Looking for travel advice (Hong Kong)

[Kswiss]

Hello Friends!

The wifey and I are planning to fly to Hong Kong for about 9 nights and didn't see anything about it in the travel threads. There are some pretty decent deals going right now. Wondering if the CP group can help with some advice?

What area is the best place to stay in? (we like to stay in an area where public transit is easy to get to)

Is it feasible to visit Macau for a day trip or stay a night or two? cool places to visit? any places to visit that require a whole day? how about food? hidden gems?

Thanks in advance. Just don't really know anything about HK.

[jwslam]

Depending on what you want to do will dictate where to stay.

HK is comprised of three areas: the peninsula portion Kowloon, the area adjacent to that called New Territories, and then the HK Island itself. All of these are accessible by MTR (train, mostly underground).

I personally stay near Jordan station in Yau Tsim Mong district of Kowloon because:
-It's very walkable to everything I need (can walk to the Harbour, main shopping area, Ladies' Night Market, LangHam Center)
-Express bus to and from the airport is right on Jordan Road
-Fairly central to a few of the MTR lines

I know nothing of Macau as I haven't been. Highly recommend Cheung Chau Island though. Day trip or overnight. It's a small Island, touristy for hiking etc. The whole Island has no vehicles except commercial. Most people bike but the whole thing is very walkable.

My favourite hidden gem for food:
http://www.etfoodvoyage.com/2016/02/...em-in-stanley/

[nik-]

9 nights is a lot for Hong Kong, so a trip to Macau is definitely feasible. I'm not a huge fan of Macau though, a day would be enough there in my opinion. They do have the famous egg tarts, so that's worth it I guess because those things are delicious

I've been there twice and am going for a third time this year. I always stay on the Kowloon side somewhere around Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) or a little north by Jordan Road. Accommodations there should be cheaper than on the island itself. If you're in Hong Kong or Kowloon, the public transit is easy to get to. Their metro is fantastic.

The food one is tough because there are so many little places. Really just walk around and step into little shops that look good. If you see a busy noodle place, dive in and be prepared to share tables.

My one recommendation for food would be this. https://en.yelp.com.hk/biz/%E7%A5%A5...%99%E6%B8%AF-2

Fried soup dumpling, and they have an option with truffle that is ridiculous. Also, directly across the street from this place they have the Portuguese egg tarts mentioned above. I'd recommend both highly.

[chemgear]

It's extra coin for sure but I've stayed multiple times in Langham Place. Directly connected to mall and convenient with the station nearby.

Pick a nice clear day to visit the Tian Tan Buddha.

Watch out for the vast hordes of mainlanders. They will run you over with their luggage with little regard for your life and shove in front of you in any and all lines.

[DoubleF]

A few things to note about HK:

1. A taxi is often times not worth it.
2. Take a look at the MTR map. 95% of all things you will want to see are usually within 10-15 minutes of a stop.
3. MTR can often be faster than a taxi. The time between trains is generally only a few minutes. The distance between stations is generally around <5 mins.
4. Going around HK is easy because you can get by using English.
5. If taking the ferry to Macau, make sure you're at the right port. Macau has it own currency, but will take HKD at par. HKD is more valuable by the slightest amount IIRC (10 HKD = 10.3 MOP). No need to carry extra currencies.
6. Octopus card is great for travel, can be used to purchase things. It's essentially a preloaded debit card.
7. There is a bit of walking involved, everyone moves fast. Don't be surprised if an 80 year old granny shoves past you because you're "slow".

http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/se...ystem_map.html

I personally have relatives on the light blue line, but train from there to the other lines is about 10-15 minutes. But IF I were to go there and stay in a hotel, Mong Kok, Yau ma Tei and Prince Edward are very central. Higher end, Tsim Tsa Tsui or Central/Admiralty. Kowloon Tong/Sham Shui po are probably very good value and still very close to those locations. I'll mention locations to see and cheaper souvenirs in a different post.

[Simon96Taco]

I'd echo a few of the comments already made - 9 nights is a long time for HK, so you'll definitely have time to go to Macau.

We stayed for 7 nights about a year ago, and spent the first 3 nights in Kowloon (near Tsim Sha Tsui (TST)), then a night in Macau, then 3 nights on the island.

Kowloon and the island are fairly different, so I'd recommend spending some time in both. The island was far more expat-ish than Kowloon which seemed more native Chinese.

Macau was interesting, but I'm glad we only went for the night (and two half days the day we got there and the day we left). It's a gambling mecca, but nothing like Vegas if that is your thing. We stayed in a resort type of hotel while in Macau, which was absolutely great, as it was a good way to charge the batteries after the madness of Kowloon before going back to the island for more madness.

