Sunday, May 13, 2012

Hong Kong

There are so many touristy things to see in HK but I didn't list them, I just have this email to a friend of things we used
to love, here you go:



For shopping, I would recommend going to Stanley Market.  You can catch a bus from the Star Ferry pier on HK side, I think it might be bus 260.  It is about a 40 minute bus ride from Central or faster by taxi.  Here you can buy lots of souvenirs, silk pajamas, pashminas, hip clothes, chinese costumes, ceramics.  

Make sure you make time for Victoria's Peak.  You can take the tram up and see a beautiful view of Hong Kong.  I would recommend going at dusk so you can watch the sun set and see the nightlights as well.  Lots of great restaurants, we used to like Café Deco but we went back and thought the food was OK, but view is great.

Typical markets everyone goes to: Wan Chai area markets and on Kowloon side Ladies market, but off the beaten bath is the tiny flower and bird markets on Kowloon side.  Old men “walk” their birds in bird cages around the neighborhood.

We used to love the restaurants in Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) b/c it’s a great place to go people watching.  At the back side is an outdoor eating area called RAT ALLEY – Indian food, local food, etc. eaten outdoor casual style.

A really great half-day or full day trip is going to see the Giant Buddha.  It's our favorite day trip outing for tourists.  The boat ride is like 40 minutes and the bus ride is like 45 minutes as well.  So, like I said, it takes awhile to get there, but it is a beautiful drive up the island hills and you climb up to the top of the Giant Buddha with many steps.  There is a little restaurant in the area for some food, very local Chinese noodles, and little asian cakes.

Another thing locals do is go to Lamma Island for lunch (this is the hippy island, i.e. granola type of people, healthy restaurants, etc) or Cheung Chau island for great seafood and to rent bikes.  This is only AFTER you do all the HK touristy stuff, and you have time leftover, which most people don't.

Go up the Bank of China Building and see the best view from this high building, it is free to go up the elevators.  Behind the Bank of China building is the Hong Kong Park and they have a beautiful aviary and gardens to see birds.  It is a lovely place to walk around.  Great with kids.

Our favorite place for Dim Sum (where women cart around trays on wheels of little dumplings, and siopaos) is at City Hall (by the Star Ferry Pier on HK side) and it is called Maxim's.  It is very busy and dim sum is served at a specific time, like 11am (lunch time).  It is so delicous!  You just point to what you want.  I think they have since moved location though.

If you have time, a week-end trip to Macau is great.  It's about an hour away by high speed ferry, and it is a small island with a lot of Portuguese influence.  We recommend going to Fernando's by Hacsa Beach for Portuguese food (BBQ meats, big Portuguese bread rolls etc).  This restaurant is half an hour away by taxi, but even easier is going to La Lorcha which is by the Amah Temple. It is fun to go walk around the Old Town by the Broken Church, and also to go up the tower.

