Hong Hong Advice

[pryortuck]

My wife and I are planning our first trip to Hong Kong this month and I was wondering if any members have had any special experiences there that they could share. Any places that we shouldn't miss while we're there. We have selected a nice hotel inTsim Sha Tsui for 5 days but need some guidence on interesting sights or attractions. The Internet has provided alot of info on the markets and general shopping streets. We're not into night clubs or heavy shopping other than maybe bargain hunting for items. We've lived in Thailand for years so we have alot of ASIAN stuff.

many thanks,

Pryortuck

[surangw]

if you plan to travel about look into getting an Octopus card

[rakman]

Hong Kong Disneyland. Be a kid again.

Hong Kong Aquarium, something different.

+1 on the Octopus card.

[sumnuek]

The big Buddha. Go via bus and come back via the spectacular cable car (take cristal cabin. more expensive but no waiting queue)

[petertucker48]

These may be useful have a nice trip.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/hong-kong

http://itunes.apple.com/app/lonely-planet-travel-guides/id317165182?mt=8

[craigt3365]

I know it's a bit of an expense, but IMHO, worth every penny. You're spending a fair amount of money for this trip...get a good guide book. I've found so many hidden gems in books like Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Fodors, Frommers, etc. I tend to use LP, but I'm a budget traveler.

One thing LP is very good about is putting together schedules...all based on how much time you have. I've found their picks to be very good. Some books have 1/2 day or all day "tours". You've got a map and a detailed list of what to see. Great stuff.

The Peak is a must. When you have a clear day, go! Ride the escalator up and down the mid levels. Go over to Stanley Market. Big Buddha is great. Ride the star ferry. On HK island, go to the harbor and negotiate a harbor tour with one of the boatmen. Eat at one of the floating seafood restaurants on HK island. For sure visit the ladies market. We loved the flower market also. Just soooooo much to do! I love HK. Oh, don't forget the laser show at night from the promenade on Tsim Sha Tsui. I've heard there's a new tall tower with a bar on top. Suppose to have fantastic views. The harbor at night is stunning.

[arkom]

I know it's a bit of an expense, but IMHO, worth every penny. You're spending a fair amount of money for this trip...get a good guide book. I've found so many hidden gems in books like Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Fodors, Frommers, etc. I tend to use LP, but I'm a budget traveler.

One thing LP is very good about is putting together schedules...all based on how much time you have. I've found their picks to be very good. Some books have 1/2 day or all day "tours". You've got a map and a detailed list of what to see. Great stuff.

The Peak is a must. When you have a clear day, go! Ride the escalator up and down the mid levels. Go over to Stanley Market. Big Buddha is great. Ride the star ferry. On HK island, go to the harbor and negotiate a harbor tour with one of the boatmen. Eat at one of the floating seafood restaurants on HK island. For sure visit the ladies market. We loved the flower market also. Just soooooo much to do! I love HK. Oh, don't forget the laser show at night from the promenade on Tsim Sha Tsui. I've heard there's a new tall tower with a bar on top. Suppose to have fantastic views. The harbor at night is stunning.

Would agrees with most of these recommendations except for the Big Buddha, although nice I thought it was a waste of time. If you do go I would recommend arriving early, around 8 am you can get a regular cabin to yourself with out paying extra and there really is no line, after 8 am expect long lines going up.

Would also give Disneyland pass, but if you haven't been before you might enjoy it. I thought price of admission wasn't worth it.

[Shot]

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/attractions/sightseeing-guide.html

I like this link. You can break it down by area, most popular, etc.

[theoldgit]

The big Buddha. Go via bus and come back via the spectacular cable car (take cristal cabin. more expensive but no waiting queue)

We went a couple of months ago, the Crystal Cabins had massive queues whilst the regular ones were almost walk straight on.

[CharlieH]

I would pass on Disneyland, but definitely go to Ocean Park, Stanley Market, The Peak, Madam Tausauds was Ok too.

[MZurf]

I know it's a bit of an expense, but IMHO, worth every penny. You're spending a fair amount of money for this trip...get a good guide book. I've found so many hidden gems in books like Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Fodors, Frommers, etc. I tend to use LP, but I'm a budget traveler.