Public transit is easy everywhere, that shouldn't be an issue.

[Kswiss]

Thanks for all the feed back! Yeah looking like I may be trying for Macau for one night.

Seems like Kowloon, Wan Chai and Jordan seem to be decent hotel prices, so will most likely stay in those areas.

Looking forward to having dim sum in Hong Kong too but will most likely try anything and everything. Man pretty stoked about going, Victoria Peak, Po Lin and Tian Tan are a must for us.

[Johnny Makarov]

Try to use Hotwire for hotels. When we were there last year we used it to book all our hotels for the 2 weeks. Stayed at the Langham in Tsim Tsa Tsui for $130cdn. Definitely a 5-star hotel and normally $300-$400 a night.

[flylock shox]

Unless you're a big gambler or Potuguese history nerd, I'd make only a brief trip to Macau. it's pretty meh.

Strongly recommend a day hiking trip to Lama island or an overnight if you can find a place to stay there. Very laid back almost Thai feel to the little towns and the ferry ride and hike are scenic.

[GirlySports]

you could take the MTR to Shenzhen! 40 minute ride. Or take the longer, leisurely way by Ferry.

[manwiches]

Hands down my favorite place in the world.

So much of everything, and 9 days isn't enough time for everything. That being said, there is lots you can do, as many posters have mentioned. There is every walk of life there, and you can spend as little or as much money as you want.

If you are staying in Kowloon, Hong Kong island or somewhere close to there, then you will have lots to see and do. Lots of shopping and sight seeing, and you are central to everything.

I recommend going to the Peak (At Causeway Bay), Times Square, and if you have time, Lantau Island to visit the big Buddha. There's so much more, but it will depend on where you are staying and what you feel like doing. Lots and lots of shopping. There's night markets in on Women's Street and Tsim Sha Tsui which are pretty cool to see. Also the star walk in TST, which also has the Bruce Lee monument, and the ferry ride at night crossing the harbour.

If you stay central, there is tons of stuff to do in terms of random wandering as well, which is pretty fun. Most people speak English there, so you can easily get by in most places as long as you stay on the beaten path. ShenZhen is cool, but it's not very English friendly. I don't speak Mandarin, and my Cantonese is limited, and i have a difficult time when I'm over there. I usually rely on my friends or family to come with me when I'm on that side.

Food... just follow your nose. Hong Kongers don't eat set meals very often, in the sense that it's not a typical breakfast, lunch, dinner thing. It's typical to eat multiple smaller meals through the day. So if you see something you like or want to try, just try it. Chinese bakeries are so good out there obviously. Dim Sum isn't bad, although I think Calgary has really good options that don't make me seek it out there. Try the Che Jai Meen (Peddle Noodles) carts or hole in the walls if you do (http://sixthseal.com/2011/10/che-jai-meen-in-hong-kong/). This is my favorite thing to eat there. Honestly, everytime i go back, i gain 15 pounds in the time I'm there.

Be prepared to walk alot, the MTR is the best transportation ever, and if you get to know any locals, get them to take you to local bars. The hostess bars are a gas, the local apartment bars are awesome too. And you should check out LKF (Lam Kwai Fong), which is the bar district there. It's trendy and slightly touristy, but it's worth checking out.

I could go on forever. I go back every 2-3 years for 3 weeks at least, and I still haven't done everything, and it never gets old. I've stayed everywhere in HK and there is so much to see and do no matter where you are. I have family in NT and Yuen Long, and friends and family friends scattered everywhere there. Free free to PM me.

[automaton 3]

We stayed in Kowloon, it worked out well. We were only there 3 days but were able to easily visit all the sites on our list, so 9 days should give you plenty of time and maybe visit the surrounding area.

As others have said, lots of people speak at least some english and the transit is very efficient.

I broke down and bought a made to measure suit from one of the (many) street vendors, it turned out really well.

It was strange for us looking out the window of our hotel at 3 am and the streets are still fairly busy with people.

Lots of air pollution when we were there, and the water in Victoria harbour was pretty brown.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

you could take the MTR to Shenzhen! 40 minute ride. Or take the longer, leisurely way by Ferry.

You need a Visa to goto Mainland China.

[Zarley]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

You need a Visa to goto Mainland China.

If you are only going to Shenzhen, you can get a visa at the border and skip the wait time of applying at an embassy or consulate. See this article:

https://hktravelblog.com/china/getti...l-in-shenzhen/

[JohnnyB]

Take some time to hike Dragon's Back on the main island. Great views of what HK offers. There's also a nice sandy tropical beach at one end that you can relax on after the hike. Thai restaurant next to the beach is good.

