Hong Kong Thread

Have a bump because I need recommendations on somewhere to stay/eat for cheap.

Stay in Chungking Mansions

If you like hiking, ferry to lantau, get on a bus, get off when to see the head to a hiking trail, 10/10 views pretty much every trail. also comes with golden orbs and snakes.

or keep bussing it to Wan Chai for a glorious mall crowded with computer parts. One of my favourite ways to spend a day.

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>>1204080
Go to Victoria peak and hope for a clear night

Hike one of the mountains on Lantau island
I hiked west dog teeth ridge, not a single soul on it and then came down the back of Lantau peak into Ngong Ping which is a buddist temple thing. The hike was really hard though and was a lot of scrambling.

There a cool wet marking in Sham Shui Po, its called Pei Ho Street Market. Really cool to walk through and tons of shops and shit around here. Sundays are crazy.

Visit skek O its this beach village and theres a cool hike called dragons back ridge

if you want more info i can show pictures and stuff and tell you the bus numbers

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>>1204080
West Dog Teeth Ridge

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>>1204080
Shek O, you can get out on that peninsula

Also get an Octopus Card, they work on buss and subway and convenience stores

DONT BUY TOURIST PASS FOR SUBWAY
its just not worth it,

Also if you wanna be cheap dont take the airport express, you take a 10 min bus off the airport to the Tung Chung station. and hop on the subway to the main hong kong island

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>>1204080
This is the Mirador mansion, cheap and surprisingly nice staff. its a slightly better cleaner chunking mansion.

Also addresses are strange

Paki/arab men everywhere trying to sell you watches/suits/everything else under the sun. Ignore them

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>>1204080
When I went I lost my cellphone on the second day and didnt bring PC, there is a small internet thing in the Mirador Mansion run by some Arab/indian guy. it was like 1 dollar for 15 min. If you are in a pinch

Also there are public computers on some subway stations

Buy a small notebook/scratch pad and write the addresses down of your hotels. It saved my ass when i lost my phone.

>>1204107
#realtraveler

>>1204094
The various food corners in malls have a wide choice for cheap.

>>1204151

wow that must've been a lifesaver

.>>1204145

Ooo thats pretty beautiful, im currently living in Taipei and there some similar hikes over here. (Teapot Mountain and the surrounding hikes)

>>1204288
yeah im from Wisconsin so that was really new to me, I really loved all the mountains surrounding HK.

I wanna go back

>>1204094
Price estimates iirc from early January 2017:
A McDonald's meal = $30 HKD ($4 USD)
Street food = $15-$19 per stick ($2 USD)
Bread in MTR stations = ~$15-$20 ($2-$2.5 USD)
Local noodle shops = ~$30 ($4)

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I was just in Hong Kong late November to mid December.

Just a heads up, there are a lot of places that are closed for renovations/remodeling/etc., including but not limited to the Avenue of Stars, the science museum, space museum, art gallery, etc.

Chungking Mansions is very inexpensive to stay in, but it's sketchy as fuck. I would recommend staying anywhere else unless you have nerves of steel.

Try out the marketplaces, but Mong Kok is the best place to shop. The shops in Central are very rigid and unwilling to negotiate. If you're gonna buy souvenir t-shirts, make sure you buy 1-2 sizes larger than what you normally wear; the cotton isn't pre-shrunk.

Lantau Island is the best bang for your buck.
>Ngong Ping village
>Tian Tan Buddha
>Lantau Peak
>Wisdom Path
>Tai O fishing village
>Disneyland
The first four go hand-in-hand.

Also check out Ocean Park. Take the MTR to Admiralty, then hop on the 629 bus that takes you directly to Ocean Park. You can buy tickets at the door, at 7-Eleven, or even right next to the 629 bus stop.

Foods to try while you're in Hong Kong:
>Dim sum (you gotta try out Tim Ho Wan, Hong Kong's cheapest Michelin Star restaurant)
>Pineapple bun
>Egg waffle
>Goose
>Thai food (I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but Hong Kong has the second-best Thai food in the world)
>Hokkaido Salmon & Beef Burger at McDonald's (I know, but just try it once, it's surprisingly good)
>Hong Kong-style French toast
>Blue Girl beer

If you're the kind of person who gets paranoid about drinking water, then by all means go ahead and buy bottled water. Try to buy your water at a regular store and not a convenience store. If you don't care that your water isn't cold, then you can generally buy a big bottle at a store called "Wellcome" (with two L's) for about half the price of what 7-Eleven charges. If familiar brands (Evian, Volvic, Fiji, etc.) are too expensive for you, I can personally vouch for Watsons Water and Vita.

>>1204147
>addresses are strange
This. Very much this.

Hong Kong is the first place I've seen where the floor number is actually a part of an address. Everywhere else in the world, the unit number is more than enough, but since Hong Kong has sub-units within sub-units within units, their weird address system has become a necessity.

