Hong Kong - Does this make sense???

[jresmith]

My husband and I will be taking our first Asian cruise next month. We'll be on the Diamond Princess and will visit Hong Kong for only one day - April 28 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. We wanted to spend more time in Hong Kong, so we are flying to Hong Kong prior to our cruise. In my infinite wisdom, I forgot all about the International Date Line (!!) so as it turns out we will only have one full day in Hong Kong prior to the cruise. We will be staying at the Novotel Citygate.

 

So here are my questions:

1. Since we will have a full day in Hong Kong on April 19, we plan to take the MTR into Hong Kong that morning. We want to see Victoria Peak and ride on the Star Ferry. I noticed that the Star Ferry offers a Symphony of Lights Harbor Cruise in the evening from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Has anyone been on this? Is it better to watch the light show from the ferry or on land on the Kowloon side?

2. We would like to eat dinner prior to the harbor cruise. Can anyone recommend a good Chinese or seafood restaurant close to where the ferry boards?

3. We plan to purchase Octopus cards, and from what I have read, $100 per card should be plenty. My husband is over 65 so I'm assuming he will qualify for a senior card? Is it better to get the "On Loan" card or the "Sold" card? We will be using the card both on the 19th and when we return to Hong Kong on the 28th, and then return the card (if we do the "On Loan" card) prior to leaving Hong Kong on the 28th.

4. Since we won't have as much time in Hong Kong on the 28th, we plan on doing Lantau Island on that date. Our ship docks (tenders? I'm not sure which) at the container terminal. From looking at Google Earth, it looks like the Lai King station is close to this terminal. Does anyone know if it is within walking distance? We will take the MTR over to Lantau to see the Giant Buddha and Ngong Ping.

5. My husband was in Hong Kong for R & R during the Vietnam War. He said there was a place that was essentially a "city on the water" with people living on sampams or junks. Does that still exist, and if so, where is it?

6. What else is a "don't miss" in Hong Kong for our full day there? What about Lantau Island?

 

Any and all comments and suggestions will be appreciated. We want to make the most of our time there, and I knew I could come to our Cruise Critic friends for good info!

 

Thanks! Jennifer

[John Bull]

1. From the star ferry you can see the laser show on both sides of the harbour. On land, viewing from Kowloon side is best, perhaps along the Avenue of Stars close to the Tsim Sha Tsui star ferry terminal. Wherever, do try to be somewhere which broadcasts the music which accompanies the laser show - it's on a local radio channel.

Show is nightly at 8pm. But will you be in HK then????

2. Nothing specific, but around the bottom of Nathan Road if you're on the Kowloon side. Ate in an excellent Chinese at basement level, mainly Chinese clientele but sorry can't remember name or location.

3. $100 for a day's travel? That's enough for you and all your fellow-passengers. :) And probably the crew as well :D

Most ferries, trams, short bus trips work out about US30 cents for over-60s, don't know the MTR but guessing that similar.

4. Sorry, can't help.

5. Very few genuine junks & sampans. You'll find some sampans in Causeway Bay monsoon harbour, & perhaps Aberdeen harbour.

6. On the island, consider the busy & colourful older shopping streets of Wan Chi, bus to Stanley Market, bus or funicular to The Peak, the Mid-Levels escalators (Western Market up to Hollywood Road & beyond).

On the mainland, Nathan Road. And the Night Market if you're there mid-late evening.

Excellent precis by Kuldalai on this thread http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1378589

 

John Bull

[EmsMom]

We were just in Hong Kong for two days. The first day we used the HOHO bus. The tickets were about $40US each and we thought it was well worth it. This included a return trip on the STAR Ferry, a sampan ride at Aberdeen (this is where there were junks and Jumbo restaurant) and a return trip on the Peak. It went to all of the main areas of Hong Kong where we could get off and walk around and then get back on the next bus. We went to Stanley and ate lunch (there's a discount coupon for one of the restaurants included with the HOHO pass). We started at about 10:30 AM and didn't finish until after 6PM (It stops at 6PM), however, the pass also includes a night tour on the Kowloon side for the light show. I felt like we saw all of the main areas of Hong Kong, however, we only spent time at Stanley. The bus has an open top and if it isn't raining, this is a great way to see the city. The next day, we spent the morning walking around the Mong Kok area and visiting various markets (a half day for this was plenty). At 1:30, we took a tour out to Lantau Island. We visited the Buddha, the monastery and the fishing village. We used a tour company for this as our time was so limited. This tour included the gondola ride up to the Buddha. Having already seen many Buddhas in southeast Asia, I'm not sure I would do this tour again. The best part of it was the gondola ride. This Buddha is not old....I think it was built in the 1990s. The monastery is nice but the fishing village was very small and we'd already seen similar in other parts of southeast Asia. We didn't get back until 7PM so it was a very long afternoon. If you want to see the Buddha and the monastery, I would skip the fishing village as it was a good distance away. We didn't use the MTR as the taxis were very cheap and we didn't want to fool around with an Octopus card for just one day. The HOHO bus took us everywhere we wanted to go. We ate at our hotel for all of our meals (Langham Place).....they had a great Chinese restaurant that did Dim Sum for lunch and great Chinese for dinner.

