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tr71123 Aug 16, 2017 9:36 am

A day and a half in Hong Kong
 
Hi all,

I'm hoping for some Hong Kong travel tips. I have booked a milage run with my 13 year old daughter for early next year. We arrive at 7pm Saturday night and fly to Shanghai Monday morning.

It's our first trip to Hong Kong (her first big trip to Asia). I've been to China and South east Asia before.

Any recommendations on what area to stay in to make the most productive use of our time? ( I have platinum status at Starwood/Marriott) but would be happy staying at a nice local hotel as well.

Restaurants to try?

Must see tourist attractions?

Transportation to and from the airport.

Thanks in advance for all the tips!

garykung Aug 16, 2017 2:48 pm


Originally Posted by tr71123 (Post 28697603)
Any recommendations on what area to stay in to make the most productive use of our time?

It is more productive if you do some research yourself first.

tr71123 Aug 18, 2017 6:13 am

I've done a lot of research but thanks for the excellent tip.

The _Banking_Scot Aug 19, 2017 3:32 am

Hi tr71123,

There are a lot of good threads in this forum but here are some ideas;

Hotel: The JW marriott in Central is very good ( I stayed there as a gold last year) ( the lounge has excellent food) -you can take the Airport express to central and get the free shuttle bus. The Renaissance Harbour view is also in central.

I would probably stay around central/kowloon to maximise your time.


Things to do: The Star ferry ( both at day and night)
Hong kong park and zoo
On a good day go up the peak ( either by tram ,bus or taxi or walk) and walk around the peak or admire the views
Explore some of the markets in Kowloon/Mongkok
View some temples
Maybe view the Symphony of lights show from close to the Starr ferry pier in Kowloon.


Enjoy hong kong!:)

Regards

TBS

tr71123 Aug 20, 2017 3:03 am


Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot (Post 28709285)
Hi tr71123,

There are a lot of good threads in this forum but here are some ideas;

Hotel: The JW marriott in Central is very good ( I stayed there as a gold last year) ( the lounge has excellent food) -you can take the Airport express to central and get the free shuttle bus. The Renaissance Harbour view is also in central.

I would probably stay around central/kowloon to maximise your time.


Things to do: The Star ferry ( both at day and night)
Hong kong park and zoo
On a good day go up the peak ( either by tram ,bus or taxi or walk) and walk around the peak or admire the views
Explore some of the markets in Kowloon/Mongkok
View some temples
Maybe view the Symphony of lights show from close to the Starr ferry pier in Kowloon.


Enjoy hong kong!:)

Regards

TBS

Thanks for the tips. Your advice is much appreciated!

The _Banking_Scot Aug 20, 2017 3:09 am

Hi,

For more details on the Marriott, Starwood hotels check out the hotels forums ( large threads there). If you were in Hong Kong for longerI would have suggested the Big Buddha statue ( via the Ngong ping cable car, Shatin monestary, a ferry to the outlying islands or even Disneyland)

Regards

TBS

tr71123 Aug 20, 2017 3:13 am


Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot (Post 28712387)
Hi,

For more details on the Marriott, Starwood hotels check out the hotels forums ( large threads there). If you were in Hong Kong for longerI would have suggested the Big Buddha statue ( via the Ngong ping cable car, Shatin monestary, a ferry to the outlying islands or even Disneyland)

Regards

TBS

Thanks. Disneyland would Be fun and I have no doubt my daughter would enjoy that experience. We are frequent Disney Cruise line travelers and Disney Fans all around.

The _Banking_Scot Aug 20, 2017 3:17 am

Hi,

Are you going to Disneyland in Shanghai ( opened last year).That is on my to do list and it has a few unique rides ( ie Tron)

Regards

TBS

tr71123 Aug 24, 2017 5:18 am


Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot (Post 28712403)
Hi,

Are you going to Disneyland in Shanghai ( opened last year).That is on my to do list and it has a few unique rides ( ie Tron)

Regards

TBS

Shanghai Disney looks amazing. We aren't going this year but I will make sure it's something we do soon.

Kevin Adams Aug 31, 2017 11:37 pm

Where to Stay
If you have the points then stay at the JW Marriott. The location is perfect. It's at Pacific Place which is connected to a MTR station and bus stations.

