Job Discussion Forums

[therock]

Nobody answered the poor guy's questions.

You can apply at the Chinese visa office which is on HK island. Or you can apply at quite a few travel agents. Take a walk along and around Nathan Rd and there are many travel agents who can do the visa for you. Look in the Chungking mansions/Mirador mansions on Nathan Rd, they have travel agents inside that will do the visa for you. Doing the F visa via a travel will cost a little more, but not much. You can get a one year F visa in HK if you choose.

You don't need any letter if you go through a travel agent. Not sure if you need one if you apply through the visa office.

The visa will be good for 6 months or one year depending on which one you apply for. There will be no need to extend every month.

You can get the visa done on the same day, it will cost you more though. The cheapest option will mean the visa will take 3 days to process.

Go throught the travel agent if you have any concerns. Very simple!

[vikdk]

dont buy on nathan rd - too slow too expensive

heres a site for the quickest and cheapest i have found

http://www.fbt-chinavisa.com.hk

[tenny]

Thanks very much for the info everyone. I also found a recommendation on the Sunshine International Travel Service. Has anyone else had experience of this agency? I�ll shop around too when I arrive.

Has any one got any recommendations on decent cheap hotels in Hong Kong? I have found a site called Trav.com that gives some cheap options. I used them with no problems when I stayed at Sam�s Place in Chengdu last year. Being a female traveling alone, I�m more cautious in where I stay and a single room always works out more expensive.

I�ll write some feedback at a later date on how I get on with the whole adventure.

Many Thanks

[Mytime]

I was under the (maybe mistaken) impression that your standard Chinese Visa wasn't valid for Tibet. I thought you needed a special visa for tibet.

[Roger]

Accommodation in HK:

In KOWLOON: (that's where Nathan Rd is, and contrary to vikdk's statement you can easily get an 'F' visa the same day at no extra cost from a reputable travel agent, PHOENIX, 86 Nathan Rd., 7th floor; you must hand in your passport no later than 11 o'clock with 2 pics; at 6 pm. your passport will be back in HK arriving from the PSB in Shenzhen with a nice visa sticker).
- Mirador Mansion is just one block south of the PHOENIX Travel Agent office; it has guesthouses on the 3rd, 6th, 8th and many other floors; the GARDEN HOSTEL on 3rd floor has dorm beds for 50 a night; it's relatively congenial (some longtermers staying there, and during the day it doubles as a Kungfu training centre).
- Chungking Mansions: a warren of some 6 or 8 blocks topping out at 26 floors, full of rats and budget travellers; guesthouses can be found by the dozen a dime. I'ts not my cup of tea though I like the Indian curries on the second floor; downstairs it's a bit rowdy and occasionally the police can be seen being very busy. If you like Indian/African/Chinese internationalism go for it!
- Some guesthouses are located over in Hankow Rd..

- the YMCA in Waterloo Rd., though a good 3 or 4-star hotel, it also has a very popular dorm (sleeps 4 tenants). This is your nicest option in Kowloon - under 300 a night!.

- HK Island:
- There are some guesthouses in Great George Street in CAUSSEWAY BAY; the neighbourhood once had many more but they have had to go! MIght drive up the room rates!
- I highly recommend the youth hostel on Mt. Davis in the far West of town; very green and clean, 300 meters above the hustle and bustle of Kennedytown in a forest. 60 dollars a night for members; self-cooking.

Lastly, once you have secured your 'F' visa I am still not clear whether the PSB will grant you the permit to enter TIbet from Chengdu. You might have to supply very good reasons why a business traveller wants to visit Tibet...

[Mysterious Mark]