Anyone Been to Hong Kong?

SpeedFreak · 29 Feb 2008 at 18:06

Great picture Raymond, although one look at Ladies Market is enough to give me a headache again lol.

Watch out for Chow Tofu, it reaks. Eat as much as you can and don't look at the scales when you first get back, be prepared to put on a few lbs.
If you want a touristy night out try lan gwai fong.

There is no real language barrier, there is always somebody in a shop who knows english in the busier area. I do my best to butcher Cantonese while i'm there, which is usually well appreciated, but i'm reasonably proficient and know all my foods in cantonese so cha ap fan is always available (roast pork and duck with rice).

some language hints

MTR/Toilet etc...hey bin do? Where is the MTR/Toilet etc....
gay deem a? What time is it
gay daw cheen a? How much does it cost
m goy Thankyou
Way Hello
Hi yes
Mo no

Raymond Lin · 29 Feb 2008 at 19:26

SpeedFreak said:
Great picture Raymond, although one look at Ladies Market is enough to give me a headache again lol.

Watch out for Chow Tofu, it reaks. Eat as much as you can and don't look at the scales when you first get back, be prepared to put on a few lbs.
If you want a touristy night out try lan gwai fong.

There is no real language barrier, there is always somebody in a shop who knows english in the busier area. I do my best to butcher Cantonese while i'm there, which is usually well appreciated, but i'm reasonably proficient and know all my foods in cantonese so cha ap fan is always available (roast pork and duck with rice).

some language hints

MTR/Toilet etc...hey bin do? Where is the MTR/Toilet etc....
gay deem a? What time is it
gay daw cheen a? How much does it cost
m goy Thankyou
Way Hello
Hi yes
Mo no

You really are butchering the language there aren't you

"No" should be more like "Mm Ho". You can't really use english to say Cantonese, it's never 100%, sometimes even at 80% still sounds wrong.

As for food is average.....what do you guys eat here? Lobster?

I mean how fresh do you want your food?

They keep the lobster alive in a tank in restaurants, literally from alive to on your plate in about 15 mins.

Must admit, having lived in England for the last 17 years have dull my senses a little. Thinking the food is ok but having been back and almost in a way an eye re-opener on how much variation and how good food is all over the place is just mind blowing.

You just got to know where to look.

All that came to less than £12.

These drinks are about £1.50, fresh mango pieces inside with some crystal jelly at the bottom and some cream on the top, the straw was the size of my fingers so you can suck in all the mango pieces.

I am so going back next year.

SpeedFreak · 29 Feb 2008 at 19:32

lol, i was just trying to write it as best as possible, hearing it and writing it are worlds apart, especially as I can't read chinese.

edit... mango sago is my favourite!

Raymond Lin · 29 Feb 2008 at 20:19

SpeedFreak said:
lol, i was just trying to write it as best as possible, hearing it and writing it are worlds apart, especially as I can't read chinese.

edit... mango sago is my favourite!

is that what that drink is called in English ? All I know is it taste nice, didn't know what it was until i had some, my cousin recommended it.

monkeyharris · 29 Feb 2008 at 20:20

i stayed there for three weeks in october last year, had an amazing time! dont really know where to recommend staying as i stayed with friends but some of my favourite places were:

the peak - great views over the city, try to pick a cooler day for ths as the haze is less when its cool generally (haze is just something you get used to once youve been there a while). make sure you use the tram up for at least one way - such an experience! it sooo steep!

stanley market - great little village/town by the sea that has a great market that dissappears off into alleys - we saw colin montgomery and his wife and daughter looking around on of the time we went!

deepwater bay, repulse bay have amazing beaches! this is one thing i didnt realise before i went is that the beaches in HK are lovely! big wave beach is great for surfing, and my favourite was south beach - very small and quiet when we went with a lovely bar where you can get nice food and great cocktails. most of the beaches have at least one floating pontoon/platform thing you can swim out to as well.

if you want to go for a top notch (read fairly pricey & posh) meal or evening drink i cant recommend AQUA enough, one of the best views in HK as you eat because its on kowloon side so faces all the amazing buildings on HK island and you on the top floor (30th if i remember correctly)

the laser show - at 8pm loads of the buildings have a massive laser show to music. best seen from kowloon side of the harbour. definately get the sta ferry across the harbour at least once, great experience and good fun!

you could also take a trip to lantau on the ferry - one of the outlying islands, has amazing beaches and a huge buddha you can get the bus to at the top of the mountain with amazing views.

hope thats helps!

