Help with 5-day tour in hk
Oct 26th, 2007, 07:57 PM
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Help with 5-day tour in hk
Hi,
I'm planning to go to hk on 24dec-28dec and there are alot places which i want to explore cos this is the first time im going hk.
1)Wondering if I should go to the ocean park or hk's disneyland instead?
2)I will like to go cycling on Lantau island is it possible or any good places to go cycling?
3)I'm thinking of going to one of the outlying islands to explore and a package for heliservices which is taking the helicopter ride,are there any good packages too?
4)Any great places to recommend shopping in hk?
5)My 5day schedule seems packed cos i wan to go to all the places in hk island,tsim sha tsui,Mong Kong and Yau Ma Tei too.
6)On top of that i need to leave out a day to go to shenzhen for shopping as well,any highlights of shenzhen?
I'm planning to go to hk on 24dec-28dec and there are alot places which i want to explore cos this is the first time im going hk.
1)Wondering if I should go to the ocean park or hk's disneyland instead?
2)I will like to go cycling on Lantau island is it possible or any good places to go cycling?
3)I'm thinking of going to one of the outlying islands to explore and a package for heliservices which is taking the helicopter ride,are there any good packages too?
4)Any great places to recommend shopping in hk?
5)My 5day schedule seems packed cos i wan to go to all the places in hk island,tsim sha tsui,Mong Kong and Yau Ma Tei too.
6)On top of that i need to leave out a day to go to shenzhen for shopping as well,any highlights of shenzhen?
Oct 26th, 2007, 09:30 PM
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You will be here for some of the best weather we have all year, and also to see the skyscrapers lit for Christmas, which is a great thing to see. Bear in mind that Dec 25 and 26 are public holidays here, and some places will close early on Dec 24. You will find most restaurants open on the 25 and 26 and many shops as well, however some of the larger department stores will be closed. Museums, and banks and other public institutions will be closed on the public holidays, however, so do keep that in mind when planning your itinerary. Also, things like the Peak Tram will probably be jammed on the 25 and 26 and everyone has off and very few Hong Kongers celebrate the holiday so its just two days off to go out and have fun in the wonderful weather. Public transport will be running holiday schedule, which generally means more frequent service, which is good for you.
One of the most fun things for me about Christmas in Hong Kong is going out Christmas Eve onto Salisbury Road and seeing the tens of thousands of people out just strolling and having fun. They close the streets along the harbour here and it's a big street party but no one is drunk. As it is not a religious holiday for most Hong Kongers, people are not at home having family dinners or going to church. Also, you can have a turkey and trimmings dinner at most any hotel.
Please search this board for my very long list of reccos called “Cicerone’s Reccos for What the Locals Do for Fun in Hong Kong (Hint: We DON’T Go to those Awful Night Markets....)” this should give you some ideas for what to do. For another of my favourite very easy walks on Hong Kong Island, see my posting called “Cicerone’s Favourite Hong Kong Walks II: Paradise Found! From Happy Valley to Stanley in High Heels! (Almost) The Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path”
Also check the Hong Kong Tourism Board website at discoverhongkong.com for other ideas.
Some thoughts on your questions:
1. I have not yet been to Hong Kong Disney, and may never make it there. Ocean Park can be fun if you like that sort of thing, I think it is more fun with young children along. Remember that you will be here Christmas week, and lots of people have December 25 and 26 off, and as Christmas is not a holiday which is celebrated by many people in Hong Kong in terms of religious observances or family obligations, many people will be at the parks. I believe Hong Kong Disney is closed December 25, you might want to check.
2. I have not cycled much, and only in the New Territories which are on the mainland. You can cycle around Tolo Harbour and also around the Mai Po Marsh area there. Lantau is very hilly (some of the highest hills in Hong Kong are located on Lantau) so it is not really ideal for bicycling unless you want to mountain bike; however it may be possible to cycle around the perimeter of the island which would be flatter. There are several mountain biking trails in Hong Kong. Take a look at http://parks.afcd.gov.hk/newparks/en...ycle/index.htm for info. Where did you read about cycling on Lantau, if you can provide info, I can ask around about cycling on Lantau. Personally, I think Hong Kong is much better suited for walks and hikes (you do kind of have to like hills and stairs) and the December weather is ideal for this.