Visiting Stanley is nice too. Another beautiful side of HK to hang out on.

Ocean Park is much better than Disney. If you're thinking of the two, choose Ocean Park.

If you want a good place for having a drink or pre-drink with a view over the harbour, go to Red Bar. You can just bring your own drinks from a 7-11 and save yourself some money, which is significant as just a bottle of something like Heineken can run you as much as HKD$120 (around CDN$20) at some rooftop bars in LKF.

Do go to somewhere like Lamma Island or another small island nearby. The ability to go from downtown CBD to a tropical beach in no time is one of the most characteristically HK kinds of awesome.

If you want to eat some very good Mexican-Japanese fusion and at the same time support a die-hard Flames fan and Calgarian you could go to Chino's in Kennedy Town for a meal. I have nothing to do with the place, just know the food is good and owner is a big Flames fan, which is rare to meet in this part of the world.

Also, spend some time exploring little places in Sheung Wan or Sai Ying Pun. There are lots of cool little businesses like little brew shops and cafes set up in alleyways there now that have a very cool feel to them.

Macao isn't very cool, imo. Pretty much casinos and then a not very nice city. Overnight one night is enough.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

A few things to note about HK:
6. Octopus card is great for travel, can be used to purchase things. It's essentially a preloaded debit card.

I don't have much too add... but:

MTR has a tourist day pass.

http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/ti...s_tourist.html

If you are going to be using the MTR a lot within a 24 hour period, it's not a bad thing to have, especially if you are going long distances (crossing the harbour on the MTR usually runs you into the midteens-$20 some depending on where your start and end points are.

If you do choose to use this, bring your passport as they will need proof that you are not an HK resident.

I've always enjoyed going up to Victoria Peak, it gives you a nice view of the CBD in HK, but it's tough to find a day where it's not smoggy blocking the view.

[nik-]

The one thing that was awesome about Macau was the area around St. Pauls. St. Pauls itself is pretty disappointing, but the area around it is kind of a trip. It's like a chunk of Europe except in chinese.

[JohnnyB]

Oh, you can also get a sim card with a rechargeable 5-day pass for your phone when you arrive at the airport. CSL sells these and I think it's around 40-50HKD for five days of 3G/4G service, which can be easily recharged.

You can also get free wifi on the MTR, at McDonald's or at 7-11s if you're in a pinch and need to get online.

[DoubleF]

When I'm in HK, 60%+ of my touristy time is spent in TST and Mong Kok. The remainder is probably in Central, Sham Shui Po and Causeway Bay. There's additional places, but not places I generally go every time I go to HK. That probably includes places like Tung Chung Cable car, the big Buddha, Disneyland, Ocean park, racecourse etc. Consider that Hong Kong is a shopping city.

Basic explanation of touristy stuff most people do in HK...

Sham Shui Po:

In this area, there's Apu Liu Market. IMO, it's closest to the original markets from years past. It's more casual vs the street vendors in somewhere like Mong Kok may hound you. A decent place for inexpensive souvenirs.

There's also a place called Golden computer arcade (not an arcade). It's a place for electronics. It's ok. Not as cool now that Amazon/Memex etc. don't overcharge for electronics. Still worth going to see though.

Mong Kok:

HK street markets, Lady Market and temple street are more famous, but personally, I like wandering over to the street market by Sham Shui Po (Apu Liu market). It's about 95% of the stuff, and they'll actually haggle with you. Lady Market and the ones by Mong Kok (Fa Yuen and Tung Choi) are too touristy IMO. They'll rip you off. Goldfish street is sorta cool though.

Langham place is a big mall in the area. A bunch of good decent stuff there. Style wise, I believe the main levels and basement levels are probably similar to Crossiron Mall levels of stuff (but Asian). The upper levels have some more unique items there. I rarely shop here though, but it's a cool mall to look at things.

Sneakers street in Mong Kok is worth perusing if you want a pair of sneakers.

There's smaller malls in the area too, but I can never remember their names. Just wander in when you see one. There's many similar ones in all of HK

Nearby:
There's a jade market in Yau Ma Tei a station down. Decent prices, selection and value.


TST (Tsim Tsa Tsui):

You'll pass by Sogo on your way towards Harbour Mall which is a big mall there. I believe they have a Uniqlo too. Most of those malls are mid end, like Chinook mall. Near to Harbour mall are some really opulent shops. We're talking the high end brand names around Canton road LV, Prada, Chanel... I'm talking places that make Holt Renfrew look like a strip mall.

