Hong Kong for 1 and a 1/2 days

[Ehg71]

I am going to be arriving in Hong Kong one evening in April.  This will be my first time there.  Now, I have been researching possible tours.  I looked into one Tour to do the very next day after I arrive which takes me and my friend to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddah, a fishing village and a temple.  We would like to do Hong Kong Island as well, but will only have that end of the afternoon available as we plan to spend the evening in Kowloon.  Our cruise ship leaves at 5 pm the next day.  We’ll be staying near cruise terminal.  Do any of you feel that we can get a good view of Hong Kong Island hen morning before the cruise or are we biting off more than we can chew?  A side note:  my friend is in his eighties and walks a bit slower.  Thank you.  I look forward to any and all advice.

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, Ehg71 said:

I am going to be arriving in Hong Kong one evening in April.  This will be my first time there.  Now, I have been researching possible tours.  I looked into one Tour to do the very next day after I arrive which takes me and my friend to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddah, a fishing village and a temple.  We would like to do Hong Kong Island as well, but will only have that end of the afternoon available as we plan to spend the evening in Kowloon.  Our cruise ship leaves at 5 pm the next day.  We’ll be staying near cruise terminal.  Do any of you feel that we can get a good view of Hong Kong Island hen morning before the cruise or are we biting off more than we can chew?  A side note:  my friend is in his eighties and walks a bit slower.  Thank you.  I look forward to any and all advice.

You are ignoring the effects of jet lag. I have flown twice from Eastern Canada to SE Asia (both times with connections however) and both times arriving in the evening. In both cases I zonked out in the middle of the next day from exhaustion. I think that you are trying to do too much. Sorry.

[Kristal Blade]

There is a walkway down at the waterfront, nice and flat, with views towards Hong Kong island. You can see the high rise blocks and all the water traffic zooming backwards and forwards.

You could maybe get a taxi to drop you there, have a stroll then taxi back to your hotel before joining the cruise. You may well wake up really early, so make the most of that time.

[Betty in Cozumel]

On the day you sail at 5pm you will have time to take a taxi to the bottom of the Peak Tram.  Ride it up, look around and go back down to catch a taxi back to the ship.

 

Tip:  Best views of the harbour, downtown and Kowloon are around Lugard Road.  Head north and go as far as you are comfortable to walk and then head back.

[mking8288]

I concur with gnome12's advice about planning to do too much, the jetlag effects since the body clock will be upside down, by 12 hours or so - even both of you are flying J or business class and can't get some rest & sleep en route, take 2 to 3 days or more to adjust.  

 

MTR is the typical way to get out to Lantau Island, travel time from Kowloon - not sure where you are staying "near" the Kai Tak cruise terminal (most hotels used by first time visitors are in the Tsim Sha Tsui area) - to Tung Chung, where NP 360, next to CityGate Outlet Mall, is about 1 hour with transfer, each year (again, don't have your tour info, where they meet/pickup, etc.) but expect 2 to 3 hours to see the Big Budda & Temple, another 30 minutes to Tai O Fishing Village on the southwest tip of the island, another 45 minutes+ to get back to MTR ... unless the entire trip is done by charterd/motor coach ... you will likely be exhausted & tired by the afternoon.

 

Your travel companion is in the 80's - be advised that this involved fair amount of walking, stairs & climbing ... humidity & temperature begin to go up by April, the start of rainy season - bottled water for hydration is a must & shades for sun protection. 

 

If possible and you wish to see as much of HK as you can, is flying in one extra day early an option & no penalty with airline ticketing change ??  What else besides the Peak Tram & top of Victoria Peak are a "must" (check the weather, cloudy skies ... no views at all) on your bucket list ... some folks enjoy the nightly 8 p.m. laser light show on the harborfront, best view on Kowloon side - timed it and you can also take the short Star Ferry (upper deck) across to/from Central, and pickup the MTR underground to go elsewhere or back to the hotel.  With all the rushing, do set aside time to enjoy HK's wonderful food & variety. 

[Miaminice]

Agree to the above... don’t plan too much. And you are going all over...

 

First, get a hotel at a better location. No need to stay near the cruise terminal (Kai Tak).

If you are talking about the small terminal, it’s OK. 

 

I can recommend The Kowloon hotel. It‘s within 2 minute walking distance of the waterfront with a view on HK Island and the lightshow at night. If you want to venture out, it is right on top of a subway station.

 

The Star Ferry pier is also right there. Take the Ferry over to HK Island, maybe the Peak tram in the morning... and your time is over already.

 

Uber or taxi from the Hotel to the cruise terminal Kai Tak is around 20 USD.

[Betty in Cozumel]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Your travel companion is in the 80's - be advised that this involved fair amount of walking, stairs & climbing ... humidity & temperature begin to go up by April, the start of rainy season - bottled water for hydration is a must & shades for sun protection. 

 

And make sure you buy mineral water and NOT distilled water.  There is a lot of that there in their stores.  Easy to mix up.

[Yinster]

Depending on how you travel your plans are doable. However don't do too much as you could feel rushed too. I have family in Hong Kong so am usually there at least once a year. And if it was me then your plans are definitely doable. 

 

I would suggest staying in Kowloon perhaps. But find a hotel near a MTR as the trains are cheap and frequent. Plus Hong Kong maps in the touristy parts in train stations tend to tell you what  exits to use for different attractions.

