Hong Kong - Places to See and Things to Do!

We reached Hong Kong (HK) through the Hong Kong Ferry Terminal since we had taken a boat from Macau. The ride was long and a little rough because of the weather but in all it took about an hour to reach Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Ferry Terminal is close to the Hong Kong - Central MTR station and also close to the Sheung Wan station where our hotel was. We took a small, very comfy hotel in the middle of Sheung Wan, walking distance from the MTR station and close to all the tourist places in HK.

The problem with HK hotels is that because of scarcity of space, the hotels are very expensive and the rooms very small. We came from Macau were we had a huge room and equally big bathroom in Venetian. But the hotels in HK have very small rooms. So be prepared for it. They will be smaller than your imagination. So much on the hotels...

Once you are settled in your hotel, get a MTR map and get going. MTR is fast and best way to negotiate HK. You dont want to waste your precious time stuck in slow moving Hong Kong traffic. You can go in for Octopus card as well as we did its very convenient as you dont need to buy tickets at different stations. It works very well every where and you can also pick up stuff at the various convenient stores and bakeries at the stations. You are always on the go with the Octopus card.

As an option in local travel taxis are inexpensive and easily available in HK also because distances are not much. So if you are not a metro person do oblige yourself and move in a taxi.

Now as you are settled with your Octopus card, where to go and what to do? right... so here I go with my list of Top 5 must see places in HK:

1) The Peak - The view from The Peak is amazing specially at night. You have to be there. Best is to take the tram and get to the peak by evening. Return you can take a cab or still take a tram back. Note that you may have to wait a long time for the tram though on weekends. Thrill loving guys can also trek their way up to the tram. Here's a pic (though not very good).

The Peak Tram station: on Garden Road. Closest MTR: Central. It is short walk away from Central. It operates 7 am to midnight and leaves every 10-15 mins. The peak tram return ticket along with the sky terrace ticket is HK$56 for adults. Peak Tram return + Sky Terrace + Madame Tussauds is HK$200 per adult. So take your pick. My recommendation, you can skip the Sky Terrace. Madam Tussauds on its own is HK$160.

2) Ocean Park - You must do Ocean Park when in HK. Ocean Park is Bird Sanctuary + Thrill Rides + Kids Amusement Park + Panda Conservation + Dolphin Show all rolled into one. It is extreme fun and you need full one day to cover it. And I haven't even started on the long escalators which are difficult to find anywhere else, the train from one park to another and the beautiful cable car ride. Yes you can get all this and more at ocean park. Here are a few pics of the ocean park:

Park Timings are 10 am to 6 pm on most days. The ticket is HK$250 per adult. The Best route is to take Bus no. 629 from outside of Admirality MTR station. There are buses from Tsim Sha Tsui (City Bus no. 973) and Kowloon (KMB no. 107).

Remember: Do find out the the timings of Dolphin show as soon as you reach ocean park. Also you must reach the amphitheater for the show at least 30 mins before to get a good seat. It will be important. A good seat is close to the pool and as center as possible.

3) DisneyLand - Of course you cannot come back from HK without going to Disneyland if you have not been to one before. But more on Disneyland in a separate post.

4) Stanley Market - On the outskirts of HK. Stanley beach is one of the best beaches in HK. Stanley village is a small fishing village near HK which is now one of the prime real estate piece of land. A distinctly European style market and another Chinese flea market are the biggest attractions of Stanley. I would highly recommend you to go.










How to reach?: Closest MTR is Chai Wan. Take exit C and catch a Green Minibus 16M.

5) Lan Kwoi Fong - HK's party area is quite distinct. Its a small street with a mix of British and Asia style pubs and clubs. People come down after office hours to have a drink with friends. You must go to the place. Its quite a party on weekends when the traffic is closed on the street and people walk/sit/drink on the street itself. We went there twice and had a great time. Just take a chilled bear and sit and relax. Enjoy the atmosphere!

That was my top5 must do must see places in HK.

More on Disneyland and a lot of pictures in the next post.