Also, the cheap, shitty hotels might have the reception and the actual rooms in two separate buildings. I was lucky enough to pick a place where my room and reception was one floor apart, but some people are not so lucky.

>>1204080
>>1204700


Dont be alarmed if you get to the address/floor and theres a sign that tells your to go to another floor and address

Hostel or cheap hotel recommendations? I'm a photographer and I'll be traveling with some equipment, so a private room is a necessity.

>>1204922
you ever go on /p/?

how long will you be there

I stayed in a place called the apple hotel, there were roaches.

I stayed in another one called China Guest Hotel which when i got to the address it told me to go to a different floor and i stayed in a room with a broken airconditioner and had the windows open but it was raining and humid as hell. Cheap shit is in the Chunking Mansions or the MIrador Mansions. I stayed in the Mirador Mansion (China Guest Hostel) and the owner was kind and seemed trustworthy

Also everyone wants a 500HKD deposit so be prepared for that

>>1204922
I recently stayed at a place called Homy Inn.

I stayed at the Tsim Sha Tsui branch, but I've heard that their North Point branch is newer and a lot cleaner.

I can still tell you about their TST location. My room wasn't exactly the cleanest. I really disliked that the walls were stained with mold and rust. No problems with pests, though. I've read reviews for other hotels, and I've read complaints about roaches, rodents, and even lizards. The worst thing I saw in my room was a single fly in a span of 2 weeks. The bed was small as fuck; I'm only 5'11", and even my feet stuck over the edge. The only good thing about it was that it made me want to get the fuck out as quickly as possible & explore Hong Kong.

They really like to reuse the fuck out of towels and bedding. Don't get me wrong, you still get freshly washed ones each and every day, but you'll still find that your towels might be frayed on the edges, or that your bedsheets have stains that just don't come off in the wash. They're still clean and functional, they've just not aesthetically pleasing.

That aside, the security was surprisingly decent for a one-star hotel. The lock on my door was pretty damn beefy. Also, the way the rooms work over there, you essentially have double the security. The room is actually a room-within-a-room. So you take the elevator to your floor, and you open a door with your electronic key-card. Then you go in, then you go to your room's door. If anyone's going to steal your shit, you can narrow your suspects down to the hotel staff, or the guests staying in the neighboring rooms. Compare this to a conventional hotel/motel, where any random joe schmoe could've done it.

I left my personal belongings in my room many times, and none of it got stolen. I even accidentally left money out in the open, and not even that was stolen. Every room does come with a safe, but I never had to use it.

Going to HK in May and don't know what clubs or bars to go to... any suggestions?

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>>1205105
Anywhere loud with people in, be it in LKF, Soho, Mid Levels, Wanchai, Knutsford Steps, Prat Avenue, Ashley Rd...

>>1204922
The Mini Hotel Central has been my pick for various short stays when I wanted to stay in a prime location. It really deserve its name, the rooms are a cube just big enough to fit a bed, a TV, a couple coat hangers, a storage space and a safebox under the bed, and a glass cubicle with a shower, sink and toilet. But I always got deals under HKD450/night, whic is imo a decent bang for your buck. To me, location is the most important in a city like HK.
For example I stayed at the butterfly waterfront which is quite cheap, but it's fucking far away from everything but dried seafood shops by foot and there are very few cabs in the area. If you happen to be drunk or late outside of MTR operation hours, you're gonna regret being so far away.

>>1204698
Solid advice, exactly the kind I posted back in the day when anon called me HKanon (no trip or namefagging, it just stuck because I happened to be one of the few with extensive HK experience, this has clearly changed over the years).

Also anyone who is traveling to HK:

First thing you do when you reach the Airport, take an octopus card. Even for a short trip.

Whenever possible: Ferry > MTR/Ding Ding > Bus > Cab. Check Cross Harbour green signs (pic related) to find the cabs that WANT to go to the other side of the Harbour. These will only charge you one tunnel fee, whereas others will charge you extra for the potential empty return trip. Helpful at night when you have no other choice than a cab. If you are unsure, make a forward/downward waving gesture at the driver, he'll tell yes or no.

If you can travel late, look into in-town check-in, there are airlines counters downtown (in Kowloon and Central) where you can check in and drop your luggage on the morning of your return flight. When time comes you just take the Airport shuttle and breeze through the Airport directly to immigration.

Thinking of moving there. Seems to be the best option for decently-paying software jobs for english speakers outside of the west. And with Macau right there and the rest of the cool places in Asia a short flight away, seems perfect to me.

I've been all around Asia, hated mainland china, but loved pretty much everywhere else (Japan, Taiwan, SE Asia).

If you've visited there... would you live there?

>>1205394
Meant to say - I've been all around Asia, but skipped HK, hence me asking here.

>>1204080
Would it be stupid to go to HK for CNY?

>>1205394
>If you've visited there... would you live there?
I can't say for sure if I would, but I will at least say that the Pros would outweigh the Cons.

