Attraction Review: Ladies Market, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

This market reminded me of Fashion Street in Mumbai where you can get good stuff for amazing discounts. You can reach the Ladies Market by MTR. This is at the Mong Kok station on the Tsuen Wan line. When you get off at the Mong Kok station then the Ladies Market is 2 blocks away. This market is also a stop on the Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Tour of Hong Kong.

Things you can get at good bargains in the market are souvenir T-Shirts and other cheap apparel, necklaces, bracelets, trinkets, purses and bags. All the items in the shops have a price tag on them however you can negotiate to 50% of that price and to even lower if you are buying in bulk. However, I would sincerely advise that you just take a look at every shop and start talking to the shopkeeper only if you have a genuine interest to buy, else things can get very ugly.

My wife decided to get friendly and started bargaining for purchasing 6 necklaces and then the shop keeper would not let us leave the shop as we had wasted a lot of her time haggling. She actually physically prevented us from leaving the shop and we had to shout for help. So please do not try the Indian Style bargaining in Mong Kok.
It takes about 2 hours to navigate the entire market and 3 hours if you are a woman, so you can plan accordingly. I found the shopkeepers in this market extremely aggressive and unfriendly and I did not enjoy the shopping experience much, so unless you want to buy any cheap stuff in bulk – you can skip a visit to this market as well. You will not miss anything much.

There are no good places to eat around this market and you will need to take the metro to Tsim Sha Tsui if you want to get something non Chinese to eat. You have a solitary KFC in Mong Kok, but that too is very crowded and I found the staff there very unfriendly as well.

This market – counted as a must do by most travel websites, turned out to be pretty disappointing for me.

Travel Tips: Metro Travel in Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Metro Travel in Hong Kong is perhaps the most convenient Metro Travel anywhere in the world (at least from what I have seen, even better than the MRT in Singapore). There are 5 or 6 lines which cover the entire city of Hong Kong. While you can pay for every journey by cash, it is not economical at all and it is highly recommended that you buy an Octopus Card as soon as you arrive in Hong Kong.

This Octopus Card works in all metros as well as in McDonalds and at some other merchants as well and if you use the Octopus Card you get decent discounts as well. At the time of taking the Octopus Card you need to pay a refundable deposit of HKD 50 and also load money onto the Card. For a stay in Hong Kong in excess of 4 days it is recommended that you load the card with at least HKD 500 per person. The loading machine is there at every MTR station and you can get the card refunded / unloaded at the MTR Station or at the airport as well.

You need to tap the card before starting any journey and again at the time of getting out of the destination station. At the time of tapping at the time of exit you get the amount deducted for the trip as well as the balance available.

On every line in the Hong Kong MTR you have trains in either direction every 4 minutes, and you will not find them crowded at all other than at peak hours (even at that time they are not very crowded if you go by Mumbai local standards). Above every door there is a map of that line which gives you how that line is connected to every other line and there are flickering lights which indicate which MTR station you are at. From this board above every door, you also get to know which side the next station is going to come on. There is continuous voice commentary in Chinese and English as well on the approaching station. This I found very convenient for disabled people and I could not help thinking how unfriendly India is for travelling for people at large and for disabled people in particular.

Almost every MTR station has an elevator and escalators and convenience stores which accept the Octopus Card. The only problem you may face is that the MTR Service Desk executives are usually not fluent with English and I had to use sign language to get my point across. When you reach your destination MTR station there are different exists to the station such as Exit A,B, C …… and a suitable labeled board as to where this exits take you.

The main MTR Stations where most of the tourist attractions are located are Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon Side and Central on the Hong Kong Island side. The Airport would be the main MTR station on Lantau island.

Airport Review: Hong Kong international Airport, Hong Kong

The Hong Kong International Airport is the only other International Airport which in my view gives close competition to Changi Airport of Singapore. It is a very beautiful as well as efficient airport. You can get to the airport by Metro or by Taxi (about 40 mins drive from the heart of the city) both of which are equally efficient.

There are 4 departure terminals and as you approach the airport you will see huge billboards stating which airline departs from which terminal. Even if you make a mistake no worries, you can easily walk it up from one terminal to the other and there are signboards indicating the direction. Due to the design of the departure terminal the sheer number of counters allotted to each airline there is no crowding in a ay particular area which adds to the visual experience and the relaxed atmosphere (unlike Mumbai airport which is a case study on creating chaos at airports J). Everybody seems to be going about their work with ease which is reassuring and calming.

