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Mark-O

Having been to Hong Kong only a couple of times, I'm still very much a newbie. I do have some idea of the geography and place names of much of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the outer lying islands, but not so au fait with the New Territories.

Anyway, what are you top 3 favourite spots in Hong Kong ... and whilst you're at it, what are your worst 3?

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

I fancy a trip to SHATAUKOK, though last time I tried (1992!), I was fobbed off. It is still off limits to foreign nationals, and who knows why?

But my favourite destinations in the NT are:
- any part of the MacLehose Trail;
- Tap Mun/Grass Island;
- the interior of Lantau island (those monasteries).

The worst?
the stretch of highway from Lok Ma Chau to Yuan Long;
- all those container parklands that formerly were rice paddies!

Joachim · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Posts: 311 Location: Brighton, UK

Best:

1) The beach at Sai Kung
2) The markets around Yau Ma Tei
3) Cheung Chau island

Worst:

1) Mid-Levels
2) Cheung Sha Wan (what a dump!)
3) Diamond Hill on the weekend

dandan · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 183 Location: Hong Kong

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Dandan,
I am not a queen, but a king.

I know abouty the rules and that if I had a "valid" reason I could go there. Unfortunately, it's much harder for foreigners to prove they have a valid reason to visit.
In fact, it's easy enough for mainland Chinese to go there, always has been. I befriended a mainland Chinese ex-customs official who promised me to take me there. We went to the Shenzhen PSB, and lo and behold: I got the permit, but had to get it chopped by the Shataujiao PSB before passing through that stone gate.
My friend got her chop, but they refused to do the same thing to my permit.
I even had a teacher friend inside that secluded territory who suggested he bring his students into mainland-Shatoujiao to see me.

The nearest I got there was when I travelled to HK by bus from Shenzhen. In those days, one CITYBUS would pick you up outside the Shenzhen Shangri-La, then take the highway to Shatoujiao. I sat on the upper deck and saw the lights of the town, but little else...

One reason advanced for the refusal of the authorities to allow foreigners to visit Zhong-Ying Jie used to be: they were not happy that foreigners should see happy mainblanders stocking up on duty-free imports from the West.