Hong Kong - Macau

Long time since I have written a travel blog now. Not that I was not traveling, but it was mostly business trips - short and extremely packed. Therefore no time for being a tourist. Finally went on a trip to Hong Kong and Macau for a vacation and what time we had!

Macau, also known as Las Vegas of East is not quite there, yet! But it will soon be, if you have to believe what locals say and see it with your own eyes - the amount of construction happening in Macau. Super luxury hotels, casinos, neon lights, amazing shows and beautiful people - Macau has it all! plus it also has charm of an old Portuguese colony. But we will come to that later.

We took the Kingfisher flight from Mumbai 11:30 PM and landed at the beautiful and huge HK airport in the morning 8:00 AM. We had planned to go straight to Macau from the Airport. There is a ferry port right at the airport itself to take you to Macau or HK island or Mainland China.

We took the turbojet ferry (www.turbojet.com.hk). The first ferry to Macau was at 10:00 AM and our luggage was directly checked-in to the ferry. i.e., we did not collect our checked-in baggage at the airport. When we bought the ferry ticket at the ferry ticketing counter, we simply showed our flight checked-in baggage tickets to them which they took and issued us new check-in baggage tickets for the ferry. The baggage was directly transferred from the flight to the ferry.

The ferry reached Macau at 11:00 AM and after immigration, we collected our baggage.
We had booked into Hotel Venetian (http://www.venetianmacao.com/en/). This is a must stay if you are going to Macau. Venetian has airport and ferry pickups and drops. There was a Venetian bus waiting to pick the guests arriving by ferry. The bus took 10 mins to reach the hotel.

The check-in time at Venetian is 3 PM and we reached at 12:00 noon. But the staff was very courteous. They requested us to wait for at least 1:00 PM for check-in as room cleaning was in progress. In the meanwhile they told us to visit the Grand Canal Shopping area. Grand Canal Shopping area has been built on lines of Venice, the city of Canals in Italy, hence the name of hotel as Venetian. The staff took care of our luggage and we went ahead to visit the shopping area. Few pictures of the shopping area will give you an idea as to what I mean:




Venetian as the name suggests is a hotel based on the theme of the city of Venice in Italy. There are canals made and a fantastic shopping, activity and eat out area designed along the canals. You can even take Gondola rides in the canals.
Of course Venetian is famous for its Casino and you must play a little to experience the thrill... but only a little because very few people end up winning and if you are winning, move on, collect your money and get out fast.

You dont need to worry about food in Venetian. It has a fantastic food court which serves variety of cuisines.. from Chinese to Italian to Fast food and even Indian. You can also get plenty of vegetarian options. For those of you who are health conscious there are a couple of options as well. So the food court is well covered and serves everyone.

Useful Tip: The Four Seasons hotel and Venetian are interconnected and the Four Seasons is less expensive than the Venetian. So you can stay at the Four Seasons and yet take all the advantages of the Ventian.

Next up... Hong Kong!

London - Free Attractions

There are lots of things to do in London. You can really spend months in this city without ever visiting the same place twice. There is so much to see and do. But the best part is that a lot of attractions are free and a lot of what is free is also what is the best London has to offer.

Most major museums in London are free. They don’t charge a penny to visit them. Here’s the best of them –

1. The British Museum

If there is one place in the world where you can look at the history of the entire world from a cultural perspective, it is here is the British Museum. From ancient Greece temples to Egyptian Mummies and parts of Egyptian Pyramids to artefacts, clothing’s etc from Asia, Americas, Europe and Africa, this place will never cease to amaze you. With one of the most wonderful library in its premises it is truly a complete package for a traveller and a knowledge seeker.

Address: Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG; Tel: 020 7323 8000

How to Reach?

Tube: Tottenham Court Road (Central and Northern lines), Holborn (Central and Piccadilly lines), Russell Square (Piccadilly line) and Goodge Street (Northern line) stations

Bus: 1, 7, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 98, 242 Stop on New Oxford Street; 10, 14, 24, 29, 73, 134, 390

Stop on Tottenham Court Road, northbound and Gower Street, southbound; 59, 68, X68, 91, 168, 188 Stop on Southampton Row

2. Science Museum

One of the most entertaining museum’s in Europe, Science Museum offers a wonderful and exciting time to travellers. From history of science and space travel to Simulators to Imax studio the museum has a lot to offer. Entry to the museum is free but there are charges for Imax and Simulators.

