Advice for someone going to Hong Kong

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m going to Hong Kong next month, for a few days.

I was there last year, but I had such a bad cold I didn’t get to see anything.

So, have any of you had any good (and not so good) experiences in HK you’d like to share? Advice? Must-see, must-do lists?

From what I did manage to see, I have to say I liked Kowloon a lot better than Honk Kong. There was something about the (relative)chaos, the energy I really enjoyed.

I should mention also that my admiration for Chinese cuisines knows practically no bound. However, I am going alone :frowning: and enjoying a good banquet on your own is not so easy. So suggestions pertaining to food are especially welcome!

2

My advice to visitors:

  • forget trying to see “sites” mentioned in guidebooks. OK, do the Peak and see a temple, but that’s it. All the designated “attractions” are let-downs (museums are crap, for example). The only vaguely interesting “attractions” are accidental ones, like the mid Levels Escalator
  • get an Octopus card (you just wave it, or a bag containing it, over a box when you board buses or the subway), get on the public transport and just go, see where you end up
  • you can buy coffee in Starbucks using the Octopus card, too, though the coffee tastes a bit :frowning: to me
  • get out of the Central (HK) and Tsim Sha Tsui (Kwln) areas and stroll around the old areas (Western) with the street markets, the places where ordinary people live. When you can’t see any white people, you’re there
  • This time of year is cool and dry, so just stroll around neighbourhoods, and see how pepole here live. You’ll see 10 funny or interesting things per hour, minimum
  • definitely take the ferry over to Cheung Chau island
  • do Macau, since you’re in the neighborhood
  • Chinese food for singletons means bowls of noodles or rice+char siu or something. If you have a bit of money, there are some really good hotel buffets

Could go on and on…

3

My advice? Accept my invitation to lunch posted in Great Debates.

I’d be happy to show you around, time permitting. E-mail: david.stewart@deacons.com.hk

Hemlock is right - if you have a spare day, Macau is worth doing - very interesting with its history and Portuguese architecture by day, incredibly seedy by night.

Hemlock, Abe is also a resident here - see my HK Dopefest thread in MPSIMS…

4

All this talk of Hong Kong!
Man I miss it!
Lived there for three years '96 to '98.
Even if you’re not into horse racing, you would enjoy Wednesday night at the Happy Valley Race track. It is very exciting!

Since you’re on your own, you can always enjoy Dim Sum a.k.a. Yam Cha. There are plenty of those restaurants around but you can’t go wrong with Maxims in Causeway Bay or their other restaurant at City Hall, don’t know if they’ve more outlets.

To stroll around or shop walk down Hollywood road starting by the escalater mentioned by hemlock or for something different try Stanley market.

For your evening entertainment try Lang Kwai Fong for pubs and night clubs, if you prefer the girly bars, you can try Wanchai but watch your money, cause those girls know how to separate money from the tightest wallets.

All of the above is found on HK Island, better than Kowloon IMO.

Enjoy!

Jack

5

All this talk damn i miss home somewhat (came here 20 years ago UK that is) some nice places to go are :

The peak (esp by foot or if you can trick a rickshaw man to pull you up for $100HK)

Pui Ou (silver mine) Beach on Lantau island its nice though sinces its approaching winter it might not be so nice , just don’t go before 11am and after 5pm since the water gets dirty around these times . Also down the road is the Giant Budda statue with some veggie resturants nearby.
Oh and at the ferry port on Lantau there is this pub which is semi Englishy Red Bear its nice and friendly and beer is reasonable cost.

The lake / pier at Tung Chee village near tai po is nice to ride bikes down but often the bikes are crappy anf many many mosquitoes

If you have the money go to Jumbo Resturant its $$$ but pretty good went once on a return visit 4 years ago, you might also want to go into mainland china to grab a bite too some places are good there

The octopus card is a good idea but keep some spare change since small busses (shew bah) often won’t take them and these buses are quite convient (for me anyway since i usually stay with my granny in Tai Po minor outlaying village) and keep topping it up every so often transport is cheap though.

Um the other island other than Lantau ferry from HK island
i forget the name but its something like cheung chau , you can go there (beware the 1hour + ferry rides to outlaying islands) and rent a boat to go fishing on about $80HK per hour

Heh you used to be able to see 100 funny things an hour in Sha Tin when shop keepers cried out the dumbest things , but then since the British left in 1997 tis no more.

Avoid:

street food vendors unless they have a license I got very ill eating some sausages from a few of these guys

Video arcades , unless its a very big one since you get lots of snotty kiddies there

Purpose built tourist artractions since they are crap

Repulse beach , when i last saw this this was utterly disgusting dead animals floating in the water turds floating all over the place trash and condoms ick.