SpicyDuck · 29 Feb 2008 at 20:29

Rotty said:
HK didn't do much for me, the island is much the same as any major city and very expensive to eat/drink anywhere nice, Kowloon has more culture but lacks the vibrancy and edge of somewhere like Bangkok

Having been to both Hong Kong and Bangkok, I agree entirely. Bangkok is where it's at.

ojste · 29 Feb 2008 at 22:26

quality pictures raymond, wish i was back there right now

and whoever said it was expensive to eat in hong kong went to all the wrong places!

SuperMan · 29 Feb 2008 at 23:20

Wow Raymond. Pictures are just amazing and thanks for all the adivce. Are all the places i.e. Harbour mall easy to find? Is Kowlon another place from Mangkok or just like a small district within? So excited can't wait for my trip to begin.

oldbag · 29 Feb 2008 at 23:21

I was there in 87 and it was awesome.

Raymond Lin · 29 Feb 2008 at 23:40

SuperMan said:
Wow Raymond. Pictures are just amazing and thanks for all the adivce. Are all the places i.e. Harbour mall easy to find? Is Kowlon another place from Mangkok or just like a small district within? So excited can't wait for my trip to begin.

It's REALLY easy to find.

At the edge of Kowloon is the harbour walk, at one end is the Bus station and where the star ferry leaves. And on that side is a massive zebra crossing. Go over it and its the FIRST road 90 degrees to the road you just cross ONTO and head down there. About 100m down you'll start seeing all these designer logos.

Bus station

This is the road....you go down, the green truck is blocking the view

But basically about 100 odd meters you'll see this Dior building on the right.

The Lady street bit is easy, when you come out of **** Kok East station, follow the Neon Lights into the shopping center on your right, walk through that shopping mall, and you'll come onto a pedestrian bridge, follow that bridge and I think take a RIGHT when you come to a T junction on the Bridge.

**** Kok is an area in Kowloon, think of Kowloon as a county and **** Kok is a town within it. It has it's own train station, its about 3 stop from the end of the line (southern point) and I think its the first one with the underground for changing over.

Raymond Lin · 29 Feb 2008 at 23:56

lol, found it on one of my pics, a screen for the trains ticket machine.

You can see it there, you use it by pressing on the circle on the station you want to go to, its touch screen. Most of the station do not have manned booth to serve you so you get tickets by machines. Actually 99% of the locals have a oyster card thing that they use for Trains, buses, and even buy stuff from shops/supermarkets such as 7-11 and fast food places.

So you press the destination and put in your money, put it in the top of notes faces left (opposite to ours).

Click thumbnail for the whole machine

Tsim Sha Tsui is where my hotel is and East Tsim Sha Tsui is where Harbour Mall is. Can walk it in about 15 to 20 mins between them.

GSXRMovistar · 1 Mar 2008 at 00:06

Great pictures Raymond, I'd love to visit there at some point.

kbc · 1 Mar 2008 at 00:26

I've been back about 3-4 times now, can't remember.

We have family out there living in Sheung Shui 上水. New Territories 新界. I went last November for about 2.5 weeks with a friend who's never been out there before.

If you want shopping, there's loads down in Central and Hong Kong Island as already mentioned. There are many shopping malls with huge brand names, but they're very expensive, Armani, Gucci, LV etc...! More so there than here! You'll probably notice that most of these stores are empty - as no one goes into them! Head over to Lam Kwai Fong if you want a drink and some food...

Over-run by British owned bars and foreigners.

Head into some of the local restaurants where the locals would go and you could probably get a meal for the 4-5 of you for about £10-£15.

There's also the "Golden Computer Centre" in Sam Shui Po if you want to buy electronics or video games - very crowded though.

Also, going in June may well be a little too warm for your liking.