There are huge screens which show the status of all the departures from the airport and these screens are there every 30 metres, so all you need to do is check these screens for departure times and gates. There is a may I Help You desk in every terminal where you can seek help if you have any special requirements. Everybody I came across on this airport spoke in English – so the problem you face in Hong Kong city with the cab drivers you will not face in the Airport.

There are duty free shops for books, apparel, food and foreign exchange kiosks before the check in counters which you may want to visit if your wait in the check-in queue is going to be long. After check in you can approach the boarding gates which are common for all terminals (some of them are in a different area which are mainly for domestic departures to China so if you are not taking these flights you need not worry). To reach the boarding gates you may need to take the monorail trains from some terminals.

When you arrive at main boarding gates area, there are variety of things to do while you wait for your flight. If you have a long wait, I suggest you check into the main lounge near Boarding Gate 35. You can pay HKD 500 for 6 hour package which includes a shower, a back massage, unlimited food and non alcoholic drinks, free Internet access, complimentary access to a variety of books and magazines. It is definitely worth the cost (even though Rs.3000 for 6 hours may be a bit difficult on your wallet) and if you are the high flyer types who would like to open your laptop, get some peace and quiet and start working then this is the place to be. Other lounges on the airport do not compare to this one. There are huge boards in different parts of the airport advertising this so you cannot miss the location of this lounge.

If you do not enter this lounge then you can complete all the shopping that you may have missed out in the city, the chocolates on the airport are only marginally cheaper than the ones that you get in the city. You may land some good combo deals if you are lucky. I found the alcohol (especially Bailey’s Irish Cream) much more expensive compared to the Duty Free Rates in India – so do not waste your money on this. The apparel is very expensive and unless you are desperate or really like something a lot I would refrain you from entering these shops.

Between alternate gates there are about 3 plug points where you can recharge your laptop. I think this is the most important tip in this review as if you do not enter the lounges, there is absolutely no other place where you can charge your laptop, mobile phones, so please carry a suitable adaptor and try to get to these points as soon as possible, these charge points are in high demand. This was the only irritant in an otherwise extremely efficient airport. There are some good restaurants towards some of the gates one near ate 54 where I boarded (I forgot the name). The deal was that if you buy anything more than HKD 5 you get free Internet access for half hour. I found this very useful and a great marketing technique – especially if you have a laptop with restrictions (I do as I work in a Bank) and cannot connect to WiFi.

Overall I would rate this Airport second best in the world after Changi in Singapore, at least out of the ones I have visited.

Attraction Review: Stanley Market, Hong Kong

Stanley market on Hong Kong Island is a cluster of about 150 shops which sell a variety of items (mainly clothes and accessories) at discounted prices. You will not fund branched labels here but will get unbranded stuff at good bargains. It is somewhat like Fashion Street in Mumbai but a few notches above.

How To Get There: You need to get to Central Station and walk a few blocks to the Harbor Exchange Square Bus Terminus and take any bus to Stanley Market. The Bus ride is beautiful and takes you through different parts of Hong Kong. You will see Repulse Bay and you may want to get off and take a stroll on the Repulse Bay Beach. Immediately after Repulse bay is Stanley Market.

Do note that you cannot bargain in Stanley Market. The prices are pretty reasonable however do check the quality of the item you are buying. I would recommend you stick to Clothes especially smart winter wear which I saw in several shops, linen jackets, accessories such as bags and purses. I picked out 10 neck ties for HKD 100 and the quality was good as well.

You can also buy some of the Chinese slippers and pouches if you are interested as you get these as throwaway prices. There are some shops selling electronics however I recommend you steer clear of them. Though I did not enter them but I know others who have and have had issues.
After shopping to your hearts content if you walk a few blocks you will come to a waterfront where they have 5 to 6 joints overlooking the bay where you can have a beer / coffee with some snacks. You should try one of these joins before heading back to Central station.

I would recommend that you complete Stanley Harbour and jumbo Restaurant in one day as they are very close to each other. You can start off at 2:00 PM in the morning from Central and spend about 4 hours in Stanley and then 2 hours at Jumbo before heading back to the hotel.

Happy Shopping!

If you have any queries you can write to Ask.Pranav@Gmail.Com and I will try to revert to you as soon as possible.

Attraction Review: Jumbo Restaurant, Hong Kong

Before leaving for Hong Kong almost everyone we spoke to had insisted that we need to go to Jumbo Restaurant for dinner. Now you need to know if you are a foodie or not, and by foodie I mean if you like to go and try out new cuisines and also scary looking stuff. If Yes, then Jumbo Restaurant is recommended, if not then please avoid. As I (nor my wife) are very adventurous with regards to food, we could have well avoided the Jumbo Restaurant, but given the recommendations we received we decided to give it a shot.