Address: Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2DD; Tel: 020 0870 4868

How to Reach?

Tube: South Kensington station (Circle, District and Piccadilly lines)

Bus: Routes 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 430 and C1 stop outside South Kensington station

3. RAF Museum

The Royal Air Force Museum is dedicated to the bravery of the British Air Force. There are a lot of aircraft on display with weapons used by these. In addition the uniforms, photographs on display and a sound and light show make it a great place to visit. The museum is open from Monday to Sunday 10.00 AM to 18.00 PM with free entrance and parking.

Address: Grahame Park Way, London, NW9 5LL; Tel: 020 8205 2266

How to Reach?

Tube: Colindale Underground on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line. Please alight at Colindale, not Hendon Central. Colindale is in Zone 4.

Bus: Route 303

4. Kenwood House

Also known as Iveagh Bequest, hangs the world famous art collections. Besides you can explore the parkland and lakeside walks. The entry is free and it is open daily from 11.30 AM to 16.00 PM except on Christmas and New Year.

Address: Hampstead Lane, London, NW3 7JR; Tel: 020 8348 1286

How to Reach?

Tube: Archway (Northern line) and Golders Green (Northern line-Edgware branch) - then the 210 bus, Hampstead Heath (London Over ground line) - 1.5 miles

5. Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sir John Soane’s former house has been converted into a museum housing his antique collectibles from around the world. The museum entrance is free and is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00 AM to 17.00 PM

Address: 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3BP; Tel: 020 7405 2107

How to Reach?

Tube: Holborn (Central and Piccadilly lines)

6. The Geffrye Museum

Geffrye Museum is one of the hidden gems of London. Not very popular with the tourists, The Geffrye Museum houses the history of English interior design since 1600. It contains a series of period rooms reflecting the changing decor of English homes since last 5 centuries. The entry is free and it is open from Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 AM to 5.00 PM. Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays 12.00 PM to 5.00 PM

Address: 136 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, E2 8EA; Tel: 020 7739 9893

How to Reach?

Tube: Liverpool Street (Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines), then bus 149 or 242, Old Street-exit 2 (Northern line), then bus 243 or a 15 minute walk.

Buses: 149, 242, 243, 67, 394

7. The National Gallery

The National Gallery located at the famous Trafalgar Square in London was founded in 1824 and has a collection of more than 2000 paintings. The gallery came into being when the House of Commons in 1824 agreed to pay £57,000 for a collection of 38 paintings of the banker John Julius Angerstein. Hence the gallery was constructed and pictures displayed in it. Since then the collection has increased many folds and houses some of the finest and rarest pictures found in Western Europe.

The Gallery is open all days from 10 AM to 6 PM and on Wednesdays from 10 AM to 9 PM. The entry is free for all.

Address: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN

How to Reach?

Tube: Charing Cross (Northern and Bakerloo lines), Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly lines), Embankment (Northern, Bakerloo, District and Circle lines)

Buses: Buses around Trafalgar Square 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 23, 24, 29, 53, 77A, 88, 91, 139, 159, 176, 453

8. Changing of the Guards

You can watch the Changing of the Guards ceremony, free of cost, outside the Buckingham Palace. To see the ceremony be there at 11.00 AM but make sure to check beforehand if the ceremony is taking place on that particular day. You can check it out here http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4933.asp

How to Reach?

Tube: Victoria (Circle, District and Victoria lines), Green Park (Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria lines), St James’s Park (Circle and District lines) or Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly line)

9. Ceremony of the Keys

The ceremony happens at the Tower of London every evening and is free but you have to make reservations beforehand through a written application. Since only a few people can be part of the ceremony hence you need to apply about 2 months in advance.

There are many Museums in London as are in most of major European cities. But really, there is lot more to London than just museums and galleries. I do not bother to give you details of all the museums in London. I suggest you plan your stay in London so that you cover important museums and yet have a lot of time to do hundreds of other things there are to do.

