HK Customs
Dec 5th, 2005, 04:48 PM
#1
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HK Customs
Hi,
We have a short way over in Jan. We land @ 755pm and we are having the FS pick us up and drive us to the Hotel. Then we have a flight the next day leaving @ 10am to Bali?
Can we doing anything after clearing customs?
How long will it take?
also on the way back its an even shorter layover arrive HK 845pm, leave the 10:15am next day for JFK.
Should we just stay @ hotel @ airport on return?
thanks for all of your help,
JB
We have a short way over in Jan. We land @ 755pm and we are having the FS pick us up and drive us to the Hotel. Then we have a flight the next day leaving @ 10am to Bali?
Can we doing anything after clearing customs?
How long will it take?
also on the way back its an even shorter layover arrive HK 845pm, leave the 10:15am next day for JFK.
Should we just stay @ hotel @ airport on return?
thanks for all of your help,
JB
Dec 5th, 2005, 06:15 PM
#2
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What do you mean by "can we doing anything after clearing customs"? You mean at the airport? In town?
HKG is a large airport, so it'll take at least 45-50 minutes from the time the plane touches town till you exit customs area. And it's an 40-minute ride to Central. So, you won't get to the hotel until around 9:30pm or so.
Lots still going on at that time in the city. Bars, restaurants, clubs. The Peak Tram runs till midnight, so you can even do that to get up to The Peak.
There's only one hotel near the airport - the Regal - which is often expensive, at around US$300. For that money, I'll rather go into the city for some other hotel.
HKG is a large airport, so it'll take at least 45-50 minutes from the time the plane touches town till you exit customs area. And it's an 40-minute ride to Central. So, you won't get to the hotel until around 9:30pm or so.
Lots still going on at that time in the city. Bars, restaurants, clubs. The Peak Tram runs till midnight, so you can even do that to get up to The Peak.
There's only one hotel near the airport - the Regal - which is often expensive, at around US$300. For that money, I'll rather go into the city for some other hotel.
Dec 5th, 2005, 09:08 PM
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At the start of your trip you'll probably be psyched up and eager to get out and experience Hong Kong so I'd go for the Four Seasons. Assuming that you're physically up to it there's a lot happening in Hong Kong from 10 PM to midnight.
I second rkkwan's suggestion of taking the Peak Tram (if it's a clear night). The Star Ferry runs until about midnight and the views are magnificent. You could take the Star Ferry, walk along the esplanade, have a drink at the Intercontinental and be back at your hotel by midnight. If you're there during Lunar New Year (or shortly before or after) the buildings will be all lit up.
Another option is the club-restaurant area of Lan Kwai Fong which is short cabride or walk from the Four Seasons.
The choice of restaurants open late is limited (aside from hotel venues) but there is still a good selection of all types of food, mostly in the not to expensive range. Some shops stay open late, but it's case by case.
I second rkkwan's suggestion of taking the Peak Tram (if it's a clear night). The Star Ferry runs until about midnight and the views are magnificent. You could take the Star Ferry, walk along the esplanade, have a drink at the Intercontinental and be back at your hotel by midnight. If you're there during Lunar New Year (or shortly before or after) the buildings will be all lit up.
Another option is the club-restaurant area of Lan Kwai Fong which is short cabride or walk from the Four Seasons.
The choice of restaurants open late is limited (aside from hotel venues) but there is still a good selection of all types of food, mostly in the not to expensive range. Some shops stay open late, but it's case by case.
Dec 6th, 2005, 01:57 AM
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Thank you both!!!!
So on the way back, where would you recommend staying? If its going to be $300 to stay anyway, I rather stay @ a nice Hotel. Also what time should I leave the hotel to get to the airport? In the US they say be at the airport 2hrs before an international flight.
So on the way back, where would you recommend staying? If its going to be $300 to stay anyway, I rather stay @ a nice Hotel. Also what time should I leave the hotel to get to the airport? In the US they say be at the airport 2hrs before an international flight.
