Holiday check - Hong Kong -> Japan

[wez130]

Hi, we're in the final stages of planning our holiday in April / May, planning on flying to KL and spending three weeks between there, Singapore and maybe up to Panang. Has anybody been around here, can you suggest must do's, best way to get to Panang from KL, also, best way to get to Singapore from KL? What's Air Asia X like as that's coming up cheapest by 50% I'm also still open to other suggestions as three weeks may be too long?

Thanks

 

[Rifte]

If you are taking children with you, I will give you a list of what we ALWAYS do, because we tend to go there every October/November and do both countries.

In respect of how to get to KL to Singapore, you can obviously fly, but if you want to cheap it, take the overnight KTMB train, which takes you from KL Sentral to JB Central (Southern tip of Malaysia), then you take the train to Singapore Woodlands.

Book early though because it gets full. The quality of the trains and the sleeping facilities is good though, and we do it with 2 children every year. Its cheap as chips though.

In my opinion 3 weeks is a week too long unless you go outside of KL. KL is a week max, and so is Singapore.

As mentioned if taking kids, let me know and I will list our itinerary when we do it.

 

[wez130]

OK, complete change of plan

Checked flights for a week in Hong Kong, then 18 days in Japan - (partly after @Raymond Lin's thread), and the flights are working out pretty favourable ($1021 NZ with Air NZ and Cathay pacific), plus i think we can fill more time in these places. After a week in Hong Kong, We'd fly into Narita at 7am, spend the first day in Tokyo, then bullet train to Kyoto and spend the first week around that area, working back to Tokyo then spend the rest of the time around Tokyo as there's just so much around there, question is, would a week rail pass be enough just to cover the bullet train and travel to and from Tokyo, or is it worth spending another 17k yen for the 14 day pass rather than the 7 days to get around Tokyo?

What would your itenerary be for a week in Hong Kong (including a day trip to Macau), and 18 days in Japan?

What would be the best area to stay in Tokyo for shopping / restaurants and travel, i read that somewhere on the JR Yamanote line (Shinjuku / Tokyo station / Shibuya).

Also, i want to buy 2 new lenses for my Sony camera, (sigmma 16mm F/1.4 and Sony 70-300 G OSS) Is it worth buying them there and claiming the tax back?

Any advice welcome, thx

 

[Raymond Lin]

OK, complete change of plan

Checked flights for a week in Hong Kong, then 18 days in Japan - (partly after @Raymond Lin's thread), and the flights are working out pretty favourable ($1021 NZ with Air NZ and Cathay pacific), plus i think we can fill more time in these places. After a week in Hong Kong, We'd fly into Narita at 7am, spend the first day in Tokyo, then bullet train to Kyoto and spend the first week around that area, working back to Tokyo then spend the rest of the time around Tokyo as there's just so much around there, question is, would a week rail pass be enough just to cover the bullet train and travel to and from Tokyo, or is it worth spending another 17k yen for the 14 day pass rather than the 7 days to get around Tokyo?

What would your itenerary be for a week in Hong Kong (including a day trip to Macau), and 18 days in Japan?

What would be the best area to stay in Tokyo for shopping / restaurants and travel, i read that somewhere on the JR Yamanote line (Shinjuku / Tokyo station / Shibuya).

Also, i want to buy 2 new lenses for my Sony camera, (sigmma 16mm F/1.4 and Sony 70-300 G OSS) Is it worth buying them there and claiming the tax back?

Any advice welcome, thx

I could write an essay on both places, and fill out your day FULL for it all…where do I start?

In short, use the JR line mainly for the trains, for Subway, there are cheaper alternative as the JR pass is only good for the Yamanote line, you are better off getting either a 72 hour pass for a fixed fee or I'd get the Suica or Pasmo card where you tap in a tap out.

Find out how much a return ticket on the Shinkansen is between Tokyo and Kyoto vs a 7 day pass, if that is the only train journey you will do, I might be inclined just to get the return ticket.

A week in Kyoto is amazing, I only stayed 4 days and when i came home I watched vlogs and see places i didn't go to, a week is great. That leaves 12 days in Tokyo. You can relax a bit more vs the hectic schedule I did which for some places, I pretty much went there, looked around and had to leave.

https://www.odigo.jp is a great site to plan your itinerary. Make your trip, then export as pdf and save it to your Google Drive and read it off line. Shame the site don't have an app but it's a easy work around.

These were mine, although I did change a bit of it and Tokyo one was only half finished because I was pretty much planning whilst I was in Japan !

