Hong Kong at weekends?
Jan 7th, 2008, 01:58 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hong Kong at weekends?
We will be in Hong Kong Saturday evening 16 Feb leaving Tuesday evening 19 Feb. What would be the best thing to do on the Sunday? All the books say Sundays are very busy with residents enjoying their day off. We want to see the main sights, particularly non-touristy sites. Shopping is not a high priority. Can anyone give me some suggestions please?
Jan 7th, 2008, 03:14 AM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 585
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
check out the guru's recommendations.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35097440
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34892518
Jan 7th, 2008, 05:38 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I live in Hong Kong and generally don't find Sunday to be really worse than other days, in fact, traffic is much better. However, Sunday is the one day of the week which Filipina maids have off, and many of them converge on Central after church to hang out, that may be what the "guidebook" is referring to. In actual fact, I find it rather interesting to see how the other 95% of the world lives, you might take a stroll down into Central, say around the Mandarin Hotel and see how the 100,000 maids in town spend their day off.. it's quite eye-opening (not all 100,000 congregate in Central, but a good number do.) Other Hong Kong residents tend to do other things, many have a dim sum meal with their family to start, so you might avoid dim sum on Sunday (but there are many brunch places to try as well). That may be the other thing the guidebook is referring to.
Some random thoughts on things to do and not do:
I agree that big tourist places like the Peak tend to be more crowded and the big Buddha (which I find to be dull anyway), but you can perhaps do these on the Monday or Tuesday as you still have two full days to do the tourist route. However, it is really the Peak Tram and the immediate area surrounding the tram that is crowded. If you go in the very early morning, or in the evening (dusk to lights coming up is beautiful IMO), or are OK with taking the #15 bus up or back (a very good ride with very good views, by the way), you can avoid the lines for the tram. You can even take a taxi, you won't get nearly the views as the bus, but won't have lines. (On Sundays, you can also take #315 bus from the Peak all the way to Stanley or vice versa, see below, and that is also a way to avoid the tram lines at least one way.) Once you walk away from the immediate area of the Peak Tram Building and Peak Galleria, the crowds thin out almost immediately. There are some excellent walks on the Peak, most offer stunning views, I have described some in my other posts, “Cicerone’s Favourite Hong Kong Walks: Severn Road, the Peak” and " see Cicerone’s Reccos for What the Locals Do for Fun in Hong Kong (Hint: We DON’T Go to those Awful Night Markets....)”. If the Sunday is a clear sunny day (rare in Feb) I would not let potential crowds on the Peak deter you, as you can work around the crowds very easily. Some good restaurants there too. You can even walk all the way DOWN from the Peak back to Central via Chatham Path.
The Star Ferry is not, IMO, more crowded on Sundays and you could do that. Again, if you get a clear day, consider taking the ferry which goes from Central to Hung Hom to get some very good views. You can then take it right back or just take a taxi over to Kowloon (about 10 minutes).
Museums are open and do not tend to be much more crowded, esp. the Hong Kong Art Museum versus a place like the History Museum which would be more family-oriented. February can be iffy weather-wise, so I would have some museums on your list.
The antique and art galleries in Hollywood Road and Soho are closed on Sundays, so I would not bother to do any looking there, although you can window shop, and there are many restaurants in this area that are open for brunch and lunch.
The market areas of Wan Chai and Central are open on Sunday and fairly busy, these are definitely good for a stroll for people-watching, I have posted on these before, please see Cicerone’s Reccos for What the Locals Do for Fun in Hong Kong (Hint: We DON’T Go to those Awful Night Markets....)”
Aberdeen is not appreciably more crowded on Sunday, some of the restaurants may be, but you aren't going for the food (other than perhaps brunch at Top Deck of the Jumbo, which I would recco, you need a booking for Sunday, see http://www.cafedecogroup.com/TOP_DECK/v_TOP_DECK.asp). You can hire a little bumboat to take you around the harbour. This could be done via the #973 bus and you could go on to Stanley from there or have dinner at the Top Deck on the way back.
The Southside of Hong Kong Island is reachable by bus, and these can be much more crowded on weekends. You can go to Stanley for a meal and the required souvenir shopping, or to Repulse Bay, or the beaches of Shek-O or Big Wave Bay (you won't be swimming in Feb but still pretty). For Stanley, the #6 is the most scenic, the #973 goes via Pokfulam and is also quite pretty, not quite the over the mountain top thrills of #6 but still quite pretty water views. You can also take #315 from the Peak to Stanley, a nice way to make a day of seeing the Peak and Stanley, you could even spend the afternoon in Stanley and take the bus up to the Peak for dusk and to see the stunning night view and perhaps have dinner (sunset at St Stephens beach in Stanley is quite pretty by the way, a short walk from the village). The key to getting a good seat for the #6 bus is to BOARD IT AT THE FIRST STATION IN CENTRAL. This is the Central Bus Terminus on Hong Kong Island below the Stock Exchange on Connaught Road (not far from the Star Ferry). You can wait in line and when a bus comes, if you can't get an upstairs seat (a big must, in the very front is the very best), then just get out of line and wait for the next bus and you will be first in line. Buses come every few minutes (again another good thing about Sunday, public transport to many areas runs more frequently.) It is trying to catch the bus at other stops where you run into crowds. Once you get on and get a seat at the first stop you are all set.
