Vidal

Hi,

I don't usually spend much time on this part of prune - I hang about the Mil Aircrew bit (I'm a Mil AIr Trafficker). Anyway - I'll get to the point. Right now I'm in Iraq and the time when the big white bird collects me and delivers me back to the serenity of Blighty is coming up soon (mid-May with 3 weeks leave). However - what to do with my post Op leave?

I quite fancy going to Hong Kong because a) its's not Iraq, b) I've not been there before and, c) it's not Iraq!

I'll be travelling on my own as I have not had the chance to organize this with any mates and I got Dear John'd during my time out here (nice).

The question - can anyone give me and good tips on decent bars, good hotels etc, I will maybe be looking to get some cheap tailoring done so any steers on that would be great.

Sorry if this post offends anyone by breaking into your forum on an unrelated topic but I could really use your help. Please feel free to PM me or post a reply - any mail gladly accepted - it's really dull here (except when we get rocketed!)

Thanks!!

Paraffin Budgie

I always use Sam the Tailor, just off Nathan Road. There may be better, but stuff I bought from him years ago is still going strong.

Ned Kellys in Kowloon is a good bar, and you'll find it easy to get to talk to people there. It's not a big place, but the jazz is ok.

You'll probably run out of time to do everything that there is to do in HK, but be warned about shopping for electronics-it's not the bargain centre that it used to be!

sinala1

Vidal,

HKG is definately my favourite overnight city in the world by far. If you are wanting to party amongst colleagues from the industry, head into Lan Kwai Fong or Wan Chai - two nightclub districts where you are sure to have a laugh. In Wan Chai I can recommend Carneggies, Joe Banana's and Dusk til Dawn - any of those places (particularly dusk til dawn) you will usually find a lot of people in the mood to party and have a laugh.

If you get the chance, I strongly recommend a ride on the Peak Tram, up to The Peak - its (I think?) the highest point in Hong Kong and well worth the trip (on a clear night). There is a couple of nice restaurants up there (Cafe Doco I think one is called? The lobster thermidor is delicious! ) and its just a really nice night out... Any cab driver in HKG can take you to the Peak Tram, about HKD$20 or so from Causeway Bay....

Have fun!

Left Wing

http://www3.icered.com/icered/home/mainPage.jspa#

http://www.geoexpat.com/forum/

http://www.hkclubbing.com/v4/


If this does not help, dont know what will.

Stay safe !

check your PMs

Silberfuchs

Im with Cathay & live in HK.

The best tailor - both for quality and value - is www.jentzentailor.com (Ricky is the chap to see)
The 'shop' is on HK island, very near LKF. Excellent quality shirts (any style) cost HK$270 or £18. Allow 48hrs. NB: these are not the cheapest shirts but they are modeled off Thomas Pink etc and the quality is superior.

Before 11pm head to Lan Kwai Fong (LKF)..... Als Diner or Stormy Weather. Insominia has a live band (the same one that plays in Dusk til Dawn later!). The HK Brew House is new & has Belgian beer. Le Jardin is down to earth and fun in LKF too but behind Rat Alley (see next).
Hardy's II has karoke for drunken expats and is a great giggle to watch!

Cheap quality eats are in "Rat Alley" in LKF. Cocos is Malay Curry & there are several Thai shops. Its in LKF, up an alley from Kyoto Joes/Bamboo bar etc

Carneiges, Joe Bananas & Dusk til Dawn are where you'll find the aircrew in Wan Chai. (In that order....11-1am, 1-3am, 4-6am)

If there's sport on, Delaneys in Wan Chai or Dickens Bar in the Excelsior Hotel in Causeway Bay are the spots to be, also Dublin Jacks which is a 5min walk from LKF.

If you stay Kowloon side then Knutsford Terrace is the equivalent of LKF.....and the ferry to Wan Chai costs 14p (yes you read that right, 14pence!)

Expect to pay HK$30 (£2.20) for a beer during happy hour (or in Rat Alley anytime). Outside happy hour, HK$55 (£4). Cocktails HK$70 (£4.70).
Spirits and mixers are the same as price as beer.
If youre having a room party beer costs 80p from the 7-11.
Theres a 7-11 in LKF and no laws about drinking in public. Its quite common to just bring your beers from 7-11 (after all is 5 times cheaper)

By far the better places to go are in Soho (for drinks and food).......5mins uphill from LKF. Bars like Staunton Street Cafe, the Peak Cafe and if you can find it, Feather Boa (HKs best bar)
Soho is the young expat area, the only aircrew are Cathay (in which case you may wish to avoid it!)

