Seeking advice on travel to Hong Kong over Christmas
Sep 9th, 2008, 07:19 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Seeking advice on travel to Hong Kong over Christmas
Our son is studying at Hong Kong University and we were hoping to visit him over the Holidays. We are complete neophytes and would welcome any advice. If we only have 10 days (total) for the trip is it advisable to try and visit Bejing as well? Is a packaged tour the most economical way to travel? Thank you~
Sep 9th, 2008, 07:57 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
you might look at cathy pacific for their 'deals'...
where do you live? that could make a difference also...
sounds like a good time to go....the HK buildings will be all lit up like nothing you have ever seen before...
i suspect that prices will be up for holdiay travel so be prepared for that...
look at the airline packages too to see what they offer...lots of choices for airlines, but again it may depend on where you live
where do you live? that could make a difference also...
sounds like a good time to go....the HK buildings will be all lit up like nothing you have ever seen before...
i suspect that prices will be up for holdiay travel so be prepared for that...
look at the airline packages too to see what they offer...lots of choices for airlines, but again it may depend on where you live
Sep 10th, 2008, 01:00 AM
#3
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 99
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I spent my '06 xmas in hong kong, and I loved it. Weather was perfect, neither hot nor cold.
Unlike in the US, people (families from grandparents to little kids) in hk come out to party on xmas eve. I remember the subway was so jam-packed that people couldn't even go in. Part of Nathan Road from the pier to Jordan Road was shut down.
I want to go this year. The cheapest ticket on kayak.com (SFO to HKG, 12/2-11 to 12/27, flying NWA) is $924, which is not bad.
Unlike in the US, people (families from grandparents to little kids) in hk come out to party on xmas eve. I remember the subway was so jam-packed that people couldn't even go in. Part of Nathan Road from the pier to Jordan Road was shut down.
I want to go this year. The cheapest ticket on kayak.com (SFO to HKG, 12/2-11 to 12/27, flying NWA) is $924, which is not bad.
Sep 11th, 2008, 11:48 AM
#7
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It's nice to visit Hong Kong during Christmas time. Weather does vary though. Not sure where you are from, the type of cold is different than what we have in Toronto or New York. It's more humid.
It's ideal for tourist - unlike North America where everything is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, most malls and restaurants are opened.
Consider visiting Macau as well. Ideally spend a night there. Many new hotels have opened up in the last year, like Venetian and MGM which resembles Las Vegas. If you don't like gambling, it's still a nice town to spend a day. You can take the ferry/ cruise from Central and it takes 2 hours to get there.
It's ideal for tourist - unlike North America where everything is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, most malls and restaurants are opened.
Consider visiting Macau as well. Ideally spend a night there. Many new hotels have opened up in the last year, like Venetian and MGM which resembles Las Vegas. If you don't like gambling, it's still a nice town to spend a day. You can take the ferry/ cruise from Central and it takes 2 hours to get there.
Sep 11th, 2008, 10:24 PM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 7,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I live in Hong Kong, and agree that December and Christmas is just a wonderful time to visit, as the weather is the best all year. I am a bit confused by the comment above that it is humid in December, as the humidity is in fact that lowest all year; you should be here now with relative humidity hovering around 90%. In December, it virtually never rains and temps are in the mid 70 F during the day, can be cooler at night. It is great shawl weather, a leather coat is also an option, but otherwise layering is fine for temp changes during the day. (Locals will be wearing winter coats, but you can ignore that, it’s “winter” for us!) See weatherbase.com and other websites for temperature information. I believe that the BBC website gives relative humidity stats. The air pollution is worse here in the winter, which can obscure views on some days.
