In Hong Kong, You Can Hop Aboard a Five-Hour Bus Ride to Catch Up On Your Sleep

Most people ride the bus to get from point A to point B, but riders taking a new route in Hong Kong are only interested in catching Zs. As NPR reports, a travel company has launched a five-hour, 47-mile bus tour meant to put passengers to sleep.

For $13 to $51 a ticket, riders can board a double-decker bus, get comfortable in their seats, and let the purr of the engine and the white noise of traffic lull them to sleep. The route goes around Hong Kong, stopping for a "food coma lunch" and photo opportunities at famous landmarks. But if all goes according to plan, riders won't be awake to see all the sights. The company even distributes goodie bags with eye masks and earplugs so they can block out their surroundings.

When coming up with new tours, ulu travel's marketing and business development manager Kenneth Kong was inspired by a post on social media. His friend went online to complain about work-related stress keeping him up at night; the only time he did sleep well was when he was riding the bus. This got Kong thinking: What if his company built an entire tour around this unintended effect of public transportation?

Today, sleep-deprived adults in Hong Kong can relive the experience of being driven around the block by their parents as a baby. The inaugural "Sleeping Bus Tour" was fully booked when it embarked on Saturday, October 16—making it a rousing (or snoozing) success.

[h/t NPR]