Crew hotels are a good place to kick off but I wont post those in public. Save to say that Virgin, BA, Air NZ, Qantas, Emirates and Air France all stay in the areas mentioned above..........and being creatures of habit and traditionally lazy we tend to party where we stay!

A taxi from Causeway Bay to LKF is HK$25 (£1.60) and back to Wan Chai is (£1.20).

Its a awful place to live......we really hate it!

Top-tip: any Filipino, Russian or Mainland Chinese girls you met in Wan Chai dont just want you to buy them a drink! (every one of them is on the game - no matter what they tell you - ...... do not EVER lose sight of your wallet or credit card!!)

Tolsti

If you're heading east why not hit BKK?? loads of tailors, cheap food, decent hotels and the nightlife is amazing.

If you're not too sick of sand then head out to Koh Samui or one of the smaller islands. Just avoid Pattaya it's a dump.... unless you're beer bellied, believe that wearing a fake football shirt is the height of fashion and that a night without vomiting is a night wasted.

Otherwise the LOS (land of smiles) will enchant you and the women will make you forget camels forever.

Cameronian

I'm with Paraffin Budgie on his choice of tailor. Sam is (well certainly was when I was last there) in a little arcade called, if I remember correctly, Burlington Arcade which opens onto Nathan Road. Remember to enjoy the beer! Just don't expect to be able to swing a cat!

Paraffin Budgie

Sam has hundreds of photos of past clients, from royalty on downwards, all over the walls of his very small shop (which is still in Burlington Arcade, just opposite the park and the mosque)

RaverFlaver

Highly recommend a trip to Lantau Island, to see the worlds largest Buddha. A must see if you go to HKG. Personally was my fave attraction when there.

Vidal

Thanks for the good gen everyone, great stuff. Only 14 more days to do in Iraq!!

QFBUSBOY

Also when in Honkers,try and get across to Lamma Island for the fantastic seafood.You can get a ferry from Central for a few dollars,or if you want to try something different,get the bus to Aberdeen and get a sampan for about $HK200(up to 4 people).This is a one way trip(get the ferry back)but is a great experience.I used to live in HK,and any visitors who came up always raved about the sampan trip to Lamma IS.All the sampans line up together for trips around Aberdeen harbour,so it is fairly easy to find.And a great bit of advice to not get ripped off on tourist prices,is to tell the sampan operaters that you are a new Hong Kong resident.Works everytime.

As for tailors,my personal tailor is Nelson Lin from The New Shanghai Custom Tailor Company.He is located on the first floor (second floor to Americans - That means go up one flight of stairs from street level), suite #126 of the Far East Mansion across Middle Road from the Sheraton Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. There's another tailor named Nelson across the hall so be careful which shop you go to. He and his wife are very friendly,and will even take you out for lunch and dinner a few times.He is so good that a few of my friends in Australia still get suits made and he just sends them out by post.And if you tell him that you heard about him from a guy on the internet who knows Norma from Australia,he will probably give you a great discount,as Norma from Sydney is one of his best customers.

Other things you should do,is get the Number 6 bus to Stanley Markets and try and sit upstairs in the front right side seat.If you survive that,then you never worry about the Middle East again.Stanley Markets is pretty well much a tourist trap these days,but still worth a look.Also you have got to see the Jumbo Floating Restaurant at Aberdeen.Well worth a look at night time only,but beware the food is ordinary and a bit overpriced.And I am guessing that you are a Brit,but for some of the cheapest and best curries in HK,go the ChungKing Mansions on Nathan Rd,and walk up to the 3rd floor.These are some of the tastiest curries I have ever had,and that includes India.It looks a bit dodgy,but rest assured,the food is great.It is on the same side of the road as the Sheraton,and about 2 mins walk.

As for the night life,all the other posts have covered them enough.

I hope you have a great time.And have a Carlsberg for me.

Cheers.

McAero

You couldn't have made a better choice of place to visit. I've been 3 times and just love the place to bits!! If you're in HK for any longer than a week, take a look at getting a visa sorted out and popping over to China into Shenzhen. I got a tailor made suit for £55 delivered back to HK 2 days later. Don't buy cheap DVD's cause they're crap, but do have a look at the DVD players etc if you're into that sort of thing.

As for HK itself......those links provided should give more than enough information. Be prepared for the sheer buzz of the place!