I really have no advice on airlines/packages, it seems that prices are all over the place. You may get a good deal on airfare, but ask about the hotels in the packages, and then post them here and posters can offer thoughts on hotel choices. With your son in HKU, you don’t want to be on the Kowloon side, for example, as this is quite a distance and across the harbour from the HKU campus which is on Hong Kong Island, in a area to the west of downtown called Pokfulam. (IMO you don’t want to be on Kowloon side at all, but I digress.) The Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong Island would also be quite inconvient for the HKU campus. I would first ask your son if he can get you any accommodation <i>on campus</i>; the school has guest apartments at Robert Black college, and you may be able to get one, esp as school will not be in session during those days to the best of my knowledge. See http://www.hku.hk/rblack/accommodation/index.html
for information on staying at Robert Black, or ask your son to book, he may get a better rate or better access to rooms as a student booking. Otherwise, for real convenience, I would look at Le Meridien Cyberport, this will be quite near the school and has some great water views; it is not in downtown Hong Kong, but you can get a bus to the downtown areas relatively quickly (the hotel asl offers a limited shuttle service). See the main website for Le Meridien at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/index.html. The hotel is also near Aberdeen and the south side which is very lovely, esp in December for walking and hiking. (Hong Kong has some great easy walks and more challenging hikes, in the December weather walking/hiking are ideal). If you wanted to be more in the downtown area but also closer to the school, look at the Marriott Courtyard in Sheung Wan, see Marriott.com; or if you want a great hotel with budget not really an issue I would look at the Four Seasons. Otherwise, if you can provide a budget range, I can make some recommendations.
With 10 days, I would spend maybe 4-5 in Hong Kong, you can of course spend longer and there is a lot to do here, but I can understand wanting to go elsewhere. While Beijing will be quite cold, as long as you are dressed for it, IMO, it is a good time to go; fewer tourists and IMO the city is quite beautiful in winter, bare trees and maybe snow against the red walls. With a winter coat, boots anc gloves, IMO you would not have any issue, even on the Great Wall. See wethaerbase.com for an idea of temps, China is a course huge, but a good bit of it has cold winters, so you may encounter this wherever you decide to go. Macau for a day trip or overnight is fine, but I would not make the trip on Dec 24, 25 or 26 or a weekend – too crowded. Pick a weekday before or after Christmas, but even then you may encounter big crowds on the ferries, as lots of people have time off during that week.
If Beijing is too cold for your liking, Thailand is also a good option, Bangkok is an easy flight and offers a ton to see and do. Thailand would be in excellent weather then, although quite hot. The beach areas like Phuket will be quite expensive (and my already be booked ) for Christmas, but if you go after New Years (not sure when you trip is), you should find better prices. Singapore is also an easy flight and offers a lot to see and do, and will be hot with rain likely. Bali is another option, although it would be a bit on the rainy side then too (but you don’t go to Bali for beaches in any event). Hong Kong is actually quite conveniently located for seeing a good bit of SE Asia in a relatively short flight, so IMO it is really a matter of narrowing down your choices, and also deciding if winter temps are OK with you, and if so, then consider your options in the PRC. If you go to the PRC, and assuming you carry a US passport, you will need a visa (you do not need one for Hong Kong), so look into that at www.china-embassy.org. On the main page, click on "Visa and Passport" on the left, and read and follow the various instructions. You want a tourist visa, which is an L visa.. The visa costs a bout US$100 and takes a few weeks to obtain, you can get them here in Hong KOng, but with the holiday time you are here, you may not have enough time (PRC visa office will most likely be closed Dec 25 and 26.) You will not need a visa for Thailand, Singapore or Indonesida (Bali). See the visa requiremtsns for each country you may be considering at http://travel.state.gov/links.html.
