PlanetEye

There is much written and available about the tourist attractions of Hong Kong.  Just pick up any guidebook.  My role is to write about those things you won't find in most guidebooks.  The outer islands, especially the smaller ones, are rarely mentioned.  I'd like to remedy that deficiency here.

There are more than 260 islands within Hong Kong Territory.  More than 220 of them are uninhabited.  Most of them are accessible only by private boat - some have walking trails, most do not, some have restaurants, most do not.  Locals have been known to discourage visitors, although I have never personally had a problem.

I plan to wite about those islands that are more easily accessible in a series of articles over the next few weeks.  

I recently wrote an article about Cheung Chau's Bun Festival which is perhaps what the island is most noted for.  You can find it at Bun Fun on Buddha's Birthday.

Cheung Chau is not the best known of Hong Kong's Islands perhaps because it has few expat residents and no western restaurants.  Cheung Chau has an atmosphere that I imagine is somewhat like that which existed 50 or 60 years ago. Lots of incense sticks burning in the temples, parks filled with card games, the clatter of mah-jongg tiles from the rear of shops or houses opened up to try to catch a stray breeze and people chatting and perhaps gossiping with one another.

The island is actually the most densely populated in the Territory with more than 20,000 residents but it still has its private places which you can access if you choose to follow one or more of the many trails available.  The narrow streets of the major village are lined with traditional shops featuring recently butchered pigs and soon to be butchered live chickens, cheap dai pai dongs (noodle stalls) soon to be extinct if the government has its way, Chinese apothecaries offering herbs and remedies and the older people sitting on benches keeping an eye on the youngsters left in their care. It's far less idyllic on weekends, when the population doubles, so plan a week day visit if you can.

One possible hike is, after exiting the Ferry, to go past the Windsurfing Center to Kwun Yam Beach.  The path up from the beach leads into a small wooded valley.  Follow the signs pointing left to the "Mini Great Wall", climb the steps to the headland where you will enjoy some incredible vistas.  Keep going up to the pavilion at the top and marvel at the view of Hong Kong and Lamma Islands and if you are lucky, on a clear day, you can see Kowloon and the New Territories.

From here you can continue to circumnavigate the Island, seeing interesting rock formations, many temples, an historical statue of the Virgin Mary left by missionaries, and private houses.  Eventually you will end up back at the Public Pier.  You will find a map of possible hiking choices on the Discover Hong Kong Web-site.  Go to page 4 of the PDI file describing the outer islands.  

There are inexpensive guest houses near the many beaches. Wind-surfing is very popular here and Hong Kong's only Olympic Gold Medal winner San-san was raised on Cheng Chau. There are also dozens of seafood restaurants on the waterfront promenade.  They rival the eateries on Lamma Island and in Sai Kung in everything but size.

I mentioned the Bun Festival earlier in this article.  Point is, if you can arrange it, attend the Festival.  It will be held sometime in the Spring - exact date to be announced.

Cheung Chau is easy to get to from the Outer Island Ferry Terminals.  The Fast boats take about 45 minutes, the slow ones about 30 minutes longer. It's worth a full-day trip. Take the opportunity to leave the crowds of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon behind and take in some sights and activities most tourists never see.

For more information check out the Cheung Chau HK website which has hundreds of entries from people reporting on what's happening on the Island including personal restaurant ratings, hotel and guesthouse ratings and the latest on activities and events. 

Stand up comedy has become a "big thing" all over the U.S. and Europe.  It is now invading Asia, particularly Hong Kong.

There are two main ways to get your comedy fix here in Hong Kong.  One is to go to Hong Kong's newest full-time comedy club, located in the Soho Area, the TakeOut Comedy Club HK.  Shows are scheduled for every Friday and Saturday night.  There are also open mike nights, Monday in Chinese, Tuesday in English.  Additionally, The People's Liberation Improv Troupe performs every first and third Friday of the month.  There are also surprise guest performers on an unscheduled basis.  Much of the comedy is in English, some in Chinese and some of the comedians switch back and forth between Chinese and English.

Jami Gong, TakeOut's owner and founder has also organized the Second HK International Comedy Festival, October 9-18, 2008.   All performances will be at the TakeOut venue. 