Tokyo

https://www.odigo.jp/itineraries/171119?share_token=323c3504cde9d1c09dba33adb92a8d44a9c6690b

Kyoto

https://www.odigo.jp/itineraries/171113?share_token=7f04343afccb6de5d41d0ae0645619b9dc8f8837

Accommodation, I can recommend Park Hotel Tokyo, there is a subway station on the door step call Shiodome, I am not kidding, it is CLOSE. It is also next to one of the bigger station call Shimbashi station (its also close to Tokyo Station), a station that the Shinkansen passes through when you come back from Kyoto so you don't need to change trains. It's about 5 min walk. There is also a limousine bus service that leaves on the car park in the Royal Park Hotel next door to take you to Narita airport, you can get the bus ticket the day before at the reception desk (24th floor) in Royal Park Hotel.

 

[hotdog]

A week is a long time in Honkers, i would use the time to see more of Japan!

JR Pass is awesome, you can go from Tokyo all the way to the north and stop off in Saporo (taste the best beer in the world), do some onsens, see rural Japan and much more than just the city.

P.S
Japan is awesome!

 

[Raymond Lin]

A week is a long time in Honkers, i would use the time to see more of Japan!

JR Pass is awesome, you can go from Tokyo all the way to the north and stop off in Saporo (taste the best beer in the world), do some onsens, see rural Japan and much more than just the city.

P.S
Japan is awesome!

I could probably do everything that one need to see in Hong Kong in 3 or 4 days. HK is tiny. Although I could eat and eat there for weeks as the food is so good.

I'd spend more time in Japan too, and a place I find that is just nicer.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Feel free to ask me specific questions on either places….I'll try not to rant too much, I am afraid if I just am starting to type I might go way off topic.

 

[mid_gen]

Plenty to do in Hong Kong for a week....plus you can do Macau for a day.

Plus assuming you're a tech geek, you can nip over the border (you can get a Shenzhen visa at the border, no need for a full China one), and visit nerd mecca, the electronics market district and just generally get a taste of crazy times over there.

There's an awesome ''theme park' just north of Shenzhen you can get to in a cab, it's basically a rusting old Russian aircraft carrier full of decaying helicopters and hilarious Chinglish signs that you can pretty much wander around unsupervised. It's sufficiently out the way that you'll be the main attraction if you look Western. I loved it

Can give you plenty of tips on neighbourhoods in HK itself...Tai Hang where I used to live is nice little quiet area of low-rise walk-ups with loads of great little restaurants, just a few minutes walk from the craziness of Causeway Bay.

 

[Rifte]

Hong Kong is our holiday destination this year as well.

Our year off from Orlando, but Disney is obviously still on the cards for my daughter's birthday there at a character interaction restaurant.

 

[mid_gen]

Plus assuming you're a tech geek, you can nip over the border (you can get a Shenzhen visa at the border, no need for a full China one), and visit nerd mecca, the electronics market district and just generally get a taste of crazy times over there.

There's an awesome ''theme park' just north of Shenzhen you can get to in a cab, it's basically a rusting old Russian aircraft carrier full of decaying helicopters and hilarious Chinglish signs that you can pretty much wander around unsupervised. It's sufficiently out the way that you'll be the main attraction if you look Western. I loved it

Balls....look like they've towed it away :'(

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/soci...e-parks-aircraft-carrier-minsk-docks-new-home

 

[chanjy]

OK, complete change of plan

Checked flights for a week in Hong Kong, then 18 days in Japan - (partly after @Raymond Lin's thread), and the flights are working out pretty favourable ($1021 NZ with Air NZ and Cathay pacific), plus i think we can fill more time in these places. After a week in Hong Kong, We'd fly into Narita at 7am, spend the first day in Tokyo, then bullet train to Kyoto and spend the first week around that area, working back to Tokyo then spend the rest of the time around Tokyo as there's just so much around there, question is, would a week rail pass be enough just to cover the bullet train and travel to and from Tokyo, or is it worth spending another 17k yen for the 14 day pass rather than the 7 days to get around Tokyo?

What would your itenerary be for a week in Hong Kong (including a day trip to Macau), and 18 days in Japan?

What would be the best area to stay in Tokyo for shopping / restaurants and travel, i read that somewhere on the JR Yamanote line (Shinjuku / Tokyo station / Shibuya).

Also, i want to buy 2 new lenses for my Sony camera, (sigmma 16mm F/1.4 and Sony 70-300 G OSS) Is it worth buying them there and claiming the tax back?

Any advice welcome, thx

I'd definitely spend a bit more time out of Tokyo not just going to Kyoto - Hiroshima, day trip to Himeji, Osaka, going into the mountains (Japanese Alps, Takayama, Mt Fuji, etc.), or even further away to get a feel of Japan. Tokyo is great but 10 days is too much IMO.

