Monday, March 13, 2006

Hong Kong

I just spent 4 nights in Hong Kong. Great place to visit! Here are some tips on where to stay and what to do.

Accomodation
I found this nice little hotel in Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island next to the racecourse called The Emperor Hotel. It only cost $750 HKD per night which is about half the price of other hotels in the area. Make sure you ask for a non-smoking room if you are a non-smoker as the windows don't open. My friend said it is because so many people have committed suicide so all the windows are locked at hotels in Hong Kong.

To get to this hotel from the airport, get the train for $80 HKD to Central and then taxi from there (about $60 HKD).

Stanley Market
This is a great place to go to pick up lots of cheap good quality clothes as well as all kinds of other stuff. We took a taxi here as taxis are really cheap. Also, there is a great restaurant here that overlooks the bay called Wildfire. Absolutely delicious tapas and all kinds of food.

The Peak
A visit to the Peak is an absolute must! As soon as the sun comes out, jump on the Peak Tram which takes you to the top. Make sure you sit on the right hand-side so that you see the great views. Once at the top, have dinner at Cafe Deco which has an amazing view over all of Hong Hong. Great food here - I only had dessert and was disappointed I had already had dinner!



Soho
Located on Hong Kong Island, this is a great place for bars and restaurants. There are all types of restaurants here: Spanish, Italian etc.


Big Buddha
If you have time, a nice day out is a visit to the big bronze Buddha. Take the ferry from Central which takes about 30 minutes (the slow one takes 1 hour so check the timetable) and then it is a 30 minute bus journey.

There are nice walks around here eg the Wisdom Path and buy a ticket for the deluxe vegetarian lunch which gives you access to inside the big Buddha and a yummy lunch in the monastery. It is interesting and peaceful walking around the monastery.

So, a wee trip to Hong Kong is definitely recommended to get that break away from your daily life and a new perspective to your work. In Michael Gelb’s book, “How to think like Leonardo Da Vinci”, Da Vinci said, “It is also a very good plan every now and then to go away and have a little relaxation; for when you come back to the work, your judgment will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose the power of judgement”.

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