junkgalore

First, thanks for all the trip planning help. We'll be in HK 2/17-2/24...full 8 days with an early am flight into HK and very late flight out.

With that said, we've searched restaurants, things to do see/ etc from helpful fodorites and here's a quick list we've complied. This is off the top of our head and only a few things are "set" such as events/concert tix purchased. So would love help.

Sat 2/17: flight in early morning
*am - Dim sum at City Hall Maxim
*Victoria Peak tram (?)
*evening - Victoria park flower market

Sun 2/18 open - til CNY parade at night
*still unsure where to try to view this...I did see travel agents selling "VIP bleacher seats" so I'm assuming there might be away to purchase sit down tix? Would this be worth persuing?

Also, would Ocean Park be open either Sun or Mon? I've sent an email to their guest relations as their website does not show February yet.

Mon 2/19pen - til fireworks at night.
On Cicerone's recs...would like to either choose the Quarterdeck (if I can get res made) or Spoon. Any thoughts?

Tues 2/20:
*visit Lantau
*evening concert - HK Symphony (tix already purchased so cannot change)

Wed 2/21:
*visit Macao - am expecting it to take pretty much all day

Thurs 2/22:
*morning visit Cheung Chau or Lamma
*afternoon junk ride(?)
*evening tram up to Victoria Peak

Fri 2/23: open
*poss Aqualuna ride if we can't get on the Duk Ling during our stay (is the afternoon or evening sailing recommended?)

Sat 2/24: open (v. late departure so pretty much whole day free)

We're interested in seeing the southern part of the island, taking in afternoon tea, visiting museums, strolling neighborhoods, parks and a night market. Oh, and some shopping! But figured we can fit those in as time/convenience/mood allows.

With that said, any thoughts considering any possible closures due to the holiday?

Cicerone, if you see this post: thanks for your reccos post. Very helpful. But a quick q on the walking tours/hikes...are they strenuous? I can generally walk around with breaks in between but am trying to recover from a nasty herniated disc in my lower back so tough hikes or long non-stop walks are pretty much ruled out. Any advice?

rkkwan

2/19 and 2/20 are both public holidays, so is 2/17. <b>Do not go to Lantau on 2/20, or Macau on 2/21.</b> You'll be fighting incredible crowds on those days. Stay in the city and do things like the south side of HK Island.

Ocean Park should be open 365 days a year. Again, expect crowds on 2/18 or 2/19; though probably more tolerable than going to Lantau or Macau.

rkkwan

If you aren't afraid of crowds 2/19 or 2/20 - still please don't go to Lantau or Macau - and you want to have your fortune changed (for the better of course!) for the next year, you can go to the Che Kung Temple near Sha Tin. Turn one of the bronze windmill inside.

KCR Che Kung Temple stop.

Cicerone

On the walks, many of the walks I have posted are flat and so IMO not strenuous, although some of them, like the walk to Stanley on the Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path are quite long, about 2.5 hours or so, and there is no where to get off the trail if you get tired. The Lugard Road/Harlech Road loop around the Peak is only about an hour and is flat, but again has no outlet if you get tired. Walks on Lantau tend to be quite challenging IMO, lots of hills, same with the New Territories. Virtually no walk in Hong Kong offers a bench to sit on, but you can certainly just sit on the ground (it might be a little damp, but bring a raincoat or something) . There are sometimes low walls you can sit on or lean against, but these are rare as well; the Severn Road walk is probably the best of these in offering low walls to sit on at various points for a rest. The Lugard Road loop has a few benches in a park at about the halfway point. The Dragon’s Back walk has 2-3 areas with benches along the top portions (after you have sweated up the hills), and open areas where you can sit on the ground, but there maybe 4-5 quite steep portions with stairs or just steep portions with no stairs. I would suggest bring or get one of those telescoping walking poles for this walk, it will help a lot I think. You can buy them in Stanley for about US$5 if you don’t have one. When touring market areas, there is usually a tea shop or restaurant where you can go in and sit down to take a break.

On the parade, I don’t personally think I would pay extra for seats as I don’t think the parade is all the exciting, but given that you may not want to stand, perhaps you have a different opinion on it. It is interesting to be in a big crowd in that area of Kowloon on New Year’s so overall you would probably find it a worthwhile evening. Try to take the star ferry at least one way, although it could be quite crowded, so taking it back may be a better option as you won’t be pressed for time.

The public holidays for New Year’s are Sat Feb 17, and then Monday the 19th and Tuesday the 20th. The first day of New Year is the 18th . No one will be working on the 18th, 19th or 20th, and all shops will be closed on the 18th (including virtually all restaurants but hotel restaurants). Some shops and restaurants will still be closed on the 19th . (Department stores and many restaurants will be open). Most will be open again by the 20th, but small ones may be still closed.

I agree that you should NOT go to Lantau on the 20th as it is still a holiday (i.e. no school) and the ferries will be far too crowded as will the island. I would not go to Ocean Park on NY eve weekend at all. Just too crowded (tons of kids), it could also be quite cool to downright cold. I actually think Macau would be OK on the 21st as many people will be back to work (but some schools are still closed), but if you wanted to wait until Thursday the 22nd that would be OK as well.

