Singapore or Hong Kong for Christmas?
 

What do you think? We'll have a week or so. We've been to Thailand, Vietnam and Beijing in that part of the world and are looking for someplace different to go. Thanks for your opinions and advice! :)

A starting point would be to look at the discussion under the heading

On our way to Bali, we have a stopover. But where?

lower down the page. (Or use the search function to find it).

One week seems far too much for Singapore, and is more time than most people spend in Hong Kong, although I don't think I'd have trouble filling that time.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

Hong Kong! Weather is so great at Christmas, in the mid 70s and sunny. All the skyscrapers and stores decorate with neon lights to a mind-numbing extent, it is something to see. I have to say that Christmas Eve walking along the quay in Kowloon is one of the most memorable experiences I had in 10 years living in Asia. There are literally tens of thousands of people out just strolling and having fun. As it is not really a religious holiday for most Hong Kongers, people are not at home having family dinners or going to church. Christmas Day and the day after (Boxing Day) are public holidays so people are in a vacation mood. Also, you could have a turkey and trimmings dinner at most of the hotels. As it is winter there (about 65 degrees and sunny, best time of year) this may feel more "Christmassy" to you than having turkey in 80 degree heat in Singapore. You can attend midnight mass at a number of churches and cathedrals.

I lived in S'pore for 5 years and am a big fan of the place. The store fronts will be heavily decorated too at Christmas, esp Orchard Road, and you can go to midnight mass in the cathedral on the Padang. All that being said, as you will just have come from a hot and humid place, you might enjoy the really marvellous weather in Hong Kong in December. It is a great time of year for hiking either on Hong Kong Island or taking on all or part of the famous MacLehose Trail and Wilson Trails which are 100 km and 50 km in length respectively, but are broken up into sections, many of which can be done in a few hours. Due to the mountainous terrain, all the walks offer spectacular city, mountain and/or harbour views. One of the local bookstores in Hong Kong should have the trail map and other walking books. A helpful website run by an ex-pat hiking enthusiast in Hong Kong is hkcrystal.com/hiking (you can even join one of his hikes). It is also a prime time of year for taking a boat trip to see the pink dolphins.

Most shops and restaurants will be closed on Christmas Day and boxing Day, but the hotels all have special meals those days. Everything is back to normal by the 27th.

i have not been in singapore at christmas, but have been in HK....the lites are not to be believed...whole sides of hi-rise buildings are lit up with animated pictures...its magical...

same is true for chinese new years...

Hong Kong tickets are booked! Where should we stay? :) Cheap is better, of course, but we want someplace nice in a good location. Are New Year's Eve and Day holidays there?

Great pick, you will have a ball! New Year's Eve is not a holiday, but many people only work a half day. Shops and restaurants will be open as usual. New Year's Day is a holiday. Most things will be closed, but you may find some restaurants open.

For hotels, can you give me an idea of your price range? Also take a look at the "hotels" picks on this site as chosen by Fodors and rated by Fodorites. Most people prefer to either be on Hong Kong Island or on the water or a block or two in from the harbour on the Kowloon side.

I can suggest three budget-range hotels which I have stayed at.

Bishop Lei International House. The hotel is in midlevels which makes it very convenient. The rooms are small but very nice, and the location is good, in a residential neighborhood near the top of the escalator and on a bus route. It is just above the zoo in the botanical gardens and you can hear the orang utans in the morning, quite unusual in the middle of the city. . . Many of the rooms have great views over the city and the harbor. Their website is bishopleihtl.com. Their phone and fax are phone : 852-2868-0828 fax: 852-2525-1551.

YMCA Salisbury Road, 41 Salisbury Road Tsim Sha Tsui. (Kowloon) This is a great place, fantastic location, it gets good reviews on this site. It is more like a 4 star hotel. Rooms on the Salisbury Road side have fantastic harbour views. Website for YMCA hotels in Asia is /www.ymca-hotels.com/

YMCA Garden View International House. Very-well located in midlevels at 1 Macdonnell Road.

There are hotels in more budget price ranges a bit further out.
Also take a look at asia-hotels.com; a good source for hotels in Asia. You can search Hong Kong and then sort by price. I have never booked with them, so can't comment on their service, but if you aren't comfortable booking with them, get a quote from them, and then can contact the hotel directly and ask them to match or beat the price.

If you have any points with a Chain like Marriott or Hilton, etc. see what you can get, as all the chains are here.

take a look at the kowloon hotel...it is owned by the peninsula and is right behind it...small room but you couldn't have a better location

Thanks! I'd like to get a decent double for less than $100 per night, $50 would be better but we don't want to stay in a dump. I read that we should expect to pay $150 per night for something decent??? I'd like it clean, fairly quiet, centrally located, close to public transportation and would pay a bit more for cool views. Breakfast included is a plus.

I'm thinking we'll spend a few days exploring the main island, a few around Kowloon and maybe daytrips to other islands or inland to villages. I'm already thinking a week won't be enough! Why do people think a few days will suffice?

What are the pros and cons of staying on Hong Kong island versus Kowloon (south side by the harbor)?

Thanks again! :)

The debate between staying on Hong Kong Island vs. Kowloon on this site is a great as the debate between Positano vs. Amalfi on the Europe board?.everyone has a view. Here is mine.