Camera gear is usually cheaper in HK (use price.com.hk to get an idea of prices and where to go) although you might have more choice of used stuff in Tokyo.

 

[Raymond Lin]

I'd definitely spend a bit more time out of Tokyo not just going to Kyoto - Hiroshima, day trip to Himeji, Osaka, going into the mountains (Japanese Alps, Takayama, Mt Fuji, etc.), or even further away to get a feel of Japan. Tokyo is great but 10 days is too much IMO.

Camera gear is usually cheaper in HK (use price.com.hk to get an idea of prices and where to go) although you might have more choice of used stuff in Tokyo.

I travelled half of Japan in 14 days, 18 days could do the same trip as mine with extra days in Kyoto, and Osaka. That’s probably better than 10 days in Tokyo.

 

[Rotty]

A week is a long time in Honkers!

sounds a bit long to me too

 

[Raymond Lin]

Hong Kong has a few tourist must do

Victoria Peak - go at sunset hour
Lady's Market - Night
Buddha - it's a half a day trip
10,000 buddhas - half a day trip
Time Sq / and the mall, a quick visit
A fishing village island perhaps
Din Tai Fung - Dim sum
Sky 100 - see Hong Kong from the other side
Festival Walk - see sky line at night
Harbour City - mall
Monk Kok - go here when you visit Lady's Market
Happy Valley Racing - only happens every other Wednesday night, you either time it right or you didn't.

There's probably 4 days of stuff there.

 

[wez130]

Thanks for the insight guys, i was planning on crossing into Shenzen anyway one day as it isn't far. I'm still deciding on an itenerary for Japan, watched a pretty good vlog last night too with loads of ideas.

 

[macuser]

Plenty to do in Hong Kong for a week....plus you can do Macau for a day.

Plus assuming you're a tech geek, you can nip over the border (you can get a Shenzhen visa at the border, no need for a full China one), and visit nerd mecca, the electronics market district and just generally get a taste of crazy times over there.

Any more info. on this? Struggling finding anything on Google?!?!. Thanks

 

[Raymond Lin]

Thanks for the insight guys, i was planning on crossing into Shenzen anyway one day as it isn't far. I'm still deciding on an itenerary for Japan, watched a pretty good vlog last night too with loads of ideas.

You will probably need a VISA to visit China, it might not be worth with the cost and hassle for just a day visit.

I have also seen that Super Vlog for Japan, it’s good, but he was with a tour group so not sure if that is something you plan to do? The places he went to seems to be a bit more less touristy, obviously most tourists in Japan travel by train as they are convenient and not many will drive so if you are in a bus you will probably get to places less people go to. That’s an advantage but the downside is obviously less flexibility.

Hong Kong I wouldn’t do tour group, the entire place can be access by MTR or taxi if needs be, both are cheap, Uber has a presence in HK (not Japan). Buses are super cheap if you know where to go (Google Map is your friend), but MTR and Taxi is all you need. P.s….to get up to Victoria Peak, it can work out cheaper to get a taxi instead of the tram. Just go, see a place, leave and move on.

 

[mid_gen]

Any more info. on this? Struggling finding anything on Google?!?!. Thanks

First step, take the MTR up to Lo Wu on the China border (45 minutes or so....nice views see the side of Hong Kong that most people miss, it's lovely and green up north, you go through Sha Tin where I used to work):

https://www.google.de/maps/dir/Hung...3554d62126!2m2!1d114.1133531!2d22.5281007!3e3

You can then buy a 5-day Shenzen visa at the border (you don't need to apply in advance), there's a little form to fill out (takes 5 minutes), you take a number, hand it in at a window with your passport. A few minutes later they call your number and you go pay your money and get your passport back with your Shenzen visa. There's signage and forms in English, it's not difficult.

Then you can go stroll over the border (amazing how different the China side is). Immediately on your right as you walk out into the plaza there's a big 4-5 story market that sells loads of knockoff clothes, sunglasses, watches etc. There's also tailors and suchlike....the quality is actually pretty good if you shop around, but you will need to haggle like crazy to get a good price.

Then for the electronics markets, follow signs for the underground system, and take the subway to Huaqing North. It's all very clean and modern and signs are in english. Just buy a little token at the ticket machine and use it in the barriers.

https://www.google.de/maps/dir/Luoh...c0a9f02af1ce!2m2!1d114.086765!2d22.540472!3e3

Then behold electronics mecca....all the blocks in the area are electronics related markets, some specialised for certain things like photography.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPN30kDjPGw

 

[macuser]

Brilliant, thanks.