Trip to Hong Kong with Thai family

[1FinickyOne]

Any tips for me. I will be travelling with my wife and 9 yr old niece who we raise. It will be her first time out of Thailand and I thought disneyland would be a good start for her...

Disney - how many days needed?

Hotel - I know the Disney Hotel is expensive but figured it would be a good touch for a couple of nights.

Are there package tours to Macau? Are tours of HK readily available from everywhere?

I have been to HK many times but many years ago. We are not shoppers. Just want to see the sights and have a vacation...

All ideas welcome. Thank you.

Also, would a tour be easier? And for future travel reference is there a good guided tour company that runs top of hte line tours out of Thailand as we hope to travel more so in the future. I have travelled extensively and never taken tours but w/family it might be preferable. So, is there a good tour company w/Thai speaking guides?

[williewolf]

We went earlier in the year with a 4 year old. Flew Emirates who had a deal on at the time. Booked everything ourselves. We stayed in a Hotel near an underground station and this made it so easy to get around. The train goes direct to disneyland and we purchased a two day ticket. This enabled us to see everything there and we went later the second day so we could stay and see the fireworks. There are lots of local people offering trips but if you get a guide book it is so easy to get around and see it yourself. Ocean park is a good day out and the little one loved seeing the animals there.

I dont know how you are with food but my g/f struggled a bit with somethings but we found some good sushi places and she enjoyed that.

Just a heads up for you the little one we took lives with us and has done since just after she was born, she is the child of the g/fs niece. When we got to immigration at swampy we had a load of trouble and I did not think they were going to let us take her out of the country. After a great debate they phoned the childs mother who is far from the sharpest tool in the box and this really made things worse (she really is thick and did not understand who she was talking to). My g/f then managed to phone the childs father who confirmed we has permission to take his daughter on holiday. After great debate again they stamped the little ones passport and wrote in it we were taking her out of the country by verbal agreement. Things had become a little worrying so I asked the senior I/O what we should have done. He said next time the parents should go to the Amphur and get a notorised document giving us permission to take her.

Despite this worrying start we had a fantastic 10 days and I am sure you will

[jobin]

Be aware of the Chinese holiday week, the first week of October, i believe. If you go then, you will meet innumerable, uncountable, mainland chinese tourists at Disney and other sites.

Also, look into Ocean Park.

For a more laid back sightsee, but not so touristy, you could take bus to Wong Shek pier, in the country park beyond Sai Kung. Then hop a short ferry to the nearby island, eat fried squid, then take different ferry, one hour back to near University Station MTR. Much cheaper than Disney, fewer crowds, green countryside, on the water, local food...can't miss. This an all day venture.

[Andyfez]

If you're not shoppers then best to stay on Lantau island. It's nicer and cheaper.

Best hotel in my opinion is Silvermine beach in Mui Wo. Good value and it's directly opposite a nice beach that your 9 year old will love.

Whats more most cars are banned in this area, so you can all rent bikes to get around.

Theres a cheap hourly ferry from Mui Wo to Central when you feel like braving the big city, and theres a smaller ferry that can take you down towards Disneyland further down the coast.

Disneyland isn't very big. One day should be enough.

Plenty of walking, hiking, and scenery on this side of Lantau. You can also get a bus to the far end of the island to see the dolphins.

[onionluke]

There is always Kowloon City where the Thai community has many shops and food places if your wife and daughter get a craving for home .

[mikeuberman]

I visited HK with my children March 2014

I found the hotels in HK use U.K. 13A 3-pin plugs, so I couldn't charge my laptop or mobiles.

You won't find an adapter from TL 3-pin or 2-pin in HK, so buy before you go.

I found all (with one exception) HK'ese unfriendly at best, unhelpful at worst.

I booked my family Disney tickets at the airport mall Disney shop, and they turned out to all have different dates.

It took about an hour at Disneyland customer services to sort that out, after the entry machines barred me.

Disneyland was very poor, no circular train, no Disney characters on the streets, half the rides were 'under repair', and there were frequent queue delays due to power cuts.

I've been to Disney Orlando and it knocks the socks out of HK.

If you're travelling by train, make sure you have lots of change and small notes for the ticket machines.

Bus drivers take exact money or they keep the change.

Have a good time, I didn't.

[shaurene]

There are a lot of good tour agency's in HK, I love staying in Kowlung better than the island. Go to the ferry terminal also bottom of Nathan Road and get the fast cat to Makau. You can also get boat trip to one of the popular islands fantastic food places on them.

