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Tours in Hong Kong |
For a Half Day
Stanley Market: Stanley is a small seaside settlement on the south side of Hong Kong Island, with some fine beaches and waterfront restaurants enjoyed by its well-heeled citizens. Visitors flock to Stanley Market (open daily 1000-1900), a covered area full of stalls selling clothes, souvenirs, sporting goods, art and many other products of Hong Kong and mainland sweatshops. Other attractions include Tin Hau Temple, Kuan Yin Temple, St Stephen's Beach, the Old Stanley Fort, the military cemetery with its graves of wartime internees, the Old Police Station and fine walks along Wong Ma Kok Road. The market, in particular, is like a zoo at the weekend and therefore weekdays make more sense for a visit. Stanley Market can be reached by bus (numbers 6, 6A, 6X or 260X) from Exchange Square Bus Terminal, Central, by bus 973 from Tsim Sha Tsui East terminus, by green minibus 40 from Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay, or by minibus 14 from Shau Kei Wan.
Lamma Island: Hong Kong's third-largest island, Lamma, is a laid-back green oasis popular with chilled-out expats. Its scenery is beautiful and its beaches are fabulous. Some great pubs, bars and restaurants complement these. Best of all, the island has no cars (and only one ambulance). The main residential village, Yung Shue Wan, is the main ferry terminus, while Sok Kwu Wan, the second-largest village, specialises in open-air seafood restaurants. Hung Shing Ye is the largest beach, while Lo So Shing is arguably the nicest; Sek Pai Wan and Sham Wan are perhaps best reached by rented junk. Hikes between the two main villages are popular, as is the climb to Mount Stenhouse. Lamma is situated west of Hong Kong Island and ferries to Yung Shue Wan or Sok Kwu Wan on Lamma Island depart from Central (ferry terminal, outlying islands pier 4).
Repulse Bay: Another seaside destination on Hong Kong Island's southern side, Repulse Bay has a superior beach that is good for strolling, on spring days. At the beach's eastern end is a slightly bizarre lifeboat station - bizarre because it is also a temple to Kuan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, and is adorned with garish plaster statues of figures from Chinese Buddhist mythology. The sea washes into this religious theme park at high tide. At the other end of the beach is a large shopping centre with a selection of fine restaurants. Romantic visitors can finish off their beach stroll with dinner at the Verandah restaurant in the Repulse Bay Hotel. Repulse Bay is accessible by bus 6, 6A or 6I from Exchange Square Bus Terminal, Central. Passengers should alight when they see the Repulse Bay Hotel or the strange, curved apartment block with a hole through the middle - put there for good feng shui.
For a Whole Day
Shek O: A small village and beach resort on the southeast coast of Hong Kong Island, Shek O is secluded enough to be safe from the worst weekend crowds, although weekdays are still the best time to visit. It is also highly exclusive but has some of Hong Kong's best beach space. The further legs of the two-hour trip out have some scenic merits and there are more bluffs and bays within hiking or cycling distance of the village, with its open-air restaurants. Shek O is at the very end of the bus 9 route, which goes from Shau Kei Wan MTR station.
Lantau Island: Home to Chek Lap Kok Airport, the new Ngong Ping 360 village and cable car and Disneyland Hong Kong, Lantau is situated 45km (28 miles) from Central Hong Kong. It is twice the size of Hong Kong Island itself and more than half of its territory is designated country parkland. Residents at Discovery Bay (also known as Disco Bay) enjoy the tranquility all year round - others visit for a sample. Walking tours and hikes are popular here, although the principal attractions are the Po Lin Big Buddha, claimed to be the world's largest seated outdoor Buddha effigy, at 26.4m (85ft) tall and weighing 220 tonnes, and the Po Lin Buddhist Monastery, definitely Hong Kong's largest. The monastery itself has some fine buildings and has been used as the set for numerous kung fu films. There is a tea garden nearby and the beaches and waterside restaurants along the southern shore are also idyllic. To get to Lantau Island, visitors should take either the MTR Airport Railway link to Tung Chung, followed by bus 23 to Po Lin, or the ferry to Silvermine Bay (Mui Wo) from Central, followed by bus 2. The steps up to the Big Buddha are open to visitors daily 1000-1800.
