Sebastian (a lady) Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 We'll be visiting Hong Kong for a few days over the summer. We have the hotel set, but I'm a little at a loss for what I should see. There aren't any huge landmarks that come to mind when I think of Hong Kong. So what should we not miss seeing or doing? If it helps, we did Sonlight Core 5 last year, and we're big history buffs and love museums. We're the sort of people who go to Vienna and skip the opera but spend the whole day in the military museum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightly Salted Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Well, I've only been for a few short stays, but ... I'd take a ferry on Star Ferry eat DINNER at a restaurant for an evening view over Victoria harbour Definitely go to Victoria Peak via the Victoria Tram And take a ride on the world's longest escalator You're going to want to get an Octopus Pass for the Mass Transit Railway public transport system - so much easier (and cheaper) than relying on taxis. There are tons of museums (more) and I haven't been to any, but with travel as busy as it is in HK, I'd pick one I really wanted to visit and not attempt too much. You might like Ocean Park. If you only have a few days, get a map and plan out your activities so you can minimize the need for travel - I hope you enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted May 14, 2010 Author Share Posted May 14, 2010 Well, I've only been for a few short stays, but ... I'd take a ferry on Star Ferry eat DINNER at a restaurant for an evening view over Victoria harbour Definitely go to Victoria Peak via the Victoria Tram And take a ride on the world's longest escalator You're going to want to get an Octopus Pass for the Mass Transit Railway public transport system - so much easier (and cheaper) than relying on taxis. There are tons of museums (more) and I haven't been to any, but with travel as busy as it is in HK, I'd pick one I really wanted to visit and not attempt too much. You might like Ocean Park. If you only have a few days, get a map and plan out your activities so you can minimize the need for travel - I hope you enjoy! Any temples or shrines that are noteworthy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 (edited) I too was only there twice but for short stays and didn't get to see more than a couple of major tourist attractions (I actually got lost alone in HK before cell phones.....long story.....friend wasn't clear on where to meet her and I had flown in to stay with her!) I did find that temples were everywhere though and accessible to visit. I do remember the temple of 1000 Budhas that was about 1000 steps up though! Dawn Here is more info: http://www.igougo.com/attractions-reviews-b89763-Hong_Kong-Ten_Thousand_Buddhas_Monastery.html Any temples or shrines that are noteworthy? Edited May 14, 2010 by DawnM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 (edited) My favourite temple is the Man Mo temple - it's central and very atmospheric. My other favourite things to do are to take the Peak Tram to the top of the mountain and walk around the Peak. Spectacular views. Book to have lunch at the cafe, specifying a table with a view when you book in advance, or buy sandwiches at Pret a Manger (throughout the city) to eat on the walk. Wonderful views to be seen: here the boys and I are taking the walk. I also love the Star Ferry: you can take Star Ferry tours of the harbour, but I just like going across the harbour and back on the standard ferry, which is also very cheap. You can also take tea at the Peninsular Hotel on the other side of the harbour if you want a taste of colonial grandeur, but that may be expensive and not so much fun with kids. To get out of the city, take the number 6 double-decker bus (not the 6 express) from Exchange Square in Central to Stanley. It's a wonderful ride around the island and there are a lot of restaurants by the water for lunch (or take sandwiches, as before). There's a market to wander through there: it's a tourist trap, but you can get souvenirs if you need them. Here's my blog entry about that ride. Hong Kong also has enormous numbers of country walks - 40% of the land mass is country park - ask me if you are interested in this. Your oldest might enjoy Music on the Bamboo Radio, by Martin Booth - please pre-read as it's about the second world war in Hong Kong, something which haunts my view of the landscapes. You might like Jan Morris' book about Hong Kong. For adult historical fiction, there is An Insular Possession, by Timothy Mo. Tai-Pan is enjoyable tosh, so far as I remember. Gweilo is a wonderful memoir (Martin Booth again) about a British child growing up in Hong Kong. There's another novel that I want to recommend but can't remember the title - I'll edit later. The Hong Kong Museum of History is good if you want to get out of the heat/rain for a bit. We also like the Museum of Coastal Defence, but it's much further out and a lot of that is in the open air. I also like the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, if you make it to Stanley. It's small, but packed with exhibits. When we were there they had a working mock-up of a cargo ship's bridge - you were the pilot and had to bring it into port. This proved impossible (as our knowledge of Hong Kong waters was minimal) but we had a lot of fun trying. Please ask if you have more questions. I lived in Hong Kong for seven years and visited frequently for another four. Essentials for the trip: umbrellas for all. Don't try to use rain coats - it's way too hot and humid. For footwear, you