Fantastic all night market up the top of Nathan Rd hotel will write it down for the taxi. The food places around the market are A1.

My wife loves HK especially the market and the food. Get the local map from the hotel.

[onionluke]

I visited HK with my children March 2014

I found the hotels in HK use U.K. 13A 3-pin plugs, so I couldn't charge my laptop or mobiles.

You won't find an adapter from TL 3-pin or 2-pin in HK, so buy before you go.

I found all (with one exception) HK'ese unfriendly at best, unhelpful at worst.

I booked my family Disney tickets at the airport mall Disney shop, and they turned out to all have different dates.

It took about an hour at Disneyland customer services to sort that out, after the entry machines barred me.

Disneyland was very poor, no circular train, no Disney characters on the streets, half the rides were 'under repair', and there were frequent queue delays due to power cuts.

I've been to Disney Orlando and it knocks the socks out of HK.

If you're travelling by train, make sure you have lots of change and small notes for the ticket machines.

Bus drivers take exact money or they keep the change.

Have a good time, I didn't.

I agree with this post about disney and I would advise you to skip disney land altogether . Ocean Park has plenty to offer . There are many fun days out to be had , I will list a few .

A boat trip from Aberdeen promenade to PoToi Island for a sea food dinner .

A boat trip from Aberdeen promenade to Lamma Island , So Kwu Wan Pier with a 1 1/2 hour treck over the hill to Yung Shue Wan Pier where you can have dinner .

A visit to the Big Buddah on Lantau Island , either by cable car at Tung Chung or bus from Mui Wo . You can continue along the road by bus to Tai O old fishing village for a meal .

A visit to Tsim Sha Tsui with rides across the harbour to see the lights , there are a few harbour cruises to choose from , my son loved the Chinese sailng junk .

An late sunday afternoon trip to Kowloon city for Thai or Issan food with many regions and styles for your choice .

A visit to the Maritime Museum on the Hong Kong Outlying Islands ferry pier .

There are loads of beaches .

There are night markets in Mong Kok and Jordan .

The Novotel in North Point is central .

Have a nice trip.

[matta330]

If you have been to any Disney park in the U.S., it is an interesting comparison. The emphasis on HKG Disney is shows over rides. There are less rides and more shows vs the U.S. version. Had a great time though and will go back again.

[Thakkar]

Accommodation:

If you plan on spending a week in HK, then the Silvermine Bay Hotel suggested above is a good choice. You'll have the time to do things at a leisurely pace. It's cheaper (except on weekends) and a very pleasant location. But you will be constrained by the ferry schedual which is every 40 minutes to an hour (except after midnight when it's three hours). Staying in the city gives you the flexibility to hop on a train and go anywhere on a whim. Also, while the ferry ride is generally smooth, make sure your niece isn't the type that gets sea sick easily.

Besides, Disney, do visit Ocean Park as well. In my view, it's better.

The cable car ride to the big Buddha (ngong ping 360) is a very scenic one. And if you/your girlfriend are Buddhist, you'll be glad to have made the pilgrimage. http://www.np360.com.hk/en/booking/np360-ticketing-information.html

The HK Airport Express is offering a great deal. For something like HK$300 you get a return ticket airport to city centre plus 3 days unlimited travel on the MTR (city subway system). On returning the ticket on your way out, you get HK$50 back. You can book the ticket at the airport express link website and pick up when you arrive HK. http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/tickets/travel_pass_ael.html

If you haven't booked any hotels in advance by the time you land at HK airport, there's a HK Hotels association desk after passing immigration and customs but before you get out to the passenger greeting area. It's always manned by a helpful staff from where you can check room availability, rates and other details. The rates offered here are always lower than walk in rates, and, I've found, often lower than any rates a travel agent or internet booking site will give you. You can call them from here to check rates: +852 23838380

The HK Tourist Association are also very helpful (as they should be) tel 28076543

If you like goose (and not duck imitating as goose) I highly recommend Yung Kee on Wellington Rd. Not cheap, but not too expensive either and the food is great.

Lan Kwai Fong (a few minutes walk from Wellington Rd) is a nice bar and restaurant area.

If you like Dim Sum, the best time for the freshest Dim Sum is early morning between 6 to 8 am. Many, many Chinese restaurants serve great dim sum. Not all restaurants are on the ground floor.

When eating out in HK, I seldom eat Indian food, but when I do, it's invariably at one of these two places: Woodlands in Tsim Sha Tsui East and Bronto's which is on the 2nd floor of a nondescript building on Lock Rd in Tsim Sha Tsui (not East). Both are South Indian vegetarian restaurants serving hearty food at fair prices.

