Help planning Hong Kong itinerary, please.
 

We're going to be in Hong Kong for about 5 days over the new year holiday (arriving on the evening of Dec. 29, and leaving late afternoon on Jan. 4). We have a list of things we'd like to see and do (this is not our first visit to Hong Kong, so we've probably already seen the major sights), but I'm having a problem spreading them over the time available, given the holidays and possible closures. Any help would be appreciated.

Here's what we'd like to do (items with an asterisk are most important to us):

* Walk the Central and Western districts, particularly interested in seeing/doing the following: Soho; Man Mo temple; riding the mid-levels escalator; Sheung Wan (old market streets); Kennedy Town; area with the old chinese shops.

*Museum of History.

*Harbour cruise (evening, perhaps on Star Ferry?).

*Wan Chai (night club and restaurant area).

*Kowloon walled city park.

*Temple Street night market (or is there a better one to see?).

Peak (around sunset, but not for dinner).

Lantau (Po Lin monestary, *Tai O fishing village).

Macau.

*Where to be on New Years Eve for a good view of the festivities, without fighting a million people (we're in our 60's, don't need the roar of the crowds). We've already got early New Years eve dinner reservations (Aqua Roma, thanks to a suggestion on this forum, but open to suggestions for a late dinner/drinks through midnight), just need a nice place with a fabulous view for drinks and seeing in the new year.
We'll be staying on Kowloon (at the Salisbury YMCA), so something on that side of the harbour would be preferable.

I think we can do most of these things in the time we have, but issues with holiday closures and crowds are making it difficult for me to plan. We're not shoppers, so we really don't need to plan around shops being open (except that it would be intersting to look into some of the old Chinese shops).

Thanks in advance, any help would be appreciated. I apologize for the lengthy post.

closures: witht he exception of the museum, i am unclear of what you think will be closed that will affect you?? international new years is perhaps not the big new years for closure that chinese new years would be later on...

you could leave lantau and macau to the end of your days and fit them in if time allowed....the fishing village is not all that interesting honestly

hi

-for the night activities, I think Lan Kwai Fong is better than Wan Chai.

-Acqua is good for the good view.

-They is this new cable car thingy launched whereby you can take the cable car from Tung Chung (you can take underground to TC) to Big Buddha area (Po Lin Monestary). May be you can try that

-for the harbour cruise, Star Ferry is good enough for me, however you can check out various special cruise offered. try this link http://discoverhongkong.com/eng/tour...b_138486.jhtml

-have you been to Lady's Market in Mongkok? If you have not, may be for a change you can try that instead of temple street

Bob,
The sort of things I'm concerned about are restaurant closures (I understand many close on international new year's day - is this true?), perhaps some shop closures (the old shops that we'd be interested in seeing), night markets, cruises?
Also, some of the things that we'd like to see might be more crowded on weekends/holidays, while others might be less crowded. This is the kind of of info I'm looking for to help avoid surprises.
We've been to Macau and the peak, so there's no urgency there - we'll do it if time permits.

Firedrago, thank you for the info about Lan Kwai Fong, and the cruise link. I'll have to do some more homework, I guess. Also, that's good info about getting to Po Lin.

The fishing village and Temple Street night market were chosen after perusing several guide books and web sites. Personal experience gleaned from this forum always carries a lot of weight, so we'll certainly re-consider those options.
Thanks for the replies.

1. Most shops and restaurants are open Jan 1. Museum of History is closed on Tuesdays, but should open all other days during your stay: www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/History/en/opening.php
The city will be very quiet morning of 1/1, but by mid-afternoon, it'll be bustling as usual.

2. Places to have a drink on New Year's Eve on Kowloon side, with a view, will be expensive with jacked up prices, labelled as special party. Not worth the trouble. And there's no fireworks over the harbor. So, save your money and celebrate privately, if I were you.

3. Lantau will be crowded and buses/ferry prices jacked up for Sunday and Public Holiday. Therefore, go either on 12/30, 1/2 or 1/3.

