What time is it? Hong Kong Time! (Sights & Attractions in Hong Kong)

Member Name: ukusa

Product:	Sights & Attractions in Hong Kong
Date:	25/08/06 (551 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An Interesting Combination of Old World and New World, Shopping, Cost

Disadvantages: LOTS of people!!!

Lights, Action, Old World vs. New World, Shopping! These were all the things that I had in my mind as I prepared for my 4 day visit to Hong Kong. All that I knew about Hong Kong came from movies that stared Jackie Chan or James Bond. Was it a Fairy Tale illusion??

~Arrival~

Upon landing at Hong Kong International airport, I prayed that the pilot would make sure and turn the correct way as the airport is located on a reclaimed island mass. The water's edge is easily seen as your land! Immigration was quick and easy. There was the standard immigration card to fill out which was given to us before we even boarded the plane. So, I had it filled out before we left Singapore. We found the arrivals hall MASSIVE!! If you do not have prebooked transport to your hotel, don't worry as there are a large variety of services offered from standard bus to limousine services. As our transport was part of a package, we checked in with our rep and then proceeded to the Hotelink Transport desk. After waiting 15 minutes, we departed on a coach. The Hotelink coach was very roomy. Seats have been removed every other room giving loads of leg room and large comfy seats. The height of the bus also gave great views as we drove to Hong Kong Island.

We arrived at sunset, therefore as we drove to our hotel, we got our first taste of Hong Kong lights! It was amazing to see! It was Christmas time and the Hong Kong skyline at Christmas is spectacular! While in Singapore, we had seen on tv the HK skyline and I felt like a little kid as we passed the light show! Skyscrapers covered in Christmas light displays to amazing proportions! I felt a little overwhelmed and in awe at the sight I was seeing. I would imagine that the famous skyline would be just as wonderful during the other times of the year.

The people!!! That was the second thing I noticed! There were people EVERYWHERE!!! I thought that it was because it was "rush hour". However, we were later to learn that this was not the entire case. There are people everywhere!! We soon learned to call our hotel room "Our Little Oasis of Calm".

We were the last to arrive at our hotel, the Park Lane, which was located across from Victoria Park. We were very happy with our room which offered us views of both the beautiful Victoria Park and the harbour.

~Things to Do~

We soon realised that there was too much in HK that we wanted to do for the 4 days we were to be in HK. We had to make a priority list. In our time, this is what we were able to squeeze in:

-Victoria Peak-
Victoria Peak is called the "back of the dragon". It rises high above Hong Kong Island and gives spectacular views of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. They say the best time to go is at sunset and evening as you get to see the skyline in lights. We decided to do it in the morning as we had other plans for the night skyline. The easiest way to get to the Peak is by the Peak Tram. This tram travels the 378 metres up the peak on a system that has been running since 1888. It is very safe and cheap. For the best views, go for the front right side if possible. A return adult ticket on the tram cost HK$40 which is about £3.50. It runs daily from 7 am to12 midnight and there is a tram every 10-15 minutes. Once at the top, go to the top of the shopping centre for more great views and pictures. If you do any shopping in the centre, the top floors have the cheapest prices. As you go down floors, the cost of the same items goes up!!

-Star Ferry-
The Star Ferry is a must do! It has been running for over a century and is a cheap and easy way of getting back and forth from Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Further more, it gives wonderful views of both HK Island and Kowloon. It takes about 5 minutes to cross Victoria Harbour and cost about 20p to go upper deck, first class!!!

Star Ferry also offers harbour tours. The entire length of the journey is 1 hour. However, they do have a hop-on, hop-off scheme that allows you to get on and off at 4 different stops. We decided to do this one at night and we got some great video footage of the Christmas lights by doing this. Star Ferry offers 3 different packages:
Day Hopping Pass- HK$150- approx. £11.50
Half-day Hopping Pass- HK$65- approx. £6.00
Single Ride Day Round Trip- HK$40- approx. £3.50

-Stanley Market-
Stanley is located on the southern shores of Hong Kong Island. It can be easily gotten too by bus or taxi. We opted for the taxi and it cost us about HK$200 return- approx. £16. I believe the bus was about HK$18 return- approx. £1.50. The bus does take longer and if you are on a tight schedule, I would suggest the taxi as it is quick and easy. NO STRESS! The trip will take about ½ by taxi. Stanley Market is the place to find silk garments, sportswear, art, Chinese costume jewellery, other souvenirs and a host of fantastic bargains. It is here that I did most of my shopping. The bargains were great! However, just a word of warning, here you will see A LOT of western tourist. The place was crawling with Brits and Americans at every turn. However, I did find it one of my more pleasant shopping experiences in HK. After our shopping spree, we walked to the harbour to a nice little pub and had a drink to cool off.