[John Bull]

A couple of clarifications:

 

My post = make that Causeway Bay typhoon shelter, not monsoon shelter. Makes it easier for you to find via your search engine.

 

Emsmom's post = the ho-ho bus is a separate commercial enterprise, not part of the local transport system & I'm pretty sure not accessible via Oyster card. It's very much more expensive than local transport, but has its advantages.

 

If you stick with local ferries, buses, trams, MTR, without an Oyster, get yourself a good stack of HKD1 & HKD2 & 50ct coins, speeds up some journeys, essential on others with correct-fare only.

JB :)

[EmsMom]

John, I think you mean Octopus card...not Oyster. Yes, the HOHO bus is more expensive than public transportion and we could not use the Octopus card---we just had to pay $40 PP upfront and then had a pass for the day. The reason we liked it was that it was very easy and had a set route that we could follow and included the routes and items that we wanted to see in a very short period of time. For us, it was worth the extra money....plus we liked riding on the top as it gave us a great view of the city as well as a narrated tour in English.

[John Bull]

John, I think you mean Octopus card...not Oyster. Yes, the HOHO bus is more expensive than public transportion and we could not use the Octopus card---we just had to pay $40 PP upfront and then had a pass for the day. The reason we liked it was that it was very easy and had a set route that we could follow and included the routes and items that we wanted to see in a very short period of time. For us, it was worth the extra money....plus we liked riding on the top as it gave us a great view of the city as well as a narrated tour in English.

 

 

Ooops, yep, getting my different cities' travel cards mixed up :o

 

I can see the advantages of ho-ho, I've used them in many other cities.

But the experience doesn't compare to crammed-in up-top in one of HK's rickety old trams, talking to kids keen to practice their english, with the wind in your hair, your backside on a slatted wooden seat & your foot on some unfortunate passenger's toe :D

 

I could ride the trams all day. Except I'd want to ride the star ferries for at least half of the day :)

 

all the best

JB

[jresmith]

Thanks so much for your responses.

 

John, you also helped me on some of my London questions. I'm going to start calling you Mr. Answer Man! We are leaning towards getting an "on loan" Octopus card while we are in Hong Kong. Since we won't be paying for all of our fellow passengers, guess we won't need to get $100 cards! We plan to be in Hong Kong for the light show. Hopefully, MTR runs late at night so we'll be able to get back to our hotel on Lantau Island!

 

EmsMom, what did you do at Stanley? Thanks for the heads up on the fishing village. We will probably skip that and just go to the Buddha and Monastery. What would you say was the highlight on Hong Kong Island. What about Kowloon?

 

Thanks again. Can't believe our cruise is less than a month away. Still have lots of research to do!

 

Jennifer

[Ahfook]

My husband and I will be taking our first Asian cruise next month. We'll be on the Diamond Princess and will visit Hong Kong for only one day - April 28 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. We wanted to spend more time in Hong Kong, so we are flying to Hong Kong prior to our cruise. In my infinite wisdom, I forgot all about the International Date Line (!!) so as it turns out we will only have one full day in Hong Kong prior to the cruise. We will be staying at the Novotel Citygate.

 

So here are my questions:

1. Since we will have a full day in Hong Kong on April 19, we plan to take the MTR into Hong Kong that morning. We want to see Victoria Peak and ride on the Star Ferry. I noticed that the Star Ferry offers a Symphony of Lights Harbor Cruise in the evening from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Has anyone been on this? Is it better to watch the light show from the ferry or on land on the Kowloon side?

2. We would like to eat dinner prior to the harbor cruise. Can anyone recommend a good Chinese or seafood restaurant close to where the ferry boards?

3. We plan to purchase Octopus cards, and from what I have read, $100 per card should be plenty. My husband is over 65 so I'm assuming he will qualify for a senior card? Is it better to get the "On Loan" card or the "Sold" card? We will be using the card both on the 19th and when we return to Hong Kong on the 28th, and then return the card (if we do the "On Loan" card) prior to leaving Hong Kong on the 28th.

4. Since we won't have as much time in Hong Kong on the 28th, we plan on doing Lantau Island on that date. Our ship docks (tenders? I'm not sure which) at the container terminal. From looking at Google Earth, it looks like the Lai King station is close to this terminal. Does anyone know if it is within walking distance? We will take the MTR over to Lantau to see the Giant Buddha and Ngong Ping.

