Anyone Been To China?

[editor]

I'm going to be in Hong Kong for a little while, and wondered if anyone else had been? This will be my first visit to China, and just wanted to hear what other people thought of the place, and see if anyone had any advice.

We used to have a regular HAIFer who would be excellent in this area. He lived in Houston for a dozen years then moved to a city outside Hong Kong back in October. Unfortunately, he hasn't been back on HAIF since. Not that I blame him. I'm sure he's very busy settling in to his new life.

[uncertaintraveler]

I've been to HK a few times. After 3 or so days, you've pretty much seen everything and done everything. Shopping isn't what it used to be, but you can sometimes pick up good values. The must sees are Victoria Peak (both during the day and at night--try to walk up it at least once!) and a few trips across the Harbor on the Star Ferry...also, HK has a really good natural history museum too (it taught me some things that certainly weren't in my history books!). On land, the best view (from ground level) is across from the HK convention center...I think its at the reunion monument, but the exact name escapes me. Some of the more famous and architectually interesting buildings (like the Bank of China building) can be difficult to reach on foot, but taxis are reasonable if you avoid rush hour. Trams are creaky and can be crowded...and be careful when you exit them because you are often times dropped off in the middle of the road!

Also, if you haven't been around the Cantonese much, be prepared for some loud talkers, as it is (generally speaking) a loud language. The first time I visited HK I was shocked at how chinese it was (I was expecting it to be much more English, or at least, British)....it was a culture shock I wasn't expecting, especially after having traveled around SE Asia for the previous 5 months! Also...beware the humidity. Depending on when you go, it can be pretty rough (worse than Houston..).

You might find some other, more helpful, info on the Hong Kong forum of Flyertalk.com (go to the travel and dining section, then scroll down to Hong Kong).