Finally, at certainly not least, there are some excellent walks both on Hong Kong Island and in the New Territories or to a place like Lamma (where I would avoid the seafood restaurants actually, crowded and IMO not that good). These are generally never crowded, indeed on some of them you may be completely by yourself. I have posted some under “Cicerone’s Favourite Hong Kong Walks II: Paradise Found! From Happy Valley to Stanley in High Heels! (Almost) The Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path” and "Cicerone's Favourite Hong Kong Walks III: The Dragon's Back ". Weather permitting in Feb, you could do the Dragon's Back, walk to Big Wave Bay, or do the easy walk to Stanley via the Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path and have a meal (absolutely make a booking at a restaurant on a Sunday in Shek-O or Stanley if that is your goal.)
Some random thoughts on things to do and not do:
I agree that big tourist places like the Peak tend to be more crowded and the big Buddha (which I find to be dull anyway), but you can perhaps do these on the Monday or Tuesday as you still have two full days to do the tourist route. However, it is really the Peak Tram and the immediate area surrounding the tram that is crowded. If you go in the very early morning, or in the evening (dusk to lights coming up is beautiful IMO), or are OK with taking the #15 bus up or back (a very good ride with very good views, by the way), you can avoid the lines for the tram. You can even take a taxi, you won't get nearly the views as the bus, but won't have lines. (On Sundays, you can also take #315 bus from the Peak all the way to Stanley or vice versa, see below, and that is also a way to avoid the tram lines at least one way.) Once you walk away from the immediate area of the Peak Tram Building and Peak Galleria, the crowds thin out almost immediately. There are some excellent walks on the Peak, most offer stunning views, I have described some in my other posts, “Cicerone’s Favourite Hong Kong Walks: Severn Road, the Peak” and " see Cicerone’s Reccos for What the Locals Do for Fun in Hong Kong (Hint: We DON’T Go to those Awful Night Markets....)”. If the Sunday is a clear sunny day (rare in Feb) I would not let potential crowds on the Peak deter you, as you can work around the crowds very easily. Some good restaurants there too. You can even walk all the way DOWN from the Peak back to Central via Chatham Path.
The Star Ferry is not, IMO, more crowded on Sundays and you could do that. Again, if you get a clear day, consider taking the ferry which goes from Central to Hung Hom to get some very good views. You can then take it right back or just take a taxi over to Kowloon (about 10 minutes).
Museums are open and do not tend to be much more crowded, esp. the Hong Kong Art Museum versus a place like the History Museum which would be more family-oriented. February can be iffy weather-wise, so I would have some museums on your list.
The antique and art galleries in Hollywood Road and Soho are closed on Sundays, so I would not bother to do any looking there, although you can window shop, and there are many restaurants in this area that are open for brunch and lunch.
The market areas of Wan Chai and Central are open on Sunday and fairly busy, these are definitely good for a stroll for people-watching, I have posted on these before, please see Cicerone’s Reccos for What the Locals Do for Fun in Hong Kong (Hint: We DON’T Go to those Awful Night Markets....)”
Aberdeen is not appreciably more crowded on Sunday, some of the restaurants may be, but you aren't going for the food (other than perhaps brunch at Top Deck of the Jumbo, which I would recco, you need a booking for Sunday, see http://www.cafedecogroup.com/TOP_DECK/v_TOP_DECK.asp). You can hire a little bumboat to take you around the harbour. This could be done via the #973 bus and you could go on to Stanley from there or have dinner at the Top Deck on the way back.
The Southside of Hong Kong Island is reachable by bus, and these can be much more crowded on weekends. You can go to Stanley for a meal and the required souvenir shopping, or to Repulse Bay, or the beaches of Shek-O or Big Wave Bay (you won't be swimming in Feb but still pretty). For Stanley, the #6 is the most scenic, the #973 goes via Pokfulam and is also quite pretty, not quite the over the mountain top thrills of #6 but still quite pretty water views. You can also take #315 from the Peak to Stanley, a nice way to make a day of seeing the Peak and Stanley, you could even spend the afternoon in Stanley and take the bus up to the Peak for dusk and to see the stunning night view and perhaps have dinner (sunset at St Stephens beach in Stanley is quite pretty by the way, a short walk from the village). The key to getting a good seat for the #6 bus is to BOARD IT AT THE FIRST STATION IN CENTRAL. This is the Central Bus Terminus on Hong Kong Island below the Stock Exchange on Connaught Road (not far from the Star Ferry). You can wait in line and when a bus comes, if you can't get an upstairs seat (a big must, in the very front is the very best), then just get out of line and wait for the next bus and you will be first in line. Buses come every few minutes (again another good thing about Sunday, public transport to many areas runs more frequently.) It is trying to catch the bus at other stops where you run into crowds. Once you get on and get a seat at the first stop you are all set.
Finally, at certainly not least, there are some excellent walks both on Hong Kong Island and in the New Territories or to a place like Lamma (where I would avoid the seafood restaurants actually, crowded and IMO not that good). These are generally never crowded, indeed on some of them you may be completely by yourself. I have posted some under “Cicerone’s Favourite Hong Kong Walks II: Paradise Found! From Happy Valley to Stanley in High Heels! (Almost) The Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path” and "Cicerone's Favourite Hong Kong Walks III: The Dragon's Back ". Weather permitting in Feb, you could do the Dragon's Back, walk to Big Wave Bay, or do the easy walk to Stanley via the Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path and have a meal (absolutely make a booking at a restaurant on a Sunday in Shek-O or Stanley if that is your goal.)
Jan 8th, 2008, 01:12 PM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for your replies especially Cicerone, some excellent ideas - particularly helpful info such as where to get on the bus! Thanks for your help - we now just have to decide which of your many ideas to follow as we have enough for several Sundays there!!