The New Year’s Day holidays would be good days to do some of the other walks, go to Stanley or tour the market areas (other than the 18th when markets and Stanley are closed). I would not take the Peak Tram up or down on the 18th, 19th or 20th as it will be jammed, but the #15 bus to the Peak, the #1 mini-bus, or a taxi (about HK$60-70 from Central, take the MTR to Admiralty and get a cab from there) is another way to get to the Peak if you wanted to do the Severen Road or Matilda Hospital walk. I think you would find the Lugard Road walk pretty crowded on those days, but would tend to thin out after the first half-mile probably. The Mt Austin walk up the hill would probably not be crowded at all. The buses to Stanley or the Peak could be quite crowded, but if you go to the main bus terminus in Central (at Exchange Square, talk the MTR to Central and walk to Exchange Square near the Star Ferry), where the buses originate, you can maneuver to get onto a bus first and head upstairs for a good seat. (Getting back from the Peak or Stanley by bus may be crowed too, but again buses start there so if you are willing to wait a bit you can usually be first on a bus.) The #1 mini-bus for the Peak starts at the Star Ferry Pier in Central, so head there if you want a good seat (those buses are smaller and take a different route and personally I don’t think they give nearly the view which the #15 gives you.) You could of course walk to Stanley via the Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path and just take the bus back....

On dim sum lunch on Sat 17 at Maxim’s, I would be very flexible about this and keep addresses of other restaurants handy, as trying to have dim sum here on the Sat before New Year’s could be insane. They don’t take bookings, it’s a Saturday, it’s a public holiday, it’s the day before New Year’s. The place is usually always jammed, and adding all the above into the mix will only complicate things. I find if I’m not there by 10:30 am (they actually start taking people then although they don’t officially open until 11), then forget it.

On the fireworks, I am going to the Quarterdeck for lunch today and will let you know if the views is still good, I am a little worried about the reclamation going on there. Price difference between it and Spoon is of course huge...the appetizer at Spoon will cost about what the entire meal will cost at the Quarterdeck. Views at Spoon of course are great.

For junk sailing, I like the late afternoon toward sunset and then dusk, it’s just nice to see the lights come up over the city, and if you get a clear day, see the sun drop behind the mountains. Go to sunrisesunset.com for sunset times. Due to the pollution lately, you get better “views” at night now IMO.

rkkwan

While Lantau will be very crowded with locals and tourists trying the new cable car and worshipping at Po Lin Monastery, Cheung Chau and Lamma shouldn't be crowded. So, consider going to those during the holiday. Ferry fares are higher on the public holiday, but we're only talking about a few US$ here.

About Macau, the main issue is to get ferry tickets. You need to have both outbound and inbound tickets purchased, or you may be stranded over there, and I think you will have a very hard time getting tickets over the holiday. That's why I say wait till near the end of the trip to go to Macau. Over there, the historical sites won't be crowded. Most people go there to the casinos.

Cicerone

OK, went to Quarterdeck for lunch and am happy to report that the view is still unobstructed as the reclamation is west of the restaurant. Should be a very good view. They are running a set menu for the fireworks night, at HK$488 (fish or rack of lamb for the main course). The tables on the deck on the water are all booked, they still have seats on the large balcony which is just above this and would very be good as well, esp right at the railing. (Frankly for the 20 minutes of the fireworks you could just come out onto the deck or balcony and look, so you could be seated anywhere in the restaurant, its the overall location and being out of the crowd of 500,000 that will be along the waterfront that is the key). I believe Spoon will also be running a set menu and if they are anything like other restaurants, it will be quite pricey (Caprice, the French restaurant in the Four Seasons, is charging HK$5,000 per person). If you are interested in either, you should contact them both right now.

On Macau, I was going to make the same suggestion: buy your inbound and outbound tickets ahead of time. Get first class tickets, they will be more available and it’s less crowded. Go over to the ferry ticket office maybe on Saturday the 17th and see if you can buy tickets for the 21st, you might also try the websites now at http://www.turbojet.com.hk or http://www.nwff.com.hk/ (these latter ferries depart from the Kowloon side of the harbour). The other thing that you will find is that once you get off the ferry in Macau and come out of the terminal building is that there will be a huge taxi line, just skip by that and go right to buses (which usually have no or a very short line), take the #3 of 3A bus which will take you to the centre of town for MOP$2.50. (There is an ATM machine inside the ferry terminal, before the glass exit doors, look for signs.) You can also hire a taxi for a few hours to give you a tour around, this will be around US$20, these guys will be waiting when you come out the glass doors into the taxi./bus area and will approach you, so don’t worry about finding one. If you want to rent a moke (quite fun) wait until after you have seen the historic centre, as parking is a pain, save the moke for the drive down to Coloane. I agree the historical areas should not be that crowded other than the main square and the steps of St Paul’s, and places like Coloane will probably be empty. IMO the very best guide to Macau is the Luxe Guide which gives a very concise walking tour that will take you away from the most crowded areas and gives the very best restaurant and shopping reccos. A map will also be helpful, there is not one in the Luxe Guide. You can buy this in Hong Kong, its part of the Luxe Hong Kong guide, which is also good for restaurants and shopping. Or go to http://luxecityguides.com. (They write guides to many other cites in Asia and some in Europe which while irreverent in tone are frankly the best for restaurants, shopping and some unusual tour ideas provided you have a guide for history, customs, etc.) Most larger guides to Hong Kong (like Fodors) also contain a section on Macau, and there is usually a map there. The larger guides usually have a history of Macau which is also helpful. For the return, while it’s hard to know for sure when you want to come back, it’s MUCH better than waiting at the ferry that night, which you can always do if you change your mind. If you want to have dinner in Macau, then get a late ferry, otherwise if you take a morning ferry I would say a 7 pm return is plenty of time in Macau. With that and the Luxe Guide you are set for the day. With as many days as you have, you could also think about staying a night there which is a very nice way to see the much quieter greener parts of the island. Don’t forget to bring your passport as you need it to exit Hong Kong and enter Macau and vice versa.