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Hong Kong Journals

Hong Kong

A November 1998 trip to Hong Kong by sr92111

Goddesses Photo - Big Buddha-Tian Tan Buddha, Lantau Island, China More Photos
Quote: In November 1998, my dad and I went to visit a college friend of mine who was living in Hong Kong at the time. Hong Kong is a bustling metropolis with tons of culture and lots to do.

Hong Kong

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Overview

Quote:
The food, the people, the view from the Peak, Stanley Market, Landtau Island, the subway system. Everything was awesome there. Try to visit as many shops and places as possible. Electronics shopping in Kowloon can be interesting as well. Also, check out the Lan Kwai Fong party on weekend nights.Quick Tips: With just a few words of Chinese, you can do fine. Many people speak English. ATMs are everywhere, so traveler's checks are not necessary. There are tons of places to get a good suit made, I found Tony's in the Fleet Arcade to be great.Best Way To Get Around: Taxis are cheap and the buses run frequently. As a Westerner (slang is gwhy-lo spelled phonetically), you can walk anywhere ...Read More

LA Cafe

Restaurant | "L.A. Cafe"

Quote:
The LA Cafe. What a great place when, and I know I shouldn't say this, you are sick of Chinese food. The waitstaff was awesome (you can hang out with the waitresses down the road in Wanchai on Sunday nights) and friendly. We hung out there a lot. The food was good and it really is nice to just take a quick break and feel a little at home when you're so far away.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 7, 2001

LA Cafe
G/F, Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway
Hong Kong
+852 2526 6863

Spring Deer Restaurant

Restaurant

Quote:
This was a great experience. We had a small group together for some local cuisine. I had the duck, which needed to be ordered in advance. My friend Leslie called a couple of hours ahead of time and made the necessary reservations and duck orders. This was one of the most authentic meals I had during my trip.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 7, 2001

Spring Deer Restaurant
42 Moody Road
Hong Kong
2723-3673

Kublai's

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Restaurant

Quote:
Kublai's is a Mongolian Grille. Basically, it's a big salad bar of beef, lamb, pork, squid, fish, and toppings that you put in a big bowl and set on the kitchen's windowsill for them to cook up. There is so much there and it all looks so good that I ate a lot of things that I would not normally touch, like fried tofu. Who would've know that it tasted that good? Well, anytime I see a Mongolian Grille now, I always stop, but it's never the same. I even stole a set of the chopsticks! It also has a great view of some of the more popular bars in Wanchai, which can be very entertaining.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 7, 2001

Kublai's
3/F 1 Capital Place 18 Luard Road
Hong Kong
2529-9117

Big Buddha-Tian Tan Buddha

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Attraction | "Big Buddha"

Arch Photo - Big Buddha-Tian Tan Buddha, Lantau Island, China
Quote:
The Big Buddha is a pretty amazing sight to see. He is about 50 feet tall and sits atop a large hill. There are stairs leading up to it. There is even a restaurant inside of him. We walked up the stairs in amazement. All along the outside of him are smaller (about 15 foot tall) statues of goddesses making offerings. People attempt to throw coins into their outstretched hands. All around the bottom of the hill are sights to see as well. There are temples and arches and many places to take pictures. We also found a small pathway that led around that portion of the island and offered a view of the new airport, Chek Lap Kok.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 6, 2001

Big Buddha-Tian Tan Buddha
Near Po Lin Monastery
Ngong Ping, Lantau Island

Victoria Peak

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Attraction | "The Peak"

Outside of the Harbor Photo - Victoria Peak, Hong Kong, China
Quote:
From the park outside the Governer's Mansion, you can take a ride up the Peak Tram to the Peak. The cost is about $10. It's about a 30 minute wait and a 10 minute ride up the hill all the way to the top. From there you can dine in some really nice outdoors restaurants or just hang around and look at the views of the city and Kowloon. You can even see Green Island at the entrance to the harbor. There is also a little mall in the visitor's center. We ate at a nearby restaurant and then took a walk around the pathway that extends from the Peak. It was about a 45 minute walk or so that led to the Midlevels, where the nicer apartments are. Along the path are some amazing views and some of the much much nic...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 7, 2001