How to Get there: Jumbo Restaurant is in the Aberdeen Area and you can get there from central by cab or by Bus. You can take any bus which goes to Aberdeen (I think the number was 571 and you need to get off at the last stop). However I recommend you take a cab, as the Bus Drivers usually do not understand English and you will be clueless as to where to get off.

When you get off you will need to walk along the waterfront and take the complimentary ferry to the restaurant which is offered by the Restaurant. It will have a big and well lit signage clearly stating Jumbo Restaurant. There are some chargeable ferries which will also take you there and the owners will try to get you into one – but please avoid. Just walk along the waterfront (depending where your bus drops you off) until you get to the Jumbo Signage.

The ferry ride is about 7 minutes and is nothing much of a novelty – there is nothing to see. However the Restaurant is very richly done up and has 3 levels. The lower 2 levels are authentic Chinese cuisine and I cannot comment on the food as I did not try it, but if you are the stereotypical Indian obsessed with India Food or what we call Chinese Food in India then please avoid these 2 levels. The menu looked very scary and is very pricy as well – so you will not only not enjoy the food, but it will burn a hole in your pocket as well. However, if you are the adventurous sort then I guess this would be the place for you.

We went to the third level (which was International Cuisine) and as we were dying to have some Indian Food we ordered some Chicken Tikka and Naan and some Noodles and Rice. Both were pretty bad or much worse than what we get at Average restaurants in India. However sitting on the Upper Deck overlooking the River / Sea and sipping wine and the quiet surrounding made for a romantic dinner. The food was definitely below average. The restaurant was about 5% occupied that evening and a below average dinner for 2 including wine came to HKD 600.

If you are not adventurous with food, please avoid, if you are then please look up other reviews before going there.

For any further queries you can write to Ask.Pranav@Gmail.Com

Attraction Review: Big Bus Tour, Hong Kong

The Big Bus Company operates the Big Bus Tour in Hong Kong. There are 2 tour routes, the first on the Hong Kong Island and the second on the Kowloon Side. It is a great way to get started in Hong Kong by taking this tour.

The cost of this tour is approx HKD 350 per head which includes a Start Ferry return ticket as well as a Peak Tram Ticket. I would suggest you take this tour on the first 2 days of the trip to get a good feel of Hong Kong. You have a running commentary of all the key destinations and you get all the relevant information with regards to the history of the city and the destinations.

Hong Kong Island Tour: The tour starts from the Staff Ferry Terminal so you need to walk the over bridge from Hong Kong or Central Stations. The bus leaves from here every half hour and you can be rest assured they leave on time – I was very impressed by the punctuality. This tour will take you through the Business District to the Peak Tram, to the jail, the Police Head Quarters, the Sohond street escalator etc. It is recommended that you get off at the Peak Tran and spend about 5 hours here shopping and eating and enjoying the view from the Peak. The end to end tour takes about 1.5 hours and I recommend you get off at the Peak and if necessary at the Street escalator. The commentary is pretty informative and if you like to get the history of the place listen carefully especially the details of the Japanese take Over and HK now becoming a part of China and the reactions of the people. That is explained pretty well.

Kowloon Island Tour: This tour starts from the Avenues of Stars promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui. You can board the bus right in front of the promenade (you may have some problem finding the stop (follow the map provided at the time of buying the ticket). This part of the tour covers the avenues of Stars, the Jordan Night Market, Mongkok Ladies market, takes you through the by lanes which have a very Chinese feel to them and is more of a residential area of the middle and lower middle class and you can get an idea of the lifestyle of the residents of Hong Kong. The Ladies market in Mongkok and Jordan Night Market for electronic gadgetry is highly recommended. Also catch the Sound and Light Show at the Avenue of Stars.

Star Ferry: The Star Ferry ticket comes free with the Big Bus Tour. Sit on the upper deck and enjoy the view. It is a 10 minute ferry ride which crosses the bay between Kowloon and Hong Kong. Keep your cameras handy as you will get great shots especially if you going in the evenings.

For any further queries you can write to Ask.Pranav@Gmail.Com and I will try to revert to you as soon as possible

Hotel Review: The Panda Hotel, Hong Kong

I stayed at the Panda Hotel in Tsuen Wan Hong Kong for 4 nights in the first week of January, 2010. My experience was great and I have reviewed my hotel stay as given below.

