Just find a burned out warehouse,
take the kid there and say…
Oh no! Disneyland burned down!
Don’t forget about the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Macau (an hour and a bit by boat).
I recommend: Go to the races in Happy Valley by tram then eat on that street in Happy Valley that I forget the name of but ends at Blue Pool Road. Or is it Blue Pond Road? One’s in Islington and the other’s in HK.
You’ll see sod all from the Peak at this time of year. The tram is super though.
A wander around in the New Territories (there is a park there) or any of the islands is very nice but not wonderful in winter.
What about going down to Stanley market on the south of the island, buying some tat, then having a beer a some grub in Stanley. You could pop into the Repulse Bay hotel on the way back into town and have a good meal there whilst looking out onto the grey winter mist of Repulse Bay. (Sorry. It’s winter.)
The bars at the Ritz Carlton and Mandarin Oriental are nice and cozy and olde worlde wood panelling. Nice enough places to sip champagne cocktails and pretend to be Noel Coward, but hardly "must-do"s.
The only real “must-do” I can think of is to have several curries in the various curry houses (Chungking Mansions, the Officers’ Mess in LKF, and that place in Wanchai I can’t remember the name of - gee I’m useful eh? HGC?)
Is Water World open this time of year?
Disneyland’s full of mainland Chinese tourists I am told and not recommended by anyone except the people that run it.
When are you going? Soon?
I hate to say it but in winter your best plan is to get a good five-star hotel room in Central and spend most of the time humping the living daylights out of each other, venturing out only to eat curries and drink beer. A great way to spend 2 days.
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]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[/quote]
WAAAAAA!!! Darn, my cousin is 47 years old and it’s her first time overseas, so I thought I would suprise her. I think I may tell her before she comes so I can plan for it, as Ocean park is about a day trip. Thanks for the heads up.
[quote=“Namahottie”][quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]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[/quote]
WAAAAAA!!! Darn, my cousin is 47 years old and it’s her first time overseas, so I thought I would suprise her. I think I may tell her before she comes so I can plan for it, as Ocean park is about a day trip. Thanks for the heads up.[/quote]
Take her down to the Chung Tai Chan temple in Puli. Now that’s something to see.
Namahottie.
Hey! Ease up! I mean, it’s your cousins first trip overseas from where? Sorry, i’m not even clear where you are or her from. Umm, how to put this politely . . . umm, if Taiwanese, then hel;l, a photo with Mickey and his furry mates is a blast, no?
It’s not just for this reason though, I mean, if you have grown up in Asia then the colonial stuff is probably more interesting, and yes, maybe even Old America Street or whatever it’s called in Disneyland.
Agree with Miranda - several repeated musts, Stanley markets, Repulse Bay pub, I’ve heard of but not been (oh yes I have, nice drive around there and it’s an interesting spot . . . you can sit and ponder that some people are willing to pay ten times your or my salary (combined) to live there. HK Jockey Club - well, that’s Happy Valley race course (but races there are ONLY on Wednesday nights!).
Oh, and I’m not much more useful either, I can’t recall names of places here. Roads? Forget it. Probably something to do with not driving.
The Big Buddha on Lantau is a long haul (haof an hour by ferry - or an hour if you cop a slow one). Interesting road, if you like a 45 minute (one way) bus ride on a windy and often one lane road notorious for accidents. You may as someone else suggested, have something of a religious experience once you arrive (joking, the roads are not (quite) that bad.
Peng Chau Island is a pleasant surprise and nice to wander about for an hour or two.
Nightclubbing and bars in Wanchai and Lan Kwai Fung (or however they bastardise that pig language - oops, my bad).
For a good alternative to the messes Indian, try the south Indian Buffet (around HK$100 a head) at Kazah Kaazanah on Jaffe Road Wanchai over the road from Joe Banana’s. There’as also a new Jojos mess opened nearby.
Oh, and Stan is right, if you can, get to Macau, personally i like it way more than HK)
('Scuse the typos . . in extra haste).
HG
It’s actually quite interesting to get on the MTR and go somewhere just for the sake of it, get out, and wander about. Somewhere far from TST or Central. If you want to see what HK’s really like. That and a trip up to the NT, and a jaunt over to one of the islands. There’s plenty of greenery and nature in HK, it’s just a damn shame about the timing.
just bought a book today “top 10 hong kong” by fitzpatrick, gagliardi & stone, published by dorling kindersley. all writers have good background about hk. eyewitness top 10 travel guide series, pocket size, and quite like it. also, got confirmed reservation in a hotel somewhere @ tsim sha tsui area. I’m loaded now 
I have a 1/2 day to burn with my 3 1/2 year old. Any ideas of what might be interesting for her with that bit of time? We are spending a day at Disney and will hit Ocean Park another time.
The beach at Mui Wo or Pui O, or let them play in the sand while you tucker down at the Stoep. Far better than trotting them through the wretched madness of TST or some other filthy dung hole.
[quote]Lantau Island
The Stoep, Cheung Sha, Lantau: top location just above high tide line on one of Hong Kong’s best beaches, fine food (Mediterranean, and South African). The junk set seem to love it, with boatloads tucking into lunches on fine weekends and holidays, but it’s also a fine place to make for after a hike.[/quote]
HG
HGC, if we SEE you, we don’t HAVE to do you right?
You should definitely do me right, in any case i’ll do you right back.
HG
Things I like to do in HKG
- Rent bikes at Tai Po Market and go for a ride - cheap and you’ll see a side of HKG you never expected
- Go to Aberdeen, hire a walla-walla to take me to Lamma
- Go to Long Beach on Lantau - you can go by bus or ferry
- Go to the beach on Cheung Chau - take a ferry from terminal 5
- Go to Macau by hydrofoil and stuff myself at the Lorcha (and a pitcher of Sangria) located next to a cute maritime museum
- Go to Maxim’s Palace for Dimsum (this is hard core dimsum, bring a newspaper)
- Go to SOHOfor brunch with all the other expats - have a bloody mary or two
- If you want absolute madness, go to Mongkok - Do you need aquariums? Restaurant supplies? Building materials? Mahjong kits? Model kits (do you order your paint and supplies by cataloge no.?)?
HGC is right. Take your SO to Wanchai - it’s something you need to do once.
If anyone can give the best suggestion of HK hotel?
About 2000NT a night.
Thanks.
Perhaps neglected in peoples list of “things to do in Hong Kong with kids” is the Hong Kong park.
It was hot as hell and all I wanted to do was lay in the shade but she had a great time. If only we had these simple pleasures in Hsinchu.
Bring water as it’s a hike out from the playground.