Address: Tower Hill, London, EC3N 4AB; Tel: 020 7488 5663

How to Reach?

Tube: Tower Hill Station (Circle and District lines)

10. Hyde Park

Hyde Park is London’s finest and one of the most famous historical landscape’s. Covering 350 Acres of park land, it is the most ideal place to spend a picnic day out with the family. Start early, pack a nice heavy English breakfast and set out for Hyde Park with your family. With more than 4000 trees, a beautiful lake and meadow, Hyde Park is all set to take your breath apart.

Apart from this, Hyde Park also hosts a lot of actors, comedians, performers who come and perform for free. You can also take part in discussions and debates on various topics with a lot of people who are more than willing to chat with you.

For children, there are horse rides and bird feeding.

How to Reach?

Tube: There are 5 tube stations around the edges of Hyde Park. Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge stations (Piccadilly line), Queensway, Lancaster Gate and Marble Arch stations (Central line), Bayswater (Circle and District lines) is also close to Queensway station

Buses: From North London: 6, 7, 10, 16, 52, 73, 82, 390, 414; South London: 2, 36, 137, 436; West London: 9, 10, 14, 19, 22, 52, 74, 148, 414; East London: 8, 15, 30, 38, 274

11. Regent’s Park

The Regent's Park covering 410 Acres has both open parkland and spectacular formal gardens, including the stunning Rose Garden with more than 400 varieties of roses. The park is home to a wide variety of sports activities as well as other interesting activities such as a boating in its large lake and an open air theatre. Regent’s Park is also home to the London Zoo. It is open from 5 AM until dusk.

Regent’s Park is also a great place for picnic. In addition, it is a nice place to rest your feet while exploring London. Tourist Attractions near Regent’s Park include London Planetarium and Madame Tussaud’s.

How to Reach?

Tube: Regent's Park (Bakerloo line), Great Portland Street (Hammersmith & City, Circle & Metropolitan lines), Baker Street (Hammersmith & City, Circle, Jubilee, Metropolitan & Bakerloo lines), St John's Wood (Jubilee line), Camden Town (Northern line) tube stations

Bus: 2, 13, 18, 27, 30, 74, 82, 113, 139, 189, 274, 453

12. St James Park

St James's Park is at the very heart of London covering 58 Acres. It is often used for ceremonial and national occasions. Buckingham Palace, Westminster Palace and St James’s Palace skirt the St James Park. Hence in addition to being an attraction in itself, the park is also a great resting place while visiting any/ all of the above palaces.

How to Reach?

Tube: St. James's Park (District and Circle lines), Charing Cross Station (Northern, Bakerloo, BR lines), Westminster (Jubilee, District & Circle lines), Green Park (Piccadilly, Victoria & Jubilee lines), Victoria - Victoria, Circle & District, BR lines

Buses: 3, 11, 12, 24, 29, 53, 77a, 88, 91, 148, 159, 211, 453

London Hostels - Cheap Lodging Options

There are a plethora of hostels and cheap hotel options in London. You really don’t have to spend a fortune to stay in London. My favorite has always been www.hihostels.com. Most of the times I am satisfied with the hostels listed on this website.
Here are the options other than the website www.hihostels.com :

• There are a number of hostels listed on http://www.london-hostels.co.uk/ .You can checkout various offers and rates and select hostels depending upon your requirement

• Another website which offers hosts of options is http://www.hostellondon.com/. Some of the hostels on the site are also rated by backpackers. Do checkout the location, ratings and facilities which are detailed out on the site. Most times these facilities and photos give a good idea about the place

• While booking a hostel or accommodation place special emphasis on how far is the closest tube station and in which zone. If you are in London on a vacation, try to be somewhere in zones 1 or 2
  

• Some of the university and college campuses in London also offer accommodation to visitors during their summers vacations
  

• You can also book hostels and campus accommodations at www.hostelworld.com as previously told. The user feedback at this site is one of the best.

