Is it safe to stay in Kowloon in Hong Kong this week? [closed]
I am staying a day in Hong Kong on Thursday/Friday on my way to Australia. Is it safe? What are necessary precautions? Should I stay in the airport all this time?
Best Answer
It is safe. Demonstrations mostly occur on the weekends, are quite localized, are mostly peaceful and don't target tourists. If you are paranoid, avoid wearing black clothes, since that's one of the way protesters identify themselves (my French contacts advised me to wear a yellow vest to make sure I'm not mistaken for a protester). I have seen a few protests on the axis Tsim Sha Tsui -> Jordan -> Yau Ma Tei -> Mongkok, but again it's quite peaceful and violence, if any, is directed toward objects and police, so unless you're one of them, you're fine. The main impact on tourists is the early closing time of the MTR and Airport Express.
Source: I was in Kowloon two weeks ago.
Also, see https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/hong-kong-travel-advisory.html (mirror):
Hong Kong - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
You can see the many countries with that level on https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html; for example Belgium and France are level 2 as well.
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Is it safe to travel to Kowloon Hong Kong?
According to the U.S. State Department, Hong Kong is a Level 2 destination, which means \u201cExercise Increased Caution.\u201d The highest is Level 4: Do Not Travel.Is Kowloon safe?
Re: How safe is Kowloon at night? Safety is almost never an issue in HK if you use your common sense. Violent crime is rare though watch for pickpockets at crowded places. Also, if you go clubbing anywhere, make sure you stay somewhat sober.Is it safe to stay in Hong Kong?
Crime. The level of violent crime is very low but pick pocketing and other street crime can occur. You should take extra care of passports, credit cards and money in crowded areas and when checking in and out of hotels.Is it better to stay in Kowloon or Hong Kong Island?
The heart of Kowloon has more mid-range hotels than anywhere else in Hong Kong and there is much more going on here than in the further flung reaches of Hong Kong Island. If you don't mind hitting the MTR a few times a day you will definitely get better value in Kowloon.Millions of Hong Kongers’ unforgettable memories of Jumbo floating restaurant are all that remain
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Answer 2
It's perfectly safe.
I've been there a few weeks ago, and the only inconvenience I encountered were unpredictable MTR station and system closures, but in case that happens there are always alternatives (buses, taxis and ultimately walking). The Citymapper and MTR apps are useful as they provide notifications of closures in real time, and alternative routes as needed.
Protests can happen in unpredictable and unanounced places. If you see groups of either protesters or police, try to find a different route to your destination (basically duck into a side street). Avoid wearing black, as that is the color of the protestors. Protests normally escalate on the weekends, but that is not a firm rule.
HK Map Live site shows the locations of the (some) police and protests almost in real time. It's in Chinese, but you can figure out the areas to avoid based on the icons.
Allow more time than usual for worst-case scenarios if you have to reach a specific place (e.g. catching a flight back).
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