I didn't think you liked Oriental food (remembers when we were at Kates). Anyway never been to Hong Kong never want to Looks even more busy than New York!

I love oriental food, some of it just doesn’t like me though! I’m allergic to shellfish and even though I don’t eat them I’ve still been ill after eating some Chinese takeaways (if, for example, they’ve used the same utensils to cook meat and prawns), which is why I preferred to avoid the Chinese takeaway at Kate’s (it’s bad enough being ill in your own house, but in someone else’s…! ). I’m usually okay in restaurants though ‘cos I can ask them to do stuff separately (although it might not be as easy over there) and it’s Westernised enough for me to probably be able to avoid Chinese food altogether if necessary.

City holidays are my sort of thing, although having read the guide book it seems that there’s loads of open space and ‘South Pacific’ style beaches not that far away too



(Edited by DJ Billy 26/09/2005 22:45)

I've been to Hong Kong. I lived there for the grand total of 8 weeks in 1990!! And we did live there, we were supposed to be there for 2 years, but my dad got promoted! Anywho, needless to say, i don't remember much about it, except snakes in the pool, thunder storms and going to the biggest Toys 'R' Us in the world (or at least it was) which is extremely exciting when you're 6!

I would reccommend going on the Cauloone (sp?) ferry though

My god father lives there (he's a senior training captain for Cathay Pacific). All I know is it costs an arm and a leg to get there. I'd love to go too. Don't eat the monkey brains.

Cheers

I've found a nice place to stay. I just hope it's still available when I get the chance to book the time off with my boss!

I've been to HK twice - once before the hand over and once after. It's a fantastic place to visit and I'm sure you'll have a good time.

Where are you planning to stay? The Island or Kowloon?

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by Rally
I've been to HK twice - once before the hand over and once after. It's a fantastic place to visit and I'm sure you'll have a good time.

Where are you planning to stay? The Island or Kowloon?

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Most of the hotels I’ve seen, including the one I’m hoping to get into (the Wharney) are on the island, although I don’t really mind where I stay as their public transport system is very easy to get around on

Can't offer any advice on hotels, don't think I've ever stayed in one there but it's a superb place to visit, just not sure I could live there. Hong Kong Island and Kowloon are very hectic and packed.

Central is essentially skyscraper and shopping mall central but there's still lots of interesting stuff to see there, like a park with a tea museum. Even the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank building is worth a look as it has these two old metal lions which survived the Japanese invasion - they were damaged and looted but have been recovered and still have the shrapnel and bullet damage! Should also go see Shanghai Tang - they sell great fusion Chinese/Western gear. Just be prepared for breath-taking prices!

The Peak is worth it for the view. Have lunch on a verandah restaurant if you can.

Stanley Market is on the South side of the island which means public transport is patchy but it's worth a wander round, even if it is a bit expat-heavy.

Also on the South side of the island is a reservoir park whose name escapes me but great if you're into hilly walks.

Museums on HK Island I liked: the Coastal Defense and Police Museums but then I'm a history geek. The latter is on the way to the Peak, I recall. I also lost count of how often the Opium Wars get mentioned

Definitely take the Star ferry to Kowloon. Main attraction for most is the ultra dense shopping streets. If you're into airsofts, the shops are largely concentrated into a small block or two! Also, right by the ferry terminal, there's an art museum which I liked. Also in Kowloon is a historical museum.

In the New Territories, there's a cultural musuem which, amongst other things, puts on Chinese operas. These are, however, very much an acquired taste. Most people make comments likening it to listening to cats being tortured. The New Territories start to get very green and even rural. Another thing I liked there was the Gin Drinkers Line in the Shing Mun Reservoir - it was intended as a fortified line of defence against the Japanese and large sections of it are still visible and explorable. Bus ride up to the reservoir is non-trivial though.

I gather the new Disney theme park is now open but no idea what it's like.

Not strictly speaking Hong Kong but also check out Macao - take a hydrofoil there. It's like stepping back 20 years. The Portugese influence is very much evident. The casino might be worth a look but not been there in a very long time.

Also not quite HK - the Shenzen Special Economic Zone. If you want to do lots of cheap shopping and are not especially burdened by your conscience about copyright issues, that's the place to go. Be warned though, command of English there is none too brilliant and the people there will exploit you mercilessly if they think they can.
Also in Shenzen, which I haven't been to and my only reasone for wanting to go back, is Minsk World - an ex-Soviet aircraft carrier turned into a museuem!

Hope this helps...

He's not going to Hong Kong now. Instead we're both running away to Los Angeles for a week early November.

Bah. Enjoyed HK much more than LA!

Thanks for all the advice though Ming. I'll be going someday I'm sure

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by Teresa
He's not going to Hong Kong now. Instead we're both running away to Los Angeles for a week early November.

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I remain amazed at the traveling you do. It's great, but it's amazing. I'm half as far from LA as you, and have never gone there. Haven't you been there a couple of times already? I have been other places in California, but never Los Angeles. I'm eager to go someday, but it's probably not going to happen soon.

Anyway, I hope you have a great time.