One thing LP is very good about is putting together schedules...all based on how much time you have. I've found their picks to be very good. Some books have 1/2 day or all day "tours". You've got a map and a detailed list of what to see. Great stuff.

The Peak is a must. When you have a clear day, go! Ride the escalator up and down the mid levels. Go over to Stanley Market. Big Buddha is great. Ride the star ferry. On HK island, go to the harbor and negotiate a harbor tour with one of the boatmen. Eat at one of the floating seafood restaurants on HK island. For sure visit the ladies market. We loved the flower market also. Just soooooo much to do! I love HK. Oh, don't forget the laser show at night from the promenade on Tsim Sha Tsui. I've heard there's a new tall tower with a bar on top. Suppose to have fantastic views. The harbor at night is stunning.

Craig has pretty much summed it up. One word of advice for the trip to the peak is to save it for the day with the best weather/clearest skies since it has a huge impact on the whole experience.

[koknia]

Very few days with clear skies in HK with the pollution. Best to go to The Peak as early as possible as you will get the clearest view and escape the hordes of mainland tourists who overrun the place. The best thing to do is tram up, and walk down.

If you happen to be there on a Wednesday go the track at Happy Valley. For HK$10, best deal in town. (Aside from the Star Ferry.)

I like wandering around Kowloon myself. For a taste of old HK, hit the Mido Cafe for a milk tea ("yeet lai cha") and a pineapple bun ("bo lo bow").

[el jefe]

Very few days with clear skies in HK with the pollution. Best to go to The Peak as early as possible as you will get the clearest view and escape the hordes of mainland tourists who overrun the place. The best thing to do is tram up, and walk down.

If you happen to be there on a Wednesday go the track at Happy Valley. For HK$10, best deal in town. (Aside from the Star Ferry.)

I like wandering around Kowloon myself. For a taste of old HK, hit the Mido Cafe for a milk tea ("yeet lai cha") and a pineapple bun ("bo lo bow").

I'll second the rec for Happy Valley. Admission may only be HK10 but it usually costs me a lot more!

[tw25rw]

Ocean World was good. I went up the escalator system, which was fun, but the walk down less so.

Go to the peak late afternoon about an hour before it gets dark.

Get an Octopus card at the airport including a return ride on the airport express.

[Microwave]

If The Peak is clear, I prefer taking the Peak Tram up to The Peak just before sunset to get a daytime view of Hong Kong and then stay an hour or so and watch the lights of Hong Kong illuminate the city as the sun sets. I'd take the Peak Tram back down as the weather's hot and you'll save time. The Peak is a must.

I also recommend walking on the boardwalk in Tsim Sha Tsui both during the day and at night, again to see Hong Kong Island both during the day and at night. Watch out for touts wanting to take your photo or people who hound you because they claim to be mystical fortune tellers. The touts and fortune tellers prey on foreigners along the Tsim Sha Tsui boardwalk.

You might also want to take a ride up the world's longest outdoor escalator, located in the Western district of Hong Kong island. Google search Hong Kong escalator and you'll see what I'm talking about.

An Octopus card is a must have for getting around Hong Kong. This card is a stored value card and you can use it to travel via the underground, buy groceries and for paying the bill at some restaurants. Very useful card! Before leaving Hong Kong, return your Octopus card at an MTR (underground) station and the balance of the money you've stored on your card will be returned to you in cash. I don't know if you can "cash in" your Octopus card at the airport upon departure or not.

Enjoy your trip! : )

[Microwave]

I forgot to mention riding the Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central or vice-versa. Another "must" while in Hong Kong.

[jimmybkk]

Go for a dim sum lunch at one of the big dim sum restaurants. I don't know what's good now but we used to go to one on the 4th or 5th floor of the Admiralty Centre - consult your guide or check online for recommendations. These places can be huge and accomodate 100's (maybe even 1,000?) of diners at a time. You sit at large tables seating 8-10 people so if you go during peak times (around 12-1pm) you'll be seated with others (don't expect any interraction). You order things like fried rice, noodles etc. from the waiters and servers walk round with trolleys containing the dim sum - as one passes, if you like the look of what's on her trolley point at it and they'll serve you and mark it down on the bill sitting in a glass in front of you.

