Hi All,
Am planning a trip with a small group tour agency in April, 2006. Haven't yet settled on which one. One of the decisive factors: Begin/end in either Singapore or HK.
I am not a shopper, enjoy walking, preferred Kyoto to Tokyo (not a large city gal).
What do you suggest? Am tending towards HK, but open to change.
Thanks!

They are both big cities but Hong Konh is a much more interesting one in my opinion. Singapore is cleaner and more western.

Thanks Glorialf - that is the impression that I have been getting too from my reading.

There's still a lot of the cultural past to be found in Singapore. It all depends what you are looking for.

I agree with glorialf...they are both cities but there is no comparison in my opinion. Hong Kong offers so much more to do and is more Asian in ambiance. I too preferred Kyoto to Tokyo although both were interesting.Enjoy whatever you decide.

nieither really fits the kyoto style your looking for, I also consider kyoto to be one of my favorite cities in the world.. may'be a city like Bangkok or Beijing would be best suited for you but.. if I had too choose between your options I'd go for HK.

i've been to both places many times, and i prefer singapore, but, you can't go wrong with hk. haven't been back since reversion. gstg.

that should be....GSTQ.

I have lived in both and currently live in Hong Kong. Anyone who thinks Singapore is more "western' just makes me LOL, they take one look at Orchard Road and think they understand the culture. . .and I guess they haven't seen all the Starbucks in Hong Kong. . . I think people have the impression that Hong Kong is less Western, because to the untrained eye the immediate "Chineseness" of Hong Kong seems more apparent due to the huge neon street signs in Chinese hanging over the roads, and the fact that there are still a few old ladies and men riding around on bicycles.

Really either is a good choice, and neither is anything like Japan, although if you liked Japan the dirt and air pollution in Hong Kong may bother you a bit. Hong Kong will be really, really hot and humid in April, and Singapore will just be really hot. Hong Kong may be a bit rainier in April than Singapore, will depend a bit on luck. Take a look at weatherbase.com and worldclimate.com.

Singapore offers more in the way of a mix of cultures, esp the Peranakan culture of the Straits Chinese; they also have a significant Indian population, both of which contribute to the food and culture of the place. Hong Kong is more physically beautiful with the harbour and the mountains from which you can get stunning views. Singapore offers a better variety of Asian food, IMO, Hong Kong offers some more varied Chinese cuisine as you might imagine. Both have a few very good museums, and both offer classical and other musical events of very good quality. Singapore has made an effort to preserve areas of its recent colonial past (for bad or good, it was not always a pleasant colonial past), while in Hong Kong there are literally 1 or 2 buildings that are more than 100 years old and very few buildings that are more than 50 years old. There are no preserved areas like in Singapore, there is only the odd preserved building (like the Cathedral and the Tea Ware Museum). Both have areas where you can do walks, Hong Kong has some spectacular walks up on the Peak, and Singapore has preserved the area around the river and the padang (town green) cathedral, courthouse as well as a few other areas.

I do enjoy both cities. SIngapore is more "manageable" in that it's a smaller city. There is plenty to do in either place. Some people feel overwhelmed in Hong Kong, the sheer press of people and busy-ness. I love it, but not everyone does. Depending on what you are doing the rest of your trip, you may prefer someplace more or less busy. Singapore is a bit less expensive, especially for really good meals.