Posts Tagged ‘Hong’

Recreation While on Your Shopping Trip to Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the world’s most famous tourist cities, but it is also a good place to go for recreation in East and Southeast Asia. It is has had a worldwide reputation as one of the world’s best places to shop. This makes sense since there are no sales taxes and almost no taxes at all, and it is one of China’s busiest ports, right next to the ShenZhen Special Economic Zone and the many factories in GuangDong Province. Products from around the world may be bought there at competitive prices. Business people from all over the world come to conduct business with people in Hong Kong and mainland Chinese.

It is known as the “gateway to China,” and the Chinese made products that are sold are cheaper than comparable goods that you would find in your local malls back in your home countries. With all this hustle and bustle and money exchanging hands, is there another way to have fun other than by strolling in the malls and bargaining with shop owners? There are plenty of recreational opportunities in Hong Kong.There are plenty of fun places to go, interesting things to see, and fun things to do in Hong Kong and much of this fun is free or inexpensive. Hong Kong has some of the best natural recreation areas in the region, good museums, zoos and parks that are free or inexpensive, amusement parks, an inexpensive transportation system including a cheap ferry system, lots of English language churches, and there is the fun and adventure of seeing and mixing with people from all over the world. So though Hong Kong is known as a good place to shop, to me the recreational activities is what makes Hong Kong enjoyable.

Looking at the market situation from an economic standpoint, from the many luxurious malls and stores, from all the thousands of small shops and boutiques, and from all the people hawking merchandise at tourists on the streets, there is plenty of competition to keep prices down. Labor costs in Hong Kong are still much lower than in the most of the world’s developed economies. It sits on one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, and products from all over the world are sold by merchants who have come to live there from all over the world. People from around the world go there to shop, have holidays, and enjoy the clean environment, scenery, resorts, hotels and restaurants. But if you are tired of business and shopping, people in the region looking for a place to get away from people, enjoy natural activities like hiking and swimming in a clean ocean, enjoy real Western food and enjoy some English language films or English friendly cultural activities, Hong Kong is sort of unique. This is what I found about Hong Kong. It is also interesting to watch all the world cultures merge, and see the people from all over the world.
Natural Recreation

The Chinese SAR (Special Administrative Region) of Hong Kong is covered with hills and mountains. It is wonderful to take a train or bus from the border and see green tree covered hills that seem empty. These mountains and hills are fairly steep, and until recently people have left much of the region of Hong Kong undeveloped. Especially, the region of the New Territories is still largely undeveloped. About 40% of Hong Kong is protected in 23 parks, including three marine parks and one marine reserve. Hiking trails, waterfalls, clean swimming spots and places to fish, lakes, rivers and some of Asia’s best beaches are within walking distance from the modern rapid transit train stations, and are often empty or have few visitors each day. As one person reported, “We hardly met a soul on our hikes.” Some of Asia’s best beaches and natural ocean areas are empty, but easily accessible. The 10 tallest mountain peaks all have hiking trails. Books and trail guides are easy to find in book stores and information kiosks. So for those who want to stroll or to go swimming or hiking, these still empty places in Hong Kong may be among the best places to go in East Asia.

As an example of a quick natural excursion from a ritzy mall, when I am on Hong Kong Island I like to take a 20 or 30 minute walk through the new IFC Mall that is one of Hong Kong’s most deluxe and arrive at a narrow road that climbs through a wooded park up Victoria Peak, rise above the high rises, and once reaching the top, see the great views on both the city side and the seaward side of the peak. If you really want to shop, there are two more malls to shop in on the top of Victoria Peak! Along the way, near this road is one of the coolest zoos I have ever seen, partly because it is free. I accidently walked in, trying to find my way up the hill one day, and found myself facing strange animals in cages. I thought I was in a small park, such as Chinese like to build to sit in, but found myself in one of the coolest zoos I’ve ever seen because it was clean, quiet and contained mainly primates, some of which I have never seen.

If you want to take this walk to the zoo or up Victoria Peak, the IFC Mall can be reached from Tsim Sha Tsui area of Kowloon aboard the Star Ferry. After a 12 minute walk on the covered walkway from the ferry terminal, you’ll be in the IFC Mall. But you may have to ask directions. One thing I’ve found strange about both China and Hong Kong is how there are few signs giving directions. The mall is large and spread out over several huge buildings. From the side of the IFC that faces the mountain, you can follow more covered walkways, escalators and stairs that lead up to the road that ascends up the hill. It is difficult to find the road because there are no clear signs, but people may give directions. Next to this park is the free small zoo called the Zoological and Botanical Gardens. It is worth seeing. I describe it more below.