Dec 6th, 2005, 04:23 AM
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For that itinerary, I certainly wouldn't stay at the Four Seasons. While I'm sure it's a lovely hotel, it's not in a great location for nightlife. For the same (or less) money, I'd go for a harbourview room at either the InterContinental or Kowloon Shangri-La, and get the world's most spectacular cityscape in your room. Alternatively, if you want to go bar-hopping, the Mandarin Oriental is 2 steps from LKF.
Dec 6th, 2005, 05:25 AM
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Since you're taking CX's non-stop to JFK, you cannot do in-town check-in for your luggage. And I believe they still do handsearch on all checked luggage before you get to the actual check-in desk.
Therefore, you'll need to arrive at the airport two hours prior. Less if you don't have luggage.
For your earlier trip to Bali, you can check-in at the CX desk at the Airport Express Hong Kong station, which is in the same complex as the Four Seasons. But you must have a AE ticket, so you can't check-in there and then use a hotel car. [Well, I guess you can buy the AE ticket afterall, but will be wasting it.]
Therefore, you'll need to arrive at the airport two hours prior. Less if you don't have luggage.
For your earlier trip to Bali, you can check-in at the CX desk at the Airport Express Hong Kong station, which is in the same complex as the Four Seasons. But you must have a AE ticket, so you can't check-in there and then use a hotel car. [Well, I guess you can buy the AE ticket afterall, but will be wasting it.]
Dec 6th, 2005, 09:00 AM
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Ok more questions:
Rizzuto:
Do you mean that the InterContinental or Kowloon Shangri-La have better views? are they closer to the airport as well?
We were going to take a car from the airport to the hotel(cx says we can check our bags all the way thru to Bali)
But the next day take the AE back to the airport to save time.
How far are these hotels from the AE?
Also what is LKF?
rkkwan:
can I check my bags all the way thru to JFK from Bali? That would save some time,yes?
Thank you both!!!
JB
Rizzuto:
Do you mean that the InterContinental or Kowloon Shangri-La have better views? are they closer to the airport as well?
We were going to take a car from the airport to the hotel(cx says we can check our bags all the way thru to Bali)
But the next day take the AE back to the airport to save time.
How far are these hotels from the AE?
Also what is LKF?
rkkwan:
can I check my bags all the way thru to JFK from Bali? That would save some time,yes?
Thank you both!!!
JB
Dec 6th, 2005, 09:26 AM
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The best harbor view is from Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side looking towards Hong Kong Island. And The Peninsula and InterContinental have the best of the best. The Kowloon Shangri-La is to the east of those hotels, and it also faces SE instead of straight South, so the buildings in Central will be slightly off, and not head-on.
Airport transportation is about the same for most hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central; they are all a short shuttle or taxi ride to the Airport Express trains. The exception is the Four Seasons, which is attached to the Hong Kong AE station.
If you're taking a taxi or hotel shuttle, it'll cost a little more to/from Hong Kong Island. No difference in time.
LKF is Lan Kwai Fong. It's an area in Central with lots of bars and clubs. Favorite among expats. It's 5 minutes walk from the new Landmark Mandarin Oriental, or about 15 minute walk from the Four Seasons.
Airport transportation is about the same for most hotels in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central; they are all a short shuttle or taxi ride to the Airport Express trains. The exception is the Four Seasons, which is attached to the Hong Kong AE station.
If you're taking a taxi or hotel shuttle, it'll cost a little more to/from Hong Kong Island. No difference in time.
LKF is Lan Kwai Fong. It's an area in Central with lots of bars and clubs. Favorite among expats. It's 5 minutes walk from the new Landmark Mandarin Oriental, or about 15 minute walk from the Four Seasons.
Dec 7th, 2005, 11:21 PM
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Some airlines allow you to check in for a flight up to 24 hours before departure. You should look into this, as it may be possible to check-in for your Bali flight as soon as you have landed in Hong Kong from your US flight. This may be what CX is referring to. The website for Hong Kong airport is hongkongairport.com, they have information on check-in. This means you could check in your larger bags and just take a small overnight bag into town with you. If you can't check-in early, you might want to consider storing your big bags at the airport overnight, check the website for info on this. You may also be able to check-in early for the Hong Kong-JFK portion of the flight when you land from Bali, CX could confirm this.