5. My husband was in Hong Kong for R & R during the Vietnam War. He said there was a place that was essentially a "city on the water" with people living on sampams or junks. Does that still exist, and if so, where is it?

6. What else is a "don't miss" in Hong Kong for our full day there? What about Lantau Island?

 

Any and all comments and suggestions will be appreciated. We want to make the most of our time there, and I knew I could come to our Cruise Critic friends for good info!

 

Thanks! Jennifer

Here is my two cents:

1. Diamond Princess will sail through the harbor at 8 o'clock when depart from Hong Kong, that's when the show start. Take a seat in Skywalker lounge, have a drink and enjoy the best from both side.

2. Pacific Moon deck 6.

3. Since you only have two days get a "on loan" card and top off with HK$100. There are different rule for senior card for MTR, bus company and ferry, just get the regular card. www.octopus.com.hk

4. Giant buddha, Novotel Citygate and Airport are all in Lantau Island. So it make more sense to visit Ngong Ping the day you arrive in Hong Kong. Ngong Ping Sky Rail Station is within 10 min. walk from the hotel. www.ng360.com.hk

5. Aberdeen still have people live in Junks, they're mostly fisherman.

6. Shopping, shopping and more shopping. When on shore, bring all you cash and credit cards and have fun!/?

When Diamond Princess in Hong Kong, she will berthed at Modern Cargo Terminal where passengers and taxis are not allowed in the port area. Complimentary bus service go between port and Ocean City (close to Star ferry pier Kowloon side.) Take the ferry to Hong Kong Island then take the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak. Just buy the one way ticket and take bus#15 back. It's a double decker, try the first row on the upper deck above the driver and you will have a thrill ride. At the end of the line change to bus#6A to Stanley Market, or bus#70 to Aberdeen. Or take the ferry back to Kowloon and more shopping in Ocean City.

Don't forget return your Octopus card to ticket agent in any MTR station for refund. It will take 45 min. bus ride back to the ship and there will be over 2000 passengers and crew member all want to ride the bus. Allow youself some extra time for that. Last year it take me 45 min waiting under the sun since the bus stop is outdoor. Another tips is when in Airport take a few free tour maps by the immigration station it will sure help you plan you tour in Hong Kong.

Have Fun in Hong Kong.

[EmsMom]

We really enjoyed our day on the HOHO bus because it gave us a good overview of Hong Kong from the top of the bus with the narrative. The buildings are amazing and we were able to get a view of the various neighborhoods on HongKong Island. At Stanley, we walked on the main street, ate lunch at a waterfront restaurant (very expensive) and walked throught the market. The highlight of Hong Kong Island for us was the Peak. We really enjoyed going up there and there are some very cool shops and restaurants up there. As far as Kowloon, we enjoyed the various markets (bird market, goldfish market, ladies market, electronics market). We didn't buy much as we had already been shopping throughout our trip and didn't need anything more....it was basicly the same stuff we'd seen all over Vietnam. We looked at some things at the electronics market but it wasn't any cheaper than you could buy in the US. There are lots of shops in every price range (many at the high end) but we can do that in the US so we didn't want to spend our time shopping when we could be touring. We also enjoyed the food very much.

[tommui987]

Mwe will only have one full day in Hong Kong prior to the cruise.

 

Jennifer: We are still in Hong Kong having disbarked the Azamara Quest on March 29th.

 

Best advice is to get on the Big Bus Tour which gets you everywhere.

 

The R&R tours of Hong Kong during the Vietnam War was a Hong Kong of forty years ago. We were here too during that time and there were hundreds/thousands living on boats and shacks on the hill.

 

We took the bus to Stanley and stopped for a boat trip in Aberdeen yesterday where we spotted only a few people living on boats - most of the boats there were yachts of one size or the other!

 

I did not spot very many shacks.

 

But your best bet is the Big Bus tour - it's hop on hop off, has the various tickets for the Peak, ferry boats etc.

 

Enjoy - food on the streets are pretty good!

[EmsMom]

The Big Bus is the same one I wrote about earlier....it is a HOHO bus and well worth the money with all of the extras. If your time is limited it will give you a great overview of the city with some extra time in places of interest...Also gives you tickets for the Peak, STar Ferry, and sampan.

[Lilly Pilly]

Hi Jennifer!

This is my very first posting so hope that I am doing it right.

We got home (NSW Aiustralia) from Hong Kong on Tuesday

LOVE Hong Kong

Firstly 100HKD will be plenty on your octopus card. Marvellous things

Seniors are free on the Star ferry.

The symphony of lights is only on for fourteen minutes. 8pm to 8.14pm and we found it very disappointing!

The big buddha is really worth a look but be aware that it is a 50 minute bus ride each way from the ferry and there are 234 (I think) steps up to it.

