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!

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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!

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

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.

Shopping.. if you're nearby, check out Goods of Desire, some cool stuff.

Airport Express to and from the airport - it's quick, easy, and relatively cheap. I suggest staying in the Kowloon area for short stays - lots to see and access to just about everything by ferry, MTR, or walking. A few additional suggestions of low-key activities. The harbor is a nice walk - there is a laser light show that plays over the harbor twice a night (Symphony of Lights). I think the Avenue of Stars may still under renovation - last time I was there they relocated the several of the exhibits (i.e. the Bruce Lee statue) to the Garden of Stars. Some tasty (i.e. low-key restaurants) places to eat include Din Tai Fung, Tim Ho Wan (there's one conveniently located in Central Station), and the Australian Dairy Company (Jordan, lots of locals, milk custard). The Yau Ma Tei fruit market is also fun to check out and delicious tropical fruits.

Good thinking! I don't know why I always forget about the tours.

I still recommend the Star Ferry at least once. Being a crowded commuter ferry is part of the experience. The fact that it's actually a commuter ferry, not just a tourist attraction is interesting.

So, as others have said... things to do:

• Star Ferry - upper deck
• The Peak (cable car up and back, or cable car up, then taxi to Stanley markets and double decker back to central - it runs along Repulse Bay)
• Walk around the shops in Central
• Take the long escalator in central!
• Ride the tram - do this at night in the direction of Causeway Bay... see all the neon lights (exactly what they show in the front cover of all the tourist brochures)
• Go to one of the night markets

HK Disney is ok... IMO it is nothing in comparison to the one in the States. Small and not as exciting. But it was fine for a solo traveller looking to fill in a few hours.

Hong Kong really has anything for anyone at any budget so it's a bit of a loaded question in terms of what there is to do for a day and a half.

If shopping is your jam, there's tons of shopping everywhere but different areas offer different kinds of shopping. For example, Sham Shui Po offers great shopping for electronics, computers, and mobile phones (Apliu street). On the other hand, Central is fantastic for high end shopping given the proximity of all the brands. Having said that, I would probably not do my high end shopping in Hong Kong just because I've found prices quite a bit higher than the US and Europe.

For food, there's so much of everything everywhere. Check out Tim Ho Wan for dim sum but expect a bit of a wait as they are Michelin starred and Hong Kongers seem to suffer from a fair bit of FOMO. You could do an evening meal in the SoHo area as there are a lot of great little restaurants as you walk through the streets that cater to expats. While I would suggest some more local eateries, it can be challenging as a lot of them don't offer english service or menus.

For getting to and from airport, definitely Airport Express. Fastest way to get into Central. Everything is air conditioned in Hong Kong so it's quite nice. I would get an octopus card and just get a refund on your balance when you leave. The octopus card is their version of the oyster card but better. You can use it to do most of your purchases (easier than carrying change around) at most stores. Public transport there is incredible and you really don't need a car to get around. The MTR gets you to most places and for the ones that it doesn't take you to, there's buses and minibuses. I use the Citymapper app when I travel there as I find Google doesn't offer all the public transport options.

Most of the chumps waiting in line at Tim Ho Wan are tourists. Hong Kongers know better.

I've actually never been since I couldn't be bothered to wait in line for dim sum :p

Having said that they, the best place I've had dim sum in HK has been the Sheraton in TST.

I'm more surprised by the Australian Dairy Company recommendation. I guess for the experience? Many other local restaurants in that area for breakfast that do not have a line going down the street.

I think it's become quite internet famous and folks seem reassured that other non-locals eat there, whereas going to a "normal" local place is quite intimidating for most visitors

As for Tim Ho Wan, it's fine but I also usually end up at a location (Olympian City in Tai Kok Tsui) where there is no line. Would definitely not wait in a long line for it or explicitly recommend it to anyone.

Kevin- thanks for all the great tips. I think you sold me on the JW. It’s a bit pricey for points but it sounds like it’s worth it.

Im going to your advice on the MTR and show my daughter the how easy public transport can be especially over seas. We lived in NYC when they were young so they didn’t get the full experience.

Ive read about the otcopus card, is that something you would also recommend?

So far we are going to take the ferry for sure and go see Victoria Peak. Dim sum is also ok the list.

Thanks again for for the tips.

Thanks for the tips. I like the market idea for her to see as well.

Any advice on taking a private half day tour? I see a few highly reviewed on trip advisor. I’ve never been a take a tour type of tourist as I like to research before and enjoy a very authentic experience. However with our limited time I was curious what your thoughts were.

Thanks

Absolutely - you can use it for all public transport (buses, ferries, MTR (subway), Peak Tram, ding-ding tram) and also in convenience stores if you wish. (But note that taxis take HK$ cash only, no tips beyond rounding up to the next HK$). You also need HK$ cash to buy the Octopus - ATMs are plentiful at the airport.

Don't use the Octopus for the Airport Express though - group tickets are better value (and can be bought with a credit card).

The remaining value on the Octopus card is refunded (in HK$ cash) when you hand them back at the airport on the way out.

If you are going to be using public transport a lot it probably makes sense. I only use taxis in Hong Kong so I've never felt the need to get an octopus... you have to buy it, subsequent reloads if you need them, and then refund it less a small administrative fee before you leave.

The 1st, 2nd & 5th items on your list seem to contradict this!

Difference between having lived in Hong Kong and being a tourist in Hong Kong :)