EFire

So what would you do with 7 hours in Hong Kong?? Will be flying in on 881 1st from Lax and arriving at 7:20 in the morning then connecting on to BKK at 2:20 in Business so we will have lounge access . We will definetly spend enough time in one of the lounges to shower and eat. Having done that would there still be enough time to visit the city? Thanks for any info.

WildRice

Well, you could of course just take CX713 which leaves HKG for BKK at 855am.

Unterwegs

Hong Kong is a great place to spend a few hours or days.
You can go back out from the lounge to the city, just ask for the way down to immigration after your shower. You can leave your carry on in the lounge.

Take the train (buy a roundtrip ticket) to Hong Kong Station. Get a little guidebook and just walk around. You can take the star ferry over to kowloon, go shopping (nathan road on the kowloon side), take a bus to Stanley (there is a bus stop close to the star ferry on kowloon side. This bus goes around the island - great sightseeing. Take the bus back to Central, hop back on the train after some more walking around.
Or you could go up to the peak. Lots of things to do.

fallinasleep

Really depends when you are arriving. If you are arriving in the next few weeks, I would personally stay at the lounge or change to an earlier connection.

Playing tourist in the August heat and humidity really sucks. And if there are no winds, then you will see a polluted version of the skyline.

You will have other chances to see Hong Kong, so no need to play tourist for a few hours. That said, given the efficiency of the Airport Express, you could easily make it into town with even a 4 hour layover.

davidpix

If you know your way around HKG it is easier, but you could go into town and go to the Peak, and a Star Ferry ride. Takes about 45 minutes to get into town from airport (train, and possible waiting time if train not there). Immigration can take 15-20 minutes too in tourist line if alot of people.

But you can do a couple things, maybe 3-4.

EFire

We have never been to Hong Kong. So a quick trip in might be fun. Also how much time do most of you take in the lounges to relax and have a meal?

AH-64D

Get a cabana in the Wing, take a long bath and relax for a couple of hours then do some shopping at the airport. I got some really good Cuban cigars there the last time I was there. Seven hours is too short to really enjoy Hong Kong.

fallinasleep

As I mentioned, you could easily spend 4 solid hours in the city if you wanted to (there are lots of threads on this topic in this forum and in the Hong Kong, Asia, and TravelBuzz forums -- just key in a search "Hong Kong Star Ferry"). You could do the Star Ferry and then head up to the peak to see the hazy skyline.

If you choose this route, I would grab a quick bite to eat in the lounge upon arrival (breakfast in the lounge is nothing compared to the Noodle Bar for lunch), grab a couple bottles of water, then head into the city. Do your thing before it gets really hot and head back to the airport in time to have lunch and a shower in the lounge. The weather is really horrible in the summer, so you want to feel clean when you board that plane again. Otherwise, plan on taking two showers. You might get lucky with a clear day but the probability is below 10%.

Of course, Bangkok's summer weather and pollution is worse than Hong Kong's, but that's a different discussion.

Flyingfox

Don't waste the time in the airport - not even 7 hours. Very boring!
The lounges are just that - lounges. Not much to see except tired business travelers reading the newspapers! (even in the F class lounges for CX)
The Cabanas are just a room with a lounger, bathtub, and pool with rocks!
(lovely for a few hours, but not for 7)!
Go see something truly beautiful, and refresh your mind!

3 words:
"Chi Lin Nunnery" (and I hope I spelled it correctly).
It's a very short (24 minute?) ride into town on the Airport Express.
My wife and I had 14 hours in HK and this was a wonderful place.
A tranquil escape right in the middle of the city. We took a room at the Peninsula and walked there in 10 minutes.
Very photogenic and very few visitors.
I think they have a web site.
Consider it!
Also - why not have afternoon tea at the Peninsula, or go for dim-sum?

rkkwan

Chi Lin Nunnery is in Northern Kowloon, very close to the Diamond Hill MTR. It's not near the Peninsula, and you can't walk there in 10 minutes.

I've never been there myself, but the architecture is very classic, very well done.

Flyingfox

I stand corrected!
We did take the subway to the Diamond Hill station, then from THERE it was a 10 minute walk.
Still, very closeby and worth the effort.
We of course have been there and it is beautiful!

The helicopter shuttle from the airport to the Peninsula is also a fun thing to do, and is a short hop. ^ It will give you a lovely view of the city.

Clipper801

Check out one of those half day tours for transiting travellers at:

http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/vguide/plan.html

mtacchi

Poste before , but Po lin is very close and that would take 2-3 hrs to see the Big Budda. If not, a sme day return airport express ticket is 90 HKG$. Go see Peak, or wander Kowloon..

rajnyc

I have an overnight stay in Hong Kong, are rec. re hotels?
thanks for the great advise above.

fallinasleep

The past two weeks (two months really) have been miserable in Hong Kong. We are in the middle of typhoon season and it has been raining nonstop since my last post. As I said, depending on when you are visiting, staying in the lounge would be the best option.