Transport to/from the airport.
I personally take the MTR from the airport. I think it's easy and a fun expereince.
Basically, you take Airport Express from the Airport to Hong Kong station. Hong Kong station is connected to Central station. It's a short walk, maybe 10 minutes. Don't worry, it is inside and air conditioned. I recommend the walk to HK first timers because it shows off the MTR system, how large it is and how interconnected it is with the the city. When you get to Central station then you jump on the Red or Blue line and the next stop will be Admiralty. The Admiralty station is directly connected to Pacific Place which is where the JW Marriott is. Follow the signs to Pacific Place. Once you are in Pacific Place, follow the signs for the JW. If you don't see signs, just ask someone - people are very friendly. If they don't know the JW, then ask where Peking Garden is.

Hmm, that may sound more confusing than it is. It's really not bad at all.

You can also take the bus - A11.
Or a cab.
Or the JW will be happy to arrange a car to pick you up.
But, I do prefer the MTR unless you are too exhausted from the flight.

Things to Do
Absolutely take the Star Ferry.
As The _Banking_Scot said, try to do it twice, once during the day and once at night. Be one of the first passengers to board. You want to make sure you get a seat on the side of the boat so you can get a good view. If you aren't one of the first to board, just wait until the next ferry.
If you had more time I would recommend a total of 4 trips on the ferry - one in each direction during day a night.

My favorite view of HK is from Ozone, which is a bar on the 118th floor of the Ritz Carlton in the International Commerce Centre (ICC). The ICC is on the Kowloon side, not the Island side, so you get a beautiful view of the Island. I'm not sure if this will be possible for you since your daughter is 13. Maybe you could get in during the day for tea? If not, try Aqua. It's not as high up but still has a good view of the island.

Another good view is the rooftop park area on top of the IFC mall (which is on the Island side). You can sit there and look out over the harbor.

Victoria Peak. If it's a clear day, go immediately because clear skies are rare.

Skip Disney Land and Ocean Park. They are okay, but you don't have much time in HK. And I'm guessing that you have already gone to Disney Land since you are from Orange County. If you had a week or more then maybe go.

Eat at some good Dim Sum place.
Eat at a HK fast food place (such as Café de Coral or Fairwood)
Eat at a Cha chaan teng (such as Tsui Wah)

Spend time walking around the city and exploring. Walk around the island side. Central, Soho and Wan Chai. Take the ferry over to the Kowloon side and walk around Tsim Sha Tsui (TST), walk up Nathan Road towards Jordan Road. The park will be on your left if you want to take a break and enjoy some nature.

Other
Those are my standard recommendations. Beyond that, it really depends on what you and your daughter are interested in. There is such a wide range of things to do in HK it's hard to make specific recommendations without knowing some more about what you like to do. There is everything from food, to temples, to exploring the urban cityscapes, to hiking in the mountains, to nerdy transportation adventure, to beaches, to markets, etc. I can try to elaborate more if there are specific interests you have.

kasmersensei Sep 1, 2017 2:22 am

All Hong Kong
 
I third the Star ferry crossings, lot of fun. Taking a double decker bus somewhere is also fun. Even riding the trams on HK Island can be fun (I am 6'6"), as they are cheap and you can head down toCausrbay for additional shopping and visit Victoria Park if you want some greenery.

For a dim sum recommendation Maxim's Serenade Garden on the 2nd floor in the HK Cultural Center in Tsim Sha Tsui is hard to beat. If you are lucky you may even score a window seat overlooking the harbor.

You may try the Mongkok market also as it is a fun market just to walk around.

889 Sep 1, 2017 2:35 am

"Victoria Peak. If it's a clear day, go immediately because clear skies are rare."

But far and away the best time to be at the Peak is dusk, as the skyline below lights up. Try to find time to take the loop trail around the actual peak.

Sham Shui Po is a lively market area.

Shek O on E HK Island for a beautiful beach.

The walk-through aviary in Hong Kong Park is fun.

EditingFX Sep 1, 2017 6:29 pm

I'd question whether the one hour Star harbor cruise wouldn't be a better approach than multiple, more crowded commuter ferries. I really enjoyed it!

The _Banking_Scot Sep 2, 2017 3:18 am


Originally Posted by tr71123 (Post 28712394)
Thanks. Disneyland would Be fun and I have no doubt my daughter would enjoy that experience. We are frequent Disney Cruise line travelers and Disney Fans all around.

Hi,

I forgot to mention that there is a Hong Kong Disneyland store in the departures area of the airport if you wanted to buy some souvenirs ( I bought a tshirt and some fridge magnets there)

Regards

TBS

lhrsfo Sep 2, 2017 11:20 am

IME HK is about working, drinking and shopping. Obviously, your daughter won't be doing the first two so, once you've seen the Peak, and perhaps gone to Stanley and done the Star Cruise and marveled at the escalator streets, I would simply focus on the shopping. Perhaps take in the Ladies Market on Kowloon.


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