There are a plenty of options in London - hostels, bed and breakfast, other hotels. Just make sure that you look at the feedback about a place before booking it. Also look and take a note of 3-4 other options in the same area as your booked accomodation just in case you feel an urge to move out.

London - local travel

London is a BIG city. You cannot cover London on foot specially if you are a tourist and time is of utmost importance for you. But not to worry as there are many cheap options to travel in London. More than a century old metro (tube) system is very efficient and covers London to the fullest (almost). Apart from the Tube, the bus network is also very good. You can also rent a car, but believe me you, it will be burn a hole in your pocket. City of London levies congestion charges on cars entering into its central zones (there are 6 zones as you will learn later). In addition the parking is very expensive. I would rather take the famous London taxi than rent a car!

Local Conveyance – Underground ‘Tube’ and Bus

The local public transport in London is governed by TFL (Transport for London) www.tfl.gov.uk. It is a comprehensive network of underground and bus.

Underground ‘Tube’

You can easily pick a tube map for free at the airport itself. Go to the tourist information counter and ask for the map. Take your time to carefully chart out your journey to your final station. You can take help of the staff at the information counter. If you are first-timer in London the map may seem a little complicated with 12 tube lines on it. But believe me it is very simple to use the tube in London. It is the fastest and the cheapest option you have. Plus the biggest advantage is that you get to know London a lot better. Tube is the lifeline of London. Few tube stations are testimony to London’s modern history and the resilience of its people. The Tube is more than a century old, though some lines are relatively new but the tube stations have a very interesting history of their own, especially about the two world wars.

Bus

The bus service in London is very convenient and is 24 hours (Tube is from 5 AM to 12 AM). The downside is that buses do get stuck in traffic and take much longer than tube to get you to your destination. The bright side is that you move on London’s roads and hence see the beautiful city of London from your bus window. You don’t miss the hustle and bustle of London and can take in as much as possible during your stay.

I would suggest you mix and match and use both services as per your convenience. For the sake of time, to travel longer distances you should use tube. Remember, as a tourist, time is the most precious commodity you have.

Travel within London

London is divided into six concentric zones. While taking a tube or bus remember that you should first check out in which zone does your destination lies and take a ticket accordingly. Greater the distance between your zones, greater is the ticket price. For example a single ticket in central London (Zones 1 to any destination) costs £4.0. Single ticket from any zone(within 2-6 and not zone 1) to any destination (within 2-6 zones and not zone 1) will cost £3.2. DLR single tickets (zones 2 and 3) will cost £1.6.

But if you are in London only as a tourist, there is a cheaper option for you. You can buy a one-day or three-day unlimited Off-peak pass for £5.6(Zones 1-2) and £21.2 (Zones 1-6) respectively. You can use the tickets for unlimited travel on Tube and Bus after 9:30 AM. You can buy these tickets at any Tube station. You can also purchase anytime tickets (valid also from 4.30 AM to 9.30 AM and beyond).

For Bus and Trams, a single ticket costs £2.0 and a day ticket costs £3.8.

Oyester photo cards

A much cheaper option on London tube is Oyester cards. Oyester is a ‘pay as you go’ concept. The ticket prices are much cheaper and you will be charged according to the journey you take without bothering about the zones in which you are travelling or the transport you are taking.

For example, oyster single fare in zone 1 will cost you just £1.6 whereas a normal single fare ticket will cost you £4.0. The travel from zone 1 to other zones will vary with the distance with a maximum of £3.8 being charged from zone 1 to 6. Similarly an Oyester single on a bus or tram costs £1.0 whereas a normal single on the same costs £2.0.

There is a Daily Price Cap concept on Oyester. How so ever much you travel in a single day on Bus and Tram, you will not be charged more than £3.3 on Oyster (whereas a day pass ticket is £3.8). Similarly, Off-peak travel on Tube (zones1-2) is capped at £5.1 whereas an Off-peak Day Travelcard (zones1-2) costs £5.6. Thus using an Oyster is definitely the cheaper option.

