Any GPS compatible mapping software w/ Hong Kong maps?

[Got the Answer?]

I plan on taking a trip to HK during the christmas season to visit some relatives, and wanted to have some HK maps with me, but all of the popular software in the US only has US maps and European maps.

[Rolando]

You ought to ask your relatives to go to the Wanchai Computer Centre to look. I have seen some map programs that are pretty nice. I have tried one program, called HK-Explorer. This program is pretty nice, even though it doesn't communicate with GPS. However, it has serial numbers from street lights programed into a location database. If you want to know where you are, you simply walk to a street light and type in the serial number from the street light. It is also possible to do searches by building and street names. There is also diffent levels of zooming. This program costs around 200HKD. There are other GPS programs in Wanchai. However, most of them only have Chinese on the maps and will only run on Pocket PC. They are also about 400HKD.

In Hong Kong, I think having GPS is not needed. The public transportation is among the best in the world and it is very difficult to get lost. I know about Hong Kong because I have lived here during the past six years. It is pretty easy to find your way around. The street signs have both English and Chinese. There are also many restaurants with bilingual menus. Most people here speak at least a little English.

If you want to see a map of the train system in Hong Kong, I have compiled a map that can be viewed with iSilo. It has both MTR and KCR train routes. It has been posted at http://www.memoware.com . It is in the Travel section. It can be downloaded for free.

The MTR also has an online map. Their web site is http://www.mtrcorp.com . Hope this info is useful.

[Scotttyyy :]]

More info about HK-Explorer can be found at http://www.centasolution.com and http://www.centamap.com .

The map itself is from the HKSAR Lands Department.

[OhKatie!]

I'm with Dwinget on this. GPS is almost totally unknown here in HK - indeed, so much so I have just had to order from the UK. As a visitor, you're unlikely to be hiking in the country parks but even if you were to do so (a) a large proportion of the areas you'd get to have concreted paths and (b) a good map from the Lands Department would be of far more use than GPS.

Mark you, pollution is so bad here (less than 1000 metres viz from my office window as I type this at 12h30) that you'd be better off staying indoors anyway.

Ryetee

[Ladyblue17]

Actually, unless you go hiking on one of the outer islands, you're very likely to see skyscrapers from the trail. So many buildings are located on slopes.

The pollution level is very high today. I think it has drifted in from the Mainland. This usually happens when there is a typhoon near the territory. The viz level is usually better right after a rain storm or when the temperature is lower. The viz level should be a little better during the Christmas holidays.

PS. Check out the weather at this link:

http://www.esdlife.com/goto.asp?url=...ang=c&zone=575

I noticed that Tung Chung has an air pollution index of 94.

[Rashad]

Thx for the responses guys, i really didn't think gps was necessary in HK also, but i thought it might be a fun little gadget to use. I was born in HK, so i don't really have problems reading the street signs or anything. =P