4. Similarly, for Macau. Much easier to get walk up ferry tickets on 1/2 and 1/3 than the early dates.

5. Skip the harbor cruise. Not worth it. However, first thing on 12/30 is to go to Hong Kong Tourism Board's office at the Kowloon Star Ferry to see if you can get on the Duk Ling that afternoon (free one-hour Chinese junk cruise). Must bring passport. They are usually booked in advance, but there may be last minute cancellations. Sailing on Thursdays and Saturdays only. Otherwise, if you want to see the harbor at night, just take the Star Ferry back and forth, for a fraction of the cost of a cruise.

6. I agree with others. Nothing to see in Wan Chai. Go to Lan Kwan Fong/Soho instead.

7. There are two main markets at night. The two are close together, both in Kowloon. You can walk from one to the other in 15 minutes, or 2 subway stops or 3 minutes by bus along Nathan Road. The Temple Street market is more interesting, and is at night only. You should be able to see people performing Cantonese opera, fortune tellers, etc. The Ladies' Market (Sai Yeung Choi St in Mongkok) open around mid-day till late night, and is just shops only. You can go to both during the same night easily.


8. Macau will take a day. Lantau will take about 2/3. All the other stuff doesn't take much time. An hour or two tops.

I would not leave out the Temple St night market. Although really for tourists, the goods are quite varied with something for every taste. On the side streets perpendicular to Temple look for the outdoor restaurants. The live seafood is displayed in the street. You choose, then it's taken away and brought to your outdoor table. The scallops, shrimp etc are on ice but seill alive. The shrimp actually wave at you. The shrimp were too friendly for me to eat but I enjoyed the scallops and mussels.My fellow diners were 99% Chinese. Order a side dish of choy sum. Chinese greens, steamed)

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chinahighlights,
This is not an appropriate forum for advertising. I'm looking for advice from the knowledgeable people on this forum; if I wanted/needed a travel agent, I know how to find one.

I live in Hong Kong and can say that you are coming at the best time of year weather-wise so you will be able to do and see a lot without heat or rain (or typhoons) interfering. I think your only challenge may be New Years Day when, as in most major cities, shops, museums and restaurants may be closed, it will kind of be hit or miss. But I have some suggestions below, and also you will find hotel restaurants open and as there are so many excellent hotel restaurants that I would not worry to much about going hungry on New Year's Day.

Some random thoughts/suggestions:

1. New Years Eve- I see you have booked dinner at Aqua which is a great idea. You might want to ask Aqua if they will let you back up for drinks at midnight, worth at least asking. Otherwise, as noted above, I think you will find that the other bars/restaurants in the neighborhood will have quite expensive fixed price meals on offer. Some suggestions to try would be:

--Lobby Lounge of the Intercontinental – there is a minimum per person every night of the week of like US$25, and I am sure it will be jacked up for New Years, but it does have THE view.

--Habitu the Pier, in the Harbour City Mall, at the Star Ferry pier. This is on the ground floor, and has a very small outdoor area which would be quite nice if you could get to sit or stand to ring in the new year. Give them a call to see if they are taking bookings for anything other than dinner. They have great desserts. This is a very nice place for lunch or dinner on other days, as they have an excellent view. Shop 63, Ground Floor, Ocean Terminal, Tel: 852-3101-0901

---Another thought is that the restaurant group which runs the Aqua has their own wooden junk which goes out for drinks cruises, and they might be running one at midnight which might be a very interesting way to see in the New Year. Go to www.aqua.com.hk for info, the boat is called the Aqua Luna.

Otherwise, you might just enjoy walking out onto Salisbury Road in front of your hotel and seeing the crowd. I have not spent New Year's Eve there, but I suspect it will be a fun, but NOT drunken crowd (the drunks will be in Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai). If it gets too rowdy, you can always scurry back to your hotel. I have been along Salisbury on Christmas Eve, and it is quite the family atmosphere, so I suspect it is a repeat on New Years. You might ask the Y what they think in terms of crowds and their behavior.

2. New Year's Day – I would suggest brunch and a walk (or a walk and then brunch) and/or a long ferry ride, as the weather is so great. Some places for brunch would be below, you absolutely would need a booking, call or send an e-mail as soon as you can. You could also have dim sum, I have not listed any dim sum places, but there was a recent thread on good dim sum places and I posted my favourites, run a search and it should come up. Museums may also be open (see further below). Unclear if shops will be open, I think it will be hit or miss, I personally have never tried to shop on NY Day, so I can't say I have noticed if they were open....