CHANNING LIST

photo notes in red
Touristy:
  • ***definitely take the Peak Tram (I'd go in the morning but then take a mini bus (16 seater) back down for a true local experience and $20 saving. They have buses in the transportation hub underneath the mall).
    • Skip paying the extra to ride the escalators to the top and instead head to the Lion pagoda to shoot. Also worth hiking 10 minutes to be able to see the opposite of the island, especially to shoot sunset.
  • ***Ride the Star Ferry. It can even be faster than taking the MTR to HK Island! You don’t need to take an expensive tour, just ride it across like a commuter--you’ll get the same view. Its like $1 or $2.
    • you’ll be able to shoot the famous HK skyline anywhere along the entire pier
  • ***eat Dim Sum. There's a reason why HK is famous for it. The difference between the famous places and the local ones isn’t big and definitely not worth the price/wait. Definitely try the hahgao (shrimp dumpling).
  • Shop the street markets: there's pretty much a street for everything--Ladies Street and Flower Street sell clothes, souvenirs, knock-offs, etc; Tung Choi Street (Goldfish Street) sells a gajillion goldfish and other traditional Chinese pets and it is fun to walk down; Cat Street for antiques; there's a flower market too. Here's a pretty good guide: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/nz/shop/where-to-shop/street-markets-and-shopping-streets/index.jsp
  • ***Explore the MidLevels: filled with delicious cafes and trendy boutiques, the Midlevels are accessed by a super long escalator network and you'll discover something new every time you go. Think narrow cobblestone streets with a jumble of traditional architecture and modern additions. I've heard it compared to SoHo.
  • Stanley and Repulse Bay are famous. Laid-back, European vibe. I recommend an afternoon exploring the market followed by some beach time and then dinner at a beachfront cafe as you watch the sunset. Take a double decker bus to get there, sit on the front row and take in HK from above (my personal favorite way to see the city). The IFC has a bus that goes there.
    • another beautiful bay where you can see the outlying islands. Lots of Hong kongers come here to take wedding photos.
  • I recommend a meal at the Inter-Continental in TST (high tea is a fun experience here or at the Peninsula). The food is delicious and the view is better! We like to do dinner there and catch the light show from the building furthest out on the peninsula. They also have a great international hotel buffet (and Asian buffets are a must! They make Vegas buffets look like child's play).
  • See the Big Buddha on Lantau Island--fun hiking and a truly giant Buddha. Take the MRT to Tung Chung and then the cable car up to the Buddha. From there you can head to Tai O on a mini bus and take a boat and attempt to see the famous pink dolphins and console yourself with fresh seafood in the stilt village if you don’t manage to spot one.
    • this is a great place to take photos of old-style Hong Kong life. The market has all sorts of interesting edible and inedible oceanic items and then the stilt houses/boats are beautiful. The scenery of the outlying islands is gorgeous too.
For some more local flavor:
  • Explore some of the outlying islands: Cheung Chau island has a "pirate" cave you can hike through, Lamma has fun biking and hiking, Sai Kung is fabulous for surfing, hiking and beaching too.
  • The Argyle Centre (旺角中心): located in the heart of Mong Kok (Nathan Road) by the MTR, this is where the teenage locals come to shop (Mong Kok is a shopping destination for them as well). This three story center is usually crowded (think street market moved indoors) and offers a dizzying array of low-priced (Asian style) clothing, jewelry, shoes and toys. Best place to buy authentic HK fashions and fun, non-kitschy souvenirs. They also have HK teenage snack foods: the noodles in a plastic bag are fun and so are the elaborate tapioca ball drinks. 83 Argyle Street, Mong Kok; MTR exit D2.
  • ***The Ritz Carlton: go to Ozone, a bar on the 118th floor (highest bar in the world), they always have good local DJs, overpriced drinks and the best views around. We found that the chocolate cafe on the 103rd floor is also lovely although more touristed and the raspberry-chocolate souffle was divine. Last year they opened the Sky100 in the same building and it is getting pretty good reviews on TripAdvisor.
    • This is a fun view of the famous HK skyline from way, way above
  • Noah’s Ark: for something uniquely Asia and hilarious, check out a life-size Noah’s Ark and accompanying theme park on an outlying island. This is one of the big hits with Chinese tourists these days and I couldn’t stop laughing the entire time. The view and ride there are beautiful.
  • Put on black and rush around with the business people in the WanChai district. You’ll see the most famous skyscrapers up close.
Outdoorsy: this blog is a great resource: http://hikehongkong.blogspot.sg/
Some of my favorite stores:
  • MUJI: this is a Japanese lifestyle store. The Japanese translates to without brand; functionally this means museum-like stores, lots of clean design and the most fabulous pens and paper products! They have a MUJI at HarbourCity, the airport, and a few other locations. NYT on the store here, here and here.
  • LOG-ON (by CitySuper): I decided they basically collect everything that is cool and made in Asia and put it all in this store! Great place for interesting gifts. They have one at HarbourCity and Festival Walk.
  • CitySuper: the best thing about Hong Kong is that because they don't produce anything there themselves they import the best of everything from all over the world! CitySuper is a grocery store (with a bit of everything else thrown in too) where you have the best imported foods and ingredients from all over the world. And you'll never find a prettier grocery store! They have a great deli and I’ll often grab something from there before getting on a ferry elsewhere.
  • Goods of Desire (GOD): this store is fabulous. They collect unique HK items from boutiques and designers and house them all. They have GOD at the Peak Galleria, TST, in Central and Causeway Bay.
My favorite high-end malls are:
  • Festival Walk (at the Kowloon Tong MTR station...if you go to the temple, you'll go to the stop, just take a different exit to get to the mall). Located at a major transit hub. Lots of designer stores mixed with lower-end (think H&M).
  • IFC Mall (Hong Kong MTR station). This is the newest mall at the International Finance Center (tall building featured in The Dark Knight) right along the waterfront and ferry pier on HK island. A lot of designer clothes, gorgeous views and delicious food! If we’re taking a ferry anywhere, we always stop here and grab breakfast/lunch for the ride. I love grabbing lunch at Open Kitchen and then heading up to the roof garden to eat and enjoy the view of the harbor.
  • HarbourCity (either TST MTR station). This mall is massive! It spans about a gazillion city blocks. Again, it is generally higher end but not quite as nice as the IFC. The food here isn't as good either but it can be fun to eat on the roof and watch the cruise ships and ferries.
  • TimesSquare. Another massive, glitzy designer mall. (at the Causeway Bay MTR).
Accommodations:
In terms of areas to stay, you pretty much have 3 options:

Macau

  • I would definitely head to Macau for a day! It is fun to oogle at the grandiosity of the Casinos (I think the Venetian and Galaxy are the biggest, newest and most interesting). Some of the best people watching ever. The Galaxy is made by Chinese for the Chinese and is just about covered in gold and the canals at the Venetian make Vegas look puny.
  • You don’t need transportation in Macau--all the casinos provide free buses all over the island.
  • The shows are great. The Cirque du Soleil-esq House of Dancing Waters is the best reviewed.
  • The historical sites and town square area are beautiful: more Europe with an Asian twist than the other way around. Go see:
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Monday, May 7, 2012

South Carolina

Charleston Restaurants:

From a magazine:

Burbage's Grocery
157 Broad Street, Charleston
Quaint corner store, mom and pop BBQ, fresh sausage muffins, pimiento cheese sandiwch.

Scotts BBQ
2734 Hemingway Hwy, Hemingway
Two hours NE of Charleston, pitmaster BBQ, whole hogs slow smoked cooked based with pepper vinegar mop.  Skin of the hog is delish.

Martha Lou's
1068 Morrison Drive, Charleston
Simple, classic soul food, fried chicken, lima beans, cornbread.

At Kiawah Island:




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Friday, May 4, 2012

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Tea plantations and strawberry farms are highly recommended stops.

Do not stay at Hotel Balas it was run down.
Lakehouse (for hotel or just dinner) is wonderful.
Walking distance to all shops/restos of Tanah Rata we noticed
Century Pines Hotel might be a good option.

Forest hike (which we did not do) is apparently fantastic, here's
a guide recommendation from friends:

"His name was Satya Nagamunthu with Eco Tours.  We stayed  at the 'Lakehouse' hotel which I would highly recommend - we had an amazing experience (it's more like a quaint bed and breakfast).  The hotel arranged the tour.  The guide travels alot for his other job working in the jungles in Malaysia so I think it's just luck if you happen to be there when he is visiting his home (he grew up in Cameron Highlands on a tea plantation).  He's an eco biologist.  We also trekked out to a fascinating aborigines village - also lots of hiking."
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