Pros:
>The people are a lot friendlier than the people in my country
>The food is amazing & inexpensive
>Drinks aren't expensive either
>The train system is easily the best that I've ever seen
>Most of the people speak at least some English
>Everyone fucking loves birds
>Crime rate is relatively low
>Warm weather (just last December, Hong Kong was 16 to 24°C, versus my country's 0°C and under)
>Fucking amazing shopping malls
>The women are generally more attractive than the women in my country

Cons:
>Cantonese is a real bitch to learn
>Property is very expensive to purchase
>Certain parts of Tsim Sha Tsui smell like shit
>Looming possibility that China will finally take back Hong Kong & Macau full force

>>1205416
Chinese New Year?

Nah. Hong Kong is still a part of China, technically speaking.

And "Chinese New Year" is a bit of a misnomer. There are many Asian countries that celebrate it (Korea, Japan, Vietnam, etc.). That's why some calendars call it "Lunar New Year." The name "Chinese New Year" only stuck because the Chinese happen to be the biggest Asian population.

And I'm pretty sure the Disneyland in Hong Kong does something to ring in the new year.

>>1205419
Aight, thanks man!

>>1205418
Sounds like a solid spot for a few years, then. From what I see on Tinder the girls should be pretty easy and super interested in white guys too.

>>1205467
>From what I see on Tinder the girls should be pretty easy and super interested in white guys
Lolno.
Even if they were, they would have a wealth of rich expats and business travelers to pick from. 4chins NEET would be pretty much at the bottom of their list.

>>1205608
He can still fuck the left-wing college girls who are there to "study."

>>1205608
To them, I would fall into the "rich expat" category, I do well. We're not all NEETs here.

Tinder Plus can give a pretty good approximation of how friendly the girls will be in any place.

>>1205666
See, it wasn't hard to go past the "white guys" trope.
Super interested in rich/handsome/western guys, yes more probably.
If you guys keep pushing the "asians are all over white bois" meme, we'll never run out of fat beta basement dwellers's posts complaining.

>>1205467
> super interested in white guys.
If you think being white is uncommon in HK you might be in for a shock, HK has the most rich white guys i've ever seen in Asia because it is a business hub for China.

HK is a great place, it is very expensive to live there but low crime (most of the crime is from expat frat boys fighting in LKF) and friendly locals.

Go to an airsoft shop and take pictures of all their guns. Ask if they have a Real Sword AK

Thanks
/k/

>>1204080
I need to get a chinese visa. But I would be getting it at the beginning of February during Chinese new year. Would I be fucked?

Does anybody know of anyway I can get a chinese visa in 24 hours in the states?

I have money and want to leave the stats as soon as possible so I can go to Japan and possibly Hong Kong before needing to be in China in mid February for plans.

>>1205912
I'm sure they're common, but for whatever reason the local girls are still very, very interested in white expats. To the point where you can still do dramatically better than in your home country.

Lots of local girls will refuse to date local guys, even refuse to date asians, etc... and of course the non-asian expat women will refuse to date asian guys as normal.

So IMO it's a pretty favorable place for guys to date above their own attractiveness level while having a great group of expat friends.

>>1206317
Maybe the part of Hong Kong I saw was different, but I actually did not see any Asian girls with white guys.

I actually saw a few white girls with Asian guys, and even an Asian girl with an Indian guy. That last one surprised me, as I heard that the Chinese and Indians don't get along very well.

What are some good hotels in Chungking Mansions or Mirador Mansion?

>>1207784
Go look up any hotel booking/review site, and do a search for one of those mansions.

Then, pick the highest rated hotels.

THEN, start sifting through the reviews. Actually take your time to read the written reviews, don't just skim over stars. A 3-5 Star review could simply mean "at least it's not worse," and a 1-2 Star review could be something as arbitrary as "one of the employees has a funny-looking haircut that kind of offended me."

THEN, finally, choose the hotel with the fewest bullshit reviews. The reason why I can't recommend any specific hotel is because I don't know what you specifically want, and because the quality of a hotel can most certainly fluctuate with every season.

>>1207793
Thanks

>>1206322
That's normal, HK is only 0.7% white. If you go walk around anywhere in South America you will rarely see a white guy with a local girl. But they're very interested.

>>1207799
>HK is only 0.7% white.
Not that I doubt you, but that's genuinely surprising.

I was in Hong Kong just a month ago, and I saw lots of white people. I obviously can't put a percentage on it, but it felt WAY higher than 0.7%.

Then again, your statistic is probably based on census data of residents, not temporary visitors.

>>1207830
You are correct, his 0.7% is from a population census cited in wikipedia, and certainly not accurate to describe the number of westerners in HK.

There are 2 reasons for that:
- There is a HUGE number of westerners not accounted for in a population census (expats, business travelers, tourists)
- A LOT of asian locals rarely or never go to the areas where you will, anyway, find a lot of westerners (TsimShaTsui, Central, Soho, Mid Levels...). So the white population there is prominent, anyway, and it becomes a circle (more whites mean more westernized neighborhoods mean more whites visiting, repeat).