--Verandah in Repulse Bay, go to http://www.therepulsebay.com/restaurants.html, this is THE place for brunch with the view and they probably would have the jazz quartet on NY Day. Take the bus over from the Exchange Place bus station, you could see the temple on the beach here and then continue on to Stanley if you wanted.

--Harbourside at the Intercontinental Hotel. Go to http://hongkong-ic.dining.intercontinental.com. Great view and food, right near your hotel.

--Quarterdeck Club Seafood Restaurant and Grill, Fleet Arcade, Fenwick Pier, 1 Lung King Street, Wanchai Tel 2827 8882 (no web site). This is right on the waterfront on the Hong Kong side, in front of the Pacific Place Mall/Marriott Hotel. Fantastic views, get an outside table. From the Star Ferry, take the tram to Pacific Place and then take the pedestrian walkways through the Queensway Shopping Center (follow signs for the Citic Building).

--Peak Lookout, 121 Peak Rd, Tel: 852/2849 1000 (no website). Get an outdoor table for sure. Great to combine with an early morning walk or postprandial walk around Lugard Road, or go up Mt Austin Road to the actual Peak, or do my favourite Severn Road walk. I think I would avoid the Peak Tram as it will be crowded, take the #15 bus (which is great fun and great views) or a taxi (from the Star Ferry pier, the fare to the Peak would be between US$10-12.)

-The Boathouse in Stanley, 86–88 Stanley Main Street, tel: 2813 4467 (no website). Ask for an window or outdoor table. If markets are open you can do some shopping, then stop at Repulse Bay on the way back to see the temple and beach; you could also go in the other direction and see Shek-O beach and the little town. You can also walk out to the WWII cemetery and prison at Stanley.

--Top Deck of the Jumbo in Aberdeen, great to combine with the easy walk DOWN from the Peak, you could also hire a little bum boat and tour the harbour after or before. Can also easily be combined with a trip to Repulse Bay and Stanley by bus or taxi. Go to http://www.cafedecogroup.com/TOP_DECK/v_TOP_DECK.asp

--Black Sheep in Shek-O, 452 Shek O Village, Tel: 2809 2021 (no website) great food and a chance to see this lovely area on the back side of Hong Kong Island, with its beach and village (which reminds me a little of an Italian seaside village) and maybe hike part or all of the Dragon's Back. The town will probably be crowded on NY Day, but still worth seeing, its really a small village. Once you walk away from the town itself and the main beach, you will get to quite deserted areas and more deserted rocky beaches as well.

You could also take an afternoon ferry ride around the outlying islands like Lamma, Lantau and Cheng Chau and not necessarily get off at any of them, although Cheng Chau is definitely worth a stroll for an hour or so. Some info on the island can be found at http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/...lk_walk5.jhtml. I think the ferry loop without getting off takes 2 hours and will give you a good view of all the islands. The weather is so pleasant. Ferries could be crowded on NY Day but should be bearable, its not Bangladesh here..... For ferry schedules, take a look at http://www.nwff.com.hk, click on "Ferry Schedule" and then " Local Service".

3. Wan Chai bars – it may have been years since you have been to Hong Kong, but Suzie Wong is long gone from Wan Chai..... There are still some bars there, but really not the kind of places you would want to go IMO. Lots of sad, balding, middle-aged expat guys with paunches hanging out with very young Asian girls (who are paid by the hour I believe). I would go to Soho for good restaurants and quieter bars. IMO the Lan Kwai Fong area is for people under 30. There are some pubs in the Hollywood Road area underneath and quite close to the escalator as well which are fun, but I don't really go to Lan Kwai Fong area much at all, its a bit too young for me. Please do NOT go there on New Years Eve, just too crazy...

