taz1704 asked:
me and my boyfriend are thinking of visiting my cousin who lives in hong kong in april next year (2009). we are thinking of staying there for a week (at his place so wont need accom) and then travelling from hk to somewhere that would be more of a beach holiday for a week, but are unsure where…we thought maybe the phillipines as it is only 2 hours away, or my cousin suggested a place called sanya in hainan? has anyone been to either of these places, what are they like in april, how is the weather and how expensive is food accomodation etc or can anyone suggest anywhere else?? neither of us have been to asia before.
me and my boyfriend are thinking of visiting my cousin who lives in hong kong in april next year (2009). we are thinking of staying there for a week (at his place so wont need accom) and then travelling from hk to somewhere that would be more of a beach holiday for a week, but are unsure where…we thought maybe the phillipines as it is only 2 hours away, or my cousin suggested a place called sanya in hainan? has anyone been to either of these places, what are they like in april, how is the weather and how expensive is food accomodation etc or can anyone suggest anywhere else?? neither of us have been to asia before.
Both are great options. Sanya is 100% chinese so you might end up having a slightly under-par service whereas people in the Philippines are much friendlier. On the other hand, Sanya is going to be lower cost if you take your flight from ShenZhen (first mainland city next to HongKong) given flights inside China are very, very cheap. Flying to Manila and then to the beach in Phils will be costlier..
Why not fly to Thailand from HK? One of Leonardo DiCaprios film was shot on one of the beaches there because of its beauty. They have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. And plenty of accomodations for travelers.
flying fr HK…to both Sanya + Manila is about the same time. n also bout the same price. but definately Sanya = better as we called it china-haiwaii in HK.
it’s all time summer thru out the year…w/ beaches, resorts. food stuffs r cheap there.
Specific information for Hongkong at
The traditional hotspot for both eating and drinking with westerners is Lan Kwai Fong in Central. Wan Chai is also fun, if slightly sleazier with numerous girly bars along Lockhart Road, while Causeway Bay and Eastern Soho out beyond Quarry Bay offer a less touristy experience.
Popular lagers include Tsing Tao (pronounced ‘ching dow’) or San Miguel. Carlsberg is also very popular and widely available. Beer, wine and spirits are also widely available for purchase, including at supermarkets and 7-Eleven stores.
Imported San Miguel is better than the locally produced variety. More expensive bars will likely serve this, but at others you may have to specifically ask for Philippine San Miguel (and pay more). At the lower end only local stuff will be available. Imported bottles can be easily distinguished as they have brown glass with white frosted lettering. Locally filled bottles use a label.
One of the best ways to drink in Hong Kong is to have a walk around all the bars first and have a look which ones are doing special offers and what time they run Happy Hour. Most bars have a Happy Hour, which is a cost effective way to drink. Also keep in mind the races on a Wednesday night at Happy Valley race course, you only pay $10 for entry and pay around $100 for a jug of beer. Also Wednesday nights is ladies night, during which many bars in Wan Chai give free drinks to the ladies.
Ned Kelly’s Last Stand A really good bar to go for pre-partying. Located on Ashley road parallel to the famous Nathan road on Kowloon side, it’s an Australian themed jazz bar with great food and good live music almost every night starting at 21-22, which is about when the happy hour ends. The place is laid out with long tables where total strangers can sit together, it’s quite big with the frequent visitors to Hong Kong such as travelling businessmen and the art-community.
Sticky Fingers The awesomest place around? Who knows, but its a nice place to get some women and listen to a great house-band play live rock music on stage. The drinks are pretty good too.
Knutsford Terrace is a popular drinking and dining spot in Kowloon but there are many other places in and around Tsim Sha Tsui. Some of them can get pretty expensive though – up to 50HK$ for a drink in some places.
Joe Bananas A wonderful place located on Lockhart road, where the drinks are friendly and the women are cheap (or was it the other way around?).
Skitz Sports Bar A bar with a good selection of drinks with 2 pool tables, darts and large selection of sports on big screens.
Armani Bar A more upscale bar with great house music in a trendy indoor setting as well as an outdoor section.
Red Bar A mostly outdoor bar at the top of the IFC building (in Central) that usually hosts big events such as on New Years Eve and more.
Blues by the Bay Located on the Avenue of the Stars one would tend to have a drink there while watching the Symphonie of Lights. But the drinks and cocktails in this bar can not be recommended, since the quantities are very small compared to what you would expect for the price.