Also in the population aged 15-64, there are more women than men (95/100) this is why you sometimes see cute chicks with ugly guys, it's not necessarily because they are rich or anything.

So a cute local, who is not already taken with another local, and has not found a boyfriend in the wealth of good looking westerners is quite a catch. Not that they don't exist, they are just not crying at home hoping for a 4chan dweller to come and take them on their white pony.

Recently went to HK, heres my thoughts:

Main thoughts: people are friendlier than most of western europe, ruder than Japanese and Taiwanese. (not necessarily a bad thing). Transport is very convenient. Great weather and beautiful scenery. Very expensive to live in or visit.

More detailed guide/list of things to do.

So when you arrive in Hong Kong you're somewhat far from the city, on an island called 'Lantau'. This island, i discovered towards the end of my trip, is a treasure trove. There is ALOT to do on this island, i would spend a night here atleast, see the big buddha , temples, and do some hikes.

If you'd prefer to go straight into the city when you arrive, i recommend buying a train ticket and an octopus card at the airport. The subway is the only thing that is cheap in HK haha, its worth taking advantage of. That being said, Hong Kong is very small and walkable (although steep). I found it easy to walk around 20km a day there. The ferries are also quite cheap, making it easy to visit the outerlying islands like Lantau.

Seeing the Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui at night is worth seeing too, all the skyscrapers light up. Its quite close to Mong Kok, which is an area similar to Akihabara in Tokyo but with less disattachment from society.More of a strong chinese influence around here, but also shady drug dealers.

SoHo is a very hipster area, with every shop trying to exemplify art and design. Not sure how authentic it is, but i enjoyed it nonetheless. Heres where you find the Californian accents haha.

Victoria Peak is very much worth seeing.

Hong Kong has no youth hostel ;_;

>>1207889
There are plenty of YMCA

>>1207884
Thanks for those tips.
I'm going to Hong Kong for a short visit in April, I was under the impression that a lot of things are cheap there even though its the most expensive city to live in. Is this not true? Or maybe compared to Sydney where I live?

>>1208060
Property is expensive in Hong Kong.

Food and clothing, not so much.

>>1208073
And services and entertainment and transportation and electronics...
Basically it's the cheaper of the first world megalopolis, except for housing and cars. Even 4/5* stars hotels and luxury restaurants are way cheaper than their equivalent in Paris for instance

I'l be in KH feb, looking for recommendations of dives to stay at and hings to do

is kwaloon the place to be, or is it just the cheapest because it's a slum?

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>>1208273
If you want to be different, try staying at the northern or northeastern part of Hong Kong.

Most tourists end up in Lantau, Kowloon, or Central.

>>1207889
>Hong Kong has no youth hostel ;_;
The fuck are you talking about? There are heaps.

I like CheckInn in Wanchai and Urban Pack in TST.

>>1208410
definitely agree on this one. NT has quite a few gems. there is something about sai kung and TKO that makes me feel comfy.

went to HK last august 2016.
if you're lookin for cheaper transpo from the airport, always take the bus but make sure you know where to drop off. it has alot of stops, but it sure is cheaper than MTR. main island has alot of things to offer, other than the tourist spot. you can almost walk the whole main island if you dont have anything with you. take the star ferry for a scenic route in crossing islands. theres an art museum beside the harbour city in tsim sha tsui, at night, the spot in front of it is prolly the best to watch the city lighten up the sky. idk if its me but neon in HK is something i dont see anywhere. also, dont forget to visit new territories. i stayed in tseung kwan o (lohas park), fuck it was like living in a hotel everyday. definitely go to sai kung, it has all those mountains lakes and sea. clearwater bay is packed with westerners. theres pizza place in sai kung, its where i usually spend my nights. paisano's if im right.

>>1204146
>Also if you wanna be cheap dont take the airport express, you take a 10 min bus off the airport to the Tung Chung station. and hop on the subway to the main hong kong island
>>1209096
>if you're lookin for cheaper transpo from the airport, always take the bus but make sure you know where to drop off. it has alot of stops, but it sure is cheaper than MTR.

You know, you guys aren't the first to suggest this, as I've seen these exact suggestions in past HK threads, and even outside of 4chan.

But how much do you generally save by not taking the Airport Express? Because when I took the Airport Express, it cost me around $60 HKD. I don't really consider that a big spend.

The bus must be dirt-cheap if taking the MTR directly from the airport is so strongly discouraged.

>>1209194
Airport Express is actually a godsend on your last day in town.

See >>1205283
>If you can travel late, look into in-town check-in, there are airlines counters downtown (in Kowloon and Central) where you can check in and drop your luggage on the morning of your return flight. When time comes you just take the Airport shuttle and breeze through the Airport directly to immigration.

I agree with you, Airport express isn't that big of an expense, especially in a first world metropolis, you could expect a similar service to be charged in the 25EUR/USD at least.