Nearish to that area, is Kowloon park. A nice park.

In front of Harbour Mall is usually some type of display. Not far from there is the Clock tower by the Cultural centre and Arts Centre. In this area, there is a light show at night. This area also hosts the Avenue of the stars. A boardwalk along the habour with a nice view of Central.

Usually, my friends and I go to TST area to drink. No specific place in mind, many places are decent.


Central:

There's some malls in the area. Nothing specifically special vs TST. Central is also connected to TST via ferry.

Usually central is the stop I take when making my way towards Victoria Peak and Lan Kwai Fong. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of LKF, but some people like it.

Causeway bay:

TBH, I don't know what's good in this area off the top of my head. Food, shopping and tram maybe?

Nong Ping 360 gondola is ok. My memories of it is that it's always down for repairs. The Buddha is alright. It's a Buddha.

MISC STORES AND THINGS:
- Uniqlo: Japanese clothing company, but have some good quality and interesting designs.
- SaSa/Bonjour: Make up. Think Sephora, but with super low end and super high end. As addicting as video games for me, but for women.
- Hui Lau Shan: Dessert sort of place. Usually a bit packed.
- Cafe de Coral/Fairwood/Tsui Wah: It's a canteen style food.
- Open markets: Honestly, cool if you've never seen one. Boring if you have.
- Ocean park: Actually pretty fun. Better than Disneyland IMO.

STREET FOOD -I've been to HK many times and eaten street food many times, and the only time I got sick, was when I ate a cold bun... My personal rule now is: Indoor food is fine cold, street food must be hot. Most street food is hot, so you'll be fine. Lots of guides online on this stuff. Bubble waffle is my fave though.


Misc:

- HK uses the same plugs as England. Consider bringing 1 adapter, 1 multi outlet power bar.
- Getting a table in some fast food eating establishments require splitting your crew. Have individuals "float" around tables where the individuals are nearing completion of their meal. "Swoop in" when they finish to get a seat. Being "polite" North American style could mean you'll never sit.
- Bring a sweater. AC makes indoors really cold on occasion.
- Depending on forecast, bring an umbrella.
- There's a ton of signs on everything. Due to this, I've never really felt the need to grab a sim card with data. Google offline maps (now), signs/maps on the walls of MTR, detailed street signs and asking locals is more than enough. People are friendly and helpful.

- If you get seasick on ferries, get yourself some menthol rub of sorts (vicks, tiger balm etc.) and rub it on your temples and a little under your nose. (ie: Macau).



Macau:

Mostly ignored by many, Macau has its own weird little charm. It's known for its gambling, but has a funky little city. I'd suggest a day or two here. Most claim a day is more than enough. Unlike HK, I actually cab in Macau. It's reasonably priced and Macau is small. Usually, you can ask the cab driver how much to a location before hopping in to determine if it's worth taking the cab. As mentioned previously, they take HKD at par.

Macau away from the casino area IMO is perhaps like what Hong Kong was in 1970. It's slower, a bit old fashioned and a bit more intimate. But I'm HK biased, so HK > Macau. Anyways, they're famous for Portugese Egg tarts, almond cookies and jerky. My relatives mention they go to Macau on occasion to find old style foods that have disappeared from HK. However, I have no idea what foods they refer to. Definitely not the Portugese inspired food. The Cantonese inspired food. So, Macau is about food...?

Massages here (legit, not parlour) are cheaper than in HK.

They have some type of tower you can bungee jump off of.

There's ruins which people flock to.

[savemedrzaius]

I actually like Macau more than HK but I guess I'm in the minority. Just stay away from Cotai with the gigantic hotel/casino/shopping malls and explore old Macau. I always like the Sofitel Ponte 16 in the old part. You can walk to Senado Square and try a pork chop sandwich from one of the little hole in the wall restaurants. Watch out for the bone!

Pousada de Mong-Ha is good too. It's cheap and you get a huge room. It's part of the hospitality college so all the people working there are students doing co-ops, so they are really sweet and polite. The location is a little inconvienient though. It's on top of a steep hill. But it's in old Macau so lots of cool old buildings and restaurants around.

If you are going in November the Macau Grand Prix is 16th-19th.

I think it's worth it to get the visa on arrival and either visit Shenzhen or Zhuhai. They aren't amazing places but a little different. You could do a night in Macau and then take the shuttle bus to Gongbei Port and just walk over to Zhuhai. Probably only need one night in Zhuhai but worth checking out.

Just read the guys post above me and totally agree about the jerky in Macau. You buy it in A4 paper size but they have so many flavours. Macau jerky+Beer=Heaven