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Food has deep meaning in Chinese culture and is of great significance to the colourful and grandiose festivals celebrated by people of East Asian descent all over the world. Each of the major and minor holidays during the year is intrinsically connected with special dishes that are essential to eat during the celebrations.
Perhaps the most well known of these holidays is Chinese New Year which is celebrated during January or February each year depending on the lunar calendar. It can be quite noisy at this time of year as anyone who has lived near any East or South East Asian community knows because of the abundant number of firecrackers set off during this time to which are believed to drive away evil spirits.
Many foods eaten during the New Year are said to bring good luck, symbolise togetherness and long life and always should be presented whole on the table, such as whole fish and chicken. Noodles are also eaten during New Year celebrations and should be made as long as possible as they represent a long and prosperous life.
The next big celebration is the Dragon Boat festival, which marks the time for Dragon Boat races whose participants range from amateurs to professional teams that compete in big cities around the world. The must-have delicacy during this festival is ‘zongzi’, a glutinous rice dumpling flavoured with different ingredients depending on the local custom before being wrapped and cooked in a banana leaf.
The dumpling eating history of this festival revolves around a famous poet named Qu Yuan. It is said he ended his life by jumping into a river because of great sorrow and disillusionment he felt in response to the corruption that he saw happening all around him. After his death legend says all the villagers threw rice into the river to tempt the river dragons to eat the rice and save his spirit from being devoured. His sacrifice caused the country to begin a period of reflection and a long period of peace followed. To commemorate his death, villagers began making the rice dumplings or ‘zongzi’ during the time of the anniversary of Qu Yuan’s sacrifice, which later became known as the Dragon Boat festival and this is why ‘zongzi’ are still eaten to this day.
Booking flights and accommodation during either of these major festivals can be challenging due to their popularity, but if you can make it out there, the experience is extremely rewarding. Visiting a city like Hong Kong, Beijing, Taipei, or any other cities in the far-east during one of these festivals is well worth doing as the sights, sounds, food and mingling with the local people is sure to provide an authentic experience.
If you wish to find a hotel in Hong Kong or accommodation elsewhere it is best to book early if you’re contemplating a visit to the far-east during festival-time. Many people in the region will also be travelling around festival time but if bookings are arranged in advance it is possible to find cheap flights and accommodation and experience a true taste of the Orient.
Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland. His interests include travelling and hiking.
We’d all love to spend weeks and weeks exploring an exotic city, but sadly most families only have a week or two a year when they can go on holiday together. Hong Kong is an ideal city to visit in a short period of time with your family, as there are lots of sights to keep you all busy.
The first stop should be the magnificent views you can see from the Star Ferry, originally the only way to cross from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. It is an incredibly cheap and fun thing to do for the whole family and, if you get the chance, try to take the ferry in both the day and evening as both views of the city skyline are spectacular.
To get a different perspective on Hong Kong head to the top of Mount Victoria. Mount Victoria is the imposing mountain on Hong Kong Island, and luckily there is a tram to take you to what is locally known as ‘the peak’. The tourist trade is big up there, so keep your little ones away from the souvenir shops if you can. Also, take a packed lunch as most eateries are expensive.
There are some nice walks on the peak as well, although they can be extensive. It is best to walk for some distance and then turn around, or you’ll find yourself being inundated by complaints from your kids. The walks are all paved so they are perfect for pushchairs.
Once you descend from the heights of the peak, the kids can let off some steam in Hong Kong Park. One of the entrances is just across the road from the base station of the tram. Hong Kong Park is the perfect place for a game of chase and to explore while mum and dad have a quiet stroll. One of the highlights for most kids is the fountain you can play in. This is especially popular in the heat of summer when children feel the need to get wet head to toe. So a good tip, if you are heading to Hong Kong Park, would be to pack a change of clothes for your wee ones.
Another highlight of Hong Kong Park are the innumerable small ponds. Each pond is packed full of carp and, would you believe, turtles!
Getting there needn’t be a stress either. To make it easier for your kids, book your flights to Hong Kong so that it leaves in the evening. This will give them a better chance of sleeping, and you a better chance of some movie watching, on the long-haul flight. As you can see, Hong Kong with your kids can be an exciting and interesting journey with lots to keep everyone entertained.
The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.
Having spent over two-and-a-half straight years in the Chinese mainland without leave, it was with both anticipation and apprehension that I recently crossed the southern border into Asia’s wealthiest city.
