The grand tours of Hungarian travelers began in European ports. Travelers heading towards East reached the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal. Having arrived at the Indian subcontinent, almost all of them visited Bombay; then they sailed south, towards Ceylon. From Ceylon they crossed the Bay of Bengal, stopping at Singapore, the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. From Singapore, all ships headed towards Hong Kong, which was the gateway to China and one of the principal ports for Hungarian travelers.

“I visited Hong Kong 30 years ago. Now I am amazed seeing the elegant palaces both along the shore and on the hills. Villa-houses are extending high on the Victoria Peak and there are excellent roads up to the hill. Welfare and abundance can be seen everywhere. The bay has a magnificent view from the peak with its plenty islands, and landlocked by a circle of swelling hills as well as with the splendid and busy harbour, steamships and hundreds of junks” – wrote Ferenc Hopp (1833-1919), art collector and globetrotter, in 1914.

After stopping at Hong Kong, Hungarian travelers continued their journey along the coasts of China.