Macau: The quintessential Hong Kong excursion is now a booming destination in its own right and visitors must take their passport. The last piece of China in foreign hands, reverting from Portuguese rule in December 1999, Macau, situated on the southeastern coast of China, about one hour from Hong Kong by ferry, is changing at a furious pace - as it seeks to become an international gaming destination. Long recognised for its relaxed blending of Mediterranean and Cantonese rhythms of life and spicy cuisine, the ante has been upped several gears in recent years. Though much of its fine colonial architecture has been carefully restored and repainted, several new tourism attractions have been added, including new Sands and Venetian mega-casinos, several new luxury hotels on the Cotai strip, an AJ Hackett adventure sports centre at the soaring Macau Tower and development of a harbourside dining/drinking district.
Macau's ambitious tourism plans have seen it award several casino-resort concessions to hi-tech Las Vegas operators, in an avowed attempt to both revamp its vice-ridden gambling industry and turn Macau into the ‘Las Vegas of Asia.' The first new resort, Sands Macau, opened in 2005, and several more are currently being constructed. To complement the new breed of casino tourism, Macau has also opened the gigantic Fisherman's Wharf theme park, complete with hotels, adventure rides, yachting marina and mini volcano, and a third (double-decker) bridge linking it with the islands of Taipa and Coloane. In addition, several new sports arenas were constructed to host the 2004 East Asia Games.
Despite its head-first surge into the future, Macau's colonial legacy is still worth seeking out. It is impossible not to be impressed by the classically Latin, pastel-shaded layout of Senate Square or the churches of St Augustine's and St Dominic's (the 17th-century cathedral church), as well as the most famous of all, the façade of St Paul's Cathedral - once the finest Catholic church east of Rome but destroyed by fire in 1835. Its Kun Lam and A-Ma Temples were also founded in the 17th century. The Monte Fort, which still has its cannons (and now houses the fascinating Museum of Macau), was built by the Jesuits, just after 1600. A historic site of enormous interest to Chinese and Sinophiles, the Sun-Yat Sen Memorial Home marks where the creator of China's first Republican government practised medicine in his early days.
Macau can be reached by jetfoil or jet boat from Macau ferry terminal, near Shun Tak Centre, Central or from China Hong Kong City terminal at Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Macau Government Tourist Office, Alameda Dr Carlos d'Assumpcao 335-341, Edificio ‘Hot Line', 12th Andar (tel: (853) 28315 566; website: www.macautourism.gov.mo), is open daily 0900-1800 and can provide further information.
Stanley Market: Stanley is a small seaside settlement on the south side of Hong Kong Island, with some fine beaches and waterfront restaurants enjoyed by its well-heeled citizens. Visitors flock to Stanley Market (open daily 1000-1900), a covered area full of stalls selling clothes, souvenirs, sporting goods, art and many other products of Hong Kong and mainland sweatshops. Other attractions include Tin Hau Temple, Kuan Yin Temple, St Stephen's Beach, the Old Stanley Fort, the military cemetery with its graves of wartime internees, the Old Police Station and fine walks along Wong Ma Kok Road. The market, in particular, is like a zoo at the weekend and therefore weekdays make more sense for a visit. Stanley Market can be reached by bus (numbers 6, 6A, 6X or 260X) from Exchange Square Bus Terminal, Central, by bus 973 from Tsim Sha Tsui East terminus, by green minibus 40 from Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay, or by minibus 14 from Shau Kei Wan.
Lamma Island: Hong Kong's third-largest island, Lamma, is a laid-back green oasis popular with chilled-out expats. Its scenery is beautiful and its beaches are fabulous. Some great pubs, bars and restaurants complement these. Best of all, the island has no cars (and only one ambulance). The main residential village, Yung Shue Wan, is the main ferry terminus, while Sok Kwu Wan, the second-largest village, specialises in open-air seafood restaurants. Hung Shing Ye is the largest beach, while Lo So Shing is arguably the nicest; Sek Pai Wan and Sham Wan are perhaps best reached by rented junk. Hikes between the two main villages are popular, as is the climb to Mount Stenhouse. Lamma is situated west of Hong Kong Island and ferries to Yung Shue Wan or Sok Kwu Wan on Lamma Island depart from Central (ferry terminal, outlying islands pier 4).
Repulse Bay: Another seaside destination on Hong Kong Island's southern side, Repulse Bay has a superior beach that is good for strolling, on spring days. At the beach's eastern end is a slightly bizarre lifeboat station - bizarre because it is also a temple to Kuan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, and is adorned with garish plaster statues of figures from Chinese Buddhist mythology. The sea washes into this religious theme park at high tide. At the other end of the beach is a large shopping centre with a selection of fine restaurants. Romantic visitors can finish off their beach stroll with dinner at the Verandah restaurant in the Repulse Bay Hotel. Repulse Bay is accessible by bus 6, 6A or 6I from Exchange Square Bus Terminal, Central. Passengers should alight when they see the Repulse Bay Hotel or the strange, curved apartment block with a hole through the middle - put there for good feng shui.
