Programs: QF Plat, LH, Icarus Silver (yup - that's Olympic - only until 30 Sept 09 then OA in liquidation!!)
Posts: 1,845
Hi Chillen - I think it is possible to leave the airport the timing is going to be very tight.
Let's say arrival 5.30pm - by the time you have finished immigration it will be about 6, then you have to catch the train into town which is another 25 mins.
That's about 6.30. You'd need to be back at the airport by around 8.45pm for immigration and security followed by boarding at 9.30pm. So you'd need to be on a train by about 8.20.
So that could give you about 1hr 50 mins.
What to do? Well if you got off at Hong Kong you could take the tram, perhaps to Causeway bay and back, plus have a look at the shops. Or you could take the Star Ferry to TST and back - which would be nice at night.
Otherwise get off the airport train at Kowloon and walk up and down nathan road (lots of shops etc), + have a look at the peninsula hotel etc.
Not a lot of time though. (I'd probably go for the hong kong island option with either tram or ferry rathern than kowloon).
The timing's not that tight. If you have your boarding pass for the MNL flight (which you will) then for a 10pm departure I'd be happy getting the 20:48 train from HK Airport Express station. That still gets you to the airport 47 mins before departure, and even if you didn't have your BP check-in closes at T-40 minutes.
On the other hand, the tram to Causeway Bay and back isn't going to leave much time for doing anything much when you get there.
I'd say do take the Star Ferry across from Central to TST and back, walk along the waterfront admiring the view. If you're so inclined then a drink at Felix at the Peninsula and the view from the gents, then back across on the Star Ferry and back on the train to the airport.
May be Maritime Square at Tsing Yi is a more practical choice if OP just want to stretch the legs to walk around a shopping mall, and perhaps some snacks.
Alternatively, I'd take the A21 to Tsim Sha Tsui, enjoy the scenary enroute, spend a short time around the New World Centre area, then walk to the Star Ferry, take the ferry across over to Central, walk to the Airport Express Hong Kong Station, spend a short time at IFC, then take the train back to the airport.
Make sure to keep an eye on time. This is ambitious but do-able in 3 hours.
seriously, I wouldn't bother. Why stress yourself doing all that rubbish.
Just chill, get yourself on the S1 to Tung Chung, chill around the fountain, have a few beers at the Aviator or the Novotel with some cool jazz, have a little bite, then get yourself back to the airport.
3 hours is too little to do anything other than have a wazz.
Well for 3 hours in HKG, I will exit to landside, go to Terminal 2 and have a cheap but nice chinese dinner, get some beer at the bar, go shop a bit then use the Terminal 2 Immigration to go back to airside approx at 8pm and shop / walk around after the air side shuttle.
HKIA is built for easy transit and Terminal 2 is built as a shopping mall. Enjoy your short stay!
Well for 3 hours in HKG, I will exit to landside, go to Terminal 2 and have a cheap but nice chinese dinner, get some beer at the bar, go shop a bit then use the Terminal 2 Immigration to go back to airside approx at 8pm and shop / walk around after the air side shuttle.
HKIA is built for easy transit and Terminal 2 is built as a shopping mall. Enjoy your short stay!
I agree with both ChrisLi and thursday in regards to not overly stressing yourself out whilst running around HK like a headless chicken for three hours. Three hours isn't a very long time and you'll be at HKG, one of the best airports in the world.
If OP wants to be able to say that he or she has been to HK, then I would recommend thursday's suggestion of taking the S1 to Tung Chung and relaxing there a bit. You're still going to end up in a mall, though, so in the end it's not too different than being at HKG, but you'll at least get to say you have breathed the air in HK.
Only been to the mall in Tsing Yi that Clipper801 mentioned once so I can't give an opinion on it but it is indeed another low stress option in regards to getting out of the airport. Airport Express is easy to do to get to Tsing Yi and I find that most visitors are quite impressed with the Airport Express during their first visit to HK.
there's a lot more at Maritime Square (Tsing Yi) than Tung Chung. It's a proper mall whereas Tung Chung Citygate is chokka with stuff that didn't sell last season or the season before that which suddenly becomes attractive 'cos it's 50% off.
What to do? Well if you got off at Hong Kong you could take the tram, perhaps to Causeway bay and back, plus have a look at the shops. Or you could take the Star Ferry to TST and back - which would be nice at night.
Otherwise get off the airport train at Kowloon and walk up and down nathan road (lots of shops etc), + have a look at the peninsula hotel etc.
The tram takes forever, plus OP got to HK during rush hours, it is a bad idea to manuever in the Central area, streets, buses, trams will be all jam packed. (It is packed with office workers on weekdays, it is packed with phillipino maids on sundays too)
Getting off the airport express at Kowloon station is also not a very good idea. One can go to the attach mall of Kowloon station, but it is not easy to get to Nathan road from Kowloon station by foot, as the area around is still developing. Even those who stay in W hotel has a hard time to go elsewhere have to either take the train or taxi.
