Back from Hong Kong!

Hello guys,

We are back from Hong Kong after a fantastic trip! Enjoyed every bit of it!

Thanks to all on this forum who helped me plan it successfully!!!!

Saw all the major ';must-see'; items in HK: The Peak, Light show from Avenue of Stars, tram ride, Tian Tan buddha, Po lin monastery, Ngong Ping cable car, Man Mo temple, 10000 buddha temple, Star ferry rides

The skyline from Avenue of Stars and the Peak looks awesome!

Also got ';chops'; made at Man Wa lane near Sheng Wan MTR: very neat!

A very clean and efficient and highly westernised country which has retained its ancient temples as well. Felt great to experience South Asian culture 1st hand for the 1st time.

Also sneaked in a day trip to Macau using the Turbojet Ferry. Loved the ruins of St Paul: something I was wanting to see since many years. Liked the overall ';old world charm'; of Macau especially near Largo Senado. Also visited Guia Fort, Monte Fort, A-Ma temple, St Dominics church, Lisboa casino, Na Tcha temple

Had originally thought of doing a short trip to mainland China either through Lo Wu or Zhuhai, but ran out of time: China will be a separate visit for us :-)

Sitting at my desk now the lights across the Victoria harbor are coming to mind along with the overhead incense coils at all the temples!

Stayed at the Express by Holiday Inn at Causeway Bay which is a fantastic place to stay: very clean and right across Times Square mall which has the MTR station right in its basement. So very convenient.

Great experience!

Thanks everyone!

Back from Hong Kong!

It%26#39;s always pleasing to hear someone really enjoy a trip. I%26#39;ll be in there in a week.

Back from Hong Kong!

A few tips for future travellers based on my experiences:

1) Use the Octopus card for MTR/tram/bus: very convenient

2) If you want to visit Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau go by ferry to Mui Wo then bus upto Ngong Ping which drops you off at the bottom of the steps. Return via the Ngong Ping cable car + MTR. Gives an overall nice experience. Note that there will be long lines for the cable car. Noticed fewer people/car in the incoming cable cars so I assume there isnt much of a line in the other direction. May also depend on the time of the day though

3) Experience the skyline during the day as well as the night from Avenue of Stars in Kowloon and Peak. Very nice!

4) Visit to the Jade market is also fun; can get to it by double decker bus from Star Ferry terminal in Kowloon. Several buses go to Kowloon Post Office which is very close to Jade market

5) Book ferry to Macau atleast the earlier night; even then we didnt get seats at the times we wanted, needed to shift times a little bit

6) Enjoy a tram ride to Sheng Wan; no worry of getting lost, since you can catch a tram in the opposite direction to get to where you started :-)

7) Visit atleast 1 temple when you are there; a unique experience

8) Use the Airport Express to get to town from the airport; very convenient. Better to get the name of your hotel written down in Chinese for the taxi driver from the station. Several airlines also have conveniennt check in facility at the train station itself while returning.

Thanks

Hi thanks for the post! We will be going in April. I wanted to ask you a question about the Jade market. Did you buy any jade? Do you have to bargain? Are they straight about what kind of jade they are selling or would you reccommend going to a regular shop?

Thanks!

Hello carrom,

I bought very small animal figures about 45 HKD/piece. Bargained down from about 60 HKD/piece. They claim it is real jade, but since I bought very small items which I will keep in my souvenir cabinet anyway, I am ok with it being not 100 % jade (in case). So depends on what you are looking for. Real jewellery, I suggest going to some real jeweller; for some general cheap items, jade market is great!

Hope it helps

Hi there

Just looking at planning a holiday to HK - do you think there is enough to keep you occupied for say 10 days or should it be combined with another destination - how long was your trip?

Thanks Mez

there have been trips here as long as 14 days or even more.

with 10 days, you can visit macau and shenzen as well. then spend the 8 days in HK.

There%26#39;s a very prolific thread from a day or so ago about time. Heaps of suggestions for things to do.

Hi..I just want to ask how long the ';chops'; from sheung wan took to make? And how much did you pay for them? Thanks!

mezobon,

I think if you spread out your sight seeing, you can relaxingly enjoy 7-8 days..14 days may be too much for just HK (just my opinion)

traveloay,

The ';chops'; were ~180 HKD for 2 chops of stone (around 1/2 inch square, 2-3 inches tall with an animal head carving on top). Also came with box and porcelain container with red ink. Look pretty cool!

He took around 1.5 hrs. After placing the order and paying the $ we went off to Man Mo temple and they were ready by the time we came back.

Hope it helps

vb