CENTRAL FERRY TERMINAL: THE STAR FERRY + SERVICE TO OUTLYING ISLANDS

Hong Kong has several ferry terminals, and the most central one is the Central Ferry Pier in Central on Hong Kong Island. From Central Ferry Pier, you can find ferry services to various destinations, including outlying islands and parts of Kowloon. 

Here are some common ferry routes from the Central Ferry Piers in Hong Kong:

1. Central to Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon): This is a popular route connecting the two main business districts. Ferries operate between Central Pier and Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier.

2. Central to Outlying Islands (e.g., Lamma Island, Cheung Chau, and Lantau Island): Ferries depart from Central to various outlying islands, providing a scenic and leisurely journey.

Please note that ferry schedules and routes may change, and it's advisable to check the latest information from the ferry operators or the Transport Department of Hong Kong for the most up-to-date details, including any changes that may have occurred since my last update.

Star Ferry to and from Tsim Sha Tsui

The Star Ferry is a passenger ferry service operator and tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Its principal routes carry passengers across Victoria Harbour, between Hong Kong Island, and Kowloon. The service is operated by the Star Ferry Company, which was founded in 1888 as the Kowloon Ferry Company, and adopted its present name in 1898. With a fleet of twelve ferries, the company operates two routes across the harbor, carrying over 70,000 passengers per day, or 26 million per year. Even though the harbor is crossed by railway and road tunnels, the Star Ferry continues to provide a scenic yet inexpensive mode of harbor crossing. The company's main route runs between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui. Before the steam ferry service was first established, people would cross the harbor in sampans. As of February 9, 2021, for the lower deck, it costs $4 on Mondays to Fridays; $5.60 on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, and for the upper deck, $5 on Mondays to Fridays. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, it costs $6.50. Passengers may use an Octopus card to pay for the ride. Besides the standard ferry ride to Tsim Sha Tsui from Central, there are also special Harbour tours available at night, such as the Star Ferry's "A Symphony of Lights", tickets cost $230 HK. Star Ferry boats have been transporting passengers from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon and back for over a century and offer a unique vantage point on the city’s beautiful harbor; it is a must-do thing in Hong Kong.

Sun Ferry Service to Outlying Islands

Sun Ferry, formerly New World First Ferry, First Ferry or NWFF), is a ferry service company in Hong Kong. The company was established in November 1999, when it took over the eight licensed ferry routes transferred from Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry in January 2000. When the company commenced its service on 15 January 2000, it bought 14 ferries and rented seven hovercraft and catamarans from its predecessor. Since then it has introduced 10 fast vessels on Outlying Islands routes to phase out the rented vessels and to improve services. It used to have a subsidiary, New World First Ferry Services (Macau) (abbreviated New World First Ferry (Macau)), which operated a high-speed ferry service between Kowloon (China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui) and Macau (Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Pier). In 2011, it was sold to Shun Tak–China Travel Ship Management Limited, the owner of TurboJET. That subsidiary has now been renamed. Scheduled ferry services to outlying islands Cheung Chau, Lamma, Lantau, Peng Chau and Ma Wan operate from Central Ferry Piers on Hong Kong Island. Additionally, an inter-island ferry service connects Cheung Chau, Lantau (Chi Ma Wan and Mui Wo) and Peng Chau. About 41,000 islanders in addition to tourists are dependent on these ferry services. 

It operates the following routes:

Central to Cheung Chau, Lamma Island, Peng Chau and Mui Wo

Circular between Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Chi Ma Wan, and Cheung Chau

Ferry to Discovery Bay

Discovery Bay is a resort town on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It consists of mixed, primarily residential, development, in particular upmarket residential development and private and public recreational facilities, including garden houses, low-, mid-and high-rise residential developments, a 27-hole golf course, an ice rink, a 262-berth marina, two clubhouses, the first private manmade beach in Hong Kong, international schools, two shopping malls and the largest oceanfront alfresco dining area in Hong Kong. Ferries were the only way to reach Discovery Bay until the opening of the DB Tunnel in 2000 and remain the main way to reach DB from Central, Hong Kong. The service is operated by Discovery Bay Transportation Services Ltd (DBTSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of HKR. The route between DB and Central is served by monohull and catamaran waterjets manufactured by Marinteknik in Singapore; seating 300 and 500 passengers respectively. A daytime ferry service plies between DB Pier on Tai Pak Bay and Pier 3 in Central District on Hong Kong Island (journey time of approximately thirty minutes; frequency of around 15–30 minutes. The current ticket price, paid by Octopus Card, is HKD$46 for adults and HKD$23 for children for a single journey; If using a DB Resident's Octopus Card, the prices for adults and children/students will be HKD$33.5 and HKD$16.8 (regular services). Seniors can enjoy the HKD$2 scheme subsidized by the government. Since 2005, ferries have been equipped with free on-board Wi-Fi wireless broadband Internet, which is unique not only in Hong Kong but across Asia. 

Ferry to Cheung Chau

Cheung Chau is an island 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southwest of Hong Kong Island. It is nicknamed the 'dumbbell island' due to its shape. The central part of the island is well-developed with shops and houses. The lane-ways are so narrow that normal motor traffic is impossible. Instead, there are small motorized trucks officially termed "village vehicles", which include specially designed mini-fire engines, ambulances and police cars. Traditionally the island was a fishing village and there are still fishing fleets working from the harbour. However, in recent years the island has become a major tourist attraction, offering a mixture of sandy swimming beaches, seafood cafés, and traditional Chinese culture. Sun Ferry operates ferries between Central Pier Number 5 and Cheung Chau. The ferries run approximately every 30 minutes depending upon time of day. Schedules on Sundays and public holidays differ from weekdays. The trip of about 20 kilometers (12 miles) takes 55 minutes for ordinary ferries or 35 minutes for high-speed ferries. Cheung Chau also has a ferry service to other outlying islands and regions such as Mui Wo and Chi Ma Wan.

