Month: March 2016

23Mar

Expat Guide: Living in Central SoHo & Central Mid-levels

SoHo and the Mid-levels are two of the most popular neighborhoods among Hong Kong expats.

Central SoHo is a trendy, swanky area where lines of bars and shops stay open until the early hours of the morning. It’s located south of Hollywood Road and you can get there via MTR Central Station, Exit D2. Central Mid-levels in contrast is a hilly, tree-lined neighborhood with scenic winding roads. Some call the area the Lower Peaks.
Why Expats Flock these Neighborhoods?

Expats choose to live in these parts if the city because they offer a balanced combination of cosmopolitan life and quiet greenery. Divided between the residential Mid-Levels area, whose apartment blocks give beautiful views over Victoria Harbour, and SoHo’s party district. SoHo has its diverse establishment line-up of galleries, antique shops, boutiques and drinking holes where tourists and locals converge to take a break from work. If you’re young and single, SoHo is the ideal place for you. Families and newlyweds on the other hand choose the Mid-levels because it’s more suitable  for kids.

Hong Kong’s highly efficient public transport connects you to the whole territory, another feature which attracts many expats.

What to do in SoHo?what to do in central mid levels what to do in soho

Shop at PMQ (35 Aberdeen Street)
Complex of 100 retail spaces and artistic studios

Get Coffee at Common Ground (19 Shing Wong Street)
A cozy hangout that also displays quirky accessories by homegrown designers.

Taste test at Tate (59 Elgin Street)
Fusion of French and Japanese cuisine

Look at Art at Liang Yi Museum (181–199 Hollywood Road)

What to do in Central Mid-levels?

what to do in central mid levels
Take the Escalator
Cuts through the Mid-Levels, from Central to Conduit Road. It allows people to travel quickly between these two places, compared with traveling by the winding roads up the mountain.

Relax at the Hong Kong Park
Natural landscapes for strolling, hiking, jogging and relaxing with friends and family.

Walk through Wan Chai Nature Trail
Wan Chai Nature Trail is a short footpath and it only takes about 2 hours to complete.

Get cultured at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre
Main aim of supporting local art creation

Real estate is very expensive in Hong Kong and these two neighborhoods are not exempted. Average Monthly Rent for a 2 bed, 1 bath apartment (870 sq. ft) in these areas is between HK$ 38,000 to HK$50,000.

Landlords will have Property Insurance for rented flats but we also recommend you get Renter’s Insurance to protect your personal belongings (furniture, computer, etc.) in case of loss, fire or flooding. We help expats with Home Contents Insurance and more.

Sources:

http://magazine.fourseasons.com/travel-food-style/things-to-do/landmarks-attractions/soho-hong-kong-attractions#sthash.i7iUfnMv.dpuf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Levels#Central.E2.80.93Mid-Levels_escalator
https://hongkong.xpat.life/districts
http://www.expatliving.hk/living_in_hk/settling_in/A-guide-to-Hong-Kong-Neighbourhoods-Central-Mid-Levels-and-Soho-114913.ece

13Mar

What Does Corporate Travel Insurance Cover and Why I Need It?

Companies or organizations that send their employees overseas for business have two options when it comes to Travel Insurance.

First option is to have insurance as an add-on to their tickets. These come as individual cover for each person. The second option is to get Corporate Travel Insurance that protects your employees as a group.

Why is this insurance necessary?

The question should actually focus on WHEN you need this type of travel insurance. With the numerous claims we’have helped our clients with in recent years, Corporate Travel Insurance becomes crucial when employees are being sent to high-risk places.  For instance, non-profit organizations that provide volunteer services to countries with epidemics or ongoing national conflict are considered high-risk.Avu-gfOzbAxU6OQTf0Xja7YoncE7OqHxr8LsF4CZ-sDJ
This insurance is also a more cost-effective means of protecting your company from extra expenses incurred by your staff during the travel period. If it’s a big group, there are policies that offer protection based on headcount instead of specific names (usually for groups of 5 or more).

What does Corporate Travel Insurance Cover?

Providers offer a wide range of options for different needs. We help expat companies in Hong Kong make arrangements for their staff. Below is a list of common policy benefits for Corporate Travel Insurance:

  • Cover for events resulting from any terrorist attack, including the use of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons
  • Cover for all journeys of less than 120 days
  • War Zone coverage (optional with added premium)
  • Cover for a company’s regional or worldwide offices can be arranged, if permitted by local laws
  • Personal deviation up to 31 days
  • Repatriation
  • Medical expenses
  • Legal expenses
  • Travel or baggage delay
  • Flight delay
  • Emergency travel of family & friends
  • Personal Liability
  • Hospitalization
  • Loss of personal money or documents
  • Accidental Death

Leisure travel may also be covered if it coincides with your business travel dates.

For a quotation on insurance, you may Contact Us here.