4. Museum of History – in addition to the History Museum, there are three other excellent history museums in Hong Kong, two of which are in restored Chinese walled villages, and all of which are reachable by public transport or a combo of public transport and then a short taxi ride. Take a look at the links below. I am not sure if they are open on Jan 1, but if so, they may be a good choice, as they may not actually be too crowded. I believe there is a free shuttle bus which connects many if not all of these museums, ask your hotel or ask at the Hong Kong Tourist Board office, there is one at the Star Ferry pier near your hotel. I have read about it in the paper here, but have not seen anything about it on any museum website, the info I saw said "A one-week bus pass with unlimited entry ticket to all museums is available from Hong Kong Toursim Board offices. The special bus runs on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm."
Hong Kong Heritage Museum
1 Man Lam Road
Sha Tin
http://www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/English

This building houses very good permanent and changing exhibitions. It is accessible by MTR and then the KCR railway.

Sam Tung Uk Museum
2 Kwu Uk Lane, Tsuen Wan
http://www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/eng...ch_sel_stu.htm

This is a restored "walled village" with examples of courtyard houses. This is accessible by MTR.

Sheung Yiu Folk Museum
Pak Tam Chung Nature Trail, Sai Kung
http://www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/eng...ch_sel_syf.htm

This is in Sai Kung a still rural area of Hong Kong and will give you an idea of what life was like before Hong Kong was a city of high rises and malls. There is some great walking in this area as well, this could be combined in a day or morning of walking.

Also, the Hong Kong Art Museum, across the street from your hotel is a very good small museum which can be "done" in an hour or two. Take a look at http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Arts. It is open every day but Thursday (not sure about Jan 1, check the website) and admission is something like US$1.25 (free admission on Wednesdays, they are dying to get people inside....). They have a very good gift shop for Chinese souvenirs, scrolls, CDs of Chinese music, art books, etc. Good selection and prices.

4. Walking Soho/ Sheung Wan – a great idea. I have recently posted on walking in "dried fish street" which is along Des Veoux Road West in Western/Sheung Wan. If you search "dried fish" it may come up, otherwise if you can't find it and want to see it, I can re-post. There is an absolutely excellent book on walks in this and other areas of Hong Kong by Jason Wordie call "Streets, Exploring Hong Kong Island". I would recco that you get it before your trip, or you can buy it at many book stores in Hong Kong, try Bookazine or Dymocks especially. Jason is an expat who has lived here many years and has written many good books on the city. He offers walking tours himself, they are pricey but excellent, I have taken some, take a look at http://www.jasonswalks.com. As you will be here for so many days you really have the opportunity to see parts of the city that many tourists typically do not have time for, so you might want to either take one of his walks or get his book.

5. Temple Street Market - Is there something in particular you are looking for in the markets? I am just so not a fan of the Kowloon "night markets" they are mostly tourist junk IMO. If you want to see interesting local markets with produce, meats, fish, etc, than these are not a good choice. If you are looking for a particular item or discount outlets, I can give you some suggestions. But IMO the Temple Street, ladies' markets and jade market in Kowloon are just not top of my list. They show up in every guidebook and I don't know why. If you want to see other tourists buying copy watches then go, but if you want to see Hong Kong people bargaining in Cantonese for their live fish for dinner, run a search for "wan chai market" and my recent posting on this should come up, otherwise, I can find it for you. I think you will enjoy the Sheung Wan area much more.

If you are looking for evening activities there is a LOT more to do than just going to the markets. For a list of all activities, go to http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/home.php, for a list of cultural programs, both free and paid, go to http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/cs_prog_week.php

If you are interested in classical music, a good place to start is the website for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on the waterfront in Kowloon: www.hkpo.com

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts runs terrific programs all year, and often has free recitals by its students, take a look at http://www.hkapa.edu.

Also try the "Whats On When" website at www.whatsonwhen.com/pages/hong_kong.jml

You can buy tickets to many concerts at URBITX outlets in Hong Kong. Take a look at http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Entertainm...t/en/index.php

Finally, the Asia Society, of which I am a member, offers evening lectures on a myriad of topics, and non-members are always welcome to attend (there is a fee for all lectures). Most lectures are held at the Hong Kong Club right near the Star Ferry pier in Central. Go to http://www.asiasociety.org/visit/hongkong/, click on "Calendar"