3. You don't need to take a package tour for the outlying islands, you can take a local ferry services and explore them yourself. Ferries are very cheap, and go out of the Outling Ferry Pier in Central next to the Star Ferry Pier. If you can take the little wood "kaido" ferries, those are even better, IMO, as they are the smaller wooden open double-decker boats and are also full of locals. You can get these from Aberdeen out to Lamma and some go from Stanely to Po Toi, a lovely little island with about 2 very good seafood restaurants and some good walking. Some kaidos also go from the Causeway Bay area to islands in the channel to the east/north, and some go from the harbour in Kennedy town. Lamma has several good walks, Lantau does too as well as the Big Buddha (not my favourite place) but is generally an interesting island. You can also get to places like Tap Mun (Grass Island) in the New Territories, but this involves more of an all-day commitment. Get a good guidebook which will tell you about these areas, I have also done some posting on them. I have done heli tours, they generally are not very long, 30 minutes or so, and don't involve landing on any outlying islands as far as I know. They are a great way to see the island, however our air pollution is quite bad recently, so don't go on any day on which you can't see well across the harbour or you will pay to see a lot of smog.
4. I have listed some areas to shop in one of my other threads. I can re-post it if you can't find it. The Luxe Guide to Hong Kong also gives some good suggestions and descriptions of the various areas for shopping. Is there something in particular you are looking for? If just for gifts and fun kitschy souvenirs, then go to the Jade Market in Kowloon, to Stanley (a great day trip on the bus and have lunch) and also to any of the Chinese Arts and Crafts shops, the best one is the one in Kowloon near the Star Ferry Pier (for locations all over, go to http://www.chineseartsandcrafts.com.hk ,click on “E” for English). Also, wander Hollywood Road and Cat Street/Ladder Street for all kinds of interesting junk.
5. I am not at all a fan of Shenzhen for many reasons. First for you, you will need a PRC visa, which if you are a US citizen will cost US$100, if you are any other citizenship, it costs about US$40-60. That's a lot for a one-day trip, IMO. Secondly, most of the shopping is very cheap designer knock-offs and other kinds of shoddily made goods. I don't buy fake stuff to begin with, and don't see why anyone would want to waste a day of travel in China to buy a fake Prada bag. (I was in NYC last weekend and believe me, you can buy the same and better stuff on Canal Street, just go there for a weekend trip, or I am sure there is a city near you with their own version of Canal Street.) There is also very cheap but not good tailoring in Shenzhen. It's a rather sad place, IMO. Finally, you are here Christmas week, and lots of people will be traveling to the mainland for shopping and to visit relatives, so trains to Shenzhen could be very very crowded. Start early if you decide to go to Shenzehn and be prepared for crowds.
One of the most fun things for me about Christmas in Hong Kong is going out Christmas Eve onto Salisbury Road and seeing the tens of thousands of people out just strolling and having fun. They close the streets along the harbour here and it's a big street party but no one is drunk. As it is not a religious holiday for most Hong Kongers, people are not at home having family dinners or going to church. Also, you can have a turkey and trimmings dinner at most any hotel.
Please search this board for my very long list of reccos called “Cicerone’s Reccos for What the Locals Do for Fun in Hong Kong (Hint: We DON’T Go to those Awful Night Markets....)” this should give you some ideas for what to do. For another of my favourite very easy walks on Hong Kong Island, see my posting called “Cicerone’s Favourite Hong Kong Walks II: Paradise Found! From Happy Valley to Stanley in High Heels! (Almost) The Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path”
Also check the Hong Kong Tourism Board website at discoverhongkong.com for other ideas.
Some thoughts on your questions:
1. I have not yet been to Hong Kong Disney, and may never make it there. Ocean Park can be fun if you like that sort of thing, I think it is more fun with young children along. Remember that you will be here Christmas week, and lots of people have December 25 and 26 off, and as Christmas is not a holiday which is celebrated by many people in Hong Kong in terms of religious observances or family obligations, many people will be at the parks. I believe Hong Kong Disney is closed December 25, you might want to check.
2. I have not cycled much, and only in the New Territories which are on the mainland. You can cycle around Tolo Harbour and also around the Mai Po Marsh area there. Lantau is very hilly (some of the highest hills in Hong Kong are located on Lantau) so it is not really ideal for bicycling unless you want to mountain bike; however it may be possible to cycle around the perimeter of the island which would be flatter. There are several mountain biking trails in Hong Kong. Take a look at http://parks.afcd.gov.hk/newparks/en...ycle/index.htm for info. Where did you read about cycling on Lantau, if you can provide info, I can ask around about cycling on Lantau. Personally, I think Hong Kong is much better suited for walks and hikes (you do kind of have to like hills and stairs) and the December weather is ideal for this.