Some of the best Western food can still be had at Jimmy's Kitchen (tel 25265293 for their Central branch and tel 23760327 for their Tsim Sha Tsui branch). They've been around for seventy years, they must be doing something right. http://jimmys.com/

All the places are within short walking distance of MTR stations.

T

[beau thai]

We flew cnx- macau, stayed a few days, then jetboat to HK (goes about every 15mins like a s, no need to book) then hk-cnx.

Great trip. The old portugese square is worth a shout and have lunch at a nice portugese restaurant with vinho verde. The museum up on the hill is definitely a good visit for you all- and I am defo not a 'museum person'. Great views from the museum gardens out over Macau, and as you go down, a famous church facade with nothing behind it where everyone takes photos.

Avoid Macau at w/ends as it swarms with chinese to whom you will be invisible as they swarm into you if you are in their way.

Casinos are not a natural choice for a child but go to the Venetian, which has a life size recreation of St Marks Square, complete with gondolas with a gondolier to serenade you. Quite cheap and good fun. And you can go up the very high Macau tower and watch folks bungee jumping past from above you on the observation deck.

In HK, the funicular up to The Peak is a fun trip and try to be in HK on a Wednesday and go to Happy Valley Racecourse- a very good night out, and an impressive venue. Nightly laser show over the water is good, and everyone seems to enjoy Star Ferry too.

The trip to Lantau can be a nightmare as there are very long queues for the bus to the Great Buddha- we saw the q, decided on a taxi, and waited an hour for that.

Plenty to do so no need to get bored.

Have fun

[gjoo888]

I couldn't agree less with posters that said to give Disneyland a skip. It's not as big as Disneyland's in the states, but it's still a great facility that is perfectly maintained and your niece will not experience anything like it in Thailand. If you get there early, one full day is enough to see everything. Ocean Park is worth a visit too.

There's plenty of tour agents in Thailand that offer escorted tours with Thai speaking guides to HK, but since you obviously speak English, I don't think an escorted tour is necessary like it is for Thais who don't speak English, or Cantonese.

I do agree that Emirates often has the best fares, and they use an A380 for the BKK-HKG-BKK routes. Also, look into the Airport Express Travel Pass that allows you unlimited travel on the HK MTR and other modes of transportation, it also includes one-way or round-trip travel on the Airport Express train into Kowloon or HK Island.

http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/tickets/travel_pass_ael.html

[farang000999]

little reason to go to macau if you are taking a 9 year old.

[jacko45k]

The problems of Hong Kong are the crowds and the expensive prices, after Thailand.

Still I would say it is a good place to visit, being organised and surprisingly easy to get about.

One problem might be standing in line with the kid, I did a good bit of that without kids and it was tiresome.

I personally don't like to be on the organised tours, but that is me, having no young ones makes it possible to do your own thing more easily. I did the organised trips in Singapore and got fed up of being dumped in shops!

Disney is all about the kids and they know how to organise it, I think you are right about using their hotel.

[mike324]

Even though Disneyland will be crowded, for 9 year old the experience will still be priceless. Ocean Park will be a nice alternative if you really don't want to go to Disney and wait in long lines. Check out tour packages in Thailand, good deals can be had, some includes Disney tour packages and Ocean Park. There are many flight + accommodation packages only (not the ones with tour guides).

Things to do, take the ferry across at night to marvel the views. Go up to "The Peak" , top of the mountain to view the sight of the city at night. Ride the Peak Tram up the mountain. If the wife and niece are fit, walking around The Peak is a good experience, it will take around 40min.

If you want to splurge, a rooftop bar will be nice treat for your wife other than shopping.

Dim Sum Dim Sum can't be missed.

Hong Kong is expensive and rooms are small, but don't forget that you can always use the subway, it is very convenient and fast. So don't be afraid to stay further away depending on your budget.

Eat some street food, things like curry fish balls and egg waffles.

Take advantage of the nice restaurants if you are into fine food.

[chuang]

Hongkong is a good place to watch people go by and food is aroy but a bit expensive....shopping wise the products like New Balance/Adidas etc are more expensive than say singapore and paragon thailand...same as brand woman handbags..

The so-called factory outlets they called them City outlets have nothing much to offer..what they have are old models...and not cheap..

Hotels are expensive and cramped with mainland chinese..with kids running around..

Whether it's the Peak or Cable car ride...the Q is loooong....night markets or walking streets are nice places to while away.....