Try the American Peking restaurant located at the western end of Wan Chai for an evening meal. If you live in Hong Kong, it's one of the places that you take friends or family when they come to visit - you can't go wrong there. Certainly not the most authentic place in town but the menu is in English, the waiters speak English and the lemon chicken, peking duck with pancakes and minced pigeon wrappen in lettuce are all really good in my opinion.

Take the ferry over to Lamma Island - takes about 45 mins from the piers just west of the Star Ferry piers on HK Island. Not sure if you can get a ferry directly from Tsim Sha Tsui... Enjoy the views of HK Island from the ferry, have a wander round Lamma and a nice seafood lunch or dinner.

Take the bus up to Sai Kung on the mainland. Takes around an hour and a lot of the journey is incredibly scenic. Parts of Sai Kung are still basically an old HK fishing village. Some great seafood restaurants. If you like hiking then Sai Kung is at the start of the MacLeHose Trail. The trail is 100kms long and is stunningly beautiful in places. Every year a ridiculously gruelling charity race is run on the trail - it takes around 30 hours for an average team to finish the race. The trail is broken down into various stages - do some research and pick one or two stages to follow (I am sure there are maps available) based on your level of fitness and the proximity of public transport at start/finish locations.

Do a day trip to Macau if you fancy a change - the ferry takes about 50 mins and they run 24/7 I think. Even if you don't gamble some of the new casinos are worth a visit (The Venetian for example) and the feel of the place is totally different to HK. Take a taxi out to Fernando's for lunch - if it's a weekend I'd suggest you make it a late lunch as this place is a bit of an institution and can get mobbed between 12pm-3pm. AIm to get there around 3pm for a more sedate environment. It takes about 20-30 mins by taxi from downtown.

That's all I can think of for now - hope it helps.

[abhaya]

Ride the trams and check out the outlying islands.

[lumply]

I can't add anything other than a pretty negative aspect of HK (sorry), and that's the atmosphere. I'm pretty healthy but the pollution really got to me whilst working there and because I did not wish to 'get used to it', and for other reasons I left after two months to work in BKK. Talk about frying pan and fire! Lots do to in HKG however and you are sure to enjoy your stay. Take plenty of cash!

[chiang mai]

Take the double decker bus from Central over to Stanley on the other side of the island and sit up stairs at the front of the bus, wheeeee! Seriously, a good way to see Happy Valley and parts of the island you wouldn't otherwise see - the Sunday market in Stanley is neat.

[borovik]

The best things in HongKong come free(or almost free):

-ride across Victoria Harbour on Star Ferry

-airport bus to town on upper deck - front row(the best route - 22,to go to TST - take 21)views of

the new bridges - very impressive;

-walk across Lamma Island and dinner there in sea food restaurant,

-new shopping mall and hotel in "Heritage 1889" on corner of CantonRd and Salisbury Rd. - this may cost you very much,it contains shops of very expensive brands.

-Kowloon Park - oasis in urban jungle,cost nothing,see flamingos!

Edited July 10, 2012 by borovik

[samsiam]

Lots of good info...cheers.

We might be heading over soon so good to know.

I want to pig out on the dim sum lunches, remember them well from chinatown back home.

[BeerMoney]

Simple and free pleasures: the park in HK is beautiful, and the zoo quite nice. I liked the "peasant" food in Kowloon best, and the ferry ride there is fun.

[HKBKK]

I've heard there's a new tall tower with a bar on top. Suppose to have fantastic views. The harbor at night is stunning.

It's called ICC Tower, it's in West Kowloon above the Kowloon Airport Express station and the bar (Ozone) is on the 118th floor (take the first lift to 103rd floor (Ritz-Carlton hotel lobby), then take another lift to 118th floor. Nice place for a few drinks (you can even smoke there if you are a smoker), go after dark. Great views of the HK island and many parts of Kowloon on a clear day!