Bill Schroeder

My wife and I are thinking of spending maybe a week and a half in Hong Kong this October. Is this too much time to spend there? We do like to spend more than a few days in big and interesting cities. Any advice/thoughts would be appreciated.

Les

Bill,<BR>I, too, like big and interesting cities, and I love Hong Kong, but I think a week and a half is probably a bit much in one sitting.<BR>Things to do (certainly not all of them, but the ones we enjoyed):<BR>Ride the Star Ferry (again and again, and especially in the evening). It's the best ride for the price in the world!<BR>Go up to the Peak (take the tram), get dinner reservations at the Deco Grill for about 6PM at a window table, and watch the city change as the sun sets. Unforgettable.<BR>Walk around Kowloon - Tsim Sha Tsui at night, the bird and flower markets during the day.<BR>Take open-air double decker buses whenever you can - a great and frugal way to see the city. Take the bus to Aberdeen and look at the "floating city" of junks. Some of the residence have spent their entire lives on the water, but it won't be around much longer.<BR>Take a bus to the Stanley Market - not an impressive destination, but an enjoyable way to get to the other side of the island.<BR>And always, walk around on the HK side of the harbor, visit the convention center, do some shopping, seek out interesting places to eat.<BR>Book a dinner or cocktail cruise on a junk - the harbor at night is always beautiful.<BR>Have a drink in the Felix bar on top of the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon.<BR>And with that much time, set aside a day for a trip to Macau.<BR>There's probably a million things to do, but if you're a city lover, you'll figure it out.

jorge

consider going into the mainland. you can get a chinees vissa in HK fairly easally..

Bill

Thank you gentlemen. I appreciate your feedback.

Andrea

Well, it depends on why you like to spend more time in big cities, and what your other Asia experience is.<BR><BR>I know a lot of people who like to spend more time in cities so that they can see the same things others would see in three days of packed sightseeing but at a more relaxed pace. This also allows them to get to know the city a bit more, feel the pace of life there, etc. If that's the case for you, you'll have a great time! <BR><BR>But if you're asking: "What's a reasonable amount of time to spend in HK to see the major sights at a medium-to-relaxed pace?", I'd say 4 - 5 days would be plenty.<BR><BR>It also depends upon whether or not you've been to other locations in Asia, whether or not you think you'll be back to Asia, and whether or not this is one leg of a multi-destination journey. Each of those scenarios would change the advice you might receive.

fiona

We are not long back from a 4 night stay in HK. This really amounted to just 3 full days. We certainly packed a lot into those days! I have never been so exhausted as I was at the end of my time there! I agree with Andrea in that I would have liked to have more time there and do things at a more relaxed pace.To do all the things I wanted to do , at a slower pace, I think I would have liked 5 or 6 full days. 10 days would have been too much, but perhaps you like to spend more time shopping than me.<BR>Two things to add to the list Les made-<BR>1. Make time to see the Museum of History. It is fascinanting and is a great account of the lives of the people of HK over the years.They have full scale models of a sampan, houses, and a street from the 19th century. We spent most of an afternoon there.<BR>2. Take plenty of money when you go to Stanley. The market is of a much higher quality than the ones in the city. Take the bus to get there and stop off along the way at Aberdeen. Don't just visit the harbour area- have a wander around the town.<BR>Enjoy Hong Kong!

Val

Can you please tell me which bus and where to pick it up for the Stanley Market

fiona

We went to the Central Bus terminus.The bus numbers are 6 or 260

Bill

Many thanks Andrea and Fiona! We like to get a good sense of a city when we travel. We don't like the idea of merely seeing standard tourist sights. We are thinking of spending a full day at Lantau and the better part of a full day at Repulse Bay (to include a visit to the Life Guard Club), and going to the Happy Valley Racecourse to see the horse races etc. It seems like there is really alot to see and do. This will be our first Asia experience. Thanks again.<BR> Bill<BR><BR>

Andrea

I am sure you will have a fabulous time in HK.<BR><BR>Particularly since this is your first Asia trip, I HIGHLY recommend that you plan a 1 1/2 day trip to Guilin/Yangshou in China. It's just an hour flight from HK. If you're open to the idea, I can re-post with an itinerary suggestion (whatever you do, do NOT book a tour - they are rediculously overpriced).<BR><BR>This side trip will allow you to see some of the most unique, hauntingly beautiful scenery in the world, and to see the countryside and lifestyle that is quintessential China (picture an old man, browned from the sun, dressed in an open white cotton shirt, blue cotton trousers tied with a rope belt, wearign a pointy straw hat, leading his ox through a rice paddy). <BR><BR>I, too, am 100% a city person - I'm not usually one to choose nature/scenic locales. But this is truly spectacular, and would be a great contrast to HK.<BR><BR>I recommend this so strongly for a couple of reasons:<BR><BR>* It's fabulous - we LOVED it, and I haven't heard anything but a rave review from people who've been.<BR>* You do have the time without being rushed - you could very easily do just one night.<BR>* HK is fabulous, but it's really its own world - seeing the countryside around Yangshou will offer a great counterpoint to your visit.<BR><BR>I can't recommend it enough. This has even motivated me to scan some of my pictures. I'll try to do so within the next couple of days & will post the URL.

Les

Bill,<BR>An additional thought re. bus, train, ferry, other transporatation to the places you'll visit.<BR>Go into the Salisbury YMCA (that's where we stayed on our last visit), on the Kowloon side just west of the Peninsula hotel, and ask at the concierge desk (actually not a separate desk, but at one end of the long check-in counter). They have pre-printed letter-size sheets with descriptions of how to get to the most popular attractions (including maps, bus numbers, subway stops, directions to the bus/subway stations, hours of operation, cost, etc.). The most concise and complete guides you'll need (if you already know WHAT you want to see).<BR>Of course, you might get this information from other hotels, but I have personal experience with the Y, and can recommend it.

Juan

Any recommendations on hotels in Hong Kong, Beijing, Guilin, Yangshou or Shanghai? Thanks.

Please

Juan - Please re-post your question in a separate message so that people can continue to answer Bill's question here, and can answer your question on your new message. (In fact, you'll have more luck if you do a search first for "hotel" and the name of each city - there have been many posts on this topic already).

Juan

thanks. this is my first time on this.