The second way to get your fix is to catch the traveling acts that are imported for one or two nights.  Two of the most popular venues for these are Grappa's Cellar in Jardine House, Central and the Viceroy Indian Restaurant in Wan Chai.   Most of these shows are sponsored by the Punchline Comedy Club.  Many of the acts originate in the U.K. with some from the U.S., Canada and Ireland.

I attended just such a show last night, Friday, July 4, brought to Hong Kong by someone, who I was introduced to as Shanghai Dave but is actually a Hong Kong native.   It was somehow affirming to attend a performance by U.S. based comedians on the Fourth of July.

The two headliners were Jesse Joyce, originally from Pittsburgh PA and Keith Alberstadt  from Nashville, Tennessee.  Joyce has a more traditional stand-up act where he goes from topic to topic, more or less, as the spirit moves him but without a lot of ad-libbing, at least as far as I could determine.  Alberstadt (not a stage name as you might guess) did more interaction with the audience and does not put out as fast paced a delivery as Joyce.

Both were good dealing with a pretty tough audience.   Most of the guests were Chinese with a bunch of Aussies, Brits and Canucks thrown in.   Many of the Chinese, I suspect, were educated overseas and/or carry dual HK/Canadian citizenship.   There were some Americans but not a lot of them and I'm sure more than a few of the jokes went unappreciated because of the subtle connections to U.S. culture.   I have a similar problem when I see a British stand-up comedian.

Comedians, some stand-up, some improvisational, some rehearsed, also appear at the Fringe Club in Central District from time to time.  Click on the link for information.

While Hong Kong has a long way to go before it could be considered a comedy destination, it's actually quite easy to find comedy shows and I suspect it will get easier in the future, especially with Jami Gong priming the pump. 

I don't usually write about things that I haven't experienced or at the least have a first party review of from someone I trust.  I am making an exception here.

One of the reasons I'm doing so is that nobody I know has ridden on this burgeoning white elephant.  The reason most people who have been here for any length of time avoid this tourist attraction is that it has a dismal safety, reliability and customer service reputation.

At first it sounded like a great idea.  Ride a cable car to the top of the mountain on which rests the largest sitting Buddha in the world.  Passengers can leave from Tsing Yi which is near the airport and is serviced by the MTR.  By doing so they avoid the long, twisty ride up to the spot to say nothing of the ferry ride to Mui Wo on the other side of Lantau Island.  What could be better?

Unfortunately the ride has been plagued by a series of near-disasters from having to delay its opening because of safety and other issues, to shutting down in mid-operation for two hours, stranding hundreds of people hanging over the hillside, to having a run-away cable car undergoing "safety testing", to poor communication when it has to shut down, to underestimating the force of the winds on the cable car route, etc., etc., etc.  Just two days ago, June 26, passengers were stranded for 30 minutes because of a faulty sensor.

The original operator has been ousted and replaced by the MTR corporation, which has about as much experience running a cable car operation and tourist attraction as I do.  The Tour Companies are dropping this attraction in droves mostly because they cannot count on being advised if it is not operating which results in a wasted two hour bus ride.

My advice is to Take the Ferry and Lantau Island Tour which takes you from Hong Kong Island to Mui Wo and then provides a van and driver to escort you to various attractions including the Sitting Buddha. the Tai O fishing village and some of the beaches.  I've now done this tour 3 times and at HK$150 (US$19.25), it's one of the best touring bargains in Hong Kong.

So enjoy the ride and eliminate worrying if you are going to be able to use Ngong Ping 360 as planned or even worse suffer through one of the ride's frequent failures.

This article features Junk trips but also covers other ways of enjoying Victoria Harbour.  There are many links at the bottom of this posting.

If you spend any time at all in Hong Kong, at some point you may be invited on a Junk trip.  Do not decline the invitation.  Junk trips are fun.  Junk trips are a Hong Kong tourist institution like taking the Tram to the Peak.  The difference is that the Tram ride will be a disappointment whereas the Junk trip will not.

You can also charter sailboats and power cruises but you can do that closer to home.  Hong Kong's "Fragrant Harbour" is one of the few places in the world where you can explore in a motorized Junk. 

