# 12 hours in Hong Kong



## Judy (Apr 29, 2011)

We scored One World award seats to Bali with our AAdvantage miles    The itinerary requires us to spend a night in Hong Kong, landing at 8 PM and departing the next morning at 10 AM. (I know that's 14 hours, but I'm counting on having to be at the airport by 8 AM)  I figure we'll land around 8 AM body time, and since we'll have lie-flat seats, we shouldn't be tired.

So how can we make the most of 12 hours in Hong Kong?  First time visit. 

Will Cathay Pacific let us check our bags the night before?

I suppose we should book a hotel - any suggestions?


----------



## jlwquilter (Apr 29, 2011)

Even if you are wide awake, the city will be mostly asleep. Also the subways close at 1am or so.

We stayed in Kowloon. There are several hotels right in the heart of Kowloon, near the harbor. If you book there, you can walk to and then along the harbor (Victoria). It's a modest walk farther down the harbor to the ferry dock where you can catch the ferry across to Hong Kong Island. From the ferry dock on HKI you can walk (takes maybe 10 minutes) to the trolly stop and grab the trolly and ride it all the way to the end. You pass thru some interesting districts. People stay out and eat very late. At the very end it gets dark and there's no people anymore (I was getting concerned!) but there was absolutely no issues. The trolly turns around (you have to pay again - it's like $1HKD or something really cheap) and you can ride it right back to where you got on. Depending on the time you can catch the ferry again or probably better, catch the subway back to Kowloon and call it a night.

Another alternative to research is if the Temple Street Market is open late on the day you will be there. I simply can not remember how late it goes. It is relatively easy to get to using the metro, with a modest walk from the station to the market. There are many places to eat in the market and it overflows with goods for sale. It can be VERY crowded, even late at night.

When are you going? We were there in August and it was BRUTAL HOT and MUGGY.


----------



## Passepartout (Apr 30, 2011)

Judy, unfortunately, the hours you will be there not much is happening. The HK airport is some distance out (opposed to the old one that was right downtown). By the time you get into Kowloon (Where most of the tourist hotels are) and allowing time to get back and checked in for an 8 a.m. departure, you are just 12 hours out of phase. I'd love to be able to tell you to check into the Peninsula and hang out with the tailors and shops on Nathan Road- which is what I could do for days- or a Star Ferry to HK island and the funicular to the top of Victoria Peak- just beyond compare- but you just can't fit it into your schedule. Best to get an airport area hotel- have some dim-sum in the area and be rested up to enjoy Bali. 

Jim Ricks


----------



## Jimster (Apr 30, 2011)

*Hong Kong*

While I am not an expert, I have made several trips to Hong Kong over the past few years.  I always fly business class so that means lay flat seats.  First of all, I'd say that just because you have lay flat seats doesn't mean you won't be tired.  Sometimes I sleep-sometimes I watch movies.  You can easily watch 6 movies from Chicago.  It also means you are crossing 12 or 13 time zones so your body's clock may be upset.  Second, as to what to do, let's be candid.  You don't have 12 hours.  Your timeframe is from landing to take off.  So you don't have 12 hours.  Once you get off the plane you have to collect your bags (unless they are interlined to your next plane), you have to get Hong Kong dollars if you plan to do anything, you must go through passport control and you have to get from the airport to somewhere.  Hong Kong has the Airport Express which stops at Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.  You will have to take that for most destinations and then a taxi from there.  If you decide to book a hotel, get an airport card (written in Chinese) to give to your driver so he knows where to go. There is small likelihood he will speak English.  So now your 12 hours has become 10 1/2.
Personally, I prefer Hong Kong Island and their grand hotels.  There are two Marriotts, a Conrad and several more.  There is also the Pacific Plaza with all the designer shops you can imagine-Coach, Gucci etc.
You can just walk around Hong Kong Island a bit for the flavor but there really isn't much to do at that time of night.  You may be able to find a night market.
Another option is to take the fast boat to Macau.  Macau is the far east gambling center with high rise  hotels.  They do more business than Las Vegas and all the familiar places are there-an MGM Grand, Wynn etc.  It is new and it is gorgeous.  If you like to gamble you can spend the night doing that and touring the hotel area.  Information about the fast ferry boats is on line.  You also have to go through passport control here too but it is generally rather quick.  You pick up the ferry on Hong Kong island.
The airport express also has airport check in on Hong Kong island.  You can check your bags there and it is just like checking them at the airport.  If you choose to stay on Hong Kong island, you can check out of your hotel-check in at airport express and maybe spend another hour or two in the city without your bags.  Airport Express also tells you when you have to leave by train to be on time.


