Hong Kong in August~ is the weather horrible?
 

Hi,
I've been looking thru the boards, but find mostly old information, so I will ask again. I am going to Hong Kong August 1st for one week for a "post employment" fling. Will the weather be that bad? I've read in can rain, but is it for days on end or showers thru out the day?
I'm going on a free ticket and the date is not flexible, Also, I am traveling with my father who is 72. Any recomendations for "must see" things keeping in mind he HATES to shop?
Any advise is appreciated.
With Thanks,
Vikinggirl

I've heard that Hong Kong during the summer months is very hot and humid, not sure about rain. We were there in January seveal years ago and it was a delightful 70 degrees F.

The bird market and flower market are fun. Just wandering the streets is interesting. You should go to the top of Victoria Peak. We also did a lot of shopping which you said your father is not interested in.

It's just the time of year you ought to be keeping fingers crossed you do not have a typhoon!

Hope dad doesn't have any respiratory problems as it'll be extra humid.
Maybe dad would like something different like getting on a ferry to outer islands, away from all the hustle and bustle or take the hydro to Macau to hang out in the casinos.

August very HOT in Hongkong high between 85 to 95 F.
Public transportations, shopping malls & buildings turn their ac pretty cold.

August is not a good month to visit HK in general but who knows what the weather going to be. Oppressive heat can be dangerous to an older person who is not used to that kind of weather. The rainstorm can be severe. I live in N. America and the rainstorms here are pale in comparison. The rainstorm there feels like buckets and buckets of water pouring over your head nonstop. You'll need a strong umbrella and a pair of rubber shoes if you do run into that kind of situation or you just stay in. There are excellent restaurants in HK.

In some place the ac can be icy cold. Bring a jacket.

If it gets bad for dad, www.flyvivamacau.com have good deals for flights down to Sydney or look at what jetstar has ex HK to Brisbane, maybe even Cairns, great time for there.

Or even www.tigerairways.com to Singapore and on to Bali will not be very expensive at all.

Thanks for the fast replies. My Dad is leaving the entire itinerary up to me, so I'm trying to find the middle road for both of us. From what I've read here and in guide books just walking around is a show in itself. I do like the idea of Macau .. will have to look into that tonight.
Vikinggirl

Macau being adjacent to HK shares similar weather pattern. If there is a heat wave in HK, you can expect the same in Macau.

If your father likes casino, he can stay inside while you go around on your own.

The weather here now is beautiful, no smog and no rain. If it does rain it will be for short bursts, usually late afternoon/early evening (summer doldrums). Temperature wise, Hong Kong is similar to Houston or New Orleans in August. But like the Gulf Area, there is plenty of A/C. Unlike there, in Hong Kong you can travel underground and avoid the heat altogether. It is not unbearable but you don't want to be doing a lot of walking outside. If does cool down at night, and the good news is that it is has been very cool this year compared to normal. The one must see is Victoria Peak - take a taxi up and ride the cable car down. The line to catch the cable car up can take hours, the taxi is not that much more expensive and it's a pretty scenic drive. If you are unlucky and hit a typhoon, don't worry, they aren't that bad and they blow through quickly.

If you go to Macau I recommend the Hotel Royal. It is in the heart of Old Macau. Stay in Old Macau and not Taipa (Venetian, etc.). The Cotai Strip on Taipa is a Vegas strip wannabe that is under construction, no character at all. If you've seen one Venetian, you've seen them both. If you haven't been to the Venetian in Vegas, the Venetian Macau is worth seeing but don't stay there. If you want to spend big money stay at the Mandarin Oriental - as opposed to the big casino hotels. The old city of Macau is very charming and definitely worth the trip over.

August isn't the best time of year to visit HK. It can be hot and humid with a typhoon being a possibility.

Don't count on going to Singapore or Macau to avoid the heat and humidity. Singapore is hot and humid year round. Macau's weather is usually the same as HK's.

You can easily go to Macau as a day trip, by sea. The journey time is approximately an hour each way. In Macau you can use HK currency, but they have their own which is not accepted in HK, so make sure to get your change in HKD. The closed MTR stop to where the Macau ferries arrive/depart is Sheung Wan.

There's lots to do in HK. Stanley, Victoria Peak, star ferry ride, the Giant Buddha, laser show, etc.