There are basically three ways to do the "Junk" thing.  First and best is to be invited on to an already chartered Junk.  Many businesses in Hong Kong own or have first refusal on chartering junks.  If you are invited on one of these, you will not be expected to pay anything and will have access to drinks and food while cruising.  Often these junks go to Lamma Island for a seafood dinner and this will usually be on the house also.  A great, cheap, fun way to explore the Harbour.

Second is to put together a group and rent a Junk yourselves, splitting the cost among all of you.  You can either arrange for catered food or stop at one of the outer Islands for great seafood, which by the way makes the most sense.  The best thing about this option is that you get to choose where you want to go.

The third is to go as an individual on an already scheduled Junk trip and pay the required fee.  These trips range from a totally banal tour of the Harbour with a "complimentary" soft drink to arranging to join a trip on one of the Junks owned by a Hong Kong restaurant or upscale tour group.  These can be as much fun as you make them.  They are especially attractive if you meet people somewhat easily.  Many of the passengers will be tourists like yourself with a smattering of local residents.

In addition to Junk trips there are many scheduled Harbour Tours, some on ferry boats sponsored by the ferry companies and some on boats belonging to the larger tour companies.  They usually follow a set itinerary and any food or drink is extra to say nothing of the sales pitches you will be subjected to so that you will buy a photo, DVD or some other souvenir.

Another and the least expensive way of getting on the water is to take a regularly scheduled ferry to one of the outer islands, enjoy a stroll or a meal and then take the ferry back to Hong Kong Island.  If you are pressed for time or get easily seasick, you can always ride the world famous Star Ferry between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon side.

Links:

First Ferry

Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry, Ltd. (HKKF)

Cheung Kee Ferry, Ltd.

Duk Ling 852-2573-5282 (Junk Charter)

Jaspas Junk 852-2792-6001 (Junk Charter)

Aqua Luna 852-2116-8821 (Junk Charter)  

Dragon Marine 852-9755-2146 (Junk Charter)  

Michelangelo 852-9887-0000 (Junk Charter)  

Panaoceans 852-2815-8235 (Junk Charter)  

Saffron Cruises 852-2857-1311 (Junk Charter)

Viking's Charter 852-2576-8992 (Junk Charter)

Mes Amies: 852-2527-6680 (Junk Charter)

In addition to beaches and pools, there are many other water based activities you can avail yourself of here in Hong Kong.  There are five Water Sports Centers in Hong Kong.  Details can be found at the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Water Sports Centres Site.

Windsurfing is very popular in Hong Kong.  Our sole Olympic Gold Medal winner, San San, was a windsurfer.  There are many venues and centers where you can either take instruction or rent equipment. You can find basic information at the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Windsurfing site or at the Hong Kong Windsurfing Association website.

There are 9 accredited Scuba Diving schools that I know of and another 14 outlets to charter a boat or rent equipment from.  The most complete information on Scuba in Hong Kong can be found at the "3 Routes Hong Kong Scuba Diving Directory" on the internet.  If you are here already, you can also check the Consumer Yellow Pages for listings.

A newer and more expensive water sport is Wakeboarding which seems to have replaced Water Skiing in popularity. Of course, if you prefer water skiing, there are places to rent boats and equipment. There are a number of wakeboarding centers listed in the Yellow Pages and the Hong Kong Water Skiing Association website has much information.

Kayaking is also very popular and kayaks can be rented at many locations including the Water Sports Centres mentioned above.  There is even an outrigger venue - The Hong Kong Island Paddle Club, which also sponsors Dragon Boat Racing.  

If fishing is your passion, then Hong Kong is your paradise.  You can find excellent information along with some personal experiences of the article's author at Tackletour.com.  Deep Sea fishing is available, also.  Check the Consumer Yellow Pages for Charter outfits.

As you can imagine, sailing is very popular in Hong Kong, though mostly with expats. You can rent a small sailboat or charter a large one. While many of the sailing clubs are private and/or invitation only, both the Aberdeen Boat Club and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club offer instruction and rentals. The Watersports Centres also offer equipment rentals and instruction but only in small craft.

For those of a more passive nature, there are many water borne activities which I will detail in a later posting.  

Hong Kong's reputation as a shopping and dining center creates the impression, sometimes, that there is little else to do here.  Contraire!  

Hong Kong was, at one time, almost completely made up of small fishing communities. The sea is very much a part of Hong Kong's history and its present.

