Apart from shopping and eating, can you recommend something really good to do or see in HK?I’m going with my girl for a quick 2 days.We’ll be in Kowloon. Help me have a great trip(I don’t really like HK).
Hi! I had the same impression about HK like you before. I just got back from HK with my husband. Well, people there are not so polite but I have to say that I had a lot of fun there. We went to Ocean park and it was a lot of fun. I think there is no place like Ocean park in Taiwan, at least I do not know about it.
The obvious: go to HK island and Victoria Peak (use that railway thing to go up), perhaps in the evening for a romantic dinner.
really? i found people there to be quite friendly. and ocean park? skip it. skip the one in taiwan too. and the zoo. bunch of crap that is.
as for HK goto the islands. there’s trails, swimming, beaches, hills. have a picnic on the reservoir trail.
have a ball eating all the good food. much more variety and quality.
good nightclubs (but expensive)
go do silly touristy stuff like having dinner on that floating restaurant boat where they serve seafood (not the best, but it’s the ambience that counts)
go to stanley market, shop around a little then go to the adjacent boardwalk.
go to some temples and stuff. Wong Tai Sin for eg.
take a ride on the old tram. bring a camera. buy a camera there. electronics can be much cheaper (if you dont get ripped off)
theatre, opera, plays, musicals… I once found a showing of Antonini’s film about China in the 70s.
go silly.
I have to second everything Jack said - I lived there a few years back and aside from a few places with sentimental value, those would what I’d go do. On the topic of the Outlying Islands, I can’t recommend Lamma Island enough; the place is phenomenal… quiet, cosy, beautiful, a complete change from HK Island and Kowloon.
I’d say outer islands but head to Mei Wo on Lantau. Bring your swimmers if its warm. After a swim, head up to the China Beach Club for lunch. Superb.
HG
Chialintsai,
I’m not sure if you liked the rides or the aquarium part of Ocean Park.
I’m not sure there’s any place that has the dolphin shows, but you can get amusement park rides at places like Jianfushan Fancy World near Chiayi and the aquarium at Kenting is world-class.
Walk the Wilson’s Trail at Tai Koo station, HK island. The city is just 5 mins’ walk away but you can’t see it once you start getting up the hill. There is a Kuanyin temple off the Trail, a forest of pine trees with massive boulders, and some WWII charcoal stoves built for mass cooking that were never used.
Visit Sai Kung, a quiet fishing village/harbour, and gateway to the massive Sai Kung country parks. HK village-style houses on the way. The seafood can be expensive so stick to fried rice, noodles, etc. You take a minibus from Choi Hung MTR. 1h from TST.
Visit Shek O, an almost mediterranean style village on HK island with a wonderful beach. You take a minibus or bus from Shaukeiwan MTR. Est. 1h from TST.
Go swimming at Kowloon Park. It’s a public swimming pool but has a number of pools to laze around in. This is right next to TST MTR. Walk from TST.
I second all recommendations to go see the islands. All are different. Budget 1-2 hours for ferries, ie waiting time as well as actual transport time. There are hiking trails, which are easiest to find on Lamma, followed by Lantau.
Visit the Big Buddha on Lantau. This closes at 4 so you have to start off early. It’s just a buddha but the journey there is wonderful and the vegetarian food served at the temple delicious. You can walk down to the ferry area past other temples.
If you’re game, don’t just go visit the Peak by funicular. Don’t bother with the shopping mall up there; keep going upwards about 40 mins to get to the highest point possible. The route there is somewhere slightly behind the Peak Cafe (nice food). No people, better views.
Or walk the circuit, and then walk all the way down. There is a way down from around the bus terminus, marked by a barrier to cars.
I highly recommend high tea at the Hong Kong Peninsula. Women love it, your gf will too. It’s about the cheapest thing you can do in terms of living the good life in HK.
horse racing
[quote=“Maoman”]I highly recommend high tea at the Hong Kong Peninsula. Women love it, your gf will too. It’s about the cheapest thing you can do in terms of living the good life in HK.
[/quote]
If you like high tea, I recommend the Shangri-la library, the Ritz Carlton, or for a really nice sea view and very ‘colonial’ service, the one at the Repulse Bay Hotel (can’t remember its name). The Peninsula high tea is a tourist trap in my opinion - hideously overpriced, crowded and you’re basically eating in a noisy lobby with an occasional waft of music. It was literally the worst afternoon tea I had while I lived there, although your experiences may vary 
The Peninsula is worth a look though, if only for the fountain and the fleet of Rolls-Royces out the front.
For shopping Shanghai Tang is lovely (Central, next to the MTR) - sort of fusion Chinese fashion with antique furniture on display backing cheongsams of lime green. Divine silks. And for the supremely tacky, a visit to the Hello Kitty cafe, if it’s still in business. Where else can you get a toasted sandwich in the shape of Hello Kitty’s face and take a knife and fork to it? 
