pho9187

On Sunday, September 27, I arrive at HKG at 2:40 PM on Cathay from KUL. My next flight is at 11:45 PM that night, from HKG to LAX. After an outdoorsy three week trip to Borneo, I would like to veg out in the lounge, but my son is trying to persuade me to visit the city (my last visit was in 2007). What do you think, and where should I go? Please include logistics with your recommendation.

We were in Hong Kong for five days last time, and we went to Victoria peak, but it was overcast and we saw nothing. Other than that, we did the usual tourist stuff, including Macau.

Also, please explain to me if my luggage goes through, or do I pick it up, and what is the situation with immigration if I leave the airport?

And one last question--what's the best lounge? I don't have elite status, but I am flying on a One World Business Class award, via AA.

Thank you!

diocesanvictor

Luggage
Don't worry, they will tag your bags all the way through.

Immigration
The arrival immigration queues for non-HKID card holders can sometimes get a bit long. I've never been through them myself, but I'm guessing it might take around 15-20 min.

Lounge
Your HKG-LAX flight will most likely depart from Gates 1-4, so I'd suggest you go to either/both of these lounges nearby. Both are excellent facilities and have showers available.

1. The Wing (opposite Gate 2)
2. Qantas Lounge (overlooking Gate 15)

Things to do in HK

Shopping?

(a) Designer outlets
- Where to go:Citygate Outlet in Tung Chung (15 min from airport)
- How to get there:Take a blue colored Lantau Island taxi; OR bus number S1
- You can catch the bus right outside the terminal, at a bus stop near Car Park No. 1

(b) Cheap clothes/accessories
- Where to go:Prince Edward, Mong Kok
- How to get there: Take S1 to Tung Chung, then MTR to Prince Edward/Mong Kok
- Total traveling time: Around 1 hr

(c) Cheap electronic accessories
- Where to go: Sham Shui Po
- How to get there:: Take S1 to Tung Chung, then MTR to Sham Shui Po
- Total traveling time: Around 1 hr

If you've bought stuff that you want to check in and provided that you still have baggage allowance left, you can check them in when you return to the airport. CX counters are located in Aisle B of the Departures Level. They have carton boxes available if you need them.

pho9187

Thank you, diocesanvictor, for your great logistical suggestions. However, I should have mentioned that I'm not much of a shopper. What else do you suggest? I do like people watching, history, culture, and nature.

I have read that Lantau Island is very close (as you mentioned for designer outlets). What else is there?

Also, if I decide to go to Victoria Peak, how can I find out about the visibility before I leave the airport?

diocesanvictor

You might be interested in the Ngong Pong 360 cable car then. If the weather is nice, you'll get some some spectacular aerial views of Lantau Island as you go up. The Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery and Ngong Ping Village are located at the peak of the mountain.

However, the cable car may be closed for maintenance or weather-related reasons (e.g. typhoon), so remember to check if it is open before you head over. MTR stations and website should have info about this.

For photos, see this trip report.

In terms of visibility, visit the HK Observatory website. Click on Regional Weather > Visibility.

pho9187

Thank you again, diocesanvictor. One last question, if I may?

Ngong Pong sounds really good to me. So should I take the S1 bus from the airport? If the cable car is not running, isn't there a bus that goes to the peak?

Are the Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, and Ngong Ping Village all within walking distance of one another? How long would you estimate it would take to visit all three sites?

Thanks a bunch.

christep

Yes - the number 23 bus runs from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping. Though just to be clear, Ngong Ping is a plateau roughly halfway up Lantau Peak - getting to the peak is a major hill climb (450m / 1500ft more).

The Buddha, Monastery and tourist trap (sorry, village) are all within a few hundred metres of each other. If you have a serious interest in Buddhist monasteries (the monastery being the only bit that isn't essentially a tourist trap) then you could maybe spend 3 hours over all three. Otherwise you should be done in 90 minutes.

Madone59

+1 Also, you'll be closeish to the restaurant district. If you or anyone in your life cooks you can pick up some really cool stuff.

eponymous_coward

Lots of good information in this forum if you search on the term "layover" or "stopover".

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hong-...-time-hkg.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hong-...-stopover.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hong-...hong-kong.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hong-...e-what-do.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hong-...-stopover.html

etc., etc.

Hope you have a great time!

pho9187

christep - Thank you for your logistical information. How often does bus #23 run? When I get off the bus, I have to climb steps up to the monastery? Also, I realize that this is a standard tourist excursion, so if you have another suggestion off the beaten path, I would be interested. My favorite day in Hong Kong was visiting Cheung Chau Island, I wonder if I should go back there?

Madone59 - Yes, thank you for the idea, I would be interested in the restaurant area. I am a pretty decent cook, so that kind of shopping would fascinate me. More details, please?

eponymous_coward - Thank you, I did look at the other threads before I posted. No one seems to match my time frame exactly, and everyone seems to want to go to Victoria Peak or the Big Buddha. Any other unique suggestions?

kaka

skip the buddah. the peak is good, or Tai O a nearby fishing village (bus 11).
ayways, for either the buddah or Tai O you could take bus S1 (ard HK$5/head for all buses below) from the airport to Tung Chung MTR Station and switch to #11 or #23 which cost some 10-20 HKD. takes ard 1 hour oneway as it goes around half the Lantau island). spend an hour or 2 at either, then bus back out.
If you still want to go to the peak, take the MTR at Tung Chung to HK Station. there's a minibus station below "Citysuper" that is at the same building as the train station where minibus #1 (HKD10.2) takes you to the peak in ard 45 mins. spend ard 30-60 mins, reverse, and the the express train to the airport.

Assuming no delays, you shall arrive the Tung Chung MTR Station by 4pm.
Leave Tai O at 6pm. Arrive Central at 7pm. Arrive Peak at 8pm. Head Down ard 9pm, arrive HK Station ard 10pm. train takes 24 mins so you shall arrive airport before 2300.

sounds tight but theres loads of slack at the Peak excursion starting from Central and you'd have time for a fast food cafe style dinner.

or the other option is, head to Yaumatei (at Shanghai Street) for your cooking equipment shopping-they should shut ard 6pm, then go up to the peak at ard 7-7.30. then airport. (there's A21 that goes to Yaumatei)

of course, you could go to Cheung Chau, and leisurely head back to town before 9pm. There are 2 sailings/hour but the slow ferry takes 1 hr (Fast takes ard 30 mins). but you've gotta go to the HK Station and walk out to the pier for that! (well there's S1 to Tung Chung, a but to Mui Wo, and another ferry to Cheung Chau, but I wouldnt count on that for the sailing times to match up! You should be at the Central Piers at 1700 and at Cheung Chau by 1830 for the latest but i reckon you can be there earlier using this route)

pho9187

Thank you, kaka for all your detailed information. I would like to back in at the airport well before the flight leaves, so I may just go to Yaumatei and Lantau. I don't travel as much as many Flyertalk posters, so I actually think it's fun hanging out in the lounges. I remember that the Cathay lounge had a nice shower, and great dim sum.

kaka

if you want to get back to the lounges at ard 8 or 9, i think you can only visit 1 spot. Or unless you rush Yaumatei and then the peak.
the Lantau spots, although is close to the airport, does take quite a bit of time. taking the Ngong Ping 360 cable car would help save ard 1 hour off the #23 bus time if they have comparable queues.
the Peak tram queues are definately longer than the #1 minibus queue to the peak....