The hike though the park to the top of Victoria Peak takes about 35 or 40 minutes. It passes through woods, and there are places to sit along the way if you are tired. It is fairly quiet in the park, and usually only a few people, mainly foreigners, may be found walking along the road. At the top there is a mall called the Peak Tower. There are coffee shops including a Starbucks for refreshments, and there are many restaurants with views from the top of the peak. There actually are two peaks at the top of Victoria Peak with good views. The other peak is about a 15 minute walk away. From the first peak next to the malls, you can see the ocean and the shoreline from the ocean side of the island. From the second peak, there is a good view of the bay and city below. At night, the city lights are a spectacle (see my picture, taken during the day). The mall area is served by a tram, and there are buses and taxis available if you want a ride.

The city from Victoria Peak

Museums

It was really cool and fun visiting 3 museums and seeing an “Imax” movie called “The Alps” at the Space Museum this summer with some friends – all in one day. We went on the day the museums are free, so the Science Museum was crowded with kids. The museums in Hong Kong are inexpensive and interesting. Ticket prices range from 10 to 25 HKD which is only about 1.2 to about 3 US dollars. On Wednesdays, entry is free. If you are in Kowloon or Tsim Sha Tsui, the best museums are within walking distance. For busy shoppers, within easy travel distance of the busy shopping districts of Central on Hong Kong Island and of Tsim Sha Tsui are four of Hong Kong’s best museums and the Hong Kong Cultural Center.

The Museum of Art houses about 15,000 exhibits. Its focus is to preserve Chinese artistic heritage. The collection includes an impressive display of antiques, and it includes many works of art from ancient China. It also has an extensive calligraphy section.

The Hong Kong Space Museum is next door to the Museum of Art. It is a distinctive white dome shaped building. There are two collections and a large and sophisticated “Omnimax” or “Imax” style movie theater. The theater projects movies on the very large screen which is actually the roof of the building, and the audio is broadcast simultaneously via headphones in English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Japanese. The Hall of Space Science collection is on the first floor, and the Hall of Astronomy is on the second floor. The space science collection features mainly Chinese astronomical instruments and charts, early Chinese rockets that were used as weapons, and rockets that were invented in the West during the last two centuries. It also includes a mockup of the American Space Shuttle cockpit that is very interesting because it is realistic and huge. The Hall of Astronomy collection instructs visitors on the solar system, stars and universe. There is also a small collection of meteorites. Some of the exhibits in the museum are interactive. It is a place to go if you like science or want to learn about the history of astronomy or space flight, or if you simply want to see an exciting super screen movie.

Like I said, I visited this Space Museum this summer. The recreations of Chinese rocket weapons were interesting. And I was amazed at the size of the Space Shuttle cockpit. It is like a jetliner, but it doesn’t look very big on TV. The dome-screened “Imax” movie threatre was really a wonderful place to be. It was clean and quiet, and I was tired. But to view the movies, people have to lie down on the chairs that are more like beds. It was really cool. I was impressed by the scenery of the Alps, and the great music. The movie touched me. It was about a climber whose father had died climbing this same peak when he was a kid. It was really moving. He accomplished his life-long dream and burden to get to the top of it.

The Science Museum is about a 25 minute walk away. It is another place to go to learn about science. It is especially a fun place for kids and for adults who like to play because most of the exhibits are interactive. There is a hall of mirrors and a sports fitness test area for example. The hall of mirrors is fun to walk through. The fitness test area was the most fun part of the museum for me. But I suggest go when there aren’t so many kids. The lines were quite long on the “free day” when I visited.

The Hong Kong Museum of History is next to the Science Museum. It has interesting “real-life” displays of Hong Kong at various times, including the British Colonial era and the Japanese invasion. There is an interesting walk-through geology and natural history exhibit. The Museum has collected about 2,800 rock and mineral specimens from the around the territory, and there are over 750 specimens of shells from local beaches. The Museum has also acquired over 1,600 animal specimens, including mammals, birds and butterflies. I liked the historical displays about Hong Kong’s recent history, but I thought that the first part of the museum with the displays of Neolithic people on a beach and the recreations of prehistoric animals and etc. was kind of hokey.

The Hong Kong Cultural Center is a large building next to the Space Museum. When I walked inside, I was struck by the huge unused space. There is a concert hall that seats about 2000 people, a theatre that seats about 1700, and a small studio theatre than can seat almost 500 people. World famous orchestras and musicians perform there. At the entrance, is a model of the whole center.

Recommended Hong Kong Travel, Hong Kong tours, Hong Kong hotels.