I went in August few years back and almost fainted because it felt like 40C with the humidity and all that.

Public transport is awesome over there. The tube is fantastic, makes the London Underground look poor here. Must go back again soon before they relinquish my ID and my Visa runs out!

Mr.Bon · 1 Mar 2008 at 00:39

Jelly Drinks 4tehwin.

Ironic Namesake · 1 Mar 2008 at 01:10

Great pictures !

That fast food place (cafe de coral?) is great, very cheap too

I always get lost in Harbour city

jesta · 1 Mar 2008 at 01:51

Was deciding whether to go HK this summer and after looking at Raymonds photos I'm pretty certain on going HK. Raymond do you know how much tickets go for if I go on the 26th August and return on the 20th September?BA and Virgin are roughly £530 and Oasis is slightly more.Do you reckon thats the cheapest it will get or would it be slightly cheaper nearer till that time?Also if you dont mind me asking how much was that hotel per night you stayed at?

Altho I be staying with my relatives sometimes I may just stay in a hotel overnight.Also how old do you have to be to check in at a hotel as I am 18 and whilst researching earlier today there was a hotel that required you to be 21+.

Nullvoid · 1 Mar 2008 at 02:04

jesta said:
Was deciding whether to go HK this summer and after looking at Raymonds photos I'm pretty certain on going HK. Raymond do you know how much tickets go for if I go on the 26th August and return on the 20th September?BA and Virgin are roughly £530 and Oasis is slightly more.Do you reckon thats the cheapest it will get or would it be slightly cheaper nearer till that time?Also if you dont mind me asking how much was that hotel per night you stayed at?

Altho I be staying with my relatives sometimes I may just stay in a hotel overnight.Also how old do you have to be to check in at a hotel as I am 18 and whilst researching earlier today there was a hotel that required you to be 21+.

The cheapest seems to be £478.70 for Cathay Pacific (a good airline I think?): http://www.travelsupermarket.com/fl...=2512400000000014196&available=42&BnBOption=1

Raymond Lin · 1 Mar 2008 at 07:39

jesta said:
Was deciding whether to go HK this summer and after looking at Raymonds photos I'm pretty certain on going HK. Raymond do you know how much tickets go for if I go on the 26th August and return on the 20th September?BA and Virgin are roughly £530 and Oasis is slightly more.Do you reckon thats the cheapest it will get or would it be slightly cheaper nearer till that time?Also if you dont mind me asking how much was that hotel per night you stayed at?

Altho I be staying with my relatives sometimes I may just stay in a hotel overnight.Also how old do you have to be to check in at a hotel as I am 18 and whilst researching earlier today there was a hotel that required you to be 21+.

£500 seems to be the average for low season, more between Xmas to Chinese new year.

We flew Cathay Pacific, the rooms are tight on economy but they always are, try to get an isle seat so you can just get up and go for a walk. The best thing is the service thou. they are endlessly attentive, from the moment you get onboard to leaving. The food was even ok, 2 meals with pot noodles in between if you want and nuts and biscuits in between.

You get endless soft drinks and fruit juice (could just walk into the kitchen and help yourself) and even alcohol (need to ask) but they could just keep pouring and pouring. Very polite and just cannot fault their service.

We stayed in the Royal Gardens, it wasn't that busy when we went and no reservations were needed, was £90 per night for a twin room but they wanted $1000 for deposit too.

http://www.rghk.com.hk/

Cafe De Coral (direct translation should be "Everyone Happy" ?) is cheap, quick, clean and tasty. Much nicer than McD's (saying that, the Big Mac Index is out of the window, their Big Mac meal are $24 - £1.60 !!!!!!!!! and that is the most expensive meal on the menu)

All this for $48 - £3.50

jesta · 1 Mar 2008 at 15:32

Thanks for the help guys.Raymond those photos look fantastic,seems like HK has changed a lot since I last went (9 years ago

)You got any other photos?If so are they uploaded anywhere?Would love to see more!

Rotty · 1 Mar 2008 at 15:46

we stayed in th Sheraton on Kowloon overlooking the harbour

Public areas were very nice but the rooms were only average