For a Whole Day
Shek O: A small village and beach resort on the southeast coast of Hong Kong Island, Shek O is secluded enough to be safe from the worst weekend crowds, although weekdays are still the best time to visit. It is also highly exclusive but has some of Hong Kong's best beach space. The further legs of the two-hour trip out have some scenic merits and there are more bluffs and bays within hiking or cycling distance of the village, with its open-air restaurants. Shek O is at the very end of the bus 9 route, which goes from Shau Kei Wan MTR station.
Lantau Island: Home to Chek Lap Kok Airport, the new Ngong Ping 360 village and cable car and Disneyland Hong Kong, Lantau is situated 45km (28 miles) from Central Hong Kong. It is twice the size of Hong Kong Island itself and more than half of its territory is designated country parkland. Residents at Discovery Bay (also known as Disco Bay) enjoy the tranquility all year round - others visit for a sample. Walking tours and hikes are popular here, although the principal attractions are the Po Lin Big Buddha, claimed to be the world's largest seated outdoor Buddha effigy, at 26.4m (85ft) tall and weighing 220 tonnes, and the Po Lin Buddhist Monastery, definitely Hong Kong's largest. The monastery itself has some fine buildings and has been used as the set for numerous kung fu films. There is a tea garden nearby and the beaches and waterside restaurants along the southern shore are also idyllic. To get to Lantau Island, visitors should take either the MTR Airport Railway link to Tung Chung, followed by bus 23 to Po Lin, or the ferry to Silvermine Bay (Mui Wo) from Central, followed by bus 2. The steps up to the Big Buddha are open to visitors daily 1000-1800.
Macau: The quintessential Hong Kong excursion is now a booming destination in its own right and visitors must take their passport. The last piece of China in foreign hands, reverting from Portuguese rule in December 1999, Macau, situated on the southeastern coast of China, about one hour from Hong Kong by ferry, is changing at a furious pace - as it seeks to become an international gaming destination. Long recognised for its relaxed blending of Mediterranean and Cantonese rhythms of life and spicy cuisine, the ante has been upped several gears in recent years. Though much of its fine colonial architecture has been carefully restored and repainted, several new tourism attractions have been added, including new Sands and Venetian mega-casinos, several new luxury hotels on the Cotai strip, an AJ Hackett adventure sports centre at the soaring Macau Tower and development of a harbourside dining/drinking district.
Macau's ambitious tourism plans have seen it award several casino-resort concessions to hi-tech Las Vegas operators, in an avowed attempt to both revamp its vice-ridden gambling industry and turn Macau into the ‘Las Vegas of Asia.' The first new resort, Sands Macau, opened in 2005, and several more are currently being constructed. To complement the new breed of casino tourism, Macau has also opened the gigantic Fisherman's Wharf theme park, complete with hotels, adventure rides, yachting marina and mini volcano, and a third (double-decker) bridge linking it with the islands of Taipa and Coloane. In addition, several new sports arenas were constructed to host the 2004 East Asia Games.
Despite its head-first surge into the future, Macau's colonial legacy is still worth seeking out. It is impossible not to be impressed by the classically Latin, pastel-shaded layout of Senate Square or the churches of St Augustine's and St Dominic's (the 17th-century cathedral church), as well as the most famous of all, the façade of St Paul's Cathedral - once the finest Catholic church east of Rome but destroyed by fire in 1835. Its Kun Lam and A-Ma Temples were also founded in the 17th century. The Monte Fort, which still has its cannons (and now houses the fascinating Museum of Macau), was built by the Jesuits, just after 1600. A historic site of enormous interest to Chinese and Sinophiles, the Sun-Yat Sen Memorial Home marks where the creator of China's first Republican government practised medicine in his early days.
Macau can be reached by jetfoil or jet boat from Macau ferry terminal, near Shun Tak Centre, Central or from China Hong Kong City terminal at Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Macau Government Tourist Office, Alameda Dr Carlos d'Assumpcao 335-341, Edificio ‘Hot Line', 12th Andar (tel: (853) 28315 566; website: www.macautourism.gov.mo), is open daily 0900-1800 and can provide further information.
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