A Day at the Races in the Heart of Hong Kong

Hong Kong has often been compared to Singapore for its booming economy, shopaholic population and its technology loving multitudes. An Asian city that is bereft of the organized chaos that is Bangkok or the cultural overdose of South Asian giant India, Hong Kong is known for its west-oriented values, neatly manicured streets and MRTs. Hong Kong to many in the region at least is at first a food loverâ??s paradise owing to its culturally diverse and adventurous populace. Home to such well-known attractions as Victoria Peak, Big Buddha and Hong Kong Disneyland, this vibrant city is also where the shopping district Mongkok, Lamma Island and the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is located. But thereâ??s more to Hong Kong than itsâ?? towering sky scrapers, abundant food courts and trendy nightclubs. Even a decade after it was handed over by the British to mainland China, Hong Kongâ??s image is synonymous with a modern day metropolis that is fast paced with an ever-growing appetite for the finer things in life. And it seems though the British rule over this island nation seems to have receded in to the backdrop, its cultural influence has left an indelible mark on the countryâ??s social landscape. This is why Hong Kong is renowned as a horse racing hotspot in Asia. As an equestrian sport that has captivated the world for centuries, horse racing finds its origins in the Chariot races of Ancient Rome. A permanent fixture in Norse mythology, horse racing was the sport of royalty, who sped across palace grounds on thoroughbreds to the cheers of Noble men. Coupled with gambling from its inception, horse racing today remains a sport of the elite although unlike centuries past, the average traveller can also have a stake in the winning steed of his choice. Famed for its adrenaline rushing, nail biting atmosphere, horse racing was first conducted in Hong Kong during British winters. But looking at the Hong Kong populationâ??s insatiable appetite for the sport it is difficult to trace its roots in the countryâ??s colonial past as horse racing is ardently followed by locals of all stature. The Hong Kong racing calendar culminates in the Hong Kong International Races which consist of five events that attract horse racing enthusiasts from around the world. Home to two top-notch race courses, Happy Valley and Sha Tin Racecourse, the betting process in the venues are generally handled in a pari-mutuel system. Described as one of the regionâ??s premier race courses Sha Tin Racecourse can host up to 83,000 people at a time and also has the longest Diamond Vision screen at 70.4 metres width and a height of 8 metres. Built in 1978, the thrilling atmosphere of a day at the races is best experienced here while the Happy Valley Racecourse has offered night racing from 1973 onwards. As the nationâ??s first race course, Happy Valley is now home to a state of the art track and live horse races broadcast. Come September and all of Hong Kong is buzzing with horse racing fever as the annual horse racing tour is about to commence. Running through till July these are marked months on racing loverâ??s calendars as the spectacle of this refined sport captivates locals and tourists alike. For those who are interested in learning of the history of this much loved sport, visit the Hong Kong Racing Museum where the past is revisited with unmatched fervour. Pleasantly situated, Hotel Jen is an excellent Hong Kong Island hotel located close to the race tracks. Charming and comfortable this cosy rest is a premier tourist hotel in Hong Kong

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Cheap Hotels in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a shopping haven in Asia. It welcomes thousands of tourists with cheap accommodations to make their stay more worth while.

Hong Kong is one of the wonderful cities in Asia. Many tourists enjoy visiting here. However, Hong Kong is an astounding place popular for its modern architecture, shopping and food. This is also an international and vivacious city, but there is more to Hong Kong than just the Chinese industries and magnificent skylines.

Its history and culture are mesmerizing and it is wonderful to take some time to feel all that it has to give. It has approximately 234 islands such as Poi Toi, Lamma Island and the car free Island of Cheung Chau. So, here are some hotels in Hong Kong that offers cheap rates.

Miramar Hotel
The Miramar Hotel is a 4 star first class establishment with comfortable rooms. This is a contemporary apartment building that provides 525 guestrooms and suites. All of its rooms are large and in proper care. Its rooms are also fully furnished and set with modern amenities.

The rooms are also available for non-smoking. There are also many restaurants in the hotel that serves some nice cuisines in the world like szechuan, Chinese and Western. The lobby is big, a good area to lounge when passing the time.

Royal Park Hotel
The Royal Park Hotel is situated at 8 Pak Hok Ting Street, Shatin, New Territories. Its area is near to shopping and entertainment complex. Furthermore, it only needs 5 minutes walk to arrive on Shatin Train Station and the main bus terminal.

The Royal Park Hotel also gives convenient accommodations or a tranquil holiday or business trip because the Shatin Central Park and Shing Mun River are near from the hotel. However, the hotel is around 45 minutes away from the airport and only 20 minutes to hit down town part.