Victoria Peak
128 Peak Road.
Hong Kong
+852 2807 6543

Stanley Market

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Attraction

Quote:
At the Stanley Market, anything goes. The first thing that I saw were rows upon rows of Banana Republic, Eddie Bauer, Gap, Polo, everything... Once you walk into a shop, it can take a long time to leave. Essentially what happens is many of the clothes that we purchase in the US are made in China or Hong Kong or somewhere nearby there and shipped through Hong Kong. I am certainly not one to ask, but it is just assumed that these are factory seconds (yeah right). Although some are, many are just like new. I purchased several shirts, jeans, and even a really great jacket at more than 75% off what I would have paid at my local mall. The bus to get over there takes about a half hour through...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 7, 2001

Stanley Market
South Side Hong Kong
Hong Kong
852 2807 6543

Wong Tai Sin Temple

Attraction | "Wong Tai Sin Monastery"

Quote:
The Wong Tai Sin Monastery is a great place to spend a couple of hours. One of the best parts about it is the proximity to the enormous buildings around it, but the feeling that you are out in the middle of nowhere. It has amazing gardens filled with turtles (they're good luck) and all sorts of fountains. There is also an altar where you can find many people burning incense and shaking cans of sticks (I think they are called jaw sticks) in order to discern their fortunes. A cultural place that should not be missed.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 7, 2001

Wong Tai Sin Temple
Southern side of Lion Rock in the north of Kowloon
Hong Kong
+852 2320 2883

JJ's

Attraction

Quote:
We went for a friend's birthday. That meant a table in the front. Actually 3 tables, but we knew the owner and the band, so we were lucky to get them. Just to give you an idea on the drink prices, for a table, you must buy a bottle. We decided on vodka. A bottle of Absolut and a pitcher (small) of cranberry juice...over $225 US!!! I couldn't believe it. But, the band was great, the people were nice and we had a blast. Definitely a younger crowd, but well worth checking out one night. For a cheaper night, head down to the main drag in Wanchai. Definitely fun too...

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 7, 2001

JJ's
A3 Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road
Hong Kong
+852 2588 1234

Tony the Tailor

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Story/Tip

Quote:
I went to Hong Kong for a couple of reasons, to visit friends, experience a new culture, and to come home with a tailored suit. Once I got there, I had the fortune of a really good referal by my friend that lived there. We went down to the Fleet Arcade on Fenwick Pier in Wanchai and talked with Tony. He is a really nice gentleman in his early 40's. After a couple of minutes, we got down to business. We picked out a good fabric and did a little measuring. I was happy that last part went quick. Within a week, he called me to come back for a fitting and within a day, there it was, my first tailored suit. It really did turn out great. And, you can't beat the price. For less than what a tailored shirt woul...Read More

MTR

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Story/Tip

Quote:
The MTR is the best subway I have ever been on. It is relatively cheap, well marked and very clean. You can travel from one end of Hong Kong to the other in just minutes. The stops are all clearly stated in advance, so you can know if it's time to get off the train or not. Very unlike Boston, where unless you are from that city, you cannot understand a word the conductor says! One stop you can be at the horse race track. Just a few seconds later you'll be buried in a mass of electronics stores or just steps away from an old monastery. Another great thing is the cellular antennas inside the train passages. No matter what it might look like on the outside, this is a very modern city. And they can't liv...Read More

Macau

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Story/Tip

Quote:
During one day, we took a side trip to Macau. This is an amazing place. It has approximately the same history as Hong Kong, but instead of being under British rule, it was under the Portuguese. Macau was handed back to the Chinese government in 1999, around a year after Hong Kong was returned. We visited the Museu de Macau, which has a fascinating exhibit on the parallels of Eastern and Western societies. It was only $15 in Macau dollars to get in per person. The museum was all about the culture of the area and how Macau came to be what it is today. The building is an old fort and you can walk around on top around the old walls and around cannons and turrets. A great side trip from Macau was to Zhuhai...Read More

About the Writer

sr92111

sr92111
Stratford, Connecticut

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