God, how could I have forgotten to recommend Po Lin monastery and the Big Buddha… hell, one visit to that place swung little ol’ apathetic me most of the way to Buddhism. Nothing particular that happened there, just being there.
plan to go to HK during 2006 Lunar New Year (28 jan - 31 jan 2006)
Is it really a good time? wouldnt be any inconvenience spending days around this period?
any input appreciated.
They have a parade during lunar newyear but I wouldn’t advise on going there that time of the year … airport will be crowded … everything will be crowded …
Anyways, if there you should try out the longest escalator (HK island) in Asia, going from sea level to the mid levels, underway up you’ll pas some nice coffeeshops, restaurants and bars, getting at the start of the escalator is possible with the historic dubbledeck tram way, but right now I can’t recall the stop you should get off.
It’s damned cold at that time of the year, but actually it shouldn’t be that crowded. HK only has something like four days leave for the new year and most people clear off - just like in Taiwan.
Erh, not on the tourist trail, but the Fenwick night club is worth a visit. Fenwick St and Lockhart Road, Hong Kong. Umm, with or without your partner.
Other ideas:
(1) Visit Shenzhen/Shekou or Zhuhai. Seriously! Do your shopping there. You can get a boat there from ther Macau ferry wharf, or train to Lo Wu (Shenzhen (China) Get your visas at the border 9as long as you are not a yank!)
(2) Head to Peng Chau island for a Thai feed at the Foresters Arms.
(3) Head to Sai Kung.
(4) Curry at the Chungking - any mess will do.
(5) Try and close a lift door on someone’s face - it’s a local sport.
(6) Skip Disney, it’s crap. Ocean Park is way better.
HG
BP & HG, thanks for the tip. cold would be better than shower anyway, it’s about 15 deg C from what I read. speaking about chungking, I guess it’s the setting used in wong kar wai’s chungking express. have some ideas on touring the city, still writing to do list.
That’s in Wang Chai, right?
I wouldn’t bring a partner anywhere near there. 
Josefuss, yes, it is in Wan Chai. Cnr Lockhart and Fenwick street. It is an absolute eye-opener. Taking a partner is cool, dance, have fun, people spot . . . and you’ll also not get hit on . . . well quite so often!
Umm, of course ensure your partner is fully aware that you are entering perhaps HK’s largest freelance working girl bar first! Still, it’s often a good thing to occasionally remind your beloved that there is some very serious competition out there. I’m no player, I tend to talk and leave alone . .but the girls are usually very nice - Philipinos, Thais, Indonesians mostly. You could call it the rather shitty way to pull the single-parent pension. One of the first things I ask is how many kids do you have. it’s a great line cos it defuses the lets go and shag immediately and also sets you up to talk more honestly.
On my reckoning, at least 75% of the women are there cos their bastard bloke’s left 'em with a kid and offering no support.
Still, it can be fun.
kolibri:
It’s already down to around 11 degrees C today . . . shudder! Like Taiwan it can plummet to single digits, seriously!
That be the place, though they’ve cleaned it up . . . no seriously, they have!
Just to add, I’ve still not been, but Stanley markets are supposed to be very good. And RichardM, is on the erh, money. Wednesday night horse racing at Happy Valley’s a buzz.
There’s a hotels thread somewhere else where I sugggested the Silvermine Beach hotel. . it’s good option if hiking is more your bag than the Fenwick. Last ferry to Mui Wo is 3am … if you missed the one prior to that boogying at Fenwick, you will miss the 3am for sure, and then, heaven help you, you’ll have to wait to 6-7:30 depending on the day. That could involve hanging in the Strawberry . . shudder again.
"Too many times I’ve seen the sun come up through bloodshot eyes this week . . . " (name that tune!)
Bestest.
HG
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]
(6) Skip Disney, it’s crap. Ocean Park is way better.
HG[/quote]
Please don’t tell me that Disney is that bad. I’ve been working my arse off to take me and my cousin in Jan. I’ve already been to Ocean Park 2x
Namahottie.
Sorry, but for me at least, unless your cousin is a 5 year old girl, I have to say it aint worth it. Ocean Park is so much better, erh, and you’ve been there. Disney is tiny, I went wth a yank that explained all the difference between Disneyworld/parks etc. The HK thing isn’t really complete. It’s not as large as say the Japanese one and I figure they opened early to milk early mainland interest.
Seriously, unless having your photo shot with Mickey and the crew is your bag, and of course buying outrageously overpriced merchandise, it is crap.
Mind you there are some amazing theme parks across in Shenzhen.
Not at hand at the moment but if you want to PM me I’ll dig 'em up.
HG