MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13369 posts, RR: 64 Posted (8 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1268 times:
Hello,
End of October my Missus and myself plan to travel to the Philippines. On the way there we will arrive early in the morning in HKG and have to wait there until our flight for CEB departs in the afternoon. Now we don´t want to sit inside the airport for 7 hours. Visas are no issues for us (both of us don´t need visas for shorttime stays).
Ist there anything we can do in HKG and still be back in time for our flight a 1600 hours? We´ll arrive around 0700 hours local in the morning.
How long does it e.g. take for the airport express to go from the airport to Kowloon? How often does it go every hour?
David L From United Kingdom, joined May 1999, 9242 posts, RR: 42 Reply 2, posted (8 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1255 times:
If the visibility's good, a trip up the Peak might not be a bad idea. I assume the "new-fangled" transport system would make it easily do-able in the time you've got. There were no tunnels under the harbour when I lived there and, since that was such a long time ago, there's not much point in me recommending anything else as it's probably long gone now!
BlueElephant From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2006, 1809 posts, RR: 6 Reply 4, posted (8 months 3 weeks 5 days ago) and read 1200 times:
You should be able to do the Peak
Take The Airport Express to Hong Kong Station, walk to Central and exit out toward the south. The peak tram is just about 100 meters away from the station.
If you're efficient, you may also be able to take a ride on the Star Ferry and go to Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon), and walk the Avenue of the stars. and take the Airport express back to the airport (or Cab it a bit more expensive)
Other option is staying near the airport. You can take a bus to Tung Chung and have breakfast in the mall, and then take the Ngong Ping 360 Cable car to the Tian Tan Buddha.
The Airport also has a pretty nice Observation deck in Terminal 2.
MD11Engineer From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 13369 posts, RR: 64 Reply 5, posted (8 months 3 weeks 5 days ago) and read 1197 times:
Quoting BlueElephant (Reply 4): The Airport also has a pretty nice Observation deck in Terminal 2.
I think for the sake of my relationship I´d rather leave this option alone. My Missus is not particularly airminded.
I once went through HKG, but that was on the old Kai Tak airport, and earlier this year I passed through on a freighter (work), but we only stayed until we had our inbound cargo offloaded and then new pallets on board, and I was busy doing my checks. Very efficient, the HKG ground staff! I wish we had a few teams like them over here!
francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3252 posts, RR: 10 Reply 6, posted (8 months 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 1194 times:
So much to do, so little time...
Quoting BlueElephant (Reply 4): Take The Airport Express to Hong Kong Station, walk to Central and exit out toward the south. The peak tram is just about 100 meters away from the station.
The peak tram is actually a bit farther than that from the station, about 10-15min walk uphill, even farther when starting from Hong Kong station (the airport express terminal). Add to that the tourist line and the snail pace of the tram and it might be a tight fit...
You could take bus #15 right out the station, which takes you up to the peak. It would be quicker and just as scenic. Plus you wouldn't dream of going to HK without trying the local mass transportation, would you? Then a quick tour up to the roof terrace up there for the view and back down the way you came.
Otherwise, In Central, walk to the Mid-Level escalators through the local street markets, up a few streets then back down through Lan Kwai Fong, then onto the tram towards Wan Chai, walk to the Wan Chai ferry pier, then take the Star ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui. Take in the view from the promenade, then walk towards Nathan road and get back on the MTR at the TST station, interchange to the airport express again straight back to the airport.
This would let you get a good general feel of HK while covering some distance across it. It should fit time-wise, even given for a quick chow at any of the seemingly infinite eating places there and provided you manage to keep the missus away from dangerous traps such as the IFC, Ocean Terminal, iSquare or other of the equally infinite amount of shopping centres...
An alternative would be to skip downtown altogether and get on the cable car right next to the airport and up to Ngong Ping. See the big Buddha and the temple, a bite and a little walk around, then back down on the cable car.
[Edited 2012-09-26 14:46:21]
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
jet-lagged From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 852 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (8 months 3 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 1183 times:
Quoting francoflier (Reply 6): Otherwise, In Central, walk to the Mid-Level escalators through the local street markets, up a few streets
Taking the escalators all the way to the top with a walking side trip every few is a nice way to see many slices of HK: downtown commerce, trendy bars, old markets, a mosque, high-rise living. (Gotta be careful though, they go 'down' until 10:00 a.m. or so.) Stop at a bar or two and watch the world go by. At the very last one hail a cab and take it back down to the ferry piers and take ferry over to TST. Check out the sites around Nathan Road, then walk or cab it over to the Kowloon side Airport Express station for the ride back to the airport.
David L From United Kingdom, joined May 1999, 9242 posts, RR: 42 Reply 8, posted (8 months 3 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 1149 times:
Quoting BlueElephant (Reply 4): you may also be able to take a ride on the Star Ferry and go to Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon)
Ah, that's something that's survived since I was there, in spite of the tunnels. I left in 1971, when the Kowloon-Canton Railway ended at the Tsim Sha Tsui ferry terminal. I'd give it a go if you have the time - it's a very interesting harbour. Apparently it's still ridiculously cheap, too!
BlueElephant From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2006, 1809 posts, RR: 6 Reply 9, posted (8 months 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 1125 times:
Sounds like almost everyone that's given a comment is on the same page.
Quoting francoflier (Reply 6): You could take bus #15 right out the station, which takes you up to the peak. It would be quicker and just as scenic. Plus you wouldn't dream of going to HK without trying the local mass transportation, would you? Then a quick tour up to the roof terrace up there for the view and back down the way you came.
Hong Kong and Central stations are connected underground by a series of moving walkways IIRC.
But the bus is also a great option - it's a great route seeing the city.
francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3252 posts, RR: 10 Reply 11, posted (8 months 3 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 1111 times:
Quoting BlueElephant (Reply 9): Hong Kong and Central stations are connected underground by a series of moving walkways IIRC.
They are, but they're pretty long walkways, and the exit you'd want to get out of to go to the peak tram is the farthest away. And even from there it's still a long way uphill in the heat to the peak tram. It's very doable but when you don't know your way around and are on a time budget it might not be the best option for MD11Engineer. Then again if he's good with maps.
Quoting David L (Reply 8): Apparently it's still ridiculously cheap, too!
0.30 € for the upper deck. A tram ride is about 0.25€ (It's been outrageously increased from around 0.20€ ever since that French company took over...).
Still, if you can afford them, I'd say both have to be done for a good HK feel.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
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