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Hidden Hong Kong

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Posts
    19

    Hidden Hong Kong

    I have a good friend coming to HK for a week to see my 1 yaer old - he's been to HK many times before. Is there some more unusual and different places I can take him during this stay?

    A bit about him:
    He's early 40s, single, not too interested in the bar scene, enjoys: kung fu (a couple of rungs from black belt), movies, good food, hip but fashionable clothes, fantasy books, does not like computer gadgets that much.

    Thanks for any suggestions.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    13,099

    As he seems to be reasonably fit, hiking (day or night) would fit the bill:
    http://www.meetup.com/hongkonghikingmeetup/
    If you want something more sedentary, lots of choices in the outlying islands. My favorite is CheungChau as the big slow ferry goes there. Sit out back with a cold beer....


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Posts
    829

    Try the night time bicycle tours of urban HK (assuming they're still on). Especially if he's jet lagged and awake all night anyway :-)

    http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health...our-city-night

    Has he ever been to the Mai Po marshes? If he has any interest in nature, it's well worth doing , especially as the nature reserve will probably be a shadow of what it is now, within 10 years, given the development plans for NT North.

    Has he ever walked around the Graham Street wet market and surrounding areas? Oldest street market in HK, and neighbouring streets have very traditional stores which have been in operation for anything from 30-80 years. All going to be torn down and 'redeveloped' very soon.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    May 2003
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    2,207

    I second HowardCoombs' suggestion of going to Cheung Chau. My favourite place there is The New Baccarat Restaurant. Sit outside at the back of the slow ferry, bring your own wine (no corkage at the aforementioned restaurant) and start sipping it on the ferry. Best to do a very late lunch and coming back watching the sunset over Lantau from the ferry (sipping wine, if there's still any left).

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  5. #5

    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Hong Kong
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    60

    What about Tai Mo Shan? If he's fit he might enjoy the hike down via Ho Pui and ending at the Gold Coast.


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Posts
    19

    thanks for all the suggestions - really like the hidden market idea! Hiking also a great idea - was actually thinking wong ngai gap hike, as that is a good 2 hours, and then can end up pretty much at stanley for a beer to cool down :-)


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    2,446
    Quote Originally Posted by Pub12:
    thanks for all the suggestions - really like the hidden market idea! Hiking also a great idea - was actually thinking wong ngai gap hike, as that is a good 2 hours, and then can end up pretty much at stanley for a beer to cool down :-)
    I find it surprising that anyone would consider Graham St to be a "hidden" market. It's clearly visible from the Escalator so anyone who's gone as far as Lyndhurst Terrace will have seen it unless they wander round with their eyes shut....or glued to their phone (ok, hang on....that's most HKers!) I'd be surprised if your friend hasn't been there already but repeating the experience isn't necessarily a bad thing.

    The market isn't quite what it used to be after losing quite a few shops already (when one of the buildings was knocked down) but visitors still seem to enjoy a stroll along Gage St and then cross over Aberdeen St and head along Gough St. Gough St's become quite hip these days so your friend might like it. My father always loves to look round the 3 Homeless stores there (or whatever they've rebranded some of them to). Their cafe does a decent coffee too. Or there's Agnes B if you want to do something pretentious and totally unChinese.

    If you're looking for food, the Thai restaurant (forgotten the name, sorry) almost at the top of Graham St is very good....and spicy. It gets busy though so get there early or late....and expect to be crammed in to a fairly small space.

    Edit: I used to live in a flat that overlooked the Gage St part of the market (until all the building work around there drove me mad) so if you need any more info, drop me a PM.
    Last edited by bibbju; 22-04-2014 at 09:07 AM.
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