Ferry to Lamma Island

Lamma Island was named Lamma only because of a chart reading error by Alexander Dalrymple in the 1760s. He had acquired a Portuguese chart to the entrances to the Pearl River and, close to the west of the island, the Portuguese owner had written "Lama". Dalrymple misinterpreted that as the name of the island. However, it was a Portuguese notation as to the holding (consistency of the seabed from the point of view of anchoring there), which was (and is) mud – in Portuguese "lama". In all the early charts the name was spelled with only one "m". So the island acquired a British name by error and one that subsequently was sinicized by its name being rendered phonetically in characters ("Lam a" can mean "south fork" in Cantonese), with the original muddle being all but forgotten. At some point, things became further obscured by the addition of the second "m" in the English spelling. In ancient times, Lamma used to be named as Pok Liu or Pok Liu Chau. Yung Shue Wan (Banyan Bay) is the most populated area on Lamma Island. Several decades ago, it was the center of the plastics industry. The factories have now been replaced by seafood restaurants, pubs, grocery stores and shops that sell oriental and Indian-style handicrafts. The big street of Sok Kwu Wan consists mainly of seafood restaurants. Sok Kwu Wan has the largest fish farming site in Hong Kong. Tourists can barbecue and fish at Lo So Shing Beach which is a ten-minute walk from the village. The trail between Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan is surrounded by grassland and offers a picturesque walk. From there one can see a nice portion of the coastline of the island. It takes roughly an hour to walk the trail. There are regular ferry services to Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan from Central on Hong Kong Island. A ferry is the best option to reach this Island because there are no cars allowed on the Island. Cheung Chau is an island 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southwest of Hong Kong Island. It is nicknamed the 'dumbbell island' due to its shape. The central part of the island is well-developed with shops and houses. The lane-ways are so narrow that normal motor traffic is impossible. Instead, there are small motorized trucks officially termed "village vehicles", which include specially designed mini-fire engines, ambulances and police cars. Traditionally the island was a fishing village and there are still fishing fleets working from the harbour. However, in recent years the island has become a major tourist attraction, offering a mixture of sandy swimming beaches, seafood cafés, and traditional Chinese culture. Sun Ferry operates ferries between Central pier number 5 and Cheung Chau. The ferries run approximately every 30 minutes depending upon the time of day. Schedules on Sundays and public holidays differ from weekdays. The trip of about 20 kilometers (12 miles) takes 55 minutes for ordinary ferries or 35 minutes for high-speed ferries. Cheung Chau also has a ferry service to other outlying islands and regions such as Mui Wo and Chi Ma Wan.

Ferry to Mui Wo 

Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo was formerly known as Mei Wo or Mei Wei (Cantonese: Wo and Wei are homophones), is located in the eastern part of Lantau Island in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Mui Wo has a beautiful environment and is a good place for vacationing in Hong Kong. As early as the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty, farmers were already living in Mui Wo Valley. By the 19th century, it had developed into six villages. Mui Wo is located on Silvermine Bay, so named for the silver mines that were once worked along the Silver River which flows through the village. The main beach in Mui Wo is known as Silver Mine Bay Beach. The town is known for the feral water buffalos and cows that roam the area. Mui Wo is connected by ferry to Central (Central Ferry Pier number 6). Other ferry services link Mui Wo to Discovery Bay, Peng Chau, Chi Ma Wan, and Cheung Chau.

Hong Kong Watertaxi

Hong Kong Water Taxi Ride the Hong Kong Water Taxi to sense the ultimate sightseeing experience, create unforgettable moments, and leave the most beautiful memories! Hong Kong Water Taxi is the official water tourism route of Victoria Harbour approved by the HKSAR. The route covers the famous attractions in Victoria Harbour: Hong Kong Observation Wheel, International Financial Centre, Waterfront Promenade Tsim Sha Tsui, West Kowloon Cultural District Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, etc. You can also watch the world’s best “A Symphony of Lights” and Hong Kong theme light and music show on the Hong Kong Water Taxi, Avenue of Stars, West Kowloon Cultural District, and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. You can experience the ultimate night view of Hong Kong with a panoramic view and enjoy the unique essence of water travel, feel the unique charm of the Pearl of the Orient. The Hong Kong Water Taxi can accommodate 170 passengers at the same time. The vessel has a luxurious and comfortable air-conditioned viewing cabin, comfortable business seats, spacious open decks, high-quality cabin facilities, and professional cabin services. Visitors can become aware of Hong Kong's unique day and night intoxicating scenery in the Hong Kong Water Taxi.

Conclusion

Traveling by ferry in Hong Kong is a convenient and scenic way to explore the city and its surrounding islands. The Central Ferry Piers, located in Central on Hong Kong Island, serve as a major hub for ferry services. Ferries offer excellent views of the Hong Kong skyline, Victoria Harbour, and surrounding islands. Ferries are an affordable relatively cheap way to explore Hong Kong and it's surrounding islands, and for that reason, you should try taking a few of these ferries if you have a chance.