Buying cheap ass VCDs off the street law got tough on them lately

Drinking in the Chunking area $$$$$$ paying $80HK for a beer makes the beer taste bad real bad

Rural toilets many big mosquitoes love the taste of foreign flesh

Brand name resturants since they are the same (why go 4000+ miles to eat at an american style resturant eh?) try some
other resturants though street stalls Tai Pi dong are a bit dirty sometimes . Also don’t eat breakfast in a non English type place since HK breakfast is crap

Taxis if you can $$$$$ but remember the blue red and green taxi code incase you need to get somewhere fast (green New territories , Red HK and New territories Blue Lantau)

Crazy grannies , if you ever notice you’ll see there are always more old women than men (makes you wonder what they do to their men) and alot of them seem a bit crazy to me.

Market places for fresh food that is , westerners might not like what they see there (such as under the shopping centre in Tai po)

Macau is pretty dangerous btw and playing in the casino if you win they can steal up to 10% of you winnings but the touristy places are okayish safe.

Using a map more than 6 months old HK changes very very quickly

6

I like visiting Hong Kong, but I wouldn’t want to stay there. Too dirty and humid for my tastes.

Still, definitely do the Peak, and avoid most of the recommended tourist attractions – they’re not worth the bother. The biggest appeal of Hong Kong IMO is the shopping, so you may want to make a list of what you want to buy and where you should go hunting for it. Just be careful of what you’re buying – there’s a lot of bootleg stuff in Hong Kong, and once you fork over your money, there are usually no refunds/exchanges/whatever.

If you’re willing to walk a bit, you can probably get to most places just by using the subway and hoofing it a bit. Never used an “octopus” myself, just did a little exercise.

And I’ll semi-disagree with geepee about the video arcades; some of them are rather seedy, but you’re okay in most if you avoid going to the back (where the seedy folks hang out).

Finally, watch out for pickpockets. Tourists stick out like a sore thumb, and the crowds make it easy for someone to “lift” your stuff while you’re being bumped around.

7

I love Hong Kong - I’m off to China with my mum in just over a week, and we’re taking in Hong Kong and Macau as wel.

Macau is well worth a visit if you’re there long enough. I’ve often been called strange, but I actually prefer it to Hong Kong. I found it much quieter, and it’s a great place to recover from HK. Macau is a fantastic mix of Portugese and Chinese - the food is great and whenever I’ve been there then sun seems to shine more than in Hong Kong.

Back in Hong Kong, the Peak is great to visit, I also love the night markets - I love Hong Kong most at night.

8

As a tourist place, Hong Kong’s attraction lies in the crowds and hustle/bustle alieness of the place. Avoid all the manmade tourist stuff. Just wander around neighborhoods. Most of Hong Kong is pretty safe as in you’re not going to get mugged but be careful with your wallet.

Most shopping you can get cheaper in the US, especially the electronics/cameras. Really know your prices if you’re going to buy something along these lines.

Macao is a great day trip or overnighter. Hasn’t been mentioned yet, but you simply have to go spend a few hours eating Portugese food at Fernando’s. Cheap and excellent. Skip the casino’s as they really blow and have their own homegrown rules.

I would avoid Shenzhen if you’re going by yourself. If there is someone who is taking you there, it can be pretty interesting to see and it’s an unbridled wild wild west town. This is pure capitalism. But don’t go alone. You can get an entry visa at the Luowu border good for Shenzhen only.

HK, my big recommendation is just to wander all over. The Peak is okay at night, especially taking the tram up.

9

A tourist attraction in the making is the new Disneyland being built on Lantau Island. They have enormous boats spraying tones of dirt onto a table of reclaimed land. Its an amazing sight. I see it every morning on the ferry.

10

Yeah they darned spoil the beach i used to live on , say
I wonder maybe he can go see the Pink Dolphins in HK too , I forget when they are in HK waters , hell maybe cus they keep putting the crud into the water the dolphins are gone these days I dunno.

11

Dave what general area do you live? Lantau opposite side of the rail way link? I’ve a house at silver mine beach. just curious as I used to do the daily ferry commute and often saw quite a few regulars.

12

Thank you all for your suggestions.

I’d really like to go to Macau, but unfortunately, I’m on a tight schedule. Some other time I guess. . .

Some mentioned going to the mainland. How easy is that? Last time I went, it took a few days to get my visa. Are special visas only delivered for Shenzhen or can I got all the way to Guangdong? (Not that I’m really thinking about going, I’m just curious.)

