I'm going around mid-end July, anyone know some good places to visit or things to do?
Also any suggestions as to where to stay and where not to stay?
My friend and I are both uni students so we're not looking for anything expensive.
Good Cheap Things to do in Hong Kong?
Kikkoman56 on 23/03/2012 - 15:01
Comments
yep go on the star ferry..quite cheap and a nice relaxing trip across the sea
Watch the Symphony of Lights or take a walk around Mong Kok and be amazed at the sheer amount of people out and about.
Walk around Mong Kok and try different cheap foods. Avoid any western food like chicken snittys and steaks, theyre shit unless you go to a really high class restaurant. If you like exotic fruits like lychees, logans and dragonfruit, visit the local fruit and veg markets, theyre extremely cheap compared to fruit shops here.
You could visit the big buddah in the hills too.Going up to The Peak costs money but I think it's worthwhile for the views and a respite from the heat and you can do a circuit walk up there. Go just before dusk.
Most tourist catch the tram up which is between 40-60hkd return but there's a bus that goes up to which is a lot cheaper
True, but you have to try it one time!
if your looking for places to go out at night head to wan chai (filled with uni students mid week) or lan kwai fong. both have really good night spots and amazingly cheap compared to australia.
head to monkey mountain and china town and also check out the michelin star restuarant.. dishes are only around $15 making it the cheapest michelin star restaurant!
i'd also suggest getting an octopus card for travel and 7/11 purchases. even works at maccas!
i also wouldnt waste my time with cabs, i the trains get you everywhere you need to go.
if you have time and a bit of an excess budget, i would definetly head to macau which is only a ferry ride away.
have fun!
Monkey Mountain? China Town???????????
Students in Wan Chai, as well???????????
Michelin star restaurant? Maybe I missed something, but sounds rather bogus to me.
What do you consider 'cheap'. Sub $20, sub $50 activities?
Just walking around and taking all manners of transportation would be cheap and exciting thing to do. The ferries, trams, peak, etc.
Well, my recent trip to Singapore was budgeted to around 100$ SGD a day not incl accomodation. So around that I'd say.
100 sgd is about 600 hkd, u can do most touristy things for that price but food can be both cheap or pricey dependIng on what you eat.
If u end up sick of seeing mountains if people, catch a boat near central to the outlying island.. Completely different to Kowloon/hk island
There's a monestary/ park near diamond hills that is quite beautiful to look at near diamond hill.. Don't know the name in English
My mate stayed at a place run by caritas near yau ma tai, he said it was good value
There is a restaurant there with either one or two Michelin stars. It costs less than $10. Please go and report back.
you mean the super cheap 3 michelin star place? Its (possibly deliberate) very limited in space and always has a line, but they 'say' they make the best dim sim.
I was looking at going to Hong Kong as I have been invited to Mongolia.
There are a number of group buying companies there. Be careful of any tours or classes, you will often find in the small print that they are conducted in Cantonese.
Groupon often has all-you-can-drink (and eat as well) vouchers available for nightclubby type places.
In Singapore, as in Australia, Groupon has a policy where you can cancel your order within 7 days of purchase for any reason. You could use that time to attempt to secure a booking if Groupon Hong Kong has a similar policy.
Food:
For breakfast Dim Sum of course any big restaurant before 2pm
alternatively Congee - rice porridge ('juk') HKD15-25Light lunch:
Wonton Noodle shops ('chair dzeye meen')HKD10-20a bowl.
Roast meat shops ('syoo mey deem') HKD20-30 for meat + rice.Main Meals:
Go to a small cafeteria ('cha chang teng') rice + main and a hot/cold drink/soup HKD30-40Transport:
MTR (metro) if at all possible plus the tram for short trips on Hong Kong IslandAccommodation:
Get a multi-entry visa for China and stay in any half decent looking hotel in Shenzhen RMB200-400 per night (less than half the cost of HK hotels and you get to see how the other half live.Shopping:
Branded/electrical goods - HK
Everything else - Dong Men in Shenzhen ('Lao Jie' exit, Shenzhen Metro.) This is Ozbargain.com paradise!!!!!!!!!!!
If it's too tough for you there go to the shopping centre near the HK/Shenzhen border (shenzhen side) and bargain HARD as they will try to charge you up to 3 times the normal price.That sounds awesome! I always wanted to go to shenzhen too, esp since theres often tech expos there for the local chinese brands. Hey i'm typing this post off a chinese tab too. Do you know the process of getting that visa?/ is it hard? Haha yeah my gf told me its pretty terrible weather there in summer but i cant really do much since im only going there cause im flying via 250$ return ticket to singapore via scoot. Not staying in spore again though since i went there for a holiday like 3 months ago.
You need to go to your local Chines consulate a few weeks before you fly. Not difficult. Not sure if you are eligible for a multi. You can get a single and go to China visa office in HK(Wanchai) and get a multi then.
When in Shenzhen get a metro to Hua Qian Road station. There are about 100,000 electronics stalls in the various centres near the exits. I kid you not.
Oh, July is not the best time to be going there unless you are used to N. Queensland/NT weather….
Good Cheap Things to do in Hong Kong?
You could march into the nearest Kung Fu school & tell them that their master is pissweak…it won't cost you much upfront & could prove most entertaining! :p
I could claim on my travel insurance too! What a great idea. :P
Just remember, on the claim form do not put down 'dojo challenge'…make sure the description of the event is 'attacked by bandits'!
