Explore Hong Kong from inside a tram

The best way to enjoy Hong Kong is to cut down the speed of life in this extremely fast paced and bustling metropolis city. And the easiest way to do this is explore Hong Kong from inside a tram. A lot of locals do it, but to commute inside the Hong Kong for their daily work. If you ask me, the tourists should opt for this slowest mode of transport (the others being MRT, Ferry, Taxi and Bus).


The tram has a colonial feel to it and allows you a total unique perspective of Hong Kong. Whether it is a bright sunny day or a brightly neon lit night, the experience of seeing from inside a tram is special. Well, to start with there are many advantages of taking the tram apart from the uniqueness of seeing a different Hong Kong.


The tram is super cheap. The trams work on a fixed fee of 2HK$, which means that whether you get down at the next stop or get down at the last stop, you pay the same 2 Hong Kong Dollars. If you can manage to find a seat in the front or back end of the upper deck, then you can nearly see a 360 degree view of Hong Kong.


And this view lasts from the shopping zones of Causeway bay to the office buildings of Admiralty, from the colorful Western market to the busy Sheung Wan where you can get a ferry to Macau, from the sensational skyscrapers of Central to the race course at Happy valley and basically across the entire Hong Kong island to get a feel of Hong Kong that cannot be felt with any other mode of transport.


Personally, I recommend taking the tram during a busy week day. That day, you can say that you will definitely skip the traffic as the trams run on a total different schedule unlike the roads. Both day time and night time views are dear to me and it is a photographer’s delight to see billboards, lots of color in the streets of Hong Kong and busy shopping districts that throw up tons of street opportunities.


One can take this tram to avoid the traffic during the busy day or enjoy Hong Kong in a relaxed fashion if there is no time pressure. The only problem with the tram is that it is non air-conditioned and its open windows make you smell the fumes from the vehicles below on the road.


Even though both these are tough issues to handle, if you are prepared to rough it out, you will see some special sights of Hong Kong. If you are doing this for photography, make sure you carry a zoom lens that is capable of handling low light with high shutter speeds.


Do note that this tram is very different from the more touristy peak tram that costs an obscene amount to climb the scenic peak and see one of the more iconic views of Hong Kong.