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by Sandia
(quotes)

I remain amazed at the traveling you do. It's great, but it's amazing. I'm half as far from LA as you, and have never gone there. Haven't you been there a couple of times already? I have been other places in California, but never Los Angeles. I'm eager to go someday, but it's probably not going to happen soon.

Anyway, I hope you have a great time.

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I love going to the the US. I've been to L.A. twice, Florida twice, NY and Hawaii. I keep trying to find a hubby so I can stay over there but so far I've been unsucessful, lol.

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by Teresa
(quotes)

I love going to the the US. I've been to L.A. twice, Florida twice, NY and Hawaii. I keep trying to find a hubby so I can stay over there but so far I've been unsucessful, lol.

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So what is it about Los Angeles that brings you back three times? What have you done there? Do you stay in the city, or have you traveled outside of LA to places around it? Just curious. Maybe I'll pick up a few tips.

As for the hubby, you'd probably have a better shot at it if you moved here. Of course, it hasn't helped me any. But that's a whole other story.

I feel at home in L.A. It's not everyones ideal place but it is mine. You have the city, the beach and the mountains within a smallish driving distance. I liked it when Yvonne and I went as I got up earlier it was nice to go for a walk, sit and have a coffee outside and just people watch. Driving through the Canyons up near Malibu is my favourite thing. It's just so beautiful. I like the trashiness of Hollywood and the beauty of Beverly Hills.

And the shopping is out of this world 'cos it's so cheap. You pay almost double the price for clothing over here and there's also the stuff you can't get here (A&F, Hollister, Victoria's Secret etc). I also have a few friends there who I can blag a crash space with so it works out even cheaper. This time will be the first time I've been and actually been out clubbing and going to bars. Actually Y and I went to one club but the less said about that the better, lol. L.A. is my holiday place when I can't afford to go elsewhere

Your description of the Los Angeles area makes it sound very attractive. I think you have managed to move it up on my list.

I know what you mean though about it being easier to go someplace if you have friends there who can put you up. That's why I have been to northern California and not southern. My friends lived in and near San Francisco. So that's where I ended up going. I stayed with them and saved a bunch of money on hotels.

I do like San Francisco a lot though, and the areas north of LA have their own charm. Not much beach action in northern California though. The water's so cold that you really can't swim in it.

My last vivid memory of California was visiting my friend, who had moved from San Francisco down to the Central Coast area kind of halfway between San Franciso and LA. It's a big wine-producing area. Actually quite beautiful, with vineyards and almond and walnut orchards everywhere. Anyway, my friend thought it would be fun to take me to do wine tastings--which would have been ok if I were a person who likes wine. I actually hate wine. Just detest it. But I didn't want to spoil her fun. So I went along. But she must have dragged me to half the wineries in the area. At each one, you pay about $3.00 and you get to "taste" three or four wines. Then, I guess they hope if you taste one you like, you'll buy a bottle or two. No chance of that with me. My main problem was how to ditch the rest of the wine after taking a sip or two. Cause there was no way I was drinking it. But my friend was drinking everything they poured into her glass. All I can say is, after a few wineries, the day gets pretty interesting.


(Edited by Sandia 06/10/2005 13:17)

A few years ago I went to stay with friends in Sonoma County, just north of San Francisco. The place was surrounded by vineyards and the weather was beuatifully clear every day. If I had the choice then I'd live there, no question

I've never been to Sonoma or Napa, which is the main area of vineyards and wineries in California. The part I went to is another area of vineyards that's just establishing itself as a wine center in California. It's in the Central Coast area, near the town of Paso Robles.

You're right about the weather though. It's great. When I was there it was sunny and warm each day. I'm told by Californians that the way to assure yourself of good weather, especially in southern and cental California, is to go between May and September or early October. It hardly rains at all during that whole time. The "rainy season" is generally between November and March or April. And even then, if you're in the southern two-thirds of the state, there's not going to be that much rain unless there's a storm system coming in off the Pacific.

In its natural state, most of southern and central California is basically desert or semi-desert--which accounts for the beautiful, sunny, dry weather. Its natural environment could never support even a fraction of the people who live there because there's not enough water. It's only because they have created this huge, incredible system of aqueducts, canals, dams, and pipelines that brings water into California from hundreds of miles away or diverts it from the wetter northern part of the state to the southern part that so many people can actually live there. It's totally unsustainable in the long-term. So as the population in California continues to grow--and it's now about 35 million--I often wonder how they're going to continue to provide water for all those people.

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by Sandia
You're right about the weather though. It's great. When I was there it was sunny and warm each day. I'm told by Californians that the way to assure yourself of good weather, especially in southern and cental California, is to go between May and September or early October. It hardly rains at all during that whole time. The "rainy season" is generally between November and March or April. And even then, if you're in the southern two-thirds of the state, there's not going to be that much rain unless there's a storm system coming in off the Pacific.

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Yeah, we were there in August and after the early morning clud had burnt off it was wall-to-wall, 95 degree sunshine all day. There was not humidity though, which made it very pleasant. It dropped down to about 50 degrees at night too so there was no problem sleeping.

I want to go back!!

*gets map of California out......