Take a tram ride or an open-top bus around the island....a trip to the out-laying island of Lamma Island and Lantau Island is refreshing..

A must try is their dim sum ..kids will like Disneyland and Ocean Park.....happy holiday..

[1FinickyOne]

Thanks all for so many great replies… very much appreciated.

[Paul888]

I visited HK with my children March 2014

I found the hotels in HK use U.K. 13A 3-pin plugs, so I couldn't charge my laptop or mobiles.

You won't find an adapter from TL 3-pin or 2-pin in HK, so buy before you go.

I found all (with one exception) HK'ese unfriendly at best, unhelpful at worst.

I booked my family Disney tickets at the airport mall Disney shop, and they turned out to all have different dates.

It took about an hour at Disneyland customer services to sort that out, after the entry machines barred me.

Disneyland was very poor, no circular train, no Disney characters on the streets, half the rides were 'under repair', and there were frequent queue delays due to power cuts.

I've been to Disney Orlando and it knocks the socks out of HK.

If you're travelling by train, make sure you have lots of change and small notes for the ticket machines.

Bus drivers take exact money or they keep the change.

Have a good time, I didn't.

It's easy to find things "wrong" from an adult's point of view with virtually any tourist attraction anywhere, but guess what? Kids don't really care about that.

As for not finding an adaptor in Hong Kong, that is the biggest nonsense I have ever heard.

[Shot]

I visited HK with my children March 2014

I found the hotels in HK use U.K. 13A 3-pin plugs, so I couldn't charge my laptop or mobiles.

You won't find an adapter from TL 3-pin or 2-pin in HK, so buy before you go.

I found all (with one exception) HK'ese unfriendly at best, unhelpful at worst.

I booked my family Disney tickets at the airport mall Disney shop, and they turned out to all have different dates.

It took about an hour at Disneyland customer services to sort that out, after the entry machines barred me.

Disneyland was very poor, no circular train, no Disney characters on the streets, half the rides were 'under repair', and there were frequent queue delays due to power cuts.

I've been to Disney Orlando and it knocks the socks out of HK.

If you're travelling by train, make sure you have lots of change and small notes for the ticket machines.

Bus drivers take exact money or they keep the change.

Have a good time, I didn't.

I did this trip 2 years ago with a 5 and 7 year old. We had zero problems, and a great trip.

Are you sure about the train????? Click to enlarge.

[mikeuberman]

There is a main street railway at all the Disney-lands, except, as I found out, in HK

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/disneyland/disneyland-railroad-main-street-station/

[mikeuberman]

Also you can watch the video

It wasn't there on my visit

[1Ping1]

Great trip for the kid, and the Wife for that matter (as she is a shopper) . Disneyland not the same as in US but if not seen before, as good as it gets for your nine year old wife on a local scale. Took my Thai Step Daughter and wife there last Oct and I have been to both US parks. It was small for me, but the trip was not about me. It was for the kid and wife. For them, it was fantastic.

They both had a blast. Just yesterday my seven year old daughter picked up one of the many pics we had taken and said she wanted to go back. Talks about the trip all the time.

-Disneyland two days. Pull an all day and then go back in the afternoon for fireworks in evening as someone suggested.

-Ocean Park, OK, though one day was enough for us.

-Great cheap public transportation by land and ferry... Plan on using it. Even taxis are cheap now that I think about it due to the competition of the great public transport.

-Several trips across the harbor by ferry, in fact sometimes back and fourth several times the same day............ Great light show at night, Family loved it. Also the "Walk of Stars" along the boardwalk was cool even for me.

We spent five nights on the Island, very laid back, and relaxed. And then spent four nights at hotel on the waterfront with a view of the harbor. Very nice.........

Two Things. Expect to spend a little money as you are not in Thailand. And most important. "Take Some Clothes". We went in Oct and it was a great trip, and due to the time of year, not to busy at the parks. It did rain a bit though and was cold as heck compared to Thailand. The rain on the plus side kept the lines short at both Disneyland and Ocean Park but again, the Family had never seen temps in the 15-20 degree range with rain added in.....

All in All, we had a blast and would recommend it to anyone with kids that have not been to Disneyland before...........

[Razzler1973]

Honestly, don't be over concerned about a side trip to Macau

I am sure your missus will love the Big Buddha on Lantau

If I recall around Wanchai there is a small street of local Thai food, think it was off Queens Road East around Johnston Road. There used to be a fair amount of Thai places in the area, Thai writing and hand written signs outside buildings, make your own som tum and all that