Every type of water sport from swimming to yachting is available here.  I'll talk about swimming in this article and cover other water sports and water related activities  in subsequent postings.

There are literally dozens of beautiful, pristine, swimming beaches, 32 to be exact.  There are also 37 public pools for swimming enthusiasts.  Yes, they can be crowded, especially on weekends but swimming in a crowded pool is part of the Hong Kong experience. 

20 years ago the beaches were in poor shape, with 86% rated poor or very poor.  Now only 17% are rated poor, the rest being rated good or fair.  Most of the beaches and all of the pools have lifeguards and, where necessary, shark nets. (not in the pools, of course).  

A complete list of all the beaches and pools with lifeguard and opening hours are available on the Leisure and Cultural Services Department web-site.  

So, if you are a visitor, you now have another activity you can enjoy in Hong Kong. If you live here, you don't have to travel to enjoy a short-term beach break. You can go to the nearest beach or visit one of the outer island beaches.  Now that it's rated fair, you can even body-surf at Big Wave Bay Beach in Shek O on Hong Kong Island.

Come on in.  The water's fine.

Whenever I visited New York in the 1960's and 70's, I always made it a point to get as many people together as I could and trek to Mama Leone's Restaurant where we could stuff ourselves beyond good taste with their "Italian Family Style" meals.

While Mama Leone's is long gone, Hong Kong has its own version of Mama Leone's in Fat Angelo's Italian Restaurants.  Serving Italian dishes, family style, Fat Angelo's is a great bargain and the more people you can corral to join you, the better the bargain.

When it first opened, I, in my ignorance, thought that the concept would never work in Hong Kong.  I could not have been more wrong.  I don't know what I was thinking.  First, Hong Kong people like Italian food, I think primarily because of the pasta and pizza.  Second, Chinese families and friends usually eat family style at the large eateries in Hong Kong.  It is not unusual, in Western restaurants, for the local Chinese to share dishes even if the food is served in individual portions.  Third, they serve complimentary salad and freshly baked, huge, Italian style rolls.  This is unheard of in Hong Kong, where bread and salads are usually ala carte items. 

The menu is quite diversified for a family style restaurant.  13 appetizers, four pizzas, 14 pastas, 13 main dishes including chicken, seafood, lamb, pork and beef.  The only thing missing is veal which is evidently rarely available and extremely expensive.  They have seven dessert offerings including two types of the ubiquitous tiramisu.  Personally, I've never been able to order dessert because I'm just too stuffed after the main course. 

They also have an extensive, reasonably priced wine list as well as beer and mixed drinks.  

Each item is available in large or small size: small for two or three people and large for 4-6 people.  I have found it wise to order one dish for each person at the table.  That way, when we are finished, there are usually enough left-overs so I can take them home eliminating the need to buy lunch for the next two or three days.

In large groups we usually can leave the place satiated for about HK$100-125 per person (US$13-16.25) not incuding alcoholic drinks.  When my wife, Pam, and I go as a couple we usually spend closer to HK$300 (US$39) for the two of us plus wine.   

They also serve brunch on weekends and holidays at their Wanchai and Soho locations including a family style breakfast for large groups.  The best deal is lunch, where for HK$89 (US$11.50), you get soup or salad, the incredible rolls, a main dish, dessert and a non-alcoholic drink.  I like to go there between 2:30 and 4:00 PM, thereby eliminating the need for a separate lunch and dinner meal.  Believe me. I'm still full when I retire that night.

My favorite dishes are the  Broccoli Aglio e Olio, Fried Calamari, Vegetarian Pizza, Rigatoni Bolognese, Linguine Pesto, Linguini with Clams, Rosemary Baked Chicken, Mussels in Wine Sauce, Osso Buco and Italian Sausage with Peppers.  Actually, the only dissapointing dish I've ever had at Fat Angelo's is the Ribs alla Roma and because of the family style service, I've tried most everything.

Fat Angelo's has six locations in Hong Kong - three on Hong Kong Island: Causeway Bay, Wanchai and Soho, one in Kowloon: Tsim Sha Tsui and two in the New Territories: Tseung Kwan O and Tsuen Wan.  Click on the link in the second paragraph for exact addresses and phone numbers.

Wherever you are, it is worth your while to find a Fat Angelo's  for a fun and food filled outing.