-Floating Restaurants-
The floating restaurants are located in Abredeen Harbour. We decided on the Jumbo Kingdom Restaurant. This one is an internationally known tourist restaurant. When you get to Abredeen Harbour, you must take a boat to the restaurant. There are several to choose from. Just a word of warning- Each restaurant offers FREE boat service to and from the restaurant. However, there are locals in Sampans that will via for your business and take you to the restaurant for a price. I am not sure how much they cost and if this is something you want to do than do it. But, just know that you can get back and forth without extra cost.
I was impressed by the Jumbo. We went for lunch and they were very accommodating and attentive. I ordered a baked crab. No sooner than I had put a piece of shell down, they were removing my plate and putting a clean one down!!! Also note, that fried rice and noodles come separate. However, one order could easily feed 2-4 people. Warning, all I ever saw was chop sticks to eat with. We were fine with that, but I am sure if you are really stuck, you could ask for western silverware!! This was our most expensive meal. We had the whole nine yards- appetizers to desert with various drinks for a shocking £60!!!! The same meal in the same type of restaurant in the UK would have been MUCH, MUCH more!! Yes, the whole concept was a bit touristy. However, it was a very enjoyable experience.


~Shopping~

Hong Kong Island and Kowloon have fantastic malls and shopping centres. We literally spent an entire day in Kowloon going from one mall to the next doing shopping. Way too much! However, the prices were amazing and it was enjoyable seeing products that were a little different. We really didn't buy anything major in Hong Kong. However, the prices are good if you are looking for good deals on electronics!

~Expos~

Hong Kong seems to be the Expo King. While there we went to 2. We went to a Baby Expo and I saw lots of things I wanted and bought a load of other name brand clothes and toys! I now wish I had bought the pram I liked and had it shipped home as it was only 1/3 the price it is here in the UK. We also went to the 40th annual Products Expo in Victoria Park. This is like 600 infomercials all happening at one time!!! The people of Hong Kong went crazy over this expo and it was a sight to see. We got to see some new and unusual products that I am sure we will see here in England very soon!

If you do have any extra time, go over to the convention centre to see what Expos are happening and maybe partake in one. I found them very interesting. While you are there, the convention centre is right on the harbour and the top floors give some amazing views of Kowloon!!

~Light Show~

Because we were there during the Christmas season, we were able to view the spectacular light show that occurred each night at 8:00! On top of the masses of Christmas lights on the buildings, there was a laser show and fireworks. It was a very impressive sight and well worth the time to see it.

~Double Decker Tram~

This is something my husband really wanted to do. It is very cheap at only HK£2 per trip- appox. 20p. I must say it WAS an experience!!! It is very small with low ceilings and gets very cramped very fast. We are glad we tried it but decided it wasn't our way of traveling!!
~Other Things to Do~

There was just too much we wanted to do and so little time. We will be planning another trip to HK in the next few years and the things we want to see are:

Temple Street Night Market- The fun begins around 8:00 PM, when visitors flock to the numerous stalls lining this bustling, open-air market, stocking everything from clothes to mobile phones to watches.

Lantau Island- This island has the Giant Buddah and the Po Lin Monastary

Macau Island- Known for it's casinos. Husband has a desire to do all the major casinos in the world!!

~Tips~

Octopus Card- It was suggested to us to get a Octopus Card on arrival to HK. This is like a debit card that you top up and can use on the mass transport system and in many quick shops and fast food places. However, we did not get one as we decided not to use the mass transport because of the taxis being so cheap.

Taxis- In the end we found the taxis very cheap. We could get from one side of Hong Kong Island to the other along the harbour for about £2-3. There was no waiting, no hassle and took you door to door. However, please remember that most HK taxi drivers do NOT speak English very well. We had a little card with the major attractions written in English and Chinese that we would show the taxi driver. Most hotels provide these for you. If you don't see one, ask at the front desk for one or ask them to write out places you want to go in Chinese.

BEWARE!!!~ Though we found service very good and the people serving us very polite, we found the people on the streets very rude and pushy!! The Chinese people will think nothing of pushing you out of the way and jumping the queue. There are masses of people and very few are polite. They think nothing of invading your personal space and making their way ahead of you.

Shopping- Pack light so that you can have loads of room to pack all of your bargins!!!

~Overview~

We got use to the masses of people and their rudeness and were able to enjoy the combination of old world/new world. This is a place we definitely want to go back to. The weather in December is cool and I would recommend a jumper. When we got there it was 9c. It did warm up to 19c one day. I have been told it is hot and humid at other times of the year.
It is a place we would recommend to others. Just remember, chill out, relax and enjoy your time!!

Summary: Hong Kong is an interesting combination in old and new world and is reflected in what you see and do