Hong Kong Recommendations

Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum
1

Hi All-

I’ll be in Hong Kong the middle of September. Does anyone have must do’s or don’ts?

Restuarants, Hotels, Shopping etc.

Also I’m traveling from Seattle and have a lot of flexiblity on airlines. So tips on which airline, best cities to connect, business or coach…

Thanks

2

Doug, how many days are you in HK for?

I’ve been many times, and my wife is from there, and still goes back frequently.

Flight:
Asiana is not bad. I flew with them to Tokyo recently. They connect in Seoul.
Cathy I’ve heard is great… especially if you get first class… i’ve heard it’s worth getting it on Cathy Pacific. they connect in Vancouver, Canada.
Air Canada also connects in Vancouver
I believe a number of other airlines connects through San Fran.

To Do:
Central - business area… but u can walk around and shop
TST (Tsim Tsa Tsui) or however u spell it - walk around, shop, and eat
Big Budda - probably the main ‘sight’ to see in HK
The Peak - go up at night… see the lights
Harbour - also good at night, see the lights of Central side… i actually like this better than the peak

Hotel / Restaurant - can’t recommend. i’ve always lived with family, and been brought around to eat really great food. So all I can say is, there are GREAT food in HK… just have to find it :slight_smile:

Oh and I asked how long you’re staying for… anytime longer than say… 3 days… u’ll have pretty much nothing to do except more eating and more shopping. Great if you are looking for a nice watch or something :wink:

3

The Inter Continental and The Sheraton both have rooms/views overlooking HK harbor that are spectacular day and night. Treat yourself.

4

One of the things I enjoyed most was: taking the tram to the Big Buddha, seeing Big Buddha and then taking a taxi down to Cheung Sha Beach where I had an awesome meal at a restaurant right on the beach. The ride down is better than most rollercosters.

In the dead of winter I try to imagine I’m back there, on the beach, sipping beer and eating the delicious food. When I was there I felt like I was a million miles from anywhere.

BTW – for a small extra charge you can take the “crystal carriage” tram and avoid the long lines of people who aren’t willing to shell out an additional couple USD.

Had a great Moroccan meal in Central with a 2000 Musar – name escapes me now. One of my favorites was beef brisket noodles at another place in Central that escapes me. If I can remember, I’ll post the names.

It was quite a surreal experience for me. Enjoyed it very much.

5

If you go off-season, there are no lines.

6

Yung Kee restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong for superb roasted goose (and other roasts… BBQ pork is great too).

7

What’s off-season over there? I was there on business in October.

8

We were there in early November. I couldn’t imagine why they had this fee with just a couple of people hanging around. By the way, the views of HKG airport were spectacular.

9

Surprised only one restaurant recommendation here.

Anyone have another? I’m in HK for 20 hours en route to southeast asia. Prefer fish to meat; also interested in dim sum (but don’t have time for long lines).

10

I found this more recent thread with a little more specifics.

https://wineimport.discoursehosting.net/t/heading-to-beijing-phuket-and-hong-kong/45426/4

11

The Spring Deer restaurant for Peking duck is a must.

12

As far as hotels, The Peninsula is probably the best as far as view, history, etc. From my own perspective, I would go with the JW Marriott or the Conrad. In my case, better service than any US-based Ritz, etc. Both are in a great central location and close to shopping and some decent dining. If you want an unforgettable seafood experience, check out the seafood markets on Lamma Island. It requires a 30+ minute boat/ferry ride, but is as authentic as it gets. The language can be a bit difficult, but just point and smile. I’ve traveled all over the world, and to me, it was some of the freshest seafood I ever tasted.

Unlike many hotels in the US and Europe, the hotel restaurants in Asia (particularly HK) can actually be better than the local dives, just a bit more expensive. My wife is Chinese and we’ve eaten at many of them because her relatives think highly of some of the Cantonese chefs.

13

Go to the upper floors. pay 10% more service fee…
downstairs is horrible… upstairs is much better…

14

Hi Doug,

I live in HKG and PM me closer to the date.

Must eats? Tim’s Kitchen for traditional cantonese food and cheap corkage. Never fails to impress.

15

I am taking my son there as a graduation present during the last week of May. I will report back on favorites. Is the Lafite craze still strong? I am tempted to bring a couple of bottles to pay fro my trip. [wink.gif]

16

Hi Jamie,

Thanks for the invite. I went to HK in September of 2010. It’s funny to see my post again.

For anyone that is going to HK, it is a wonderful city. We stayed at the Conrad and the JW Marriott, which are right next to each other. We preferred the Conrad, but both were great. The pool at the JW was better.

While the Peninsula gets so much recognition, we perferred being on Hong Kong Island to Kowloon by a wide margin.

The one thing that my wife continues to say is that she misses the croissants from the Conrad. They are the best she has ever had. (She lived in France for a while)

17

can you expand on your opinion?

18

HK island is higher end.

Mainland is a must visit but more rustic, meaning slightly fewer Rolls Royces.

19

Hong Kong Island is more like Honolulu. You have space and I didn’t have anyone panhandling or soliciting.

Kowloon is like NYC with how many people there are, and from the ferry to the Peninsula which is a 2 minute walk, I was asked by multiple people to buy jewerly,clothes,donate to the Dali Lama etc.

Hong Kong Island was just way more relaxed and comfortable for us, while Kowloon seemed to have many of the things I don’t care for in large cities.

20

True. Which is why I live on Hong Kong Island. Kowloon stresses me.