I've got a 10 hour layover at the airport there. Anyone know how easy it is to travel to the city from there? And what are the best things to see since I only have a short time. Mainly interested in food desu

>>1209324
Very easy to get to the city and back with airport express. Enjoy food, drinks, hookers.

>>1209326
What are some good foods to try?

>>1209336
Hong Kong has anything and everything. But maybe try dim sums. For example try the famous Tim Ho Wan restaurants. It's literally the cheapest Michelin starred place in the world, no reservations, just a hole in the wall, but got famous because of their food.

>>1209336
Seconding Airport Express, and dim sums.
You also have Din Tai Fung that has gained reputation and a Michelin Star, although they are not typical HK dim sums.

Dim Sums are almost exclusively a lunch thing, many places cater to office workers (and families on week-ends), you can look up chains like little lamb, federal/federal palace restaurants and so on. Some higher end places in Soho do serve dim sums for dinner too, but they are more formal.
If you had to try ONE (1) Dim Sum, to me it would be Char Siu Bao.
You can also enter any cha chaan teng and point at foods, English may be more difficult for the staff there but other customers may be happy to help you ordering. Try BBQ pork over rice for instance. Do try HK tea (my fav is lemon, Dong Ling Cha, as I'm not a milk tea person) as well as egg tart.

Otherwise you can find the best of each world's cuisines in HK, depends on what you want and how much you are willing to spend.
Anything more specific just shoot

>>1209283
>Airport Express is actually a godsend on your last day in town.
As someone who took the Airport Express on the first and last day of his Hong Kong trip, I fucking loved it.

>comfy seats
>greater seat availability
>room for bag storage
>on-board wi-fi

>>1209336
A man who doesn't eat pork buns is never a whole man

>>1209654
Great game really made me feel like actual HK (except for the map).
Made me wish rockstar made a GTA:HK

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unfortunately the main attraction is long gone but still worth a visit sometime soon

>>1209705
Do you also believe Chung King Mansions is the only place worth to stay?

>>1209731
Not the anon you're quoting but Kwoolon did seem like an awesome place to visit.
There's something about that city that was appealing, even though I'm sure it was mainly just a stinky place with a dark, depressing atmosphere, with nothing to do and infested with poverty.

Also, what's the deal with Chun King Mansions? Genuine question (have never been to HK).

>>1209800
>what's the deal with Chun King Mansions?

Super cheap place to stay but sketchy as fuck, if you're a REALTRAVELLER then you might find it ok but it's not for everyone.

Me personally, I've stayed in shitholes around the world so I really didn't mind it, if you're on a budget then go for it.

Is it possible to do a day trip to Shenzhen from Hong Kong?

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>>1209731
yes! does it still look like this?

>>1209800
you got it a bit wrong, not the cleanest place for sure but I heard there was planty to do, mahjong gambling, granny hookers, all sorts of opiates for just a few bucks and hey...they say you could eat dogs in there...what more do you want?

>>1209336
Head towards the bottom of this post: >>1204698

>>1209830
Sure is, take the train to LoWu (Luo Wu) station, cross the border, you are in Shenzhen.
You'll arrive in a giant mall dedicated to knock off goods and foods, then you may need a cab to hit specific parts of the town.
Check the visa status for your citizenship but SZ is a special administrative region that has specific visas and waivers (day trip, 3 days etc)

>>1209800
Kowloon still exist and is actually huge. If you mean the walled city, am not sure it was so great back in the day. Tourists do lament over the fact that it's gone, and I'm pretty sure the hype comes from that.
Unless you are the kind of tourist who enjoys seeing people living in misery, then India Brazil and South Africa have great slums where you have a chance to be mugged and brag about it to your sheltered friends.
Also CKM is a block of a building crammed with immigrants from Africa and Pakistan, it is (was, I haven't visited since it was refurbished), a fire hazard in the making, and a cheap place to stay.
Thing is, there are nicer buildings in HK that are not more expensive and where you won't need to wait 15mn for an elevator. And you don't need to stay at CKM to walk around or shop inside. So making it a POINT to STAY there is really mainly a statement to show the world one's TruTravler (tm)-ness.

>>1209902
>the kind of tourist who enjoys seeing people living in misery
I've seen three miserable people in Hong Kong, and I actually thought it was very difficult to feel bad for their situation.

The people I saw were amputee beggars. All they do all day is sit on the streets with a hat or container of some kind, hoping that people will drop money in it. While they're doing this, they're showing off their stubby wrists or mutilated hands to illustrate how bad they have it. They would stick their arms out so exaggeratedly that I couldn't feel bad for them. There was no humility, it was just full-force "LOOK AT HOW UNFORTUNATE I AM, LOOK, LOOK, YOU SHOULD GIVE ME MONEY BECAUSE OF HOW SHITTY MY LIFE IS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF MY MISSING HAND!"

Of course, I could just be young & naive, but it was that much harder to give them any money.

