Aboardman
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| posted on 28/11/07 at 11:09 PM |
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hong kong what to bring back
my mum is of to hong kong on monday for a week (won the holiday there).
any ideas on bargain items to bring back (and no she cannot bring back a load of tig welding sets).
i thought electrical items but it seems hk is not the place for these.
plus any must see attractions.
someone at work said the big budda plus hong kong stadium (but that is only because he was one of structural engineers on it)
thanks
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graememk
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| posted on 28/11/07 at 11:17 PM |
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fake rolex watches, but get her to post them back to you.
they cost around £20 and sell on ebay for £100+
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fatfranky
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| posted on 28/11/07 at 11:22 PM |
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Hi
I'm no expert but visited Hong Kong for 2 spells of 2 nights going to and from Australia last Christmas (and yes I did enquire about collecting
a Chinese TIG on the way back, but instead bought one in Calninx's group buy)
Not really sure what to bring back, i suppose it depends what you like, but there did seem to be loads of electronic goods for sale ( digital cameras,
camcorders, mobile phones, MP3 & Mp4 players etc.)
For me the must see's are The peak tram (funnicular railway, with great visitor centre at the top) and Stanley Markets (as a female I'm
sure she'll enjoy that, they sell absolutely everything at knock down prices)
Hope this helps.
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Paradoxia0
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| posted on 28/11/07 at 11:32 PM |
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When I was out there a few years ago the XBox360s were totally region free (unlike the locked ones we get) and cheep! If I had a few extra quid on my
credit card I would ahve sent myself a couple back 
I'd go with fatfranky on the "Peak Tran", it was well worth the visit.
One piece of advice... Every shop I walked past you get asked, "rolex?" or "suit made?" and it gets very iritating... I found
walking with my mobile phone next to my ear stopped it instantly 
Hope she enjoys it as much as I did.
Mark
There is no replacement for displacement...
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WanchaiWarrior
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 01:38 AM |
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If you got that sort of harrassment, must have been Kowloon side in Tsim Sha Tsui. Not sure about the 360's, would have thought they were NTSC.
PS3 games are region free, so are some 360 games, mostly Ubisoft and a few others, check with Play-Asia.
Nearly anywhere else in HK will not be so bad. There are enough gweilo's living/working there to make it an ok shopping experience.
Yes Stanley is worth a look, also Temple Street Night Market. Compter stuff Wanchai (lived there) Computer Centre or 288 Hennessey Road or a mall in
Causeway Bay whose name I cant remember. Causeway Bay also for general shopping, its meantaly busy but a combination of malls and little side streets.
Central also ok for shopping in Western Market. Electronics not that much cheaper and where you buy from you can get ripped off. Most shops open later
in the am but nearly all are open late, at least 9pm some 10 or 11.
Star ferry from Central or Wanchai to TST is worth a ride. Visit outlying islands, preferably Lamma (Yung Sue Wan, lived there) for seafood. Cheung
Chau, Peng Chau (lived there) nice but less inhabited than Lamma. Horse racing at Happy Valley or Sha Tin, if its the season, cant remember. Day trip
to Macau, cross of Chinese with Portugese, restaurant called Fernando's where the gweilo's used to go for all day sangria drinking. Day
trip to Shenzen (sp?) although cheaper than HK shopping, very in your face sort of place.
If you do the shopping on a Sunday, you will be mixing it up with some of the 0.5million maids who nealry all get their day off on Sunday, Central
will have roads closed off and mostly populated with Philipina's, Causeway Bay with mostly Indonesians in Victoria Park, if adventurous, try
some of the food from street vendors dotted around.
Take bus from Airport to hotel if possible, bridges are a good look and if at night journey is pretty amazing in its self.
Transport and Taxi's pretty cheap, a lot of cabbie's speak english. 1 of the safest places in SE Asia (all cops armed but friendly for
directions). Tourist info place, TST side of Star ferry.
D'oh, also forgot Disney Land on Lantau Island, trains have MM shaped windows and hand grips.
For drinking or to watch the world go by with a glass of wine (or whatever) or for nice restaurants cheap or more, Lan Qwai Fung up the hill behind
Central. More entertaining wildlife in Wanchai.
I was there 9.5yrs (earning HK permanent residency) I worked on the Tram upto Big Buddha, West Rail railway line, HK Airport, East Rail and a couple
of shopping mall refurbs. Great place to get an expat deal for a few years. Easy to get a flight to any other SE Asian city.
Cash machines everywhere, so watch how much is spent.
Anything else, please ask. Hope she has a good trip.