Newton Hotel Hong Kong
The Newton Hotel Hong Kong is a 3 Star better tourist class hotel with adequate area. The visitors may also conveniently actuate other places through it. The hotel also provides good facilities. There’s also an available shuttle bus services.

The Newton Hotel Hong Kong is within 12-storey building and it gives 176 sophisticated guestrooms and suites. All rooms however, were not that big but furnished in modern design with basic amenities.

Bridal Tea House Hotel Winslow Street
The Bridal Tea House Hotel Winslow Street is situated in Hung Hom. It also offers the visitors best accommodation and shows great value for money. The hotel is only 5 minutes away from Tsim Sham Tsui and the Kowloon Canton Railway Terminal. However, Hung Hom MTR station is only walking distance from the hotel.

Kowloon Hotel
The Kowloon Hotel is situated at 19-21 NATHAN ROAD, KOWLOON, Hong Kong. This hotel is an excellent area, high-class accommodation, five-star facility and pleasant cuisines. Unrivalled comfort is guaranteed with its direct association to the Seibu Department Store. The Star Ferry, MTR Tsimshatsui Station and East Tsimshatsui Station and the China Ferry Terminal are all near to the hotel.

Regal Oriental Hotel
The Regal Oriental Hotel is located in Kowloon City, which is an estimate of 40-minute ride on the shuttle bus from Hong Kong International Airport. It is the only four start hotel based on international standards in the area. All rooms have a panoramic view of Eastern Kowloon. It has many facilities such as business center, fitness room, fax or photocopying services, 24-hour security, 24-hour front desk, and airport shuttle.

Experience the Incredibility of Hong Kong Island

Hong Kong is one of the world’s most thrilling destinations. A special administrative region of People’s Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong has the Pearl River Delta to the east, Guangdong Province to the north, and the South China Sea to the west and south. A typical trading village until the 19th century, Hong Kong became a crown colony of the Britain in 1842, which was later handed over to the People’s Republic of China in 1997.

Hong Kong is now an exciting destination, with a thriving blend of ancient eastern traditions and western modernism. Hong Kong enjoys a liberal system and has its own monetary system, legal system, and customs and immigration policies.

The city of Hong Kong consists of three sections: Hong Kong Island, which is regarded as the heart of the city; Kowloon, which has to its credit attractions such as the Tsim Sha Tsui and the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple; and the New Territories and Outlying Islands such as Lantau Island, Lamma Island, and Cheung Chau Island. Discussed further in this article are some of the hot spots in Hong Kong Island.

Once a flat lying area that was considered worthless, Hong Kong Island has now become a busy financial as well as commercial center of this special administrative region. Situated to the south of the mainland China, this is the area of the original settlement of the British, and still continues to be a prominent hub of business as well as commerce. The greatest of the attraction in the island is undoubtedly the bustle of thousands of people of living and working here. The island has been categorized into central district, southern district, and western district.

The central area of the island is regarded as the economic, political, and historical center of Hong Kong, and boasts of such attractions as the Bank of China Tower – a 360 meters tall structure designed by the world-famous architect, I M Pei; Jardine House, alternatively known as the ‘House of a Thousand Orifices;’ Exchange Square, a shiny tower which houses the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; Li Yuen Street, packed with a range of shops and stalls selling items such as fabrics and fashion accessories; and Queen’s Road Central.

When comes to the southern area of the island, the area is filled with a variety of mesmerizing attractions. Of which, one of the most prominent is Aberdeen, a harbor town that provides great options to enjoy amazing sea life.

Another prominent attraction in the area is Tin Hau Temple, built in 1851 and which is located at the site from where the town of Aberdeen at its best. Also, a must-visit attraction in the area is Ocean Park. Spread across an area of about 170 acres of land, Ocean Park comprises two sections such as low land site and headland site, both of which are connected by a 1.5 kilometers cable-car bridge. Among the highlights of the park are Atoll Reef, the world’s largest aquarium, an amusement park with a variety of interesting slides, Film Fantasia, and the Ancient World, which is an adventure trail.

Situated to the west of Central area, the Western District, as the name suggests, is more or less influenced by the western culture. Most prominent among the attractions in this area is the Central Market, which consists of such attractions as the CRC Department Store, where you can shop items such as Chinese artifacts as well as clothing.

Highlights of the region also cover Hillside Escalator – the longest outdoor escalator in the world; Hollywood Road – a street which is famed for its antique as well as furniture shops; Fung Ping Shan Museum, located within the grounds of the University of Hong Kong and which has on display ancient Chinese art and craft; and Morrison Street – a historical red brick building built in Edwardian style.