Despite its one-stop-shopping popularity with Mainland expats needing new clothes and a new visa, I truly had no idea what to expect in the former crown colony that supposedly makes even rich men feel poor. Rather terrified of exacting reverse culture shock, I hence saved English-speaking Hong Kong and its “One Country, Two Systems” self for the tail end of my journey across the 32 Chinese provinces.
And it is here I report that all my preconceptions and fears about Hong Kong were… true. To quote the under-appreciated American writer Thomas A. Carter (me!) upon his brief sojourn in the legendary Chinese city, “I’ve never felt more poor than when I was in Hong Kong… I’ve never felt more ugly than when I was in Hong Kong.”
DAY 1: Cross the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border at Louhu and catch the immaculate KCR railway, immediately impressed that nobody is staring, shoving or spitting. Arrive in Kowloon’s southern peninsula and emerge from the underground into the land of lights – Tsim Sha Tsui. Blinded with excitement, I have to ask a resplendent group of Indian women draped in saris where the Mirador Mansion is. They point their gold-ringed fingers straight up. A towering, rust-stained concrete block, and one of Hong Kong’s only affordable accommodations. I check in to a claustrophobic dorm room (three times the price of a Mainland dorm and three times as small), then hit Nathan Road. Peering up into the neon lights, tripping in the crush of the crowds, I feel just like a migrant worker back in Beijing.
DAY 2: Awoken at 6am by one of my bunkmates stumbling in after a long night. His name is Pat, a young American backpacker with long red hair whose introduction is immediately followed by a long-winded narrative about his two-week romps in Hong Kong, including scoring with the mythical “Asian girls who LOOOVE foreign guys.” When I counter that I never had any such luck, the fast-talking but likeable Pat proffers some off-the-cuff advise (“Dude, lose the beard”) before launching into more useful information. “It’s Sunday, okay, and there’s gonna be, like, 120,000 Filipino nannies and maids on their only day off – and looking for boyfriends!” I’m a little dubious of Pat’s generalizations, but sure enough his mobile rings continuously with calls from adoring cleaning ladies he met the Sunday before. An afternoon stroll around Statue Square indeed reveals a literal blanket of thousands of picnicking South Asian women (Hong Kong’s largest migrant communities) whose collective chatter sounds just like a large flock of seagulls. When I attempt to candidly photograph one attractive young Filipino, she shouts “Hey! I klick jor ass!” So much for getting a date.
DAY 3: Fieldtrip to Shek O beach on Hong Kong Island’s south side, savoring the soft sand and splashing in the subtropical South China Sea. Supposedly this place is packed out on the weekend, but that’s what weekdays are for, no? It’s one of those moments when I enjoy being unemployed. Chase my fun in the sun with a tram ride up Victoria Peak for a breathtaking evening vista of skyscrapers, which appear to be constructed entirely out of lights. Dafnit, an Israeli girl clearly in awe of the Hong Kong skyline, remarks, “We have no tall buildings in Israel. Oh wait… we have one!”
DAY 4: Spend the day traversing Kowloon, the fashion billboards of TST turning into seedy massage parlor billboards as I descend northwest down the Nathan Road side streets, the sun lost behind precipices of neon signs stretching horizontally over the streets. The markets of Mong Kok are mobbed with uniformed students on lunch break: long-haired boys with untucked white shirts and loosened ties, and made-up girls in little outfits out of a Japanese kogal/hentai fantasy: knee-high black stockings, short skirts and a Louis Vuitton bag to carry their pencils and books. They have tattoos, tongue piercings and smoke cigarettes. After commenting that they are the hippest students in China I’ve seen, one 15-year-old boy replies in perfect English, “Yes, so cool, but so young.”
DAY 5: I want to see how the other half lives and spend the day in Central, Hong Kong Island’s microcosm of capitalism. Cross Victoria Harbor by the centuries-old Star Ferry through a morning miasma of pollution and follow white-collared crowds of businessmen contending with cell phones, briefcases and lattés into their respective skyscrapers. Later observe as many women shopping in designer department stores – these must be the wives. I notice that they all clutch their purses as I walk by, then realize why as I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflective fa?ade of the Bank of China tower. My head cast down in self-consciousness, I almost get rolled over by a Rolls (driving on the wrong side of the road, damn Brits!), then almost again by a double-decker cable car. Everyone in Central must be against me. My insecurities are firmed up that evening in Lan Kwai Fong, a gentrified neighborhood of upscale restaurants and bars on the Island’s northern escarpment. The steep streets are congested with young, well-to-do westpats toasting yet another successful day of money -making. I can’t believe there are so many white people in China who aren’t English teachers! They are all smartly dressed and have well-groomed hair; I am wearing cutoff army pants, low-top fake Converse, an eight year old t-shirt that I bought used, nor have I shaved or cut my locks in the eight months I’ve been on the road. I want to belong, but I don’t. It’s one of those moments when I regret being unemployed.
