Anyone have any tour or shore excursion information for Hong Kong. We'll be staying there pre-cruise in 2007 at the Peninsula Hotel and I am looking for tours. :banana:

No suggestions on tours, but just want to say I'm so thrilled for you! What a sensational city...and the Peninsula is awesome!! Don't miss the laser light show each night at 8pm. The nightclub Felix at the top of the Pen is a great viewing spot if your room isn't harbor view. And the Peninsula Lobby is a great place for lunch or afternoon tea. As a guest at the hotel, you'll have preferred seating at tea! I look forward to hearing your plans as they develop! I'll travel with you vicariously :app:

We're doing a post-cruise at the Peninsula in Hong Kong after our October cruise so I'll let you know how it goes. You make it sound wonderful Bonnie!

Hong Kong is one of the most exciting cities we have visited. Don't forget to take a ferry ride across the harbour, to visit Victoria Peak, and just explore the back streets...so thrilling. Click on to our travel journal at the bottom of this post to see our Hong Kong pictures and travelogue. Yu restaurant at the Regent hotel, right in front of the Peninsula, is a fabulous fish restaurant with the best view of the laser light show. Reserve early and ask for a window table, just amazing. If possible try and have a harbour view room at the Peninsula, we stayed up sooo late just watching the boats every night. Enjoy your trip, and send seamail

We had New Years Eve dinner at Yu ....it was so fantastic....as is the entire city!

And while I'm thinking about restaurants...one of our favorites is Spring Deer on Mody Road. The conceirge can direct you. Superb Peking Duck and a superb restaurant where most likely you'll be the only westerners!

Doris and Bonnie: I only spent 2 nights in HK, maybe 3, on WC and I loved it - top of my list for return visit - fascinating city - took ferry over, ate dinner (forget name)at one of the beautiful hotels dinner at night - looking over the city was breathtaking - I loved the views from our balcony night or day -

Great city. As a guest at the Pen, reserve one of their Rolls Royces to take you to the airport. For about $100, we had this great ride plus a porter from the hotel will meet your car and bring all your luggage into the terminal and wait with you at the counter! Best $100 I ever spent!We also got a big kick out of the men's room at Felix. Have someone watch the door and check it out. The ladies was pretty cool too. We had dinner there but were a bit under the weather (chicken flu?) and did not think it was so great but may have just been an off night. If dinner doesn't appeal then just have a drink at the bar and use the facilities. Don't miss tea though.
Helen

I have a very detailed travelogue of the trip Lynn and I made to HK in 2002. I'm sure it's still valid. If you want it I can e-mail it to you. It's in Microsoft Word and is @ 4 pages long; lots of good info. Just contact me back channel at dougburns1@cox.net.

Could anyone suggest a restaurant for dinner. I thought we would take the Star Ferry to the other side and eat there. We will be staying at the Peninsula. Is the Yu Restaurant a good choice if we don't take the ferry? Judith

Vong at the top of the Mandarin Oriental is fantastic for lunch and I expect the same is true for dinner. For nostalgia sake you could go to The Repulse Bay. You pick up the bus right next to the Star Ferry area on the Victoria side. It's the 260 or 360; can't remember which. It goes thru the tunnel rather than around thru Aberdeen. Takes @ 20 minutes. The Bamboo Bar looks the same as it did in Love is a Many Splendored Thing. Food was great and it was not crowded. Of course, you could also go to the best, which is Gaddis right in the Peninsula. It's very expensive, but worth the dining experience. There is also a great restaurant in the Intercontinental that has a great harbor view and excellent food. It used to be called the Plume, but they changed the name when the hotel changed hands. If you want great scenery the ride up the tram to the Peak just before sunset, a meal at The Peak restaurant( a short walk from the top of the tram; not the one in the tram terminal area), and a ride back down the tram after dark is fantastic, but the food is just so so. Jimmy's Kitchen on the Victoria side also has great food, but I'm not sure it's open for dinner. I would get the latest Frommers guide and check the restaurant status, because things are always changing. We had a lovely evening on one occasion. We did the evening harbor cruise( free drinks and great scenery), which leaves from the area very close to the Intercontinental and then went to what was the Plume for dinner after the cruise. A very memorable evening indeed.

As I said above, Yu was fantastic! Located overlooking the Harbor in the Intercontinental, it has outstanding seafood, service and ambiance! Highly recommend it! Request a window table!

Yu is what used to be called the Plume.

No kidding?! In what used to be called the Regent ;)

For a great cantoneese lunch, try Lei Garden at the IFC mall on the Hong Kong side, the best chinese food we have had in Hong Kong. Also try Isola for Italian at that mall.

Yes, the Intercontinental used to be the Regent and Yu used to be the Plume.

Apparently Yu is no more. Nobu is taking over the spot. Yes, I am already researching restaurants for us to try on PANDA.

Wow, Mitch - you really are on it!

I'm still trying to decide on where to stay in Hong Kong postcruise.