either want to be wearing something that can get wet and then dry out - like beach sandals - or really waterproof shoes (which might get a bit hot). Some people wear rubber boots, but that gets very sweaty. Flip-flops are considered to be footwear for labourers. I never really sorted out the summer footwear problem in Hong Kong! I found it necessary to have a shawl/cardigan with me in summer, as Hong Kong uses very chilly air conditioning, and one comes in sweaty from outside. Where are you staying? (ETA: Calvin just walked by, glanced at this post and said, "They didn't know what they were asking. Wall of text!" Sorry, got a bit out of control) ETA: I remember the name of the other novel: Fragrant Harbour, by John Lanchester. Good on Hong Kong atmosphere of the 20th to 21st century. Laura Edited May 14, 2010 by Laura Corin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted May 17, 2010 Author Share Posted May 17, 2010 This is fantastic. Especially the book recommendations. I was trying to find something over the weekend and couldn't come up with much other than Clavell. Your museum recs were some that had caught our eye, so you're right on target with the sort of stuff that we like to do. We're staying at the YMCA on the Kwaloon side, so we'll get to ride the ferry quite a bit. Tell Calvin that I not only appreciated the Wall of Text, but wouldn't mind any recs that he might have for things that my 10 and 12 yo would be intrigued by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 It's a bit hard for Calvin to point out intriguing things, because Hong Kong was home to him. He liked the museum in Stanley a lot. He definitely recommends the walk around the Peak: "On a sunny day, it's an amazing walk." Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 The temple on Lantau was interesting. The ride up there on the cable car, more so. Hong Kong was very easy to get around. We did all the transportation modes with the kids and that in itself was a treat. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted May 21, 2010 Author Share Posted May 21, 2010 The temple on Lantau was interesting. The ride up there on the cable car, more so. Hong Kong was very easy to get around. We did all the transportation modes with the kids and that in itself was a treat. Have fun! What was the temple like? I'm wondering if it is different enough from the Daibutsu in Kamakura to make it worth the trip. How about a temple guide for dummies type book or pamphlet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted May 21, 2010 Author Share Posted May 21, 2010 Has anyone gone on this? Is it a cool ride or just touristy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 What was the temple like? I'm wondering if it is different enough from the Daibutsu in Kamakura to make it worth the trip. How about a temple guide for dummies type book or pamphlet? These days it's very much a tourist spot, with Starbucks in a cutesy building nearby, for example. It wasn't like that before they built the cable car. The Man Mo temple has a lot more atmosphere. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Has anyone gone on this? Is it a cool ride or just touristy? It is pretty to see the boat in the harbour. I'm cheap, so I'd see the harbour by Star Ferry, then make sure to be nearby when the Duk Ling sailed out to see it in the harbour and take photos! Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted May 21, 2010 Author Share Posted May 21, 2010 These days it's very much a tourist spot, with Starbucks in a cutesy building nearby, for example. It wasn't like that before they built the cable car. The Man Mo temple has a lot more atmosphere. Laura So is it worth going over to that island at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 So is it worth going over to that island at all? It was, until recently, a lesser-developed part of Hong Kong. It was largely agricultural and poor, so there's not much in the way of monuments. Tai-O fishing village is often visited, but I wouldn't go a long way for it. The scenery on Lantau is nice (and can be appreciated from the cable car) but seeing things on Lantau will take up most of a day - there's often a serious queue for the cable car, for example. As you have such a short time to visit, I wouldn't give a whole day to Lantau. One thing that is worth doing is a trip to the seafood restaurants on one of the other islands. Lamma is good - make sure to take a fast ferry if you are pushed for time - the old ferries take twice as long. If you take the Star Ferry across the harbour from your hotel, you will be very near the pier for the Lamma ferry. You could do this one evening when you are foot-sore, as the ferry docks very close to the restaurants. Some people are leery of Hong Kong seafood (the waters are not the cleanest) but digestive problems are rare and it is delicious. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Wait, HK Disneyland is on Lantau...just taking the subway over and back on the Disney spur is a trip! What a subway!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Q Posted May 22, 2010 Share Posted May 22, 2010 Lucky you! I got engaged in Hong Kong over seven years ago and I wish we could go back there some day. :) We really enjoyed the Silvermine Falls on Lantau(sp?) Island. We went to lots of markets (Stanley was one, and I think there was a Bird Market and a Pearl(?!) market). Honestly, just walking around Hong Kong was a fantastic experience. Hope you have a good time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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