Since I live in Japan, I’ll try to avoid all the “modern” stuff. I did the Peak, and the entertainment center or whatever at the top almost completely ruined it. Markets, on the other hand, are probably the places I like to visit the most when I travel.

As for the food, I was in China for a month a year ago and I ate in street markets almost every day and never got sick. Many people I know who ate in tourist joints did. I think the point is to inspect the food and cooking area to make sure all is fresh and clean.

13

As geepee points out, the crazy grannies. Also…

Do check out:

  • Fruit rolling down hills. Hardly a week goes by without my seeing an orange or apple - even the odd pomello - trundling along
  • Snakes being skinned in the markets
  • Chickens having throats slit (by, or at the behest of, a crazy granny)
  • Guys clambering around on bamboo scaffolding 100ft above the ground
  • Thousands (and thousands) of Filipino domestic servants taking over the entire CBD on Sunday
  • Pirated designer label goods, if you like that sort of thing
  • Streets full of dried fish
  • Stinky tofu traders

Don’t even think about buying cameras, electronics, etc.

14

Mainland: If you’ve only got a few days, only Shenzhen is really convenient, and it’s a dump.
Cooked food stalls: Mostly no problem - some people are squeamish. (Just the odd cholera case from time to time :))

15

Discovery Bay, avoiding the Hong Kong experience I’m afraid. We used to live in Mid-levels on Robinson Road, but the construction work on the footpaths, the air, and the general claustrophobia from the high rises got too much.

I go out to Mui Wo every so often but mostly to get to the China Bear pub. Silvermine Beach is not a bad place to live - and that motel with all the statues in the front makes me laugh everytime I walk past it.

For those who don’t know, Discovery Bay is a Western enclave (50% expats) in a manicured environment which does not even vaguely resemble HK at all. Not very exciting for tourists, unless you like hiking (as I do) in which case its excellent.

16

Definitely check out “green” Hong Kong. On my first visit, I made the mistake of staying in Kowloon most of the time. I love Kowloon and prefer it to the Central/Wanchai kind of places, but it can become claustrophobic suddenly, without warning and you have to get out for a bit. HK Island has a lot of things to offer if you’re willing to find them. Stanley Markets are good for a look.

Lantau Is is a must, but I think I prefer Lamma.

I was last in Hong Kong at the height of summer when the humidity and heat are at their most oppressive, and it was then that I really discovered the green places. I found the ferries are usually the key to a temporary escape. They tend to go to nice places (Silver Mine Bay has been mentioned a couple of times), and it’s always nice to get out on Victoria Harbour, especially when there’s a bit of a breeze. Go to Tai O. You won’t regret it.

Definitely take up any offers of “being shown around a bit” by Dopers or somebody else you trust. HK has a crazy, confusing geography, and whilst you probably won’t get lost, it is very easy to miss lots of the good stuff. I was lucky to have a Cantonese-speaking local who helped me make use of the brilliant minibus system. I’d have been a bit wary of those buses otherwise. We went to a lovely place called Sham Tseng(I think), which is in the New Territories kinda around to the left past Tsuen Wan and then on a bit (TLD’s brilliant precise navigation skills at work here). We had a romantic meal at the beachside restaurant strip which reminded me a bit of Manly or Bondi in Sydney. The beach is a bit grotty like most in HK, but we had a nice stroll along it and enjoyed the spectacular view of the Tsing Ma suspension bridge at dusk.

Buy an Octopus Card.
The MTR is fast, reliable, and cheap, but avoid it at rush hour.
Do The Peak at night.
Have a look at the street markets around Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei.
Be Good to your mother.
Rotate your tires. :wink:

17

I still would suggest you make time for a day trip to Macau.

Don’t go to Shenzhen unless you’ve got someone taking you there that knows where to go. Shenzhen is a dump and can be dangerous if you stumble into an area you shouldn’t be.

Last I knew entry visa’s are only good for Shenzhen. You can get a same day visa to China if you really want to go to Guangzhou, but Guangzhou isn’t so nice.

Since you’re coming from Japan, you probably will want to do a lot of shopping.

18

Dim sum, dim sum, dim sum and more dim sum, yam cha, whatever! Make a dipping sauce out of hot oil and soy sauce (I know it’s heresey but who cares?). Get the best roasted sesame and chile oil to make it with.

19

That church facade in Macau is just amazing. Well worth a look.

The Portuguese government prior to handover spent some money doing the area around the Senate building up, with that cool Portguese stonework on the ground (reminds me of the Algarve) - the square in front of the senate building at night is beautiful, with the surrounding colonial buildings lit up in yellows pinks and oranges. The prettiest piece of Asia I’ve seen outside of Kyoto.