunk will cost you $5.

It’s all a bit like a computer game isn’t it!