Aberdeen fishing village

[travelers2]

We're on the Diamond Princess Apr. 15 and looking for more info regarding getting to Aberdeen Fishing Village. I know Miss Jolly was asking about it.

About how much time is needed to get there, do the boat ride and see the area? Is it far from where we will be getting off the tender on the second day?

Thanks for any help,

travelers2

[route 66]

Have just returned from this cruise aboard Diamond Princess and did visit Aberdeen. We took the local bus from the bus station on Hong Kong Island to Aberdeen which took in total about 1/2 hour. Aberdeen is lovely but for something different do try Cheung Chau, this is where the real locals go for their weekends. If you are docked on Kowloon then take the Star Ferry to Hong Kong island and then ask which pier you need for Cheung Chau. You can then take the fast ferry or the slow one. The fast takes anbout 1/2 hour the slow an hour. I recommended Cheung Chau to our neighbours on board and they told me it was the best day out they had on the whole cruise.

 

A couple of other tips: Response Bay can be seen from the bus on the way to Aberdeen and Stanley Market is like a British City with English pubs. Nice to see but an hour and it will be 'been there and done that'.

 

Hope this helps.

[bqkali]

Have just returned from this cruise aboard Diamond Princess and did visit Aberdeen. We took the local bus from the bus station on Hong Kong Island to Aberdeen which took in total about 1/2 hour. Aberdeen is lovely but for something different do try Cheung Chau, this is where the real locals go for their weekends. If you are docked on Kowloon then take the Star Ferry to Hong Kong island and then ask which pier you need for Cheung Chau. You can then take the fast ferry or the slow one. The fast takes anbout 1/2 hour the slow an hour. I recommended Cheung Chau to our neighbours on board and they told me it was the best day out they had on the whole cruise.

 

A couple of other tips: Response Bay can be seen from the bus on the way to Aberdeen and Stanley Market is like a British City with English pubs. Nice to see but an hour and it will be 'been there and done that'.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Can you elaborate a little more about Cheung Chau? What is there to do there vs. Aberdeen?

[Bohemian]

A couple of other tips: Response Bay can be seen from the bus on the way to Aberdeen and Stanley Market is like a British City with English pubs.

Do you mean Repulse Bay?

The beach is nice but I don't think I'd go swimming there.

 

 

To OP,

Aberdeen Harbour is nice if you don't have much time or if you're going to eat at the Jumbo floating restaurant. Other than that, it's not what it used to be.

 

Stanley Market is fun and if you go to the restaurant/pub area along the shore, you'll have some great views over the water, especially if you're there when the sun is setting.

[ROCruiser]

When we were in HK a year ago we spent about 20 minutes there. Very disappointed. It's very developed now, nothing like it used to be. We spent a day on Cheung Chau Island. Walked all around, up to the hilltop, to the beach area (don't swim there though), through the market place and back alleys and had a wonderful day.

[mking8288]

Aberdeen used to be a small fishing village before HK government & developers turn it into a satellite city of 40+ story high rise residential skyscrapers, where upper floors have excellent views of the South China Sea (see picture linked below) Your will see fishing boats & wooden sampans in the protected harbour, along with modem yacht of various sizes owned by the rich & famous or not in H.K. Nearby is the "Ocean Park" amusement, opened in 1977 and favorite for families with children.

 

The infamous tourist vista (trap) is the floating "Jumbo" seafood restaurant, where fresh fish, shrimp & lobster, etc. are priced by the oz. and a meal for 4 to 6 people, plus shark-fin soup (priced in various grades) can easily bring your meal's total to $600 to 800 U.S. dollars. Stick with the dim sum lunch and order like other local ethnic Chinese and your wallet will thank you. The motorized "tender" boat will shuttle you to the Jumbo - stationary river barges connected together.

 

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/23b90a/

 

Cheung Chau is one of the many islands (260+, many small & uninhabited) and one of the closet to the Island of Hong Kong where Aberdeen is situated - it is still consider a fishing village today but used by locals as a weekend getaway - a mix of motels, B&B & popular for day trip. Pirates also used these islands back in the 1800's. Many residents commute daily to the "mainland" to work taking the fast ferries but prefer the peace & quiet on the island, and there are no cars or trucks on this island. Just off the pier on the beachfront are restaurants & small shops (can't recall if 7-11, yes, Seven-Eleven are there yet)

[route 66]

Here is a link for you http://www.marimari.com/cOnTENT/hong_kong/popular_places/outlying_islands/main.html

and of course you can visit other websites from there to make your decision. Whilst Aberdeen is real and not set up for tourists (apart from the Sanpan rides) we wanted to see where the locals go to get away from it all. It is all personal choice at the end of the day. Aberdeen is a small fishing village with a town, Cheung Chau has a lovely waterfront, lots of small sea front shops and if you delve deeper into the area, there are market type stalls where the locals shop and live. After visiting the 2, we found Aberdeen was done in an hour whereas we could have spent the whole day (if we had had the time) there and was indeed very pleasant. If you are in Hong Kong for 2 days, it is definately somewhere different to go and experience.

 

 

 

Can you elaborate a little more about Cheung Chau? What is there to do there vs. Aberdeen?

[Angsa]

HK govt info about Cheung Chau:

 

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/attractions/outlying-cheungchau-island.html

 

Another good choice will be Lamma Island:

 

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/attractions/outlying-lamma-island.html

[MalibuCA]

I just returned from HK, and we visited both Cheung Chau and Aberdeen. We spent a week in HK, so time was plentiful. Cheung Chau was very enjoyable, but I'm not sure I would spend a day there if you only have 2 days in HK. There are so many places to see on HK Island and in Kowloon. I will add to what an earlier posting stated about the ferry to Cheung Chau -- if you are staying in Kowloon (as we did), you also have the option to catch the ferry about 10 minutes taxi from Ocean Terminal right in Kowloon. Your concierge should be able to help with the particulars. Although you could easily spend a day in Cheung Chau, as other postings have suggested, it is not necessary if you are short on time. We spent the morning -- took the slow ferry over and the faster ferry back -- and we were able to walk everywhere and absorb all of the atmosphere.

 

I really enjoyed Aberdeen as well. I was there previously in 1980, and despite the fact that there are now high rises surrounding the sampans, I didn't feel that it took away from the old Chinese experience. We went on one of the "tourist" boats, but it was like having our own private excursion. We were traveling with another couple, and we had the boat just for the 4 of us (regardless of crowds waiting for boats). You get very close to the sampans, and you can even see into their "homes" to witness what life is like on an old China sampan. I recommend seeing Aberdeen, and if you have time, go over to Cheung Chau for the morning. We really enjoyed it all.

 

Whatever you do in HK, you can't go wrong. It's a fabulous city. Have fun!

 

Shelley

[Angsa]

When we were in HK a year ago we spent about 20 minutes there. Very disappointed. It's very developed now, nothing like it used to be. We spent a day on Cheung Chau Island. Walked all around, up to the hilltop, to the beach area (don't swim there though), through the market place and back alleys and had a wonderful day.

 

Actually the quality of the beaches in HK is very dependent on the recent weather. If it has rained recently, then there are lots of stuff that gets washed into the sea, so it is advisable not to swim then.

 

But if it has been sunny for 3-4 days, then it is actually a great time to swim. I remember seeing small fishes at Repulse Bay on a beautiful day, when the water was crystal clear.