3. You don't need to take a package tour for the outlying islands, you can take a local ferry services and explore them yourself. Ferries are very cheap, and go out of the Outling Ferry Pier in Central next to the Star Ferry Pier. If you can take the little wood "kaido" ferries, those are even better, IMO, as they are the smaller wooden open double-decker boats and are also full of locals. You can get these from Aberdeen out to Lamma and some go from Stanely to Po Toi, a lovely little island with about 2 very good seafood restaurants and some good walking. Some kaidos also go from the Causeway Bay area to islands in the channel to the east/north, and some go from the harbour in Kennedy town. Lamma has several good walks, Lantau does too as well as the Big Buddha (not my favourite place) but is generally an interesting island. You can also get to places like Tap Mun (Grass Island) in the New Territories, but this involves more of an all-day commitment. Get a good guidebook which will tell you about these areas, I have also done some posting on them. I have done heli tours, they generally are not very long, 30 minutes or so, and don't involve landing on any outlying islands as far as I know. They are a great way to see the island, however our air pollution is quite bad recently, so don't go on any day on which you can't see well across the harbour or you will pay to see a lot of smog.
4. I have listed some areas to shop in one of my other threads. I can re-post it if you can't find it. The Luxe Guide to Hong Kong also gives some good suggestions and descriptions of the various areas for shopping. Is there something in particular you are looking for? If just for gifts and fun kitschy souvenirs, then go to the Jade Market in Kowloon, to Stanley (a great day trip on the bus and have lunch) and also to any of the Chinese Arts and Crafts shops, the best one is the one in Kowloon near the Star Ferry Pier (for locations all over, go to http://www.chineseartsandcrafts.com.hk ,click on “E” for English). Also, wander Hollywood Road and Cat Street/Ladder Street for all kinds of interesting junk.
5. I am not at all a fan of Shenzhen for many reasons. First for you, you will need a PRC visa, which if you are a US citizen will cost US$100, if you are any other citizenship, it costs about US$40-60. That's a lot for a one-day trip, IMO. Secondly, most of the shopping is very cheap designer knock-offs and other kinds of shoddily made goods. I don't buy fake stuff to begin with, and don't see why anyone would want to waste a day of travel in China to buy a fake Prada bag. (I was in NYC last weekend and believe me, you can buy the same and better stuff on Canal Street, just go there for a weekend trip, or I am sure there is a city near you with their own version of Canal Street.) There is also very cheap but not good tailoring in Shenzhen. It's a rather sad place, IMO. Finally, you are here Christmas week, and lots of people will be traveling to the mainland for shopping and to visit relatives, so trains to Shenzhen could be very very crowded. Start early if you decide to go to Shenzehn and be prepared for crowds.
Oct 26th, 2007, 10:05 PM
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1. Disneyland HK is open on Christmas and everyday of the year. Everybody who has been there has one common comment - "It's very small". I would skip it unless you are the type that has to visit every Disney park in the world. Ocean Park is more local, but it's not like a "must see" for all visitors. Like I don't see Seaworld as a must see for a visit to San Diego or San Antonio.
2. I've cycled on Lantau, and it's not a good place to ride. The main road along the southern side of the island is very narrow with enough truck and bus traffic to make it dangerous and unpleasant.
3. I don't have the budget to do helicopter rides, and even if you can afford it, you may not enjoy it too much because of the smog. If you just want to ride a helicopter in the region, may be consider the commerical service between Hong Kong and Macau, which will overfly Lantau.
The islands themselves are better to do it on your own than a tour. Get a guidebook and just explore on your own. I doubt the NP360 cable car on Lantau will have reopened by end of the year, so you will need to ride the bus everywhere on Lantau. You can do a loop like:
Ferry to Mui Wo, bus to Tai O, bus to Ngong Ping, bus to Tung Chung, MTR back to city.
Or you can take the ferry to Cheung Chau and walk around.
Or take the ferry to Yung Shue Wan on Lamma, hike to Sok Kwu Wan and have seafood there, ferry back to HK.
And so on...
6. I agree with Kathie and Cicerone about Shenzhen.
2. I've cycled on Lantau, and it's not a good place to ride. The main road along the southern side of the island is very narrow with enough truck and bus traffic to make it dangerous and unpleasant.
3. I don't have the budget to do helicopter rides, and even if you can afford it, you may not enjoy it too much because of the smog. If you just want to ride a helicopter in the region, may be consider the commerical service between Hong Kong and Macau, which will overfly Lantau.
The islands themselves are better to do it on your own than a tour. Get a guidebook and just explore on your own. I doubt the NP360 cable car on Lantau will have reopened by end of the year, so you will need to ride the bus everywhere on Lantau. You can do a loop like:
Ferry to Mui Wo, bus to Tai O, bus to Ngong Ping, bus to Tung Chung, MTR back to city.
Or you can take the ferry to Cheung Chau and walk around.
Or take the ferry to Yung Shue Wan on Lamma, hike to Sok Kwu Wan and have seafood there, ferry back to HK.
And so on...
6. I agree with Kathie and Cicerone about Shenzhen.
Oct 28th, 2007, 11:22 PM
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Hi all,
Thanks for all the reply regarding my hk trip.Below are some of the detailed itinerary which I'm planning,please do give some suggestions.