>The one must see is Victoria Peak

There is no cable car service to Victoria peak in Hongkong.
Take taxi or mini bus instead.
The company just released this:

For Immediate Release: The Peak Tram service resumes at 12 noon, July 9, 2009 (Thursday)(Hong Kong, 9 July, 2008) Peak Tramways Company, Limited is pleased to announce that the regular maintenance and haulage rope replacement work for the Peak Tram has been completed one day earlier than the original schedule and normal service will therefore be fully resumed at 12.00 noon on 9 July, 2009 (Thursday).

We trust this minimises any inconvenience that might have been caused by this essential work.

For enquiries, please call: (852) 2522 0922 (The Peak Tram Hotline) 7 am to 12 midnight (Mon - Sun & Public Holidays)
(852) 2849 0668 (The Peak Tower Customer Services Centre)
10 am to 11 pm (Mon - Fri) 8 am to 11 pm (Sat, Sun & Public Holidays)

Oops, the service has been suspended since Monday, July 6.

It is 11:48 am, Thursday, July 9, the cable car service will be resumed in 12 minutes.

Forgot, Lamma Island is also a great outing.

It is very hot and humid so limit the outdoor activities for your dad. Once you enter any building, there's usually AC (very strong AC, as many mentioned), so he could cool down a bit.

I really enjoyed the Museum of History... take the Star Ferry across the water to Kowloon. It is also quite scenic looking across the harbour back at Hong Kong itself.

There's also Lantau Island to see the Buddha statue but that would involve some time outdoor.

I’ve lived in Hong Kong for 9 years and generally the weather in Hong Kong in August is quite hot and humid and prone toward rain. We get about 90 inches of rain a year, and it all falls between April and September, so do the math. ChinaJim must live in a different Hong Kong than I do, because the rain <i>can</i> last for days on end. (The handover in July 1997 is good example of this, it rained for the virtually the entire 3 days of the ceremonies.) We also have fantastic thunderstorms. It rains so often and so much that the rain is graded into amber, red and black depending on how fast it is falling. A black rain is like a snow day, and schools and businesses close. We also have typhoons, which are a somewhat milder form of hurricane. It is too hot for a raincoat, but having an umbrella with you at all times is useful in August for either rain or the to keep the sun off of you. Shoes that can take rain and puddles is also helpful. (I find rubber boots too hot.)

Now all that being said, it probably will mostly just be hot and quite humid during your trip. Typhoons are statistically more frequent in September. But the humidity can be tough to take. If it rains or is overcast you may prefer this as it keeps the hot sun off of you. Just have your Dad go slowly, drink lots of water and take rests every once and a while. As noted above, lots of things are air conditioned, including public transport, so you can usually find relief from the heat. (And bring a sweater because the air con is freezing IMO.) The one good thing about summer is that the air pollution tends to be better than in the winter, although this year it has not been as clear as other years, esp the summer of 2007.

There are <i>tons</i> of things to do here besides shopping. There are several good museums here which would offer relief from heat and are quite interesting. 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. Also check the Hong Kong Tourism Board website at discoverhongkong.com for other ideas. If your Dad has any interest in WWII history, there are several WWII cemeteries here and you could also consider doing a walking tour with Jason Wordie, a local historian who has an interest in WW II history. See www.jasonswalks.com for info on his walks. He has written a couple of books on walks in Hong Kong which you can use for self-guided walks and include cemetery walks.

I have a list of restaurant recommendations for Hong Kong which is now 40-pages, which I am loathe to post here as I do not like the new format and the list is way too long anyway. I would be happy to e-mail it to you if you want to send me a message at [email protected]. It is broken down by view, no view, area, price and food type/region.

If you do decide to take your father along, give him 2-3 days to ease into the weather. Don't plan anything big for the first two days definitely.

I do that for myself when I go to Asia. The first two days are usually most difficult. Being jag lag does not help. I would also stay away from greasy food (pork is in most dishes) for the first couple of days.

It can be interesting walking in town without shopping. Taking the double-decker bus can be fun for some (climb the stairs and sit in the front). Coffee shops and restaurants are everywhere. Most tourist love taking the ferry back and forth between HK and Kowloon at night. You get the good views, breezes and it's cheap.

Thank you ALL for the great info. This will help me narrow down what we are going to do in HK. Cicerone I have sent you an email.

Best Wishes,

Vikinggirl18