>>1209902
>CKM is a block of a building crammed with immigrants from Africa and Pakistan, it is (was, I haven't visited since it was refurbished), a fire hazard in the making, and a cheap place to stay.
I was in Tsim Sha Tsui just a month ago.

The building itself didn't look as terrible as I had imagined. But you are right about there being lots of Africans and South Asians. I didn't feel comfortable renting a room there. All the other businesses were convenience stores that were somehow less convenient than a 7-Eleven, places that served Indian food at room temperature, and a bunch of sketchy electronics resellers whose primary sales pitch is "SIM card, bro? I can hook you up!"

I only went in there for two reasons: Currency exchange and French toast.

There is a currency exchange place called Kin Shing Money Exchange. From my experience, they were pleasant to deal with. To my knowledge, I didn't get fucked over. I also don't really know how currency exchange works, but I also happened to be checking live rates via wi-fi, and these guys actually gave me a better rate than that.

As for the French toast, there is supposedly a diner called Lan Fong Yuen down there, but I checked every floor and couldn't find it. I think they might've closed or moved. Too bad, because I really wanted to try HK-style French Toast.

>>1209925
And a quick Google search shows me very recent reviews of Lan Fong Yuen, so it looks like I somehow missed it. Shit.

>>1209923
Yes and you can see some of them are actually faking their crippling. There was a guy in the pedestrian tunnel around Peking Rd/HK museum of aerospace and Peninsula. His shirt sleeve was
empty and knotted to show
His arm was missing. One day the police was patrolling and I saw him get up and grab his plastic container with his missing hand! It was actually hidden in his back all along.
Shit's even more grim in Shenzhen were you have severely burnt/disfigured/multiple limbs missing beggars and it actually makes you more uncomfortable than pitiful. Especially when some try to reach at you.

>>1209925
Yeah as much as I hate the word, CKM is almost a meme. I mean you can go there for a very specific reason, or even browse the place for shits and giggles, but it really rustled my jimmies when every single HK thread few years ago would have one edgy try hard to state "you haven't been to HK if you haven't stayed at Chung Kings". Fuck that noise.

Also I used to live there then visit twice a year, the whole building was being refurbished 2 years ago so it's maybe a tad less shitty now

Where are some cool areas to photograph in Hong Kong? I'm not talking about stereotypical picturesque locations. I'm wanting to photograph the ugly buildings that seem to be clones of each other.

>>1209902
I'm referring to the walled city.
And the appeal is not because it's gone or it's poor.
It's the fact that it was a unique kind of construction, with a unique social, economic and cultural structure and also a pretty interesting architectural feat.
It was probably a miserable life, but you can't just group the misery in the walled city with any other miserable areas of the world.

>>1209984
Every "famous" slum worldwide has its own history, hierarchy, culture, architecture,etc.
Doesn't mean you get to experience any of these.
Were it still up, as a tourist all you could have hoped for would have been a quick glimpse from the outside, or a "tour" organized by a local company to cater to tourists (see: Soweto).
Now all you are left with is the fantasy of a Blade Runner-esque immersion in a dystopian neighborhood. Nothing bad with it but labeling a place you have never been to as "the main attraction" or "the most interesting place" in a city like HK is edgy at best.

>>1209967
That's a very difficult question to answer, because the whole damn place is photogenic as fuck.

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Anyone have any idea what these things are supposed to be?

I got these little stickers when I bought stuff at 7-Eleven and Wellcome, but I have no idea what they're for.

I'm assuming they have some sort of purpose, seeing as they have unique ID numbers assigned to them, and the cashiers only gave them to me when I spent a lot of money.

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>>1210417
You can cash the stickers in for a toy or some other junk

How much HK$ should I load onto my Ocotpus card if I'll be there for a week and not tru-traveller tier?

>>1210638
Besides the starting $150 that you pay to obtain the card ($50 deposit + $100 starting load), I think you'll only need another $100 at most.

It also depends on what you plan on using your Octopus for. If it's for transportation only, then yeah, you'll probably only need to add $100 more. I estimate this based on my own travels. My reload history worked out to roughly $100 per week, and I mostly used it for the MTR and buses.

If you don't like fussing with cash for small transactions, then you might want to add a couple hundred dollars more. Octopus Cards are accepted at McDonald's, 7-Eleven, and if I'm not mistaken, at Circle K, Starbucks, and Wellcome. There are even vending machines that accept Octopus Cards. If you ever go to Macau, there are a few places that accept them as well.

Don't worry too much about overloading it. You can always return your card once you're done with it. You'll get your $50 deposit back, plus any remaining funds.

>>1210691
Awesome, thanks.

Do you know the best place to exchange money? At the airport?

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>>1210753
Before you leave, ideally.

If you need to exchange money while you're in Hong Kong, I do have suggestions, but just a little warning, I may be a little bit biased.

Inside the Chungking Mansions, there is a place called Kin Shing Money Exchange. It's the little green booth, and it's also the cleanest business in that dirty little "mansion". They haven't ripped me off to my knowledge, and the staff are very nice, friendly, and efficient.

