Mail

Hong Kong's postal system is generally efficient. Airmail letters to any place in the world should take three to eight days, but receiving international mail in Hong Kong is much less reliable. The Kowloon Central Post Office in Yau Ma Tei is open 9:30 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday and 9:30 am to 1 pm on Saturday; the General Post Office in Central is open 8 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday and 9 am to 5 pm on Sunday and holidays.

Airmail sent from Hong Kong is classified by destination into one of two zones. Zone 1 covers all of Asia except Japan. Zone 2 is everywhere else. International airmail costs HK$2.40 (Zone 1) or HK$3 (Zone 2) for a letter or postcard weighing less than 20 grams. To send a letter within Hong Kong, the cost is HK$1.40. The post office also has an overnight international courier service called Speedpost.

Main Postal Branches

General Post Office (2 Connaught Rd., Central, Hong Kong. 2921-2222. www.hongkongpost.com.)

Kowloon Central Post Office (405 Nathan Rd., Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong. 2928-6247.)

Shipping Packages

Packages sent via airmail to the United States can take up to two weeks. Airmail shipments to the United Kingdom—both packages and letters—arrive within three or five days, while mail to Australia often arrives in as little as three days.

You are probably best off shipping your own parcels instead of letting shop owners do this for you, both to save money and to ensure that you are actually shipping what you purchased and not a quick substitute—though most shop owners are honest and won't try to cheat you in this way. The workers at Hong Kong Post are extremely friendly, and will sell you all the packaging equipment you need, at unbelievably reasonable prices. Large international couriers in Hong Kong include DHL and Federal Express.

Express Services

DHL (2400-3388. www.dhl.com.hk.)

Federal Express (2730-3333. www.fedex.com/hk_english.)