If you can find time, the Temple St. night markets are a MUST

Enjoy!!

Lilly Pilly

[ksps cruise fan]

I suggest you organize a clear day itinerary and a cloudy day itinerary. Both the Buddha and Monastery and Victoria's Peak are amazing experiences when the wether is clear enough for the famous views, but a big ho-hum in haze and drizzle, a frequent weather condition.

 

Walking through Kowloon may not seem like a big deal, but if you go with a good guide he/she will point out various types of shops and how the products sold in each are part of the Hong Kong traditional way of life. I remember with fondness our trip through the cooking utensil street and the Asian-style casket street and the pet street and more. The next day, we took a walk through the Hong Kong side. That side has more historic buildings, but fewer neighborhoods that show the traditional Asian way of life. I think the one exception on the Hong Kong side is the neighborhood that sells dried fish, especially sharks' fins. Passing stores filled with sacs of dried sharks' fins stacked to the ceiling is a sight that provokes a very ambivalent response: respect for the tradition and distress that so many sharks have been slaughtered for nothing more than their fins.

 

I'm a huge fan of using guides in every destination we visit. A good guide will point out the little details about the history or daily life that a guide book simply can't cover -- and a visitor will certainly miss going alone.

 

We used the Chris Rowthorn agency to book two wonderful guides last year in Hong Kong. The first day, Maggie Chan took us through Kowloon. The second day, Jim Kushner took us through Hong Kong. This was our second visit to Hong Kong, but the first time we did not use guides. We got so much more out of the second visit! Here's the email for the Chris Rowthorn agency: chris@chrisrowthorn.com

 

Incidentally, Chris' company also offers guides in the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara and in the Thai capital of Bangkok. We did not use his guides in any of these destinations on either last year's or this year's trips to Asia, but contacting him is a good one-stop way to hire guides for a cruise with these destinations. www.chrisrowthorn.com

[westcoastcruiser]

I agree with the earlier poster's comments re the laser light show -- we were very disappointed. Our cruise ship was docked overnight so we made a point to go topside to watch it. We were pleased and excited to obtain a great vantage point only to see what we thought was a pathetic display. Just our opinion.

 

Agree that Stanley Market, Lantau Island, Kowloon, sampan ride in Aberdeen, Night Market and a walk along Avenue of Stars (?) were highlights for us.

[Angsa]

Definitely go to Ngong Ping 360 and the Big Buddha when you arrive at Novotel Citygate, it is just a stone's throw away. The website should be http://www.np360.com.hk

 

If it is raining on the day you return, consider visiting the new Sky100 observation deck at ICC. It is just 5 minutes taxi ride away from Ocean City. At 393m, this new attraction will give you a view that can rival the peak. http://www.sky100.com.hk (do book in advance as it is new and will be very popular.)

 

If you want to visit Aberdeen, then maybe consider the Jumbo floating seafood restaurant. It is quite touristy but at least it gives you what you want. http://www.jumbo.com.hk/eng/main.php

 

Apart from the Big Bus, there is also the Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus. They work the same way. http://www.rickshawbus.com/en/home/index.html

[surfsidemary]

I agree with the earlier poster's comments re the laser light show -- we were very disappointed. Our cruise ship was docked overnight so we made a point to go topside to watch it. We were pleased and excited to obtain a great vantage point only to see what we thought was a pathetic display. Just our opinion.

 

Agree that Stanley Market, Lantau Island, Kowloon, sampan ride in Aberdeen, Night Market and a walk along Avenue of Stars (?) were highlights for us.

 

Just back from a Fall 2010 Asia cruise and agree with the above poster. Are you going to Shanghai? If you are, I wouldn't waste any time/effort trying to see the HK light show. I might have been a little more impressed if I had not just seen the lights in Shanghai, which in my opinion were very much more beautiful.

[johndon]

Jennifer

 

The Octopus card is good for MRT, Star Ferry, Buses etc and is refundable when you have no further use for it. For instance, if you pay $100 for the card and you only use $75 worth of travel you will be refunded $25 when the card is presented at any service counter at any railway station. It is even good for the double decker bus from the airport to the city which costs about $7-00 compared with up to $80 for a prepaid airport transfer bus. The amount left on the card after each journey is displayed on the readout at the exit turnstiles and it can be topped up if you use more than your initial $100. If you are over 65 yrs the card is half price.

 

John

[babs135]

The light show is disappointing. Lantau Island and the Big Buddha is worth a visit. We took the ferry to the Island, then a local bus (slightly scary as the driver had only one speed which was fast) up to the village which is walking distance to the Buddha. We returned via another local bus which dropped us off by the subway and then back to Hong Kong Island. None of us (we were a party of 4) wanted to do the gondola but I understand it's fun.