mary513

My boyfriend and I will be goig to china for 10 days - late aug to early sept.

Here is out itinerary:
Flight - Shanghai (3 days)
Overnight Train - Beijing (3 days)
Flight - Macao (2 days)
Ferry - Hong Kong (2 day)

I wanted some ideas on where to go and what to see! We are both in our twenties and we love to be adventurous. Thanks in advance!!

hobbes

In HK - take the Peak Tram to the Peak, Aim for a clear day. Great views of HK Island. Go to Tsimshatsui (Kowloon) and explore the Ladies Market or the Flower Market. Very interesting. Take the Star Ferry at least once, preferably in the evening and for HK$2 enjoy a ferry ride and the twinkling lights of HK.

JohnWM

Hi, Mary513! I was just in Hong Kong and Macau last month and enjoyed them both. I can tell you that there is no need to fly into Macau. Simply visit it as a day trip from Hong Kong; it is not really worth 2 days, one day is adequate. The turbofoil fast ferry from Hong Kong takes only one hour each way, and is very nice. It is also reasonably priced. You must remember to bring your passport to be permitted to enter Macau and to return into Hong Kong, even if only on a day trip. Once in Macau, you can if you wish look for the Gray Line store and ask about the day tour given in English. You'll see a lot, and have a memorable day. Whichever way you do it, enjoy your trip!

rkkwan

If you can get a Beijing-Macau fare that's equivalent to (or better than) Beijing-Hong Kong, then it's a good idea to fly directly to Macau. Save you time and cost for the ferry.

I think Macau is worth at least one night stay. Plus, hotel is cheaper than in Hong Kong.

mary513

Thanks for all of your responses

BigJim

Buy some DVD's in Beijing and Shanghai!!!

Skedaddle

mary513 -
We only spent a day in Macau (ferry from Hong Kong), but really enjoyed it. I would have liked an overnight there (I'm kind of a busy, go-go-go traveler, so that's a little unusual for me to want to stay longer). The atmosphere is very different from Hong Kong.

Ding

I am Billy from China. I just went to Shanghai again in last May. You also go to Zhouzhuang and Suzhou by train in one day. Please ask for the That's Shanghai and That's Beijing when you check in hotels. They are very helpful city guide magazines in English. Their websites are www.thatsBJ.com and www.thatsSH.com. You can get in StarBucks or 5-star hotels if your hotels cant give you the mag.
Good luck.

r_shum

If you stay overnight in Macau, pls note that Macau is usually more crowd during weekend and the hotel rates are usually higher.

If possible, try to schedule your trip in Macau during weekday.

mary513

We are actually planning on visiting Suzhou for one day. Billy do you have any suggestions on what to see or do? The hotels we picked out are:
The Westin Shanghai
The Great Wall Sheraton Hotel
The Westin Resort Macau
Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers
As far as Macau for two days. We figured, since we are going all over china in such a short period of time... we would need the rest in Macau for one day and then enjoy the other before heading to Hong Kong.

How does the atmosphere differ in Macua and Hong Kong? Thanks for the responses guys! I really appreciate it.

rkkwan

mary - While the Westin Resort Macau is a very nice hotel, I don't recommend it for sightseeing. It's at the "bottom" of Macau's three land areas, and away from everything (except for Fernando the restaurant).

I know you're going for good Starwoods properties, but in Macau, I think there are better choices, for about the same price - the Mandarin Oriental, the Landmark, or the tiny Pousada de Sao Tiago. All closer to the main sites.

Macau is very different from Hong Kong for 3 main reasons:

1. It has a much longer history than HK. The Portugese arrived in the 16th century, 300 years before the British arrived in Hong Kong.

2. Think about Lisbon vs London. Different atmosphere, right?

3. The casinos attract lots of money, people, and other good and bad stuff that won't be there without the casinos. The same way Las Vegas is different from Phoenix or Salt Lake City.