If for some reason you can't trust my recommendation, there are countless currency exchange booths in Hong Kong; it is the finance capital, after all. Hong Kong probably has more currency exchange places than New York has Starbucks and McDonald's.

>>1210638
Every place that accepts octopus also allows to top it up. Even if you don't purchase anything, you can step inside a Starbucks hand them a note and ask them to credit the amount to your card.

Basically every food or beverage chain and convenience shop accept the octopus. That's McD BK KFC Starbucks Pacific Coffee Wellcome Park'n'shop 7-Eleven circle K, as well as all public transportation. Especially handy with the Ferry were you need exact change or a token or an octopus to avoid queuing.
I think their website is full of info on it

>>1204107
Is that actually dangerous?

>>1210999
Depends on how you define "dangerous," but here are some of the risks associated with Chungking Mansions:

>rooms not being made to proper building code
>worst place to have a fire in (building crammed with people)
>cockroaches
>rodents
>mold
>pickpocketers
>scams

>>1211002
Can the cockroaches and rodents be avoided by going to a slightly cleaner but still clean places, or is that just something I should prepare myself for when traveling in China and other parts of Asia?

Also, what do you mean by "rooms not being made to proper building code"?

>>1211011
slightly cleaner, but still cheap* place

>>1211011
Generally speaking, yes, you can.

The Chungking Mansions is notorious for housing shady businesses run by shady people. The people who own the "hotels" there don't care too much about quality, they just want to build as many rooms as possible with as little space as possible, and rent them out to unsuspecting backpackers. Their egregious cancellation policies basically go something like "haha fuck you, we're keeping your money, enjoy the pests."

There are plenty of cheap hotels outside of Chungking Mansions that are much cleaner. There are some that are even worse, but the reviews will generally tell you that.

>>1211030
Alright, I guess I'll find something else if I choose to go to HK.

Is it a good place to buy weed if I feel like smoking?

>>1211031
There was a chinese with blong dyed hair offering weed X and stuff in Nathan Rd.
HK is one of the cities were I wouldn't fuck with drugs laws tho.
>inb4 not an addict

>>1211168
Alright, didn't know they were that tough on drugs.

Just thought it might be nice to smoke on one of those beautiful hikes, but it's not very important

>>1211011
I saw a roach in the hostel called "apple hotel"

I stayed in a place in the mirador mansion and didnt see any, but after the night where i saw one, I slept with the lights on in the next hostel to keep the bugs in hiding lol

i dont want no creepy crawlies getting on me

>>1211263
Do you not have bugs where you live or something?

>>1204080

Lantau island

>>1211287
Not him, but we do have bugs where I live, but not big, disgusting cockroaches. We just have some small spiders and flies

>>1211296
In a big city and in a tropical climate, big roaches are actually impossible to avoid and not a telltale of a dirty/unhygienic place. Unlike fleas or bedbugs for instance.
I used to be disgusted by those thick brown bastards but since moving to a tropical island I've had to get along with them.

any word on opening a bank of china account in hong kong?

they seem to have the best exchange rate by far, and it would allow me to avoid carrying cash

I hear they can do it on the spot with a passport, but I'm not sure how long it would take; or if closing the account would be an issue

staking in one of the kowloon "mansions" just to say I've done it
my room is shit, but at least it's cheap shit

>>1204080
Macau is best your dirty mainlander.

>>1211442
I appreciate your valuable input. Would you care to elaborate why Macau is better than Hong Kong? Is there a reason to visit Macau while staying a week in Hong Kong?

>>1211927
I'm not the guy you replied to, but Macau is pretty fucking awesome. I don't think it's better than Hong Kong by any means, but it's worth a visit.

>1-hour boat ride from Hong Kong
>boat tickets aren't expensive
>casinos & hotels are a e s t h e t i c and flashy as fuck; if you like Las Vegas, you'll like Macau even more
>amazing food
>Hong Kong dollars are widely accepted
>lots of amazing sights to take in

>>1204698
>Chungking Mansions is very inexpensive to stay in, but it's sketchy as fuck.

Chungking Mansion's looks and reputation are worse than the reality. I'd be more afraid of the place catching fire.

Is it easy to go up fire escapes in Hong Kong without getting into trouble?

>>1212067
Isn't Vegas like the most kitsch and corny place on earth? Have never been there

>>1211387
yeah i live in Wisconsin where it gets cold every year so they aren't very common. we get spiders and flies. I guess ill just accept it as normal and move on. but i wasnt aware of how common they were. thanks for the info

I stayed in Chung King two days ago. It's a bitch to check in to any hotel after hours. I was with some friends and one of them speaks Chinese. There were salesmen all over the mansion and the biggest mistake I made is saying no to them instead of completely ignoring them. Don't even bother booking online unless it's your only choice. The lady didn't respect the online booking and wanted to hike up the price and bit. The room itself wasn't too bad. I got a double with a friend. Small as fuck but was just for the first night in HK. No roaches or rodents or bed bugs lol. I wouldn't stay again but wasn't as bad as people make it out to be.