I really have no advice on airlines/packages, it seems that prices are all over the place. You may get a good deal on airfare, but ask about the hotels in the packages, and then post them here and posters can offer thoughts on hotel choices. With your son in HKU, you don’t want to be on the Kowloon side, for example, as this is quite a distance and across the harbour from the HKU campus which is on Hong Kong Island, in a area to the west of downtown called Pokfulam. (IMO you don’t want to be on Kowloon side at all, but I digress.) The Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong Island would also be quite inconvient for the HKU campus. I would first ask your son if he can get you any accommodation <i>on campus</i>; the school has guest apartments at Robert Black college, and you may be able to get one, esp as school will not be in session during those days to the best of my knowledge. See http://www.hku.hk/rblack/accommodation/index.html
for information on staying at Robert Black, or ask your son to book, he may get a better rate or better access to rooms as a student booking. Otherwise, for real convenience, I would look at Le Meridien Cyberport, this will be quite near the school and has some great water views; it is not in downtown Hong Kong, but you can get a bus to the downtown areas relatively quickly (the hotel asl offers a limited shuttle service). See the main website for Le Meridien at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/index.html. The hotel is also near Aberdeen and the south side which is very lovely, esp in December for walking and hiking. (Hong Kong has some great easy walks and more challenging hikes, in the December weather walking/hiking are ideal). If you wanted to be more in the downtown area but also closer to the school, look at the Marriott Courtyard in Sheung Wan, see Marriott.com; or if you want a great hotel with budget not really an issue I would look at the Four Seasons. Otherwise, if you can provide a budget range, I can make some recommendations.
With 10 days, I would spend maybe 4-5 in Hong Kong, you can of course spend longer and there is a lot to do here, but I can understand wanting to go elsewhere. While Beijing will be quite cold, as long as you are dressed for it, IMO, it is a good time to go; fewer tourists and IMO the city is quite beautiful in winter, bare trees and maybe snow against the red walls. With a winter coat, boots anc gloves, IMO you would not have any issue, even on the Great Wall. See wethaerbase.com for an idea of temps, China is a course huge, but a good bit of it has cold winters, so you may encounter this wherever you decide to go. Macau for a day trip or overnight is fine, but I would not make the trip on Dec 24, 25 or 26 or a weekend – too crowded. Pick a weekday before or after Christmas, but even then you may encounter big crowds on the ferries, as lots of people have time off during that week.
If Beijing is too cold for your liking, Thailand is also a good option, Bangkok is an easy flight and offers a ton to see and do. Thailand would be in excellent weather then, although quite hot. The beach areas like Phuket will be quite expensive (and my already be booked ) for Christmas, but if you go after New Years (not sure when you trip is), you should find better prices. Singapore is also an easy flight and offers a lot to see and do, and will be hot with rain likely. Bali is another option, although it would be a bit on the rainy side then too (but you don’t go to Bali for beaches in any event). Hong Kong is actually quite conveniently located for seeing a good bit of SE Asia in a relatively short flight, so IMO it is really a matter of narrowing down your choices, and also deciding if winter temps are OK with you, and if so, then consider your options in the PRC. If you go to the PRC, and assuming you carry a US passport, you will need a visa (you do not need one for Hong Kong), so look into that at www.china-embassy.org. On the main page, click on "Visa and Passport" on the left, and read and follow the various instructions. You want a tourist visa, which is an L visa.. The visa costs a bout US$100 and takes a few weeks to obtain, you can get them here in Hong KOng, but with the holiday time you are here, you may not have enough time (PRC visa office will most likely be closed Dec 25 and 26.) You will not need a visa for Thailand, Singapore or Indonesida (Bali). See the visa requiremtsns for each country you may be considering at http://travel.state.gov/links.html.
Sep 12th, 2008, 05:41 AM
#9
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cicerone,
I lived in Hong Kong for 15 years and now lived in Toronto. I still visit HK once in awhile. Comparing to cities like Toronto or New York, while the temperature is not as low in Hong Kong...the kind of coldness you feel is very different.
While Dec is the least humid in HK, it is still much more humid than here. (Agan, I don't know where Betsee is from). If you know what I mean... 10 degrees in Hong Kong feels much colder than 10 degrees in NYC. Regardless, it's nice to be in HK during December time.