Kowloon has the picture perfect view of Hong Kong Island. When you see postcards and pictures of Hong Kong with the skyscrapers against the mountains, they are all taken from the Kowloon side. Hotels are somewhat cheaper on this side as well, esp. if you go to the outlying districts beyond Kowloon. Nathan Road which has all the camera and watch shops, is on the Kowloon side. (By the way, not cheaper than the US, please don't waste any time here.) The famous "Hong Kong tailors" who will run up a suit for you in 2 days are for the most part on the Kowloon side. Two famous hotels, the Peninsula and the Intercontinental (formerly the Regent) are on the Kowloon side. Some huge shopping complexes, like Ocean Terminal are on this side. There is a very good and large fixed-price Chinese emporium here as well, China Arts and Crafts (on Salisbury Road a few steps from the Star Ferry Terminal at Kowloon).

Hong Kong Island is where the stock exchange and the big banks and companies are located. The large majority of expatriate Americans live on Hong Kong Island. The Peak is here, and from the Peak and surrounding mountains you will get incredible views of the city, the harbour and the mountains of China in the background. The island has many interesting neighbourhoods, and the back side of the island has Repulse Bay, Stanley and Shek-O, which has great beaches and Stanley is like a sleepy little village with good bargain shopping and restaurants.

For the most part, you will be sightseeing on Hong Kong Island, so if you stay in Kowloon, you have to take the Star Ferry or the subway over each day. This will add time to your trip. Of course the Star Ferry is wonderful and any excuse to take it is good, but may get tiring after a week.

Kowloon does have some sightseeing like the old bird market, the ladies night market and some temples, but for the most part it is heavily residential and industrial. If you want to do serious hiking, the MacLehose Trail and part of the Wilson Trail are on the Kowloon side; but much further out, so there is no real advantage to staying in Kowloon just to get to the hiking in Sai Kung. There is also very good hiking on Hong Kong Island itself.

If you want to go to outlying islands like Lamma, Lantau or to Macau, the ferries all leave from the Hong Kong Island side, so bear this is mind.

All in all, I prefer to stay on Hong Kong Island. However, others will have different views, and as noted, you will find cheaper hotels on the Kowloon side. You really can?t make a wrong decision either way; neither side has any crime to speak of, so safety is not an issue.

Hi Peep!
Glad to hear you're planning another SE Asia trip!
Also happy you decided for HK. Much more interesting than Singapore, especially for almost a week.

Cicerone summed everything so wonderfully up, so there is nothing to add.
Whether Kowloon or HK Island is really very personal comparable to the same thing in Paris: Left Bank or Right Bank. Each side has its advantages and disadvantages. But it does not really matter and the Star Ferry is quick and a lot of fun.
Personally, I prefer the Kowloon side, but I can't really say why. It's just so!
Enjoy your trip planning. Greetings to Munich. :)

Thanks again! The island sounds a bit more convenient. I'll check out some hotels and see what I can find. :)

Do take a look at the Bishop Lei. I was just on their website and they are currenly charging US$72 for a "Harbour View Suite" which is a very nice 1 bedroom. Small bedroom and bathroom, with a separate living room area with small sofa, dining table and shelves(which helps make up for the small closet space). Great view.

Their standard non-view doubles are US$2.

Rates could go up slightly at Christmas, but I still htink you would get the suite for less than US$100 a night.

I really like this hotel, it is in a nice residental neigborhood with some restaurants, and you can walk to the escalator to get down into the Hollywood Road Area, SoHo or Central, or take a bus (stops right outside the door) down the hill to Central in about 10 minutes.

Sorry, the Bishop Lei standard non-view doubles are US$42.

Thanks! I'll go for the Bishop Lei, Salisbury YMCA or Kowloon Hotel. They all look good and if they're all available I'm going to have a miserable time deciding which one! :)

Peep!
In Hongkong, I'd really opt for a room with a harbour view.
It's breathtaking, especially at night and from the Kowloon side.
I think, it's worth the extra cost.

Maybe this helps to narrow down. :-?

If I were you, I'd stay at the Y on Salisbury Road. It is in a great location. Bishop Lei and Y on MacDonnell Road are in good locations too BUT this is x'mas, and if you are going to be out late, it will be much easier to get back to the Salisbury Road hotel. Neither the Bishop or Y on MacDonnell will be reachable by public transport at night since both of those are in residential neighborhoods. If you walk out from the Y on Salisbury, you will be 5 mins away from the busiest places on x'mas night!

Actually, we'll arrive on the 26th, so we'll miss Christmas. We don't tend to stay out really late and don't mind walking a lot. Bishop Lei is within walking distance of the train station or ferry, isn't it?

The Bishop Lei is not really within walking distance of the train station or ferry, as it is about halfway up the Peak. You can take a bus to the main bus station (which is in front of the Airport Express Train Station) from the hotel in about 15 minutes. You could also take a taxi down in about 10m minutes, it would cost no more than HK$40 (US$5).

The YMCA on Salisbury Road is also a good choice, and is better location-wise for getting to the ferry, etc. Views are also good from here. Maybe you should try both and see what rates and types of rooms you can get in December. That may help with the decision.

The Kowloon Hotel mentioned above is also a good hotel, but there are no views that I know of. Their dim sum restaurant in the basement is excellent, do try it even if you don't stay in the hotel.

Which would you choose? :)
Bishop Lei - harbor view suite for a total of 91 euros per night for 2, booked through the hotel
or
YMCA Salisbury - harbor view room for 94 euros per night booked through planetholiday.com
Decisions decisions! :)

By the way, can't you take the escalator up to Bishop Lei?