You would need to be at the airport about 2 hours before departures, although 90 minutes is generally OK too, certainly fine if you are flying business class as check-in lines are shorter. On the US flight if you are in coach I would err towards 2 hours as these are the big planes and check-in lines are longer. If you have been able to check in early, I would still get there about 40 minutes prior, as you need to get through Immigration and security and get out to your gate. Most gates close 20 minutes or so before departure.
The Mandarin Oriental will be closed in January. The Mandarin Landmark will be open. This is about a block closer to Lan Kwai Fong than the Mandarin Oriental. I took a tour about a month ago. The hotel has virtually no views from its rooms. The best rooms IMO are the L600 rooms, most are corner units, very good use of space, is a junior suite that feels more like a one-bedroom suite. The bath is in corner and has nice large round tub, surrounded by windows so keep those shades down or people in the offices next door will get a good view of you. . . . Ask for a room on a high floor. Nice if small gym. Staff seems a bit inexperienced. Frankly, I would wait 12 months for the Mandarin to re-open and stay there or go to the Four Season or another hotel.
The Four Seasons is easily walk able to Lan Kwai Fong (I dispute the 15 minutes, I would say something under 10 but whatever), and is by far the closest hotel to the escalator to get up to Soho which is where you may prefer to go if you are over the age of 28 or so and not a single investment banker looking to pick up a local girl (written only slightly sarcastically. . . ) Soho does have a better selection of restaurants and quieter bars.
If you want to stay on the Kowloon side, that is another choice, and certainly has the superior view, although it is not as convenient for getting to the Airport Express as the Four Seasons or even the Mandarin Landmark, both of which are within a few minutes walk to the station. The Ritz-Carlton is also walkable to the station. Also, with that short a period of time on both trips, you may not get to enjoy the view that much. If you are getting a good rate at the Four Seasons, you may be better off staying there. I also disagree with the above poster that there is better night life in Kowloon, other than some good restaurants like Hutong or Felix, both of which have bars bar with great view, there is not a lot of good night life there IMO.
You would need to be at the airport about 2 hours before departures, although 90 minutes is generally OK too, certainly fine if you are flying business class as check-in lines are shorter. On the US flight if you are in coach I would err towards 2 hours as these are the big planes and check-in lines are longer. If you have been able to check in early, I would still get there about 40 minutes prior, as you need to get through Immigration and security and get out to your gate. Most gates close 20 minutes or so before departure.
The Mandarin Oriental will be closed in January. The Mandarin Landmark will be open. This is about a block closer to Lan Kwai Fong than the Mandarin Oriental. I took a tour about a month ago. The hotel has virtually no views from its rooms. The best rooms IMO are the L600 rooms, most are corner units, very good use of space, is a junior suite that feels more like a one-bedroom suite. The bath is in corner and has nice large round tub, surrounded by windows so keep those shades down or people in the offices next door will get a good view of you. . . . Ask for a room on a high floor. Nice if small gym. Staff seems a bit inexperienced. Frankly, I would wait 12 months for the Mandarin to re-open and stay there or go to the Four Season or another hotel.
The Four Seasons is easily walk able to Lan Kwai Fong (I dispute the 15 minutes, I would say something under 10 but whatever), and is by far the closest hotel to the escalator to get up to Soho which is where you may prefer to go if you are over the age of 28 or so and not a single investment banker looking to pick up a local girl (written only slightly sarcastically. . . ) Soho does have a better selection of restaurants and quieter bars.
If you want to stay on the Kowloon side, that is another choice, and certainly has the superior view, although it is not as convenient for getting to the Airport Express as the Four Seasons or even the Mandarin Landmark, both of which are within a few minutes walk to the station. The Ritz-Carlton is also walkable to the station. Also, with that short a period of time on both trips, you may not get to enjoy the view that much. If you are getting a good rate at the Four Seasons, you may be better off staying there. I also disagree with the above poster that there is better night life in Kowloon, other than some good restaurants like Hutong or Felix, both of which have bars bar with great view, there is not a lot of good night life there IMO.