No visit to the island is complete without taking a tour to Victoria Peak, also known as the Peak. This area is perhaps the most eye-catching landmark of the city. During the first five to six years of the history of Hong Kong, no one traveled up here. With the opening of the Peak Tramway in 1888, the area became popular and came to be known as the Peak. The Peak Tramway is still operational and takes people up and down the hillside. The Peak is also one of the most significant residential areas in Hong Kong.

Above all, the attractions within the area of the Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, such as Admiralty, formerly a British naval station; Hung Shing Temple, which is named after an official of the Tang Dynasty; Pak Tai Temple, an impressive triple hall shrine built in 1863; and Hopewell Centre – a 66 storey building.

In fact, Hong Kong Island is home to majority of the attractions in the city. Perhaps for this reason, tourists in increasing number flock to this region. Therefore, the island has accommodation choices to cater to every preference and budget.

Exotic International Travel to Hong Kong

If you are considering exotic international travel to Hong Kong, be sure also to take in the environs of Hong Kong, such as Zhongshan, Macao and Tai Mo Shan. Although Hong Kong itself is a wonderful place to visit, these other attractions offer you an alternative view of China that is less frenetic, and more akin to the China most people have in their minds.

The best way to see this part of China, and it is part of China because the British handed Hong Kong over to Chinese control in 1997, is by means of a personalized tour that only the best international vacation packages can offer. This enables you travel at your own pace, with your own driver, without the encumbrance of a group of others who might have different views than you as to how long to spend at each attraction.

Good planners arrange tours to suit their individual customers and their partners, and although the cost of these might be higher than you would pay for general vacation group packages, it is worth it if you are looking for luxury international trips as opposed to just an ordinary vacation. At least one travel company states that if you can’t live better away from home than at home, then why bother going? A good sentiment.

Back to Hong Kong as a destination for exotic international vacation tours. Its capital is the island of Victoria, which to many is synonymous with Hong Kong. Victoria sits in Hong Kong harbor, and Kowloon is the mainland part of the district. At night you can enjoy the magnificent laser light show from around 8 – 9 pm, when you can see a magnificent display of thousands of lights from the various tall buildings, including the laser beams that shoot across the sky. This show is accompanied by music. The Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade is great place from which to watch this display.

Make sure you also visit some of the fishing villages in the district, such as Aberdeen and the Sok Kwu Wan fishing village on Lamma island that is famed for its excellent Chinese seafood restaurants. You should also visit the Chinese border, out past Kowloon into the countryside. However, there is more to exotic international travel to Hong Kong than just that.

The first Europeans to settle in the Far East were the Portuguese, and the oldest settlement was at Macao, also known as Macau. This was also handed back to the Chinese, but you can still visit Macao, especially the Grand Prix circuit and the casinos: Macao is not nicknamed the ‘Monte Carlo of the Far East’ for nothing. It also has a unique combination of Portuguese and Chinese culture that is found nowhere else in the world.

Make sure that you also take a tour to Zhongshan, on the Pearl River delta. This is an 800 year old village covering some 20 square miles, inhabited by traditional fishermen and farmers. Also in the area is Tai Mo Shan (Big Hat Mountain), the highest mountain in the district, and providing magnificent views of the Lam Chuen valley and the Shek Kong Airport.

Hong Kong is not all high rise buildings and people dashing frenetically about talking to cell phones. There is also the peaceful part that comprises nine tenths of the district. Places such as the Chuk Lam Shim Yuen Buddhist Monastery and the Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall, with its delicate wood carvings and built in honor of Tang Chung Ling who founded the Tang clan. Close by is one of five famous walled villages, Lo Wai, built in the 13th century.

Make sure, if you can, that the Hong Kong packages you look at include trips to these places of interest that show the real China, as opposed to the westernized influences of Hong Kong as most people know it. Good vacation planners should include tours outside the environs of Victoria island and Kowloon and into the Chinese mainland and surrounding district.

It’s a long way to travel just to visit the skyscraper city that is just like any other modern day city, and miss the real flavor of the Orient that can be found just a few miles away. Real exotic international travel to Hong Kong must involve some element of the mystery of the Orient, and that is what you will find once you get away from the modern parts of the city. Take in a tea plantation, and perhaps a local traditional Chinese market, and try some of the more traditional fare as opposed to the very westernized food of Victoria.

That way you will see and taste the real China of this area, and have a truly exotic vacation to Hong Kong that you will be able to talk about for a lifetime.