 

If you are flying to Hong Kong then you land in on the island that has the big Buddha. So it is possible to stay on that island for one night so you have less to travel the next day for the big Buddha and then onto Tai O. I would suggest going to Tai O first for the fishing market and then getting the bus to the big Buddha. The queues for cable cars can be ridiculously long from Tung Chung to get to the big Buddha. Or go very early. You can also use the bus from Tung Chung.

 

Then I suggest moving to a different hotel for your second night since you are heading to Kowloon. 

 

Hong Kong Island is easy enough to get to in the morning. Use the star ferry as it is less hectic and very cheap and then bus to the peak. Queues again can be ridiculously long for the trams to Victoria Peak. Though if you have an octopus card you can bypass the queue buying tram tickets. 

 

You can get a tourist octopus card to pay your travels in the public transports. These are simply top up cards that people use to scan as payment. We have normal ones and they are easy to use so you don't have to find the right change.

 

Hong Kong is easy to navigate even if you never been. Google maps is very handy for directions as they tell different ways to get somewhere.

 

 

[Globaliser]

19 hours ago, Betty in Cozumel said:

And make sure you buy mineral water and NOT distilled water.

 

What's wrong with distilled water? I sort of grew up on that stuff.

[Betty in Cozumel]

5 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

What's wrong with distilled water? I sort of grew up on that stuff.

 

I remember two hikers died hiking the hills in Hong Kong because they were drinking only distilled water and had sweated out all their minerals.  

[Globaliser]

17 hours ago, Betty in Cozumel said:

I remember two hikers died hiking the hills in Hong Kong because they were drinking only distilled water and had sweated out all their minerals.  

 

If you hike intensively for a long time, drinking distilled water and eating and drinking nothing else, then you might get problems.

 

If you buy a bottle of distilled water when making a tourist visit to the Big Buddha and nearby attractions, in order to avoid getting dehydrated, the distilled water is not going to kill you or harm you. The same applies to tap water (which is generally safe to drink in Hong Kong), given the relatively low levels of minerals in tap water.

[sailco]

Check to see if your cruise is offering an embarkation tour. We took a four hour tour with Celebrity that was very thorough. We rode the Peak Tram, visited Aberdeen and the Stanley Markets. Along the way we passed all the well known sights of Hong Kong Island. It's an easy and convenient way to fit in lots in a limited time with the added security of knowing you luggage is safely stored under the bus.

 

I agree with the comments about Lantau Island. There are hundreds of stairs and lots of walking over uneven surfaces. Personally I think with the time you have you're better off just having a good look around Hong Kong.

 

I can highly recommend the Holiday Inn Golden Mile Hotel on Nathan Road. Book a renovated room on the upper floors. Buffet breakfast is included and has everything you could think of. Biggest and best breakfast we've ever had. The MTR is over the road and it's a leisurely 10 minute stroll to the Kowloon waterfront for the light show, the Star Ferry and the clock tower.

Edited February 8, 2019 by sailco

[G.M.T.]

I think people here are getting confused about mineral and distilled water. Mineral water has carbon dioxide in it (either added or occurs naturally). Distilled water has been processed to removed all minerals to be used in car batteries, irons or medical equipment i.e. COPD machines.

 

What is meant above is sparkling (bubbly) or still (no bubbles) water, both can be drunk without any problems and both contain minerals ancd can certainly be used for hiking.

[Globaliser]

3 hours ago, G.M.T. said:

What is meant above is sparkling (bubbly) or still (no bubbles) water, both can be drunk without any problems and both contain minerals ancd can certainly be used for hiking.

 

No, the distilled water widely sold in Hong Kong is distilled water, not still mineral water.

[Host Bonjour]

For me flying west is the easier jet lag. Arriving into HK at night worked out well, perhaps in part because for my Tokyo-HK leg (I flew JFK-Narita first) I somehow ended up in a BIG seat so I fell asleep until just before landing. Friends met me, we went to eat up on the Peak and then I went to sleep.

 

Next day I was fuzzy but ok for moderate sightseeing but I had plans for a long visit so I knew I could take it slow though we did cover a lot because my one friend was leaving for a business trip to KL so we stepped up the activities. If I had to, I could have pushed myself harder, sooner. 

 

I love your planned itinerary, I think it’s perfect. The giant Buddha is wonderful and you can linger there for awhile to collect some energy, hydrate (!!) and then see Tai O which is an increasing rarity today as an actual working fishing village...not many remain. It’s something to see. Definitely get a view of HK skyline, and if possible, get a ride on the Star Ferry across the harbor...it’s inexpensive and classic. I hail from a city I think has a nearly unparalleled skyline or “sparkle” though others are surely beautiful in so many ways but Hong Kong rivals NYC for the towers, glitz and a few inconic buildings. It made an imprint when I first saw it that captivated me...that’s not easy to do. Plenty of places leave me breathless but again, in different ways. 

 

So when you wake up the morning after you land, drink up lots of coffee or green tea and get going. Eat well, drink lots of water and enjoy your mini visit to Hong Kong. It’s amazimg. Hopefully your first day or two on the cruise are sea days so you can grab a deck chair or chaise lounge somewhere or hit the spa and just completely relax all day as you ready for your first port. 

 

Have a wonderful time 😎🎉