DAY 6: I give the Island another chance and take the night ferry across the harbor to the north end’s older and seedier nightspot, the infamous Wan Chai. Recall it is where Richard Mason penned his 1950’s tale of forbidden love, “The World Of Suzie Wong,” though a lot has changed since he wrote “take a minute’s stroll from the center and you won’t see a European.” The pick-up bars still line the road, yum-yum girls luring passersby into their neon-lit dens, but these are the illegitimate daughters of Suzie Wong, not of Chinese but Thai dissent, wearing not elegant silk cheongsams but cheap miniskirts raised to immodest heights. And unlike the kindly ladies of the Nam Kok Hotel, these modern-day working girls are vicious, mercenary, cold. When a group of obviously disappointed white boys emerge from one venue exclaiming, “In Thailand they take off ALL their clothes,” the brown-skinned door girl in plastic go-go boots is quick to shout back, “Then go to Thailand!” Further down Lockhart I follow a couple of older Europeans primed with drink and flirting heavily with a lovely bouquet of girls looking for generous company. After making their arrangements, one of the men leans on me and confides, “Wy mife, I mean my wife, thinks I’m *HICCUP* at a conference.” The remaining girls give this poor writer a cursory glance then quickly cross the street away from me.
DAY 7: I wake up feeling dejected and classless; the expatriates of Central don’t want me, nor do the waterfront girls of Wan Chai. Take a stroll around TST, passing by friendly knots of third-world hustlers hanging out in front of the Chungking Mansions, the immigrant ghetto of Kowloon that serves as temporary living quarters for Hong Kong’s financially insolvent émigrés. A street corner tout from Kashmir says to me “The Mansions is where anyone not wearing pastel shorts or a suit stay.” I realize this mad cauldron of multiculturalism is the only place I truly feel at home in Hong Kong. The Africans on the never-quiet front steps always high-five me, the Pakistanis all think I’m Muslim (must be the beard), and the Indians bat their eyelashes at me. The Chungking Mansions are the international haunt for anyone who is no one, and I am one of them. It is a peasant’s epiphany – in Hong Kong, I am the ‘nongmin.’
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TOM CARTER is the author of ‘CHINA: Portrait of a People,’ a definitive 600-page book of photography due out winter 2007 from Hong Kong publisher Blacksmith Books.
Al though the UK’s sovereignty of Hong Kong lasted in 1997 when it handed over Hong Kong to Chinese rule after decades of prosperous as well as energetic colonial existence, the trade relationship between both the nations still continues.
In fact, Hong Kong plays a dominant role in the expansion of the Sino-British business relationships. This in turn has encouraged many leading British business firms to set up their offices in Hong Kong as well as to work in association with counterparts in the special administrative region in order to tap the huge potentials of the country.
Since laws including business and real estate laws in Hong Kong are modeled in the form of English law, it has attracted many Europeans to invest in Hong Kong properties and businesses. Additionally, as a tourist destination, Hong Kong draws many holidaymakers, particularly westerners such as Europeans and Americans, with its diverse range of attractions covering Victoria Peak with its much famed Peak Tram, Mongkok, Central District, Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront, Repulse Bay, Disney Land, Ocean Park, and much more.
Traveling Hong Kong to London and vice versa has never been so easy. The introduction of budget airlines has revolutionized the concept of air travel. Many of the major airline services in Hong Kong provide budget air travel facilities.
Al though economical, these long-haul airlines provide in-flight services, such as, enhanced on-board service, restaurant style dining services, cozy blankets for a relaxing sleep, headset for noise elimination, and channels displaying latest Hollywood movies. On-board facilities also include luxurious ultra modern seats, superb interiors, variety of snacks from sandwiches to noodles, excellent entertainment facilities in the form of personal television in every passenger seat, and features to facilitate communication.