>>1207884
expensive? I was thinking about living abroad there. How expensive are we talking? I've heard conflicting reports. I'm cool with living in an absolute shithole efficiency if need be.

>>1214561
I want to know how those middle eastern people selling suits and watches make any money. If they see you are white they go ham

>>1215034
When people say that X location is expensive to live in, they're usually talking about house prices.

Hong Kong real estate is indeed expensive, rivaling Vancouver.

Renting a small apartment shouldn't be too much of a problem. The shittier the cheaper.

Hell, you might even be able to find an illegitimate hotel room that's cheaper than renting an apartment.

>>1215342
throw some numbers at me, im curious

>>1215347
Not him but there would be a major problem to rent a regular apartment in HK on a tourist visa, you have none of the credentials a landlord or property management company would ask for. Or that the utilities companies would ask for to give you water, power, landline, insurance... HK is lax on immigration policies for tourists but actually settling there is another story.
You're left with fully furnished apartments (starting around 10K up for a studio), hotels or hostels. In the last cases you'll need to eat out every meal, granted HK's food is cheap but you'll need to factor this into your budget nonetheless.
And, finally, HK isn't a nice place to live for the poor. If you wouldn't afford living in the exciting parts of town, you'll end up in a chicken den in the remote parts of the NT, have to commute for 1h+ just to go have a drink somewhere nice, and have to wrap up early because when it's too late only the cabs are efficient and guess what? They're expensive in the long run, if you are on a budget.

As for the numbers, real estate is actually on par with London, that should give you an idea.
In any case, I'd favor the quality of the time spent in HK rather than the sheer length of it.

>>1215369
What if I got a work visa?
Also, I'm lowkey kind of a poverty tourist. I don't mind slumming it in a shitty neighborhood.

stayed in chongking mansion
not sure what the fuss is about, the room are small and a bit shody; but clean
the ground floor is full of little shops and touts; but there are security guards etc
you don't have to venture too far to find derelict rooms, but there are families here and shit too

I got a private for 25DKD/night, on the whole It's not great value; but it is an experience


anyone got some good things to do in hong kong, where do you find the best shopping?

>>1216056
250 hkd right?

Also does anyone know the situation about going into the mainland from HK without having a visa prior to going to HK.

Is the process easy/cheap to get a visa while in HK if you only want to spend a few days on the mainland? I'm from an EU country btw

>>1216088
actually I guess it was more like 200HKD, forgot I put up 100 deposit on the keycard

I would advise you to check for yourself at
http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/visit_transit.html

but long and short of it is that you're probably from a country with a significant visa free period.
I got my visa on arrival, they didn't even ask me any questions or stamp my passport, you get a tiny ticket instead.
"you come to hong kong"
"you have ticket out"
didn't even say welcome to hong kong, it took literally fifteen seconds

but the only thing i WOULD say is about returning to the mainland, mainland china does tourist visas by number of entries; if you leave mainland and go to HK, you need a multiple entry/ a separate visa to get back into mainland

>>1216088
There are plenty of 24/48h visa offices in HK. I would always go to the CTS office in TST, next to Nathan Rd.
https://www.ctshk.com/english/useful/chinesevisa.htm
Be aware that some cities (Shenzhen for example) are a Special Adminstrative Region and may have their own visa programs depending on your country of origin... You may not need a visa beforehand at all http://www.olinorwell.com/how-to-visit-china-without-a-visa-shenzhen-5-day-visa-from-hong-kong/


>>1216056
That's the point. There is nothing worth the hype in CK.
>where do you find the best shopping?
What do you want to shop for?

>>1216090
I guess it's just so when everyone asks "did you stay in a tiny two by one meter room where you can't turn on the shower without ruining the toilet paper, I can say yes, yes I did

I'm after outdoors gear

>>1205105
Been in HK for about a month; bars aren't really a huge part of the local culture, most bars are rather expensive and cater to mostly foreigners. Of those bar districts, the best known (and the only one I've been to yet) is Lan Kwai Fong, which is two or three blocks south of Central Station. I've heard there are cheaper ones in Wan Chai and near the Mong Kok police station, but I haven't checked them out yet.

A popular alternative is to hit up "Club 7/11"; drinks are dirt cheap and al fresca drinking, especially in parks, doesn't carry the same stigma it does elsewhere. A great place to go after you pick up some drinks is the rooftop of the IFC mall (4th floor, take the elevators), it has a great view of the city, and despite what it looks like, the bars there don't actually own the outside seating, which is for public use.

>>1216120
I guess you are busy with work or something, but how can you say "bars cater to mostly foreigners" while going only to a mostly foreigners district?

There are plenty of locals in TST, Mongkok and Kowloon. It is true however that locals tend to favor dining out and late shopping over bar hoping.

does anyone want to get a beer?

the only people I've been able to meet are lonely expats