Xenos

Many years ago on our first visit to Hong Kong, we went on the evening cruise from Victoria Harbour to Aberdeen. It's one of my most lasting memories, entering Aberdeen Harbour in the darkness with all the apartment windows lit up all around. It felt like that bit in the first Star Wars film, when they enter the Death Star!

We've never done it since on any of our subsequent visits, but we'll be back there the week after Christmas this year and I'd love to do it again to see if it really was as good as I remember. Trouble is, all the tours I've found include dinner at the Jumbo and we'd really like to pass on that if possible. Has anybody done a cruise from Victoria to Aberdeen without the Floating Restaurant experience please?

rhkkmk

there are lots of boats that you can rent from the quai in aberdeen....mostly in the day time, but i am sure one of those ladies would gladly take you out at nite...aberdeen has changed quite a bit in the last few years if you haven't been there...

Xenos

Hello, me again. Someone has suggested that an interesting alternative to the Jumbo dinner cruise would be to take the ferry from Central to Sok Kwu Wan on Lamma and have dinner in one of the seafood restaurants there, then return via the Aberdeen ferry.

I'm kicking myself, because we did the Lamma island walk on our last trip and marked the Sok Kwu Wan restaurants down in our memories for future reference. We noticed then that there were ferries to Aberdeen, but I just hadn't put the two ideas together - duh!

Now, does anyone know where I can find ferry schedules to see how feasible this idea is please - I know the Aberdeen ferry doesn't run very frequently and would like to plan it carefully so as not to be sitting in the restaurant for several hours after we've finished our meal.

Xenos

rhkkmk - Thanks for that idea. I remember seeing the ladies in the little boats on another visit, but I don't really fancy going out in something so tiny in the dark

It will be interesting to see the changes to Aberdeen. I think it's probably about 10 years since we were last there.

Xenos

I'm back again! I've now found the website for the Rainbow Seafood restaurant at Sok Kwu Lan and they run a complimentary shuttle service for their customers. It's perfect for what we want because they pick up at Tsim Sha Tsui pier, right by our hotel and also have a shuttle service to Aberdeen.

The menu looks good too and I remember admiring their pick-your-own fish tanks when we were last on Lamma.

rkkwan

Xenos - It's an excellent idea to combine a Lamma dinner with a boat trip into Aberdeen. There are lots of restaurants there at Sok Kwu Wan with the same set up, and if I were you I wouldn't limit myself to Rainbow. Big part of the fun is to stroll past all the tanks of ALL the restaurants and decide which one to eat at. Another one that's been around for years and which I've eaten a couple of times is "Lamma Hilton".

So, just take a regular ferry from Central. Schedules and fares are here:

http://www.hkkf.com.hk/route/esok_kwu_wan.html

Between Sok Kwu Wan and Aberdeen, there are frequent smaller private "kai do" service. Just find out what time they depart after you arrive, so to figure out when you should leave the restaurant. I believe they should be more frequent on weekends when a lot of people go to Lamma for seafood.

rhkkmk

some do not like rainbow because it is so commercial...just a caution

we took the boat from the hk island side, a short walk to the right after getting off the star ferry...

we ate twice at the family run Tai Yuen Restaurant..very simple and good food and rather inexpensive in comparison...it is about 3/4 of the way down the line of restaurants from where you get off the ferry...there are signs..

a special treat for us as we went back to HK that nite was that the QEII was leaving HK and we went right by it...amazing...

i too would skip the jumbo....its so slick and touristy....food is only so so...

Peteralan

I second rkkwan's suggestion of Lamma Hilton,...nice food and a lovely experience.A look at the Jumbo from yor boat will be enough..nothing special inside. Have fun!

Xenos

Thanks for all the restaurant tips. The Jumbo is definitely out. We went there on our first visit to Hong Kong and although it was a reasonable "experience" for a first visit, it's not something we've ever felt the need to repeat on our subsequent trips.