Some airlines even provide delicious complimentary meals. The meals available in-flight are prepared according to the dietary requirements of passengers. Also, special meals are prepared on demand for kids and infants. In addition, special facilities are also made available for those suffering from any kind of ailments or requiring immediate medical facilities. Since many of the leading airline work as per the Flight Standards and Airworthiness Division of the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, this ensures utmost safety and security.
Further, some airlines even provide duty free services by featuring a variety of top-rated products covering fragrances for men and women, cosmetic as well as skin care items, jewelry, kids’ items, chocolates, travel accessories, and beverages. Above all, these airlines provide special services to elderly passengers, pregnant passengers, people with infants, hearing and speech impaired passengers, allergic passengers, passengers requiring walking assistance, unaccompanied children as well as flying mum, and visually impaired passengers.
All these airlines have in their fleet most modern aircrafts such as 747-400 aircrafts. They are serviced by some of the world’s most popular engineering companies such as the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Ltd.
Many of them provide passengers to choose from two types of seats such as business class seats and economic class seats, as well as four types of airfares including Flexi fare, Value Fare, which is semi-flexible and refundable, Super Saver, which is semi flexible and non refundable, and hot deal fare. Business class seats’ fares are usually inclusive of access to top class facilities and services, deluxe meals with a choice of Asian or Western menu, and comfortable seats. When comes to economic fares, they cover personal TVs, music programs, hot meals, and relaxing seats.
No matter it is business seats or economy seats, these airlines provides opportunities to make bookings in advance and that too online in order to travel from Hong Kong International Airport to London Gatwick Airport. Aside these, there are some airlines that offer some kind of deals when make bookings during a particular period of a year. Likewise, these airlines provide some kind of discounts and deals during certain seasons such as Christmas and New Year.
Many people choose to spend package holidays in China. With a long and fascinating history, China offers beautiful art and architecture, a thriving and interesting culture, varied regional cuisine and more. International travel has become easier than ever with many international flights available in the UK, even allowing for direct London Hong Kong flights, flights to Shanghai, China or cheap flights to Beijing. With the coming Olympic Games in 2008, many people are considering Beijing 2008 travel options, including flights from UK to Beijing. Whether you plan a holiday to see the Beijing 2008 Olympics or to see the Great Wall of China, a visit to China is sure to be remembered for a lifetime.
Booking China travel is easier than you might think, but does come with some complexities. While you can find a cheap flight to China or cheap flights to Hong Kong, a travel service may be able to help you with visas and other needs for your trip. Online sites can help you find the best options as far as a cheap flight to China. Tour groups to China are also available and typically include your flights to Shanghai or London to Hong Kong flights as needed. Local Chinese business resources may also help you find cheap flights to Hong Kong or flights to Shanghai. You may wish to plan your travel well away from typical Chinese holidays, as flights and lodging may be at a premium at these times.
Visitors to China from the UK may be travelling on their gap year, as a chance to experience a different culture, may be returning home to the land of their ancestors, or can simply be touring this beautiful and historic country. There are some must visit sites on your China travel excursion. Nearly all visitors to China will want to see the Great Wall of China. If you have taken one of the many flights from UK to Beijing, you should be sure to visit the Forbidden Palace and Summer Palace in the city. Both are astonishingly beautiful, and offer excellent examples of traditional Chinese art and architecture. Flights from the UK to Beijing allow you to see many of China’s most popular sites quite easily. If you have taken a flight to Shanghai, you may find the western colonial architecture of the Bund interesting. If you have opted for a London Hong Kong flight, you can see the interesting island, which blends east and west in its own unique style. You can even make a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland. English is widely spoken in Hong Kong, but less so on mainland China, so do prepare yourself for possible communication difficulties, and consider hiring an interpreter if needed to make your China travel go smoothly.
If your China travel is spiritually motivated, you may wish to visit some of the many exquisite temples in China. The Grand Buddha at Leshan (Sichuan Province) is the largest Buddha in the world, at 71m high. The Buddha is carved into a cliff face overlooking the meeting of the Dadu and Min Rivers. The Labrang Monastery in Xiahe is a centre of Tibetan culture in China, and may be of interest to many people on their China holidays. Many of China’s mountains are considered sacred, and the 1,500-year-old Yungang Grottoes near Datong in Sichuan Province may allow you to experience both the mountains and the art of China. There are more than 51K Buddhist carvings in the recesses and caves that cover the mountain-sides in the Yangang Valley.
