Jim’s Travel Tips

Here are a few tips regarding shopping on your trip to Hong Kong.

Stanley Market http://www.hk-stanley-market.com

Stanley Market is a destination unto its own. Taking the double-decker bus from Central is part of the fun. I used to go to the bus terminal (right near the Star Ferry) and get on the next bus out so I could sit in the front row of the upper deck – the ride over the peak is not for the faint hearted. Stanley Market has a wide collection of vendors with Chinese souvenirs and all kinds of silk products – be prepared to bargain.

Temple Street Night Market

The experience of the night market is very different than that of Stanley Market and any trip to Hong Kong would not be complete without visiting here.

Bird Market

This market is again quite a different experience. This area is for the locals to shop for birds. Tourists can walk through without any of the barker type atmosphere of the other markets. The exotic birds are beautiful.

The airport as previously mentioned is on the back side of the island. Disney Hong Kong is also on the island and is a destination of its own. Lantau Island also has one of the largest sitting Buddha’s in the world. This part of the island is accessed by a ferry ride and then a bus to the peak of the island where the Buddha and monastery reside.

The Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon faces Hong Kong Island. Although the view from the original lower part of the hotel is obscured, the view from the top is fabulous. Go up to Felix’s at night for the best view – the restaurant itself is very pricey though. You also need to check out the restrooms at the top!

http://hongkong.peninsula.com

The Star Ferry traverses Victoria Harbor between Kowloon and Central. The views from the Ferry are incredible. Take the first class fare (less than $1.00 US) for great views and efficient, cost effective travel between the 2 parts of Hong Kong.

Victoria Peak http://www.thepeak.com.hk

Hong Kong has many spectacular sights to see. Victoria Peak provides some fabulous sights of the Harbor and Kowloon. The peak is a great place to view the sights both in the day and night as well. The Peak Tram takes you to the top – many restaurants, viewing areas, tourist vendors are at the top. Avoid Sundays, if possible, as it is very busy with locals. Side note: The entrance to the tram is across the street from the US Consulate – a great place to get additional pages added to your passport for free.

The airport for Hong Kong is actually on land reclaimed from the ocean just off Lantau Island. The airport Express train service is the most efficient & cost effective way to get to Kowloon or Hong Island (Central). The ticket center and station are part of the airport making it very convenient. http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/index.html

US citizens traveling to Hong Kong do not need a visa, but traveling to the interior of China does require a visa. The easiest way to obtain one is in Hong Kong. Most of the hotel travel desks can make this arrangement for you and get it to you within 24 hours. If your sole purpose for travel to Hong Kong is to obtain a Chinese visa, then staying at the Regal Hotel next to the airport is a good choice. TIP: Use the Regal Hotel Business Centre which provides efficient visa service and a free shuttle to and from the airport.  http://www.regalhotel.com

As promised, I will focus on a destination over the next several posts. To start with, I will add several posts for my “Destination: Hong Kong” series. Hong Kong is a great destination to start any trip to China or a destination of its own. These posts are not written to be your end all destination guide, but to provide you with some tips from experience and also some web references for trip planning. One of the great things about Hong Kong is that English is fairly prevalent, making it a great introduction to Chinese culture.

Destination planning is important to any successful trip.  It can help immensely to have some inside tips for a location you will be visiting for the first time.  Or, maybe it will be your tenth time to a favorite place but you are looking for something new.  With this in mind, I am going to start writing groups of tips all related to specific destinations as a new feature on my blog.  I look forward to sharing with everyone my tips on locations I have frequented over the years.  Paris and Hong Kong will be featured in March.  See you there!

Communicating with people in foreign countries can be a challenge, especially when you don’t speak the local language. While it’s true that continuous advancements in broadband internet tech has spurred globalization and in effect is somehow coercing most countries to learn English (China being a prime example), we’re still decades, if not centuries, away from that happening. I’ve written on this topic before here, but I felt the need to expand on it a little to clarify and reemphasize its importance. A common mistake that I see people make is asking people if they speak English when trying to find directions in a foreign city. Almost always the response is an emphatic NO. You are asking the stranger if they fully understand the English language – what you really want is some direction or information help – two vastly different questions. TIP: Go up to a likely stranger with a map or tour book pointing to what relates to your question (your hotel, tourist spot, metro station, e.g.). You get much more mileage out of this approach than just asking if they speak English.