Travel Cards

There are a 7 Day, a Monthly and an Annual Travelcard is also available, depending upon your travel zones within London. For example a 7 Day Travelcard (zones 1-2) will cost £25.8 and a Monthly (zones 1-2) will cost £99.1. A 7 Day Bus and Tram pass costs £13.8 and a Monthly costs £53.0

Children and Student Discounts

Children under 11 travel free on Buses and Trams. They also travel free on Tube, DLR and London Overground but only when accompanied by an adult. If not accompanied, then a 5-10 free oyster photocard is needed.

Children 11-15 can travel free on trams and buses but need an 11-15 free Oyester photocard. 11-15 year olds pay child rates on tubes, DLR and London Overground. An Oyester photocard is needed. Else you can purchase child –rate cash single, Day or 3 Day tickets. 11-15 year olds can also get a £1.0 Day travel card when travelling with an adult with a valid travel card.

16-19 year olds in full-time education or on a work-based learning scheme and who live in a London borough can travel free on buses and trams with a 16+ Oyster photocard. With this you can also pay as you go at half adult-rate on Tube, DLR and London Overground services and buy half adult-rate Travelcard season tickets. 19 year olds need to have been aged 18 on 31 August 2008.

Other 16-17 year olds with a 16+ Oyster photocard can use pay as you go at half the adult-rate on bus, Tube, tram, DLR and London Overground services and buy half price Bus & Tram Pass and Travelcard season tickets.

London - A City Fantastique!

I Love London!
Yes, the capital city of The Great Britain is a phenomenol place to be in. London has so much to see and do that even 15 days in London may seem short. Hence I have divided my visit to London into many blog posts, first of which is this.

Small Introduction of London - even for those who are familiar with the city!

London, the capital of England or Great Britain is a city whose foundation dates back a long time. With a very rich history combined with all modern amenities of a developed city, London is the heartthrob of its nation. Its a very diverse city which people from different parts of the world have made their home.

Right from theatres to river cruises to cathedrals to famous bridges to historical buildings, palaces, museums, sport centres like Lords and Wimbledon to its pub culture, London has practically everything for everyone thus making it world’s most vibrant, lively and exciting city to be in. Therefore it is not surprising that London is visited by more than 15 million tourists’ year on year.

You can reach London via one of the many flights connecting the world's busiest airport - Heathrow to various destinations or via EuroStar trai which connects London with mainland Europe.

We had taken a flight from Grenoble (France) to Stansted Airport, London and then from the airport we took a bus to the city. But here is the detail of various airports of London and different ways to travel to and fro from the city.

To and Fro Airport

Gatwick Airport – www.gatwickexpress.com from Airport to Victoria Station every 15 minutes, from 5 AM early morning to 1:30 AM past midnight. One way adult ticket is £16.90 and a return ticket is £28.80. Children ticket (5 -15 years) is just half of these prices.

Heathrow Airport – www.heathrowexpress.com from Airport to Paddington Station every 15 minutes, from 5 AM early morning to 12 AM midnight daily. One way adult ticket is £14 and a return ticket is £26. Children ticket is half these prices. This is a high-speed but costly option. Cheaper option from Heathrow is to take the London Underground, also known as ‘Tube’. You can take the Piccadilly line to central London or change lines at appropriate stations to reach your final destination. Tube takes much longer (at least an hour) but is very convenient and easy to navigate if you have a tube map. You also have the option of taking a bus to central London from Heathrow. www.nationalexpress.com connects Heathrow with London and other destinations. I suggest you to check out their website before your travel for latest fares and discount schemes on offer. You can also book your ticket online in case you get a nice discount otherwise for the sake of flexibility, you can always take the tickets once you land at the airport.

Stansted Airport – www.stanstedexpress.com is a train from Airport to Liverpool street will cost you about £24 for a return ticket. Children (5-15 years of age) go at half the price. The trains depart every 15 minutes from 5:30 AM early morning to 12:30 AM past midnight. Apart from this National Express buses connect Stansted to various parts of London and other destinations. You can check out the latest fares, discount schemes and timings from their website www.nationalexpress.com

I am tired now... will tell you more about the fabulous and most convenient transport system in London... in the next post.