A new five-hour sleep tour has been launched in Hong Kong. The 76-kilometre trip on a regular double-decker bus is designed for those who fall asleep easily during long journeys. The idea came from tired passengers who often sleep on public transport. Tickets for the unusual tour cost from $13 to $51 per person, depending on whether they choose upper or lower floor seats. The bag of surprises for passengers includes an eye mask and earplugs for better sleep.

Kenneth Kong, Marketing and Business Development Manager at ulu travel, the organiser of the bus tours, said: "When we were coming up with the new tours, I saw a post on social media from a friend of mine saying he was exhausted from work and couldn't sleep at night. But when he travelled by bus, he managed to get a good night's sleep. His post inspired us to create this tour where passengers can just sleep on the bus," reports The Associated Press

As strange as the idea may seem, the first Sleeping Bus Tour was completely sold out. Some passengers came prepared, bringing their own blankets and changing into slippers, while others took pillows for travelling.

Additional stops on the picturesque island of Lantau and near the aircraft maintenance facility at Hong Kong Airport were an added option.

"I suffer from insomnia, so I'm here to try to get some sleep," said Anson Kong, 25, one of the passengers on the first bus tour. He said that the tour was a great idea and that it was "more interesting" than expected.

Another passenger, Marco Young, said he joined the tour because he usually falls asleep on long bus journeys, finding it a "great opportunity" to get some sleep.

Dr Shirley Lee, principal investigator at the University of Hong Kong Sleep Clinic and Laboratory, explains the trend of falling asleep on public transport: "People in Hong Kong don't have enough time to sleep. Therefore, we have to use other opportunities, namely our daily commute, especially when we travel by public transport." She emphasises that some people develop the habit of associating public transport with sleep. This makes it easier for them to fall asleep in public transport.