goodndntwin

Background: I have 6 hour layover in HKG en route to LAX from CCU. Since I have a redeye flight from CCU to HKG the first thing I plan to do is take a shower in the United lounge so that plus immigration leaves me around 4.5 hours.

I plan to take the airport express to either Central or Kowloon to do a quick 2-3 hour jaunt before heading back to the airport. My flight gets in at 6:30 and flight out is 13:15 so that gives me from about 8:00 to 11:00 free (accounting for transport and immigration time).

Questions: I've never been to Hong Kong so please base all advice on that fact. Should I do Central or Kowloon? I've been told Central is preferable if you don't know any Canto and more places take CC. On the other hand I hear the view from Kowloon is better.

I want to do some dim sum and maybe get a drink at a nice bar/hotel and people watch/take in the view. Shopping (luxury or street market) sense is not big on my list. Any recommendations? Traveling by myself so premium is place on English comprehension and ability to accept CC.

bibbju

Will you be checked all the way through to CCU? Will you have your HKG-CCU boarding pass as you won't be able to enter the United lounge to shower without it? (it's departures only, not arrivals so you'll need your boarding pass for your departing flight). This has been my experience in HKG but perhaps someone can correct me if I'm wrong?

3 hours doesn't give you very long, especially as a lot of places in HK don't open until 10 or 11am. I was going to suggest you go to Maxim's City Hall for dim sum but they don't open until 11am in the week. Will you be in HK on a weekday or a weekend?

goodndntwin

Checked in all the way from CCU with both BP, not flying UA, using club passes (used them on the way over so I know that works).

Will be there on Fri--I guess I might have to stick to walking the promenade if nothing will be open so early.

rkkwan

Use the same-day Airport Express return ticket to ride to Hong Kong station in Central. The take the Star Ferry across the harbor back to the Kowloon side. Either take the free shuttle back to the Kowloon AE station or just take Star Ferry back to Central.

Most of the more foreigner-friendly dim sum places aren't opened yet in Central or Tsim Sha Tsui. But some famous ones are, like Luk Yu on Stanley St opens at 7. But why not wait until you get back to the airport and have dim sum at the Chao Inn at T2?

BTW, your shower in the morning will waste you a lot of time, since you need to go through security first, then go to the club. Then get someone to escort you back to arrivals level. And the UA Club is pretty far from immigration. You'll get a lot more time if you wait until getting back to airport before showering.

goodndntwin

rkkwan, I took your advice on both accounts. I hit up Luk Yu which was a fun experience. Only the doorman spoke English but luckily it seems dim sum offerings are pretty standard the world over so I was able to discern most of what I ate. I took the shower once I returned with time to spare.

ordogg

Hi - I'm in a very similar situation as the OP.

Arrive Monday morning later this month at 505 on CX C, connecting to CX C departing at 1150.

Plan to hit Arrivals lounge in basement, then get Airport Express (first train leaves airport around 6 am) and get back to HKG by 10 am

Since I'm connecting to a TPAC, I really just want to walk around for an hour or two on the outside.

I've been to HKG before and love the sights and smells. Appreciate any other suggestions or tips!

Last time I was in HKG, it was CNY, so the dried seafood shopping area was closed - would love to see that - what time do those shops open?

Thanks!

rkkwan

No, the dried seafood shops in Western District aren't open that early. You can visit the flower and bird markets, which are adjacent to each other in Mongkok. Instead of the AE, you can get there by the A21 bus with just a short walk. Bus starts also at 6a.

mayFF

In such a short time of period, it takes approximately an hour on traffic, that's mean you got only 2 hours left.

Since most of the shop not open until 10-11am, unfortunately you don't really get much to see this time.

If you want to buy dried seafood, maybe go to fresh market in shwen wan, they also got the dry seafood for sale.

Letitride3c

CNY is Fri. 1/31 this year. Not sure if any of the traditional Chinese shops, including the ones in Sheung Wen selling dried seafood would be open before 9 am, giving you time to get back to the AE Station.

AE will definitely get you into town before 7 AM on its first run - the only stores that you will likeky find open are 7-11s (aarrrrhhh, no) McDonalds (decent coffee, actually - ham & peas w. macroni soup for breakfast) or go for congees or freshly baked buns & tea with milk, etc. Stores like the Watsons open at 8 AM (some at 9 AM) and ditto for most of the shops & the malls, unless they are selling food.

While USDA regs do allow fish/seafood to be bring back to the US, in quantities for personal use, prices for better grades of dried seafood are high, very high & if you are not familiar with these products, you could easily be taken for a "ride" with the markups - priced and sold often by the ounce. Get a receipt & make sure they are well packaged, and, declare them on CBP upon entry back into US.

Yue Hwa Chinese Products on the Kowloon side, corner of Jordan & Nathan Road, directly above the MTR station have good choices for various dried goods, including seafood & traditional holiday gift items like mushrooms - displayed on the ground floor, and credit cards are accepted. Prices are clearly marked & fixed, non-negotiable and they've been around for 50+ years at the same location, we get our Chinese medicinal oils & rubs there on every run visiting HKG. However, they do not open until 10 ... If you are seriously buying these goods, why not shop in ORD's own Chinatown - I think you will find good selections and choices in fair prices.

If you want to see the sights & sound with 3 to 4 hours, have you consider taking one of the CityFlyer Airport bus to town (A21's will give you a scenic, above-ground ride into the heart of Kowloon, slowly up Nathan Road to TST - travel time of about 1 hour - where you can get off around 7:15 or 7:30 AM as they start running around 6 am also - select a nice and/or interesting place (IC's lobby cafe) to enjoy breakfast and/or walk around the Avenue of the Stars - then, ferry to Central or to Jordan/Mongkok area - strolls the streets and maybe further towards Yau Ma Tai. Shanghai Street running parallel to Nathan Road is always interesting for us to walk & window shop, a mix of chain stores and local ones selling variety of goods and services - and pretty sure some of them also sell dried seafood, although I don't think they start opening up until 9 AM. Then, there's always the Tram ride from Central.