[Edited on 29-11-2007 by WanchaiWarrior]
[Edited on 29-11-2007 by WanchaiWarrior]
[Edited on 29-11-2007 by WanchaiWarrior]
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keithice
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 04:26 AM |
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I agree with all of wanchai warriors suggestions (Hong Kong born and bred...lived there for over twenty years...) when in causeway bay hop onthe green
trams.. these are one of the few things in hk that haven't changed in the 43 years I've been alive. Do not take a tour anywhere... they
always end up in the shops they want you in.. they get a commision and the shops are generally a high price.. Ask the concierge in the hotel to teach
you the phonetic spelling of your hotel in cantonese... that way you always get back in a cab.. all public transport is ridiculously cheap and
spotlessly clean and the cabs are no exception, as long as you cross the harbour.. hop the star ferry or the MTR (underground.... much simpler than
london) to cross harbour or get as close to your destination as possible then hop a cab... Book Afternoon tea in the Peninsula hotel... like Fortnum
and Mason s or the Ritz but done properly... Hit stanley market earley on ... if you like any thing write down the price and compare it you will only
beat it at the night market in Nathan road... When in Stanley a perfect gift for friends and family.. a personally made chop.. This is (and was a
legally binding, a bit like our seal or signet ring for stamping into sealing wax as a form of proving who had sent it) a stamp made of stone with
your name in chinese characters carved into it... In stanley market several shops do these... give them the english name and they will convert it to
a character and carve both english and chinese in to the stone and give it to you in a box with a small pot of red ink... The other end of the chop is
very often an animal and I bought 8 for my son's friends matching their birthdays to the animal (a rat, horse, dragon, ox etc...) on a chinese
horoscope... they make very personal present and pretty cheap at between £1.50 and £3.00 depending on size... the will even do a big one for you using
your full name and surname... p.s. Taxi from the star ferry to stanley was only about £6 or £7, right across the Island..
Smile and wave boys.... Smile and wave....
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keithice
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 04:31 AM |
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One I forgot to mention... Ocean Park getting a little tired but still they have Panda's etc... Also above all ENJOY!!!!
Smile and wave boys.... Smile and wave....
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TimC
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 07:43 AM |
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All been said already. Been a few times now for Rugby 7s week (playing in the Rugby 10s as the Wachai Wanderers.)
Great place. My parents have been and loved it too - so it's not just a venue for the young 'uns!
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02GF74
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 08:00 AM |
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wii - whatever that is - newspapaer sayinng they are selling on ebay 5x shop price.
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coozer
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 08:19 AM |
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100" OLED big screen TV. Bargain, get one!
3 year old Toyota Hilux's are cheap as well.
Get her to bring a dozen of each back
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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DarrenW
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 09:30 AM |
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If she is there for a week she will probs spend 6 days in a daze with mouth permanently open. Ive only been there en route to China for odd nights and
wa in awe at the place. At night the light shows on building are simply stunning.
I went for a couple of PSP's a while back. They were a bit cheaper than UK but i had to do a lot of leg work and hard haggling. When you factor
in the possible warranty poblems i couldnt say they were that much of a bargain. It struck me that if you want something specific you need to know
exactly what you want and how much you can get it for in UK or its easy to get carried away. Like most shopping trips anywhere - if you stumble across
a bargain it will be great, but you have to look hard for them.
Ive only been in the Kowloon area though - and it was so busy i got sick of it quickly. Im not a good shopper though at the best of times. My
recommendation is dont waste too much time shopping and get out and about. HK has a lot to offer and probs too much to see in a week to waste in the
shops. My best experience was flying in from the main land during the day - the landscape (both country and built up areas) takes your breath away.
Second best was walking into my hotel room at night in Kowloon ShangriLa and seeing the view across the harbour from the panoramic windows - words
cant describe it. Worst experience was shuffling around the shops in a sea of other shoppers, far too busy, hot and sticky.
I wonder if HK bought up all of our old red post boxes????
[Edited on 29/11/07 by DarrenW]
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Aboardman
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 09:52 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by DarrenW
. Second best was walking into my hotel room at night in Kowloon ShangriLa and seeing the view across the harbour from the panoramic windows - words
cant describe it.
[Edited on 29/11/07 by DarrenW]
they are staying at the kowleen shangriLa hotel that was in the prize she won, plus a helicopter trip around.
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DarrenW
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 10:03 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Aboardman
quote:
Originally posted by DarrenW
. Second best was walking into my hotel room at night in Kowloon ShangriLa and seeing the view across the harbour from the panoramic windows - words
cant describe it.
[Edited on 29/11/07 by DarrenW]
they are staying at the kowleen shangriLa hotel that was in the prize she won, plus a helicopter trip around.
You have got to be joking I really hope she gets a room overlooking the harbour. If not it would be worth paying for an upgrade. I kid you not -
at night the view is awesome. Its a great place to go for a walk as well.
Helicopter ride - now that just fills me with so much jealousy. I had to crane my head to look out of the plane window - in a helicopter it will be
unforgettable. Tell her to make sure the camcorder is fully charged. Id love to see a short vid of that.
She is going to love it and will talk about it for years.
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Pants On Fire
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| posted on 29/11/07 at 10:36 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Aboardman
my mum is of to hong kong on monday for a week (won the holiday there).
any ideas on bargain items to bring back (and no she cannot bring back a load of tig welding sets).
A Thai bride?
Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
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