jakemalloy

Hi,

We have a perfect 24 hour layover in Hong Kong. We are arrive at 8:45am and leave at 10am the next day. What would be the best recommendations on the following:

food - want great dim sum and a terrific dinner

hotel - location matters most

airport - what is the smartest way to get to/from the airport

sightseeing - we live in NYC. If someone only had a day and wanted to get max exposure we would have them take a double decker "hop on/hop off" bus. A bit cheesy but you get a sense of the city and see most of the top sights. Is there a equivalent in HK?

Any other advice is much appreciated.

Thanks!

889

Take the tram -- the regular tram on HK Island -- from end to end. Sit on the upper deck at the very front. Get off and explore as you wish.

number_6

For hotel if location matters most (presuming that means view) then either IC or Pen harbour view rooms. Sheraton if cost also matters .
As for terrific dinner, what price point and cuisine? All the michelin starred restaurants in Hong Kong are noteworthy and cheaper than the equivalent in NYC.

rkkwan

There are two HOHO buses in HK - pricier Big Bus and cheaper Ricksaw (the later run by local bus companies). Having said that, I never recommend those to any visitors to HK. First, 98% of local buses are double-deck anyways, and it'd be hard for any visitor to spend 10% of the cost of a HOHO in a day. Second, the HOHO cover only some of the sites in central part of HK which are all well-served by regular public transports to start with. And HK is best experienced by taking local transportation - Star Ferry, HK Tramways, local buses, etc AND on foot.

Of course, if one's really THAT lazy (mentally and physically), the two HOHOs may be suitable. Just my two cents.

jamescho

NYC is a unique city in that there are tourist sites pretty much every 10-20 blocks in the city, and not the most tourist-friendly subway system, which makes sense to take one of those tourist busses.

Tourist sights in Hong Kong are either all in the central part (Central, TST, Mong Kok, Peak), which you'd be much better off using the MTR or Peak Tram/minibus, or much further out where the tourist busses don't go (Stanley, the Islands, Ngong Ping, etc.). If you want to get a feel of the city, take the tram on Hong Kong Island (Kennedy Town to Causeway Bay would be a good enough distance), and take a regular bus that runs on Nathan Road in Kowloon.

dtsm

I recall 3-4 threads that discuss 12/16/18 hour and weekend stays in HK (also, see sticky thread) There is some variation of recommendations, depending upon arrival and departure times. A quick search should turn them up. Enjoy.

jakemalloy

Thanks everyone. We are not lazy, and as NY'ers are happy to use (and should be able to navigate) any public transit. Sounds like a tram ride and a possible bus ride will do.

As for hotel, location didnt mean views but more location - we have limited time and will not be in the room other than to sleep - so I dont want to have to spend 15-20 going to/from hotel to get anywhere someone might want to go.

As for food - i would like to have the best dinner that is most representative of Hong Kong - I know that is a bit broad, but as you note I can eat a great 3 star meal in NYC of just about any other cuisine, so want local.

Also, is there a hand down great dim sum place?

mkjr

Sorry. No ideas.

number_6

Best location for unique Hong Kong experience is the Cordis hotel in Mong Kok (formerly Langham Place, rebranded to avoid confusion with the other Langham hotel in TST). The neighbourhood is very Chinese and like Times Square in NYC. Next door is a vertical shopping center with local shops as well as chain stores (probably a condition of allowing doing the redevelopment) so it is very cool. For food the hotel has Ming Court which is classic Chinese better than you will find at any price in NYC, great value for Michelin 2 star. Nearby is lots of street food including the world's cheapest Michelin 1-star eatery (Tim Ho Wan specializing in Dim Sum). I find Kowloon much more interesting than the Island (which is much more british and richer).

moondog

Disagree. HK Island is much nicer than Mongol

Steph58

Regarding the HOHO Big Bus, we used it during our trip a few weeks ago. The ticket/sales lady caught me in a weak moment at the Peak tram. She said if we bought it we could skip the (enormous) line. She extended it for 3 days' use. Jumping to the head of the line wasn't quite true--we avoided the first half of the line, but then had to wait for an hour in the second half. Then the lines to come back down are, of course, just as bad. Hot and humidity we're not used to. Plus I had no idea that at the top is a mega shopping area full of brand stores we have 15 minutes from our home.

Anyway, I would not recommend it for 1 day as others have mentioned. We covered all 3 routes (took it to Stanley which is a distance but scenic drive). However, we had 6 days total in Hong Kong. It doesn't necessarily drop you off that close to the tourist spots, you still have to walk a ways. We also used MTR, taxis and ding ding bus. For a one day visit you'll probably need to limit yourself to an area that has the most sites that appeal to you. The crowds and traffic will be a factor in how much you can see.

889

"The crowds and traffic will be a factor in how much you can see."

As of course will be the weather. Once the heat and humidity of high summer fade, HK becomes a decent place to walk about again.

number_6

Of course it is, but Mong Kok is more of a travel experience. All depends on what you want to get from tourism, Central is cleaner, richer and blander. Kowloon is more chinese, the island is more british to over-simplify it.

steveben53

The majority of hotels seem not to allow checkin until 2.00pm.

You may want to look at somewhere like the Cosmopolitan in Wan Chair that offers a 24 hour room. This will allow you to checkin at say 10.00 amd and have use of the room for 24 hours.

The Cosmopoitan is about 10 mins walk from Causeway Bay MTR so it is quite well placed and the hotel operates a series of free shuttle services.

tentseller

Central is not a full representation of HK Island. Head west toward Sheung Wan and further to get a real HK history. It was the Chinese commerce centre before anyone has heard of MK. MK is the most touristy area of HK. Other east neighbourhoods on the island give you the authentic HK experience without the MK tourist glitter.