If you know you wish to visit a specific site in China, you may wish to take that into consideration when booking your flight. China is a large country, and can be difficult to navigate, particularly in rural areas.
Visitors should be aware that some areas in China, particularly Tibet, are closed to tourists and foreigners unless special permission is attained. You may be wise to consult a travel service if you wish to travel widely through rural China. Tours are available that provide transportation and interpretation services into less visited areas of China, and may be a wise choice unless you are particularly adventurous when you travel. A tour may also help you to book a cheap flight to China or help you find flights from the UK to Beijing.
Many visitors travel to China from the UK each year and flights to Shanghai, cheap flights to Beijing and London Hong Kong flights can all be booked to allow you to visit this beautiful country. China travel is less difficult and less expensive than you might expect. The Beijing 2008 Olympics will bring a great many visitors to China, and the government is working to prepare for this influx. If you are looking for a cheap flight to China, book well in advance, and travel outside of typical holiday times.
China package holidays Tel: 08700 490002 or +44 (0)1780 484824 Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm or Sat – Sun 10am – 4pm Our staff are multilingual and very friendly with many years of experience.
Christmas is fast approaching. All of you may be weaving some kind of specialties and gifts to delight your dear ones during the Christmas. Some category of people such as those who are studying or working in offshore places may be anxiously waiting to visit their native place and celebrate Christmas with their loved ones, while some may be planning to tour a unique destination outside their home towns to celebrate Christmas this time.
Whatever your choice or requirement may be, an array of options are available to travel around happily and that too for exceptionally cheap flight rates.
Formerly a crown colony of the British, Hong Kong has now become one of the world’s most intriguing destinations. Despite its natural surroundings and an array of attractions spread over its four prominent regions such as the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories, and the Outlying Islands, Hong Kong’s glory and fame is not only as a favorite tourist spot. But, it also boasts of a great atmosphere for education purposes as well as to conduct businesses.
No wonder why many people from across the world such as Canada, the UK, and the US, comfortably function their businesses here. Likewise, many children also study here, the evidence for which is a great number of international schools that operate here. In addition, many Hong Kong natives also work and study in other prominent locations across the world such as Vancouver and London.
Understanding the growing importance as well as close relationship of Hong Kong with other destinations such as Canada, the UK, and the US, many of the major as well as leading airlines in the destination provide superb services to fly to and from Hong Kong to the world’s other prominent locations and that too for superb rates.
Now the flight rates have been even slashed since it is holiday season and Christmas is nearing. Based in Kowloon, Hong Kong, Hong Kong International Airport, also known as Chek Lap kok Airport, is one of the busiest in the world, with more than 600 take-offs and landings each day. According to certain records, it catered to more than 45 million passengers during 2006.
Since it is festive occasion and many people from western nations flock here during Christmas, some airlines providing superb value packages to visit and experience the incredibility of the destination. Usually, these packages are categorized into standard, deluxe, and family. Included in the standard packages are economy flights and accommodation in quality hotels.
Deluxe packages cover traveling in business class flights and accommodation in one of the most sophisticated hotels. As in the case of standard, family packages are inclusive of economic flights and accommodation in budget family hotels.
In addition, many of the established airline companies provide opportunities for the people to travel to and fro Hong Kong for half of the original rates during festive seasons like Christmas. This in turn allows passengers to enjoy all the superb on board comforts for relatively cheap rates. You can further enjoy the full benefits of budget travel during Christmas, provided you are ready to do some home work.
In order to not to get disappointed, it is advisable to make bookings early before two weeks or a month before the date you are planning to depart. This allows not only to enjoy the discounts that are available during the Christmas but also the benefits derived as a result of advanced booking.
It would be also better if you take some time to browse through the internet and compare the rates charged by different airline companies, which in turn enables you to choose a service provider offering most competitive rates. Additionally, it would be even beneficial and cost-effective if you make bookings online, since it may costs you much when you make bookings via a travel agency or book directly with an airline.
