leejo

Well, here we go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Been 18 months since we started the whole process. Finally, we are on our way.

Is anyone on the above flight?

Could do with someone, to hold hand!!!!!!!!

Cheers

Lee

steandleigh

Hiya lee,

still going to cairns? Via Honkers? Are you actually having a stopover or just a flight change?

We're hoping to go in September, same route, but stopping in Honkers for 3 nights as we have family out there.

What did your flights cost and who you flying with?

Best of luck,

footie chick

Hope you have a safe trip and enjoy your new lives.

footie chick

leejo

Yes, still going to Cairns!!

We're staying in Hong Kong for 2 nights. Flying out on Friday. Arriving in Cairns on Sat. 3rd April.

Flights cost 403.00 each, pound sterling excl. taxes with Trailfinders flying Cath. Pac.

Leigh - What do you recommend in HK?

Will keep you posted, as to how we get on!!!!

Cheers

Lee

teach

Good luck, enjoy your new life.

Best wishes
Sarah

Vegemite Kids

Safe flying and hope it all works out for you in Cairns

M&C

steandleigh

Hi Lee, this yr will be my 1st time in Honkers, but Ste reliably informs me that the following are quite good :

Stanley Market - every kind of bargain you can imagine, plenty of hustle and bustle, especially good at night time.

Take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour, very cheap, runs very frequently and you get really good views of either side of the harbour.

Victoria Peak ( where ste's family live ), you can take a steep tram all the way up to the peak, theres some great shops / restaurants / bars.

If you're happy to travel a little way out there are the more ' cultural ' types of stuff to go and see, ie temples etc but Hong Kong is a good time city, vibrant in the day, but really comes alive at night.

Hide your credit card unless you want it to take a whipping!!!!

Good luck and have a great time, let us know how you get on!!!

Best wishes, Leigh.

Andy66

Agree with everything above. prepare to marvel at the fact that everybody you make any kind of eye contact with will try to sell you a fake Rolex. We took a half day tour which took in Stanley Market, Aberdeen (inc ride on a Sampan) and ended at Victoria Peak. (probably the "must do" of HK) It also had a commercialised visit to a Jewellery factory, but the stuff was good and cheap, and there were free drinks too.

Remember to go First Class on the Star Ferry - upstairs. It's 12p as opposed to 10p!!!!


In terms of shopping, I didn't find it hugely cheap for things you can benchmark with in the UK - e.g. electronics, branded sunglasses but there was some wonderful stuff to be had which was more unique to that part of the world.

try to find a bar at the top of a high rise for a drink at dusk to watch the lights come on - fantastic! There is a nice one at the top of the Manadarin Oriental but not particularly cheap so drink slowly!

Enjoy!

Andy

Billabong

Have a great flight and hope it all goes well

lau and mart

were going heathrow to singapore 30th march, then perth. know how you feel - good luck

laura

scrawni

We are off to Cairns in July so see you there!

Make sure you let us know how you are getting on etc. Any advice will be well needed.

Safe journey,

Mandy

wongstonn

Hi

Have been out to Honkers many times as I have my wife's family out there.

Wouldn't disagree with anything already written too much. Tram up to the Peak is essential Worth two trips, one by day and one by night - it's that stunning. Star Ferry - yes! Stanley Markey, yes - but haggle. I might add the huge Buddha on Lantau Island. Clearwater Bay on the Sai Kung penninsula is good for getting away from the crowds and bathing on a secluded sandy beach. On Hong Kong Island itself I like Shek O.

As far as price comparisons go, I'd agree that many things are not so cheap as the first time buyer might expect - electricals, branded goods etc... However the public transport is dirt cheap and hyper-efficient put our to shame.

Clothing - well if you are prepared to avoid the main western brands and labels then very good quality garb for both men and women at rock bottom prices can be found at the Giordano, U2, and G2000 stores that you can find almost everywhere and used heavily by the locals. Be warned - not good for western big people, given that a large sized person over there is often a medium sized one by our standards.

And for the ore adventurous, buy some fresh (live) snake in Sheung Wan for your dinner. The rice wine in CRC stores with a pickled lizard in it that costs £4.00 per bottle is actually a lot nicer than it sounds (UK customs got shirty with me when I tried to declare it in the red channel at Heathrow - told me not to bother them and to go through the green channel as the lizard 'looked very dead')...hmmm ..I'll stop before the veggies bomb my house.

Neil

anya4oz

Afternoon Tea at the Peninsula Hotel (just near the Star Ferry on the Kowloon side). Brill, really olde-worldy-colonial style.

Also try the trams (built about 1912 & still running) on HK Island - take some HK $ coins with you to pay the fare on board.

Have a great time - HK is the best place ever.

Oh, and good luck with The New Life, too!

Anya.

anya4oz

Agreed - I remember whoops of joy years ago on finding that good old M&S had opened on Connaught Road (also in Causeway Bay now), only to find that the biggest bra they sold was about a size 34A!! M&S classic trousers only went up to UK size 12, too. Yikes!

Anya.