11 hour transit at Hong Kong

[nzporsche944s2]

Originally Posted by zelrik911

One other thing to add.
After a day of sightseeing, you & family will be so tuckered out that you will sleep like babies on the next 12 hour leg of your flight to Europe (Paris??)

Actually Frankfurt to transit to Budapest. My father is Hungarian and each year my parents escape our (NZ) cold weather to the European summer for 3-4 months so we are going there to visit them.

We will be in a place called Eger (north east of Budapest)

[look 171]

Originally Posted by group911@aol.co

HK is one of the great cities of the world. Take the train in maybe to Central. Since it's early morning on a Sunday, maybe take the DingDing to one end then back and get off near the Peak Tram. Check out all the maids hanging out in every park- it's their only day off. After you get down from the Peak, go towards the midlevels escalators. After noon, they run up so you can take them up then walk back down.
Take the double decker bus over to Standley Market and try to sit up top in front. It's better than a roller coaster. Great places for food and shopping. Bus back to the city and then find one of the Star Ferry terminals and take it back to Kowloon side. Beautiful walk along the harbor to check out the lit buildings. Plenty of sightseeing and shopping on Kowloon- not sure if the Night Market is on Sunday but probably so. Train back to airport.
HK is about as safe a place as you'll find.

That Ding Ding is cool. The British put it there around the turn of the century. The first time I rode on it, I was so intrigue by it that I rode it the whole way twice during the day and night just to see all the city lights and the locals.

[group911@aol.co]

Originally Posted by look 171

That Ding Ding is cool. The British put it there around the turn of the century. The first time I rode on it, I was so intrigue by it that I rode it the whole way twice during the day and night just to see all the city lights and the locals.

And for only 1HKD I think. Greatest transportation city in the world.

[look 171]

Its amazing that the tram system is old, very old by any mass transportation systems, and it is used as a DAILY mass transport, not a tourist ride. The one I rode in had a belt you pull up and its held by a hook to keep the window open. I want to ride it through Central District and Causeway Bay right now to the night markets looking for something to eat now that we are just talking about it.

[Rtrorkt]

Great suggestions. I've done the 11 hr layover Train to Central, taxi to the Peak tram, find the escalator to take you back to Central (that is a very interesting solution to the hills). Then ferry to Kowloon (one of the greatest bargains in the world), Sam's for a suit, shopping, drinks at the top if the Peninsula, if you have time dinner at Hutong to watch the laser show, then I would taxi back to the airport. US$35 from there or so. Give yourself 1 hr for immigration and security.

You can leave your bags at left luggage. Used to be after you exit into the arrivals hall all the way to the right

[stuartj]

Its a fantastic city, theres more to do than shop. Eat, for example. Public transport is easy, get the trolley car up to the Peak and walk down. Get Yum Cha, head up to Soho, just take it in. If you can get out on the harbor, the vista is awesome. 10 hours to Yoorup to sleep it off. I have family there, love visiting, great town.

[nzporsche944s2]

We just got back from Europe yesterday with the transit in Hong Kong that started this thread. Considering all the great advice I had from this forum I thought it only fair to let you guys know what we did. Many of it was exactly as you guys described... (I even took a copy and paste of some of the comments with me as a guide).

Left our suitcases at the Left Luggage (to the right down the ramp after coming out of arrivals). HKD$8 per hour per piece

Caught the MRT train into the central station then located the bus station just outside the train station and down the stairs. Caught the 15C bus to the Peak. Tip - make sure you have some smaller notes or coins.

Snack and views from the Peak - a really amazing perspective of the city. All the photos and postcard shots can't prepare you for the moment that you actually see it with your own eyes. Caught the same bus back to the Station and walked across the overbridge to the Star Ferry terminal and caught the ferry to Kowloon. Wandered through one of the biggest malls I've ever seen (I think it was called Harbour City) - it seemed about a kilometre long and 3 or 4 levels high! But mercifully it was air-conditioned. Yum Cha inside the mall - cheap and delicious.

Wandered around some of the streets of Kowloon but the heat and weariness from the 11 hour flight as well as a reluctant 6 year old limited how far we could go.

Then the ferry back to the central station and then MRT back to airport and killed the last few hours in the airport lounge.

It was an enjoyable if tiring day. The one impression that Hong Kong left with me (and my wife) - and I may have just been unlucky - was the unfriendliness of everyone from the bus driver to MRT ticket seller even staff at McDonalds for the kids. We got the feeling that we were just a number being processed, an income stream. It could have been a language thing. It could have been that we were tired but I consider myself a friendly guy and I'm pretty sure it wasn't my approach.. There was no "human" touch to any of the transactions.

I think we got a brief taste for Hong Kong so thanks again to all of those that contributed here.

[nostatic]

My wife reminds me that you can shop in the airport. In fact, there is no place you can't shop in Hong Kong so that can occupy plenty of time and money. Worth it to hit Victoria Peak, but Shirley says to take the Peak Tram rather than the bus to the summit. Get off on Admiralty and walk to the Peak Tram station.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by nzporsche944s2

We just got back from Europe yesterday with the transit in Hong Kong that started this thread. Considering all the great advice I had from this forum I thought it only fair to let you guys know what we did. Many of it was exactly as you guys described... (I even took a copy and paste of some of the comments with me as a guide).

Left our suitcases at the Left Luggage (to the right down the ramp after coming out of arrivals). HKD$8 per hour per piece

Caught the MRT train into the central station then located the bus station just outside the train station and down the stairs. Caught the 15C bus to the Peak. Tip - make sure you have some smaller notes or coins.

Snack and views from the Peak - a really amazing perspective of the city. All the photos and postcard shots can't prepare you for the moment that you actually see it with your own eyes. Caught the same bus back to the Station and walked across the overbridge to the Star Ferry terminal and caught the ferry to Kowloon. Wandered through one of the biggest malls I've ever seen (I think it was called Harbour City) - it seemed about a kilometre long and 3 or 4 levels high! But mercifully it was air-conditioned. Yum Cha inside the mall - cheap and delicious.

Wandered around some of the streets of Kowloon but the heat and weariness from the 11 hour flight as well as a reluctant 6 year old limited how far we could go.

Then the ferry back to the central station and then MRT back to airport and killed the last few hours in the airport lounge.

It was an enjoyable if tiring day. The one impression that Hong Kong left with me (and my wife) - and I may have just been unlucky - was the unfriendliness of everyone from the bus driver to MRT ticket seller even staff at McDonalds for the kids. We got the feeling that we were just a number being processed, an income stream. It could have been a language thing. It could have been that we were tired but I consider myself a friendly guy and I'm pretty sure it wasn't my approach.. There was no "human" touch to any of the transactions.

I think we got a brief taste for Hong Kong so thanks again to all of those that contributed here.

You are not just a number, so don't feel bad. I think its a cultural thing? Most Chinese do not go out of their way to smile, especially to foreigners they do not know. think about it, they are stuck doing the same darn job day after day (with little pay?) and that must be hard to fake a smile. We found the same thing when we were there and my wife notice that treat the locals the same way. Glad you had fun, we love visiting there (especially my wife with the shopping within walking distance from our hotel).

[Bill Douglas]

It must have changed since I was there a few years ago. I found it to be quite the opposite.