Masaki

Masaki; Lynn and I Stayed at the Harbour Plaza Hong Kong with a harbor view room. The hotel is in Hung Hom and has a Star Ferry stop very close to the hotel. Beautiful hotel with very large and well appointed rooms and very good food.

Masaki, I am staying at the Intercontinental in HK after my cruise in December. I got a good deal on a package with NW airlines that included two nights at the Intercontinental in Singapore and two nights at the Intercontinental in HK. I got business class seats. There is a four night hotel minimum when you buy business class seats. Getting the package was the only way to get cheap Z fares. I chose the Intercons because I like them but they had over a dozen hotels to choose from in each city.

Doug - your travelogue was wonderful, BTW - thanks again for sending it!

Julie - now there's a thought. I'm pretty sure Northwest flies to Japan (though not sure about Osaka) from Hawaii - what package was this?

Masaki

It's a NWA vacations package. You can do it on their website nwa.com but if it goes into one city and out of the other, you really have to call them to customize it. Their # is 1-800 800 1504.

Julie - thanks! I'll take a look!

Masaki

Masaki-
I think the choice of where to stay all depends on your budget. Among the luxury properties, there is predictably little difference in cost unless you find a deal. I have no personal experience and defer to the many LCTers that do, but I think Bert and I will plan on staying at the Peninsula unless a special deal comes along. For an extra $100, we will probably also spring for the Rolls to take us from the Mariner and to the airport-in for a penny, in for many British pounds!

The Peninsula is certainly centrally located, but the rooms are a bit smallish, as are many of the hotel rooms around HK. That's what we liked so much about the Harbour Plaza HK. The room was large and lavish and the view was superb. Both hotels have a Star Ferry station close by. That's the best way to get around in HK. We were on the 16th floor with a harbor view. I wouldn't miss high tea and a meal at Gaddis in the Peninsula though. In addition to the Star Ferry, the best way to get around on Victoria Island is the double decker tram. It runs from Central to North Point and it's very inexpensive. Both modes of transport give you a much better flavor of HK. If you're doing any of the out islands spend the little bit extra and take the high speed ferries frrom Central, as opposed to the standard ones.

We were in Hong Kong the past two years on that segment of the WC and stayed at the Peninsula pre cruise both times. The Harbour view rooms were lovely, and the view at night was outstanding. The service at this hotel is six star, starting with the pick up at the airport, and tea in the lobby is a must. The star ferry is a quick walk and the best way to get around. You can check my journal, link below, for Hong Kong information. Alfred had shirts made that are beautiful, if you want that info just let me know. Try and have lunch at Lei Garden in the IFC mall. We love Hong Kong and can't wait to return.

Mitch - still trying to decide between the Pen, the Four Seasons, and the Intercon. Maybe the Shangri-La too. Ohhhh, so many choices. :)

But that Rolls limo is awfully enticing.

Masaki

Thanks to everyone for their excellent advice. Since we are still just 1 year out from PANDA, I am also still mulling over all the information and am not in final decision mode yet either, Masaki. Are you and Amanda going to join us for a pre-cruise excursion to Kyoto?

We had lunch at Vong also, which was fabulous. However, the Mandarin Oriental has been undergoing renovation and is reopening soon - looks like Vong has been replaced by a restaurant called Pierre ___ (pi symbol?):

This sumptuous new restaurant on the top floor will serve the stunning 3-star Michelin cuisine of Pierre Gagnaire. This haven of contemporary luxury — a symphony of charcoals, burnt cherry, midnight blues and black coffee highlighted with silver and crystal will have exceptional views over Victoria harbour. The menu will change with the seasons while a private dining room will offer the ultimate in exclusivity.


We ate at Pierre Gagnaire in Paris for my 50th birthday - it was incredible, but very pricey.

We also enjoyed Felix, in the Peninsula - very hip and happening!

Mitch - I've got family to go visit so probably not. I'm trying to help out with the planning of it though! :)

Leslie - oooh, that sounds yummy too.

Masaki

Masaki, sorry you won't be with us pre-cruise! I'm into any mode for pre-cruise plans in Kyoto, but definitely want to do it.

Kyoto is a must! I really enjoyed it, from the Railway Station to the Gold Palace (and much more) It's more 'old Japan' than Tokyo and the people are far more friendly.

Lee, can you tell us a bit more about how you arranged your touring of Kyoto?

My son, Michael, was working in Tokyo at the time and we caught a bullet train down to Kyoto. The hotel was within walking distance from the station. We had about three days there - he organised me! We had a day trip (organised from the hotel) down to Hiroshima which cost megabucks but for a once in a lifetime opportunity, it was well worth it. I'll be speaking to him tomorrow (he now lives in New York) and I'll ask him what he suggests as I know we each only took a small suitcase with us which could be a problem for you. How much time will you have?

We will be there before the cruise. Trying to figure out how much time we need to benefit from all that is there!

Michael phoned this morning but rather than hijack the 'Hong Kong' thread, I'll send you a private message with all I've found out so far. Lee