Day 1:
-Arrive at HK airport approximately at about 1045am (Jetstarasia airlines)
-Hostel is called Tawian Hotel at Chungkung Mansion area. (Tsim Sha Tsui)
-After settling down in hostel,plan to go Hong Kong island through the star ferry at tsim sha tsui then go to the Peak.How long does it take to tour the Peak?After going to the peak,should i go back to explore all the shopping in admiralty,wan chai,causeway bay and central etc or to go to the southern part of hk island like the stanley market and aberdeen pier for the Jumbo Floating Restaurant etc?
-Activities at night which i can fully utilise?
Day 2
-Since day 2 is a Christmas Day,any must-go places to go on this day?Should i explore the Tsim Sha Tsui areas and also Jordan,Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kong etc.
-I also feel like watching a movie here.Any recommended cinemas.Heard that matinee movies and Tuesday movie tix price are cheap,is it so on a Christmas day?Haha
Day 3
-Plan to go HK disneyland or the Ocean Park for maybe half a day.
-Is there enough time to go to Lantau for hiking or biking on this day as well?Heard that Sai Kung is also a good place to go hiking.
-There are so many outlying islands to explore like Lantau,Lamma,Peng Chau etc and I can't decide which to go due to my limited time.I would like a balance of hiking and cycling.Any island which offers both of these?
Day 4:
-My friend wants to go to Shenzhen,but since there is negative reply about Shenzhen and the possiblity of crowds,Day 4 is still put on hold unless a better itinerary can be decided.
Day 5 (My last day)
-My check-out is at 12noon,but my flight is at night time 8pm so im wondering what can i do for my remaining time?
Miscellaneous:
-Read that a new shopping centre called Elements opened at Kowloon recently on October,is it a nice shopping centre?
-I'm more of a shopaholic so are there any warehouse sale of clothes like Esprit or sporting wear all that?
-Are there any big and good bookstores in hk like the Kinokuniya or Pageone?Taiwan has got the famous Eslite bookstore,does HK has any of that?
Thanks for all the reply regarding my hk trip.Below are some of the detailed itinerary which I'm planning,please do give some suggestions.
Day 1:
-Arrive at HK airport approximately at about 1045am (Jetstarasia airlines)
-Hostel is called Tawian Hotel at Chungkung Mansion area. (Tsim Sha Tsui)
-After settling down in hostel,plan to go Hong Kong island through the star ferry at tsim sha tsui then go to the Peak.How long does it take to tour the Peak?After going to the peak,should i go back to explore all the shopping in admiralty,wan chai,causeway bay and central etc or to go to the southern part of hk island like the stanley market and aberdeen pier for the Jumbo Floating Restaurant etc?
-Activities at night which i can fully utilise?
Day 2
-Since day 2 is a Christmas Day,any must-go places to go on this day?Should i explore the Tsim Sha Tsui areas and also Jordan,Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kong etc.
-I also feel like watching a movie here.Any recommended cinemas.Heard that matinee movies and Tuesday movie tix price are cheap,is it so on a Christmas day?Haha
Day 3
-Plan to go HK disneyland or the Ocean Park for maybe half a day.
-Is there enough time to go to Lantau for hiking or biking on this day as well?Heard that Sai Kung is also a good place to go hiking.
-There are so many outlying islands to explore like Lantau,Lamma,Peng Chau etc and I can't decide which to go due to my limited time.I would like a balance of hiking and cycling.Any island which offers both of these?
Day 4:
-My friend wants to go to Shenzhen,but since there is negative reply about Shenzhen and the possiblity of crowds,Day 4 is still put on hold unless a better itinerary can be decided.
Day 5 (My last day)
-My check-out is at 12noon,but my flight is at night time 8pm so im wondering what can i do for my remaining time?
Miscellaneous:
-Read that a new shopping centre called Elements opened at Kowloon recently on October,is it a nice shopping centre?
-I'm more of a shopaholic so are there any warehouse sale of clothes like Esprit or sporting wear all that?
-Are there any big and good bookstores in hk like the Kinokuniya or Pageone?Taiwan has got the famous Eslite bookstore,does HK has any of that?
Oct 29th, 2007, 02:53 AM
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I would suggest Ocean Park over Disneyland. If you've been to others it's likely to be a disappointment.
Half a day at either would not be sufficient time.
For helicopter ride, you can consider taking it to Macau.
Shopping places are numerous. The question though is what are you shopping for?
There's an Esprit factory outlet located in TST. It's at the road between Nathan and Canton Road's. Very near Peninsula. Go to Kowloon Hotel walk away from Nathan Road and turn right at the junction.
Avoid going to Macau, theme parks, the peak during weekends/holidays.
As for the peak most folks to in the late evening and leave after dark. The view of the skyline is breathtaking especially at night.