----------



## Wombat (May 1, 2011)

You could try the Mongkok area in Kowloon. It is probably the most vibrant area in HK at night, and its street market is the longest. I'm not quite sure what time it closes, but at 11 pm or so, the area is still teeming with huge crowds and the shops were wide open. There's tons of shops and eateries in the area. The Temple St market is more sedate and closes earlier.


----------



## colamedia (May 2, 2011)

Arriving at that time of night, I wouldn't worry about the 'first time visit to Hong Kong' angle - try and stay awake on your plane trip to Hong Kong so you actually get some sleep once you arrive.  It's the same time zone as Bali, so it will get you started on getting used to local time, then you have another enforced rest time on the flight to Bali that you try and stay awake during, get to where you are staying in Bali and then you should be able to go to sleep relatively easily your first night in Bali and be pretty much in sync with the local time zone on your first full day in Bali.
I'd stay somewhere in/near the airport and forget about trying to see anything.

Think about what you would recommend for a first time visitor to LA or Chicago that had a 12hr stop over from 8pm to 8am after more than 12 hrs on a plane.  Would you recommend they try to get out and see LA or Chicago? 8am-8pm stop over - yes, you can see lots, 8pm-8am is very different, unless you're after night clubs, bars, or Vegas.


----------



## Judy (May 14, 2011)

jlwquilter said:


> When are you going? We were there in August and it was BRUTAL HOT and MUGGY.



Mid-March.


----------



## janej (May 14, 2011)

Last summer, we spend a few days in Hong Kong.  We stayed at the Royal Plaza Hotel.   The hotel is attached to a mall and the subway.  When you walk through the mall, there are a few blocks filled with shops, restaurants, and the lady's market is right there.  We arrived midday and went to sleep as soon as we checked in.  When we finally woke up, it was all dark outside.  But the markets were lively.  My boys did not like to shop at home, but they enjoyed the markets thoroughly.   They still talk about it.  Even though the hotel was not close to the airport, it was not too bad going by taxi.


----------



## LLW (May 15, 2011)

Judy said:


> We scored One World award seats to Bali with our AAdvantage miles    The itinerary requires us to spend a night in Hong Kong, landing at 8 PM and departing the next morning at 10 AM. (I know that's 14 hours, but I'm counting on having to be at the airport by 8 AM)  I figure we'll land around 8 AM body time, and since we'll have lie-flat seats, we shouldn't be tired.
> 
> So how can we make the most of 12 hours in Hong Kong?  First time visit.
> 
> ...



Book a hotel in the Mongkok or Yaumatei area. Immigration/Customs/luggage, taking a subway out + taxi*, and checking in will take you about an hour to hour and a half. That will take you to about 9:15/9:30 pm. After you check in, do the following areas in the following order (starting with the one with the earliest closing time): a walk along Nathan Road (it goes from Tsim Sha Tsui to Mongkok) for a peek at the shops, browsing the clothes and accessories stalls in the Mongkok Ladies Market, browsing the stalls and floor vendors at the Yau Ma Tei Temple Street Night Market (they sell all kinds of stuff, and also palm reading, music, opera, etc.) There will be plenty of restaurants and food vendors around. 

You may linger at Temple Street till the last vendor/stall closes - I think they close at about midnight.

Also, you may take a taxi* to the Star Ferry terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui. Take the ferry across to the Central District. The ferry closes down at 11:30 pm. 
Here's ferry schedule and fare info:
http://www.starferry.com.hk/services.html
The crossing takes only about 5 minutes and costs less than 50 cents U.S. You will get to see the famous Hong Kong harbor at night. You may repeat the ride if you want. You may also take a stroll in the Central District. Just make sure you get back on the ferry before the last run. (If you miss it you will have to take an expensive taxi ride through the undersea tunnel.)

Next morning, check out of the hotel and take the taxi + subway back to the airport.

This will give you a taste of some of the night activities in HK in the time that you have.

Have fun! 


* Taxis are available at subway stations, hotels, and may be flagged down on the streets any time (except they can't stop in areas marked with double yellow lines). Here's info on traveling by taxi in Hong Kong:
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/hongkong/getting-around.htm


----------

