I am leaving in about a week to go to Asia for the first time. I am speaking at a two day conference in Hong Kong, and then have about a week to explore. I am very young and will be traveling alone. I will be staying in Mongkok the first few nights on the conference dime, and then heading down to Mirador Mansions on my own dime.
Here is my anticipated itinerary:
Day 1 (Sun)- Check out Central, the Peak, maybe Wan Chai & Causeway Bay if I have time, although I have dinner at the hotel at 7
(2 Days of conference, one of which involves a quick tour around Kowloon)
Day 4 (Wed)- Tsim Sha Tsui (have to leave nice hotel and check in at around 10 into guest house), wander down Nathan Rd to Science museum, wander over to East Tsim Sha Tsui, check out sites. In evening, go to the Night Market.
Day 5 (Thur)- One day trip to Macau, getting there by new world first ferry catamaran in the morning. Taxi/bus down to Maritime Museum and work m way up towards Church of St Paul, eating on the way (Litoral for lunch?) and checking out sites. Back to HK in the evening, probably exhausted from walking all day.
Day 6 (Fri)- Half day Heritage Tour through Grayline to see New Territories (standard sites- Tai Fu Tai & Fan Lin, Walled City, Wishing Tree, Man Mo, Tai Po Market). Head over to Causeway Bay or whatever other urban areas have struck my fancy that I haven't made it to yet.
Day 7 (Sat)- Architecture tour (I'm a bit of an arch. nut), ending at about 1:15 in Central. Eat quickly and hop on Tung Chung line to go out to Ngong Po. Take the 360 up to the Buddha and village. Check it out (fairly quickly) and head back. Some evening activity somewhere.
Flight the next day around noon.
Any comments? Too much? Things along the way I can't miss? Am I crazy to try to go out to Ngong Po on a saturday afternoon? Things I should do instead?
I plan on getting all tickets for things either at the airport when I get there or the next morning at outlets in Central, because I know it's a busy time.
Also, any good nightlife not to be missed? I'd love to meet some fellow travelers or expats and blow my whole itinerary off and tool around with some people if they know what they're doing or at least have a vision!
Thanks for advice! Wish I had posted this a little while ago, but just got around to figuring out what exactly I'd do while there...
Hong Kong is very easy to get around. It has excellent and cheap public transport. Things like the star ferry, and the trams on HK island allow you to see alot of the city. Get an octopus card.
If you are interested in architecture, maybe spend longer in Macau? Have an overnight trip - hotels are quite reasonable in macau or you can even stay in a hostel there.
The tour on Friday might be good, but very easy to spend time doing it yourself, and perhaps enjoying it more.
The Big Buddha is worth it, not the 'village' next door. Maybe if you have time go to Tai O on Lantau to see a smallish fishing town in Hong Kong.
I think it's fine as long as you realize that 1. oftentimes the best way to explore HK is seredipity and not sticking to a prescribed plan. I, personally, wouldn't endorse the tours, because I think you can find and discover things just as well (and often times better) on your own, but to each his own.
Nightlife? Really depends on what you're up for. Laidback expat bars. Local discos with local party kids. Sophisticated professional bars. Bars with movie stars and models with $20 (US) martinis. Touristy bars with filipino cover bands. Irish pubs with football on the telly. They're all there.
Drumbrake & astroboy giving good advice.
While you're in Mongkok, drop by Sincere House and see what you think about Dragon Hostel, Dragon Inn, other GHs there. We've stayed in Mirador in TST and Dragon in MK and liked the Mongkok neighborhood more - way fewer touts (or hawkers, as they say in HK).
Budget travel basics for Hong Kong
Asia 2005, 2006/2007
Asia photos 2005, 2006-2007 (pics of GH rooms in Mirador & Sincere House)
CK
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Chaskemp
I always called the guys seeling 'copy watches' and suits, and trying to get you to stay in their guesthouse or eat in their restaurant touts.
Hawkers are those selling things on the street - such as fruit and veg, clothes, or fast food such as fish balls.
Hawkers I generally have no problem with (except when they are hawking illegally and suddenly try to make a run for it when seeing the Hawker patrol guys and in the process nearly run you down with their trolley). Touts sometimes get on my nerves, especially when they try to sell you the same suit 10 times in one day!
I'd agree the touts are generally only in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Hawkers are declining in number everywhere - part of the government's desire to make Hong Kong 'Asia's World city'.
Thanks for all the advice! There's definitely a chance I will opt to do the New Territories on my own instead of a tour.
Probably laid back expat bars and Irish pubs are more my style... not so much into the clubby/trendy scene. I like to drink, talk to people, and check out live music if there's some good rock stuff around (not cheesy filipino cover bands). Will follow my nose, it usually does a great job of steering me into the non-sketchy dive bars so hopefully that talent will also work well in Asia!
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<hr>Laidback expat bars. Local discos with local party kids. Sophisticated professional bars. Bars with movie stars and models with $20 (US) martinis. Touristy bars with filipino cover bands. Irish pubs with football on the telly.<hr></blockquote>
A number of them seems to be clustered around in the Soho district. It's like up the hill behind Sheung Wan Civic Center along Hollywood Rd. It's like btwn Sheung Wan and the Central district. In Kowloon it's like immediately around the area north of the Star Ferry terminal.
Drumbrake, I see what you mean - of course if you'd bought the suit the first time you wouldn't have to deal with the next 9 touts hahahaha - you'd have 90 of them on your trail. This is a tout. The woman in front of him said, "¡Ay Caramba - This guy gives me a headache. And now there's another foreigner taking my picture. I'm outa here!"
XL: in the link I sent (#3) there is a link to what I think are some true rock&roll bands (the mp3 I heard was real R&R).
Have a good time in HK.
Quote: "Bars with movie stars and models with $20 (US) martinis." That's where you'll find me,
CK
Chaskemp - That tout must be for suits - not sure if I like his jacket though!
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<hr>if you'd bought the suit the first time you wouldn't have to deal with the next 9 touts hahahaha<hr></blockquote>
I'm the guy walking around Central in my shorts, sandals and t shirt! The US$20 martini bars won't let me in - but I know the best place for a drink in Hong Kong is on TST promenade facing the harbour - no dress code required.
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