I lived in Hong Kong for 15 years and now lived in Toronto. I still visit HK once in awhile. Comparing to cities like Toronto or New York, while the temperature is not as low in Hong Kong...the kind of coldness you feel is very different.
While Dec is the least humid in HK, it is still much more humid than here. (Agan, I don't know where Betsee is from). If you know what I mean... 10 degrees in Hong Kong feels much colder than 10 degrees in NYC. Regardless, it's nice to be in HK during December time.
Sep 18th, 2008, 06:21 AM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This was my first post and I am very grateful for all your advice. We are flying out from the Boston area, so cold in Winter is not a problem. However the bigger obstacle is the sticker shock at the airfare for the Holidays(1900+), and so now we are looking at November, when the flights seem to be more in the range of 1000.00. We will miss the excitement of Christmas, but reality intrudes...
Sep 18th, 2008, 07:36 AM
#13
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,396
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Betsee, I think you will find that the fares (for HKG) will increase if you depart from Boston after December 10 (+ or - a day or two). If you are in HK in early December, you will certainly get a feel for Christmas, as the building facades on the TST promenade and elsewhere in town will have their Christmas lights up.
Sep 18th, 2008, 07:50 AM
#14
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 23,073
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, coach fares are very high from about Dec 12.
However, if you don't mind paying a little more, Continental usually have business class fare sale for that period. It's been just under $3,000 from EWR, perhaps about the same from BOS.
That's a very very good deal, as fares are usually around $8,000.
However, if you don't mind paying a little more, Continental usually have business class fare sale for that period. It's been just under $3,000 from EWR, perhaps about the same from BOS.
That's a very very good deal, as fares are usually around $8,000.
Sep 18th, 2008, 02:04 PM
#15
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,396
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That's a great deal, rkkwan; I didn't realize that they offered such low fares.
From Boston, the rules say that you have to use the Newark-HKG non-stop (the connecting flight from BOS is of course included in the fare). You have to fly to HKG between Dec 16 and Dec 31, and you have to return HKG-BOS between Dec 25th and Jan 10th. Fare is $3038 +tax (round-trip). Looks like seats would be available on many (but not all) dates (you need R booking class, for those who care about such things).
From Boston, the rules say that you have to use the Newark-HKG non-stop (the connecting flight from BOS is of course included in the fare). You have to fly to HKG between Dec 16 and Dec 31, and you have to return HKG-BOS between Dec 25th and Jan 10th. Fare is $3038 +tax (round-trip). Looks like seats would be available on many (but not all) dates (you need R booking class, for those who care about such things).
Sep 18th, 2008, 04:33 PM
#16
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 23,073
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Correct. These are "R" class fares. They are non-refundable with a pretty hefty change fees. And you only earn 100% EQM, not 150%.
That's the nature of the fares on the HKG route. During peak business periods like Spring and Fall (especially during the Canton Fair in April and October), business fares can run as high as $10,000 while coach is about $900-$1,000. Then for Christmas, you are talking about $3,000 vs $2,000. Crazy.
There is also business class fare sale during Chinese New Year period.
That's the nature of the fares on the HKG route. During peak business periods like Spring and Fall (especially during the Canton Fair in April and October), business fares can run as high as $10,000 while coach is about $900-$1,000. Then for Christmas, you are talking about $3,000 vs $2,000. Crazy.
There is also business class fare sale during Chinese New Year period.
Sep 18th, 2008, 05:33 PM
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cicerone, Thank you for taking the time to go into such detail. I will check with our son and look into your suggestions...
May I ask for followup on your comment "IMO you don’t want to be on Kowloon side at all, but I digress"?
Also in response to the budget: We really are trying to make this trip as affordable as possible,so would venture to say I don't see business class as an option(tempting as it sounds.)
May I ask for followup on your comment "IMO you don’t want to be on Kowloon side at all, but I digress"?
Also in response to the budget: We really are trying to make this trip as affordable as possible,so would venture to say I don't see business class as an option(tempting as it sounds.)
