Hong Kong people love to travel. And just because times are tough economically, they still can't shake the travel bug. More than 369,000 upped sticks on Christmas Eve for the long weekend, and travel agents expect a similar exodus over the five-day Lunar New Year break. Many locals will spend less this year on holidays, but experienced travellers know it's still possible to have fun on a budget.
Self-drive holidays on the mainland are one option gaining popularity. Entrepreneur Liu Chun-ho, who has taken road trips in the US and Thailand, says excursions in Guangdong province have become his favourite family activity.
Liu, 39, rents a car in Shenzhen and often drives 140km to Panyu, just south of Guangzhou, where he, his wife and two children visit the Chimelong Paradise theme park and relax afterwards with a massage at a spa hotel. A late-night snack at a bazaar rounds off their weekend.
'It's much more convenient to drive if you have several destinations,' says Liu, who owns a factory in Jiangmen.
Petrol is cheap on the mainland - 6 yuan (HK$6.80) per litre compared with HK$12.70 in Hong Kong - and armed with a GPS device, Liu has been able to find his way off the beaten track. He recently took his family to the Lianjiang River gorges in Lianzhou, in northern Guangdong, a trip involving a six-hour drive along winding roads.
Given the mainland's poor record for traffic safety and its unfamiliarity to many Hongkongers, travellers often prefer to hire cars with drivers, but Liu prefers being behind the wheel.