I've seen enough Kung Fu movies to know there will always be bandits skulking about, ready to accost weary travellers! ;)
Ooo you could go to Disney Land and Ocean park too, depending who you're going with.
Hahah i would but i heard theyre packed. With couples… im going with one of my guy friends lol.. just about as bad as my last holiday=.= in singapore on orchard rd on valentines day and we decided to watch a movie. Man that was a terrible idea, atleast safe house was okay.
Avoid Disneyland hk .. It's small, pack an pretty ordinary
HK
- FOOD
Think about all the crappy takeaway chinese food. Then scrap that idea. Head to a market, and find a shop with open pots of steaming fishballs and grab a few sticks. Curry Fishballs are HKs most favourite food (as shown on a HK tv show).
There's mountains of fusion food since thats the craze now.
French has always been the classy cuisine. Head to some fancy schmancy place on HK island.
For elcheapo but classic and truely suburban, head to Sham shui Po, Sha Tin, Tuen Men etc. Where they have massive clumps of rediential towers (mostly government owned) and at the bottom floors you maybe lucky to find a Dai Pai Dong still in operation. They may the best classic canto-fare. Congee is really good, same with soups, hot pots etc.
If youre craving for some junk food, dont look at macca's but look at the HK alternatives. Theres Cafe de Coral and a whole bunch of franchised restaurants dotted around HK.
If you want something else, walk around and dont be shy to ask people. HK is previously british and English is apart of the HK curriculum so theres many English speakers.
Theres also international (but limited to asia) franchises such as Moshi Burger.
Desserts - > Hui Lou Shan (roughly) serious mango heaven
Honeymoon desserts - Epic load of desserts.
Drinks -> Gong Cha, Cha Time. for your bubble tea, milk tea fix.
- Shopping
If you really need it. Luxury crap is located at HK island. Your middle class stuff is usually located in suburban malls. Your really dirt cheap stuff head to markets AWAY from Mong Kok, Kowloon. They are FILLED with rip offs that seem to be cheap. You can always enter into mainland for the dirt cheap.
For electronics, head to shum shui po and i think the golden century shopping centre. On the underground levels are claustrophobic awesomely cheap (eBay like) electronics. I got 5 universal wall pluggers that fits into aussie sockets for $3HKD. BUT usb's are getting expensive and you should wait it out on OzB.
For you main brands i.e sony cameras and stuff. Go to Fortress.
GROCERY SHOPPING was really fun for me (i dunno why…o.O). I grabbed all the random snacks that interested me. Just dont walk into a 7/11 thinking thats grocery shopping. Head to Jusco (also amazing array of fresh jap food), Wellcome and i forgot the other.
There's also a MEGA GROCERY STORE (like SERIOUS normal woolies style not costco style) at Tung Chung called TASTE. Has an amazing array of stuff. I even found dutch lard. Also has takoyaki, egg pastry and whole lot of mismatch.
[whoops just realised it fits more with food. oh well.]
- SICK OF PEOPLE??
Head to the many islands around HK.
Suggestions;
[most needs ferry]
Lantau Island - with a few bays here and there. Theres a nice cable car with a view of the airport that takes you to a Buddha on top of stairs. Theres also the Wisdom Path. Nice little hike and full of fresh air.[forgot name] - This island is dedicated to Noah's Ark. Great for that religious one inside you. Full of flowers and replicas.
Cheung Chau - Getting a bit flooded by HongKongers wanting a weekend away from the city and Mainlanders on holidays. But dont fret its still good for a stroll, eat some fresh seafood (obviously cooked chinese style) and if you want get some research and get into the deep pirate history.
Lamma Island - Another one of those islands great for walking/ hiking.
If you really need it, head to New Territories on the East side there are bound to be a place for rowing and its really a nice getaway from the city, but i've never done it (saw it on Lonely Planet video).
On the west of the New territories is a nice Hong Kong Wetlands park. Great for another outside stroll.
- The Free or Cheap Activities
go to Victoria Peak (take a bus up then take the tram down - its more thrilling (slightly)) and if you need to, grab some Giodarno (albeit a bit more expensive) jackets at the shopping centre incase its cold (VERY COLD on a WINTERS NIGHT…). Spectacular views.
Try to walk from the Sha Tin train station to the end of the suburb using the footbridges linking all the resident towers. You can see suburbia; children going to school, elderly people doing tai chi, adults on a rush to get on train/bus.
The $2HKD tram in HK island takes you from one end to the other and you can take in all the flashy logos and signs popping for your attention.
- BORED???
macau.
grab some portugese tarts.
gamble you savings at flashy hotel casinos.
eat macau cuisine (mix between cantonese, portugese and a bit african).
put yourself in luxury with hotels such as the Venetian and the Galaxy.
and theres heaps more.
sorry if i typed too much and bad grammer. I cant be bothered fixing it.
But yes, Macau is the place to go for gambling and just looking at flashing lights are the money that wealthy people use on useless crap.
Only a speedy ferry away… and you enter a whole new territory.
If you seriously need a change, head to Mainland (no idea why you would want to other than dirtcheap crap) or take a plane to Taiwan.
- FOOD
Ozan. Good effort, but I disagree with most of the food comments.
Didn't read the rest…….
Lol : )
HK is a food paradise, but everything has its perspectives!
i usually like to go the bay area and watch the ferries go by