The Panda Hotel is located on the outskirts of the Hong Kong City is the suburb of Tsuen Wan. However it is well connected to the heart of the city by bus routes as well as the Metro which in Hong Kong is called the MTR. The Tai Wo Hau MTR Station is a 5 minute walk from the hotel and gets you to Central Hong Kong (Tsim Sha Tsui & Central) within 35 minutes. The taxi drive from the airport is 250 HKD and takes 30 minutes. I would not rate the location as a constraint if you have that extra 30 mins to travel up and down.

The room is very well equipped with all the basic amenities. It has a flat screen TV, a comfortable bed, a side table and a sofa set and a clean and well maintained bathroom with a bath tub. If you are lucky to get a room above the 20th floor you get a good view as well. A Tea / Coffee Maker is also available and the facilities match that of an average 4* Hotel

The great plus point of this hotel is that it has eateries all around within walking distance. A McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC are just blocks away and if you do not enjoy the Chinese / Japanese food served in the 4 restaurants in The Panda, you need not worry; you can just visit these eateries. A China Bank ATM is also across the road.

The Panda Hotel also has 3 levels of shops where you can get good deals. My wife got great deals on some perfumes she bought on level 2. Internet access for 1 hour is available for 100 HKD which is much better than the other hotels. The staff is very helpful (though they cannot speak fluent English) and the Room Service is prompt. The Room Service Menu is not very impressive and the Room Service shuts down after 1:00 A.M. The check in and checkout processes are smooth and I did not face any issues at all. I paid INR 12000 (USD 280) for 4 nights which was very reasonable.

I did my booking through RCI Rentals and could avail of a Hot Deal however the rack rate will be around Rs.4500 per night. I would strongly recommend this hotel to all budget travelers who are visiting Hong Kong for a week or less. I would not advise the hotel for a long stay due to the distance from the city.

Attraction Review: Ocean Park, Hong Kong

I visited the Ocean Worlds in Hong Kong on 10th, 2010. The tickets to ocean World are HKD 250 per adult which translates to approximately INR 1500 (which is very cheap in my view compared to the rides of offer and the activities you can do there – as compared to Essel World and Water Kingdom which I have been to in Mumbai).

You can get to Ocean Park, Hong Kong from the Admiralty Station. Bus No.629 takes you straight to the Ocean Park at the Peak Entrance. It is important to note that there are 2 parts to Ocean Park. The first one is on the Peak and the second part is the Waterfront. These 2 parts are connected in 3 ways. You can choose any of the following 3 ways to travel between the Peak and the Waterfront.

(1) Ocean Park Express (Train Ride)
(2) Cable Car (Very Scenic and highly recommended, however scary for people who are afraid of heights)
(3) Shuttle Bus

The map of Ocean Park is also split into 2 which is the Peak and the Waterfront and you will need to plan the 2 parts separately as you would want to move from one to the other only once in a day, else you will end up wasting time and miss out on all
the fun things to do in Ocean Park.

Rides: Majority of the Rides are there on the peak. You have the mine train and another roller coaster both of which are very scary and very awesome. I would recommend all these rides and they do end up pumping your adrenaline quite a bit. While taking these rides you get an awesome view of the Aberdeen Bay and Repulse Bay in Hong Kong – so take your camera with you when you are going on the ride

Stalls: The stalls are there in the peak as well as in the waterfront. These are mainly game stalls, the same variety which you see across the world and you can win tokens which can be accumulated and later exchanged for cheap gift

Shows: Please make a note of the show timings as soon as you enter. There was this spell bound show on the peak side which runs every hour which I found really good and another one performed by gymnasts near the balloons and giant trampoline. The other shows are OK; however do not miss these 2 shows

Wildlife: At Ocean Park you can see wildlife from close quarters. There are seals, different types of pandas and many varieties of fish on display. If you are interested do visit. I was pretty much irritated at the amount of time my wife spent taking photographs with these animals (the point I am trying to stress is that unless you are a diehard animal lover – do not waste your time on the wildlife have a re-run on the rides)

Places To Eat: There are several places and stalls to eat within Ocean park including KFC, McDonalds and other stalls. Please note that with the entry tickets of HKD 250 you get coupons of HKD 50 for food and gifts which can be redeemed at the food outlets. I loved the candy floss available for HKD 20 at the Waterfront entrance.

I enjoyed the scenic Cable Car Ride most of all. So please do not miss that and do carry a camera. An Ocean Park visit is a must do on your visit to Hong Kong and there are several things to do – so make it a point to go early by 10:00 AM and stay till the park closes.

If you have any queries do write into Ask.Pranav@Gmail.Com and I will try to respond to you as soon as possible.