Also, the Flower Market in Kowloon, if you have never been, is excellent for second-time visitors. Very colorful and interesting, not a lot to buy for visitors, although you can buy pots and there are craft shops. Go in the morning when stalls are busiest. Go to the Prince Edward MTR stop. Exit at Door A (Playing Field Road), walk down this road away from the exit (it dead ends into the exit and a building) at the intersection, go right, and then your next left about 20 feet down is the beginning of the market (the street is called, appropriately, Flower Market Street). The market goes around a square block here and circles back to where you started basically, there are some off shoots, but you can see a lot if you keep to this circle. You can see a map athttp://www.mtr.com.hk/jplanner/jplanner/images/maps/pre.gif or go to the MTR website at http://www.mtr.com.hk/prehome/index.html click on "Customer Site", then choose "Station Facilities", then scroll to the bottom and click on "Prince Edward" and a map will come up which you can enlarge and print.

A good thing to do might be to combine a morning trip to the flower market with a visit to the Wong Tai Sin temple which is the fortune tellers temple. This is also fun, you can do the joss-stick thing or visit one of the dozens of fortune tellers in the "mall" of fortune tellers next to the temple. The temple itself is interesting. There is a little info on it at http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attr...sin_temple.htm. It is very easy to find, just take the MTR from the Prince Edward stop another 4 stops to the Wong Tai Sin stop, take Exit Door B 3 and follow the signs, the temple is right at the stop.

For New Year's Eve, the largest countdown party is now at Times Square in Causeway Bay. Compared to some other cities of the world, New Year is pretty tame in Hong Kong. But if you want something with a local favor, go to Times Square.

The streets in Tsimshatsui near your hotel will all be blocked, but things are pretty orderly. MTR runs all night. In fact, it's more "exciting" and festive in Hong Kong for Christmas Eve than New Year's Eve.

[I was in Hong Kong for Jan 1, 2005. It was a very cold New Year (by Hong Kong standard), and everybody seem to disappear and go home by 12:15am at most outdoor places. :) ]

About the night markets. Well, I have to say that I haven't bought anything at either for, like, ever. In fact, I won't go to Ladies' market at all. Temple Street is a little more interesting, but I only walk and browse. Really nothing worth buying there.

One more thought for New Years Day is to book a spa treatment at one of the hotels and then spend the afternoon there as well by their great outdoor pools. (The Y has an indoor pool, but a nice deck area.) The Penn and the Four Seasons have great spas, and if you book a treatment, you can then spend the afternoon at the pool as well and use the gym. They have couples rooms and treatments. The Penn is course next door to your hotel so would be most convenient, but the Four Seasons would give you a different view and a chance to see the other side of the harbour and a different part of town, and they have a very nice restaurant right at the pool which is for guests only so that might be nice for lunch or a snack as well. The pools should be open, it will be "winter" here and some pools close, but the deck areas should be open, and you will be given good thick terry bathrobes so it is very pleasant to sit out in the sun in 72 degrees IMO. The Four Seasons is walkable in moments to the base of the mid-levels escalator; however on New Year's Day I don't know how much of this area will be open, restaurants in Soho may be running brunches, but shops may be closed, I just don't know. You could walk to the Sheung Wan area from here as well, but again on NY Day you may not find these areas as lively.

As rkkwan noted, evenings can be cool, definitely bring a wrap. Winter is great cashmere shawl weather here, leather coats are good too.

Cicerone,
Thank you for the detailed and thoughtful suggestions. You've given us some great ideas to pursue. By the way, our dinner plans at AquaRoma were prompted by your suggestion in a earlier post. Thank you.

Bob and Tweety, thanks to you both for your responses. As for the night markets, we, too, prefer only to walk and browse, and enjoy the ambience; we're not shoppers. We love cities, and each city has a different "feel" (sorry, that's the best way I can describe it). That's primarily what we look for when we visit, and it's more than just seeing the major sights. The night markets, among other things, contribute to this, and that's why we'd like to visit one.

Thanks again for your responses; this forum is a better resource than any guide book.

Great ideas!! We are definately taking the Aqua boat one evening, maybe even more than once! So much better than the Star Ferry harbor cruise...but the Star Ferry is wonderful to take for the best in cross harbor. I need to buy another ream of paper for all the printouts I am doing for Hong Kong...thanks Cicerone.

There is daytime racing at Sha Tin on January 1.

Cicerone I am reading this almost a year later - thank you such great advice, you too rk
CTCT