Located in the southern coast of the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong is an ideal place for travel and tourism. Hong Kong is a great place where the east and the west meet together. There is an apparent reflection in the cultural amalgamation of various cultures at Hong Kong, making this place a melting pot of different cultures. Such a nice city is sure to attract tourists. There are many hotels and restaurants in Hong Kong. These hotels and restaurants offer interesting facilities for a comfortable stay. The hotel booking in Hong Kong may be made in the following ways:
Internet option: You can make the booking from the Internet. At present that is the best option. You can check with the Internet about the availability of the hotels and make the booking accordingly. Internet is flanked with numerous accommodation providers. They provide information on the hotel amenities and the availability at present. While you make you ticket booking it is advisable to make the booking for the hotels in Hong Kong as well. If you make an advanced booking then there will be no possibility of failure. Often the tourists return disappointed from the hotels since they are saturated. In order to avoid this, make your booking before hand.
Travel agents/ agencies: There are numerous travel agents and you can take their help while making a hotel booking in Hong Kong. There are many travel agents in every corner of the world. They can help you to make your flight booking as well. They can also provide you with valuable information regarding the climatic condition of the place, what to wear there, how to deal with the people out there, what foods are available nearby and what is the cost of living over there. Therefore if you consult a travel agent you will have full knowledge about the place and also about the people who stay there.
Direct call: You can make the hotel booking in yet another way. You can call up the hotel managers to make a booking for a room. They may ask you for an advance and for that you can use Internet banking to forward the money. If the advance is paid, then your booking will be ready. You will get the room when you arrive at the hotel. Direct call has many advantages. It does not require any extra money; neither does it require you to book through an agent.
Hong Kong, a territory in Southern china, is one of the most notable financial capitals of the world. The city is well known for its expansive skyline as well as for its natural setting the city has also become a cultural hub. The city boasts a cosmopolitan culture where the east joins hands with the west. Hong Kong is regularly visited by a number of business tourists who come to the city to attend business meetings and conferences. Apart from that, the city is also a well known destination for leisure tourists who want to see this amazing city with elaborate skyline and beautiful natural setting. There are a number of Hong Kong hotels where both the business tourists as well as leisure tourists can have a comfortable accommodation.
Whether you are a business tourists or a leisure traveler you are sure to find a wide range of Hong Kong Hotels according to your budget and preferences. There is a wide array of luxury hotels in Hong Cong where you can get all the luxurious modern amenities along with oriental hospitality. But if you do not want to spend much on accommodation you can also opt for any of the cheap hotels in the city. In any of the budget hotels in Hong Kong you are sure to have a comfortable stay with all the necessary amenities. You can also opt for discount hotel booking and save some money. You will also find a good number of business hotels in the city that offer a number of specialized services to the business tourists in the city.
As Hong Kong is a well known tourist destination you need to make an early hotel booking. With the modern technology, hotel booking worldwide has become an easy task. Now you can opt for online hotel booking sitting at the cozy comfort of your home.
If you want to have a close look at the culture and traditions of Hong Kong then the Hong Kong museum for arts is the place to go. The middle Kingdom is a place where you can see a prominent Chinese influence with Chinese temples, shrines, palaces and street scenes. It is almost like a little China at the heart of Hong Kong. The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is also a great place to visit. You will see Lord Buddha in different postures and shapes in this monastery.
A trip to Latau Island is a delightful experience for any marine lover. Here you can see the pink dolphins diving in the bay. Another popular tourist destination for the lovers of the water kingdom is Ocean Park, the giant oceanarium situated at the Lowlands Gardens. If you love to beat the heat with some water sports then Water World is the ideal destination for the same. If you love to have some fun with your favorite animated characters, then you are sure to have a great time at Hong Kong Disneyland. For the outdoor activities you should head straight to Lamma Island. If you love shopping then the central district in Hong Kong is the ideal place for you. The area houses a number of shopping malls and market areas. The vast skyline of the city is also one of the popular attractions among the tourists.
While visiting Hong Kong do not forget to visit these amazing places. You are sure to make some of the most memorable moments of your life at Hong Kong.
Set in Oriental Asia, the beautiful territory of Hong Kong is a wonderful fusion of eastern and western ethnicity. A favored destination for people from all across the world, Hong Kong is much like an expansion of mini China in Manhattan. The city is niche and specially designed for those, who are rolling with money; hence, you might face problems while looking for a budget accommodation here. However, some measures are taken out in Hong Kong to assist all those, who enter here on a tight budget. Nowadays, you will be able to find out cheap hotels in Hong Kong without any major hassle.
The city is famed for its high-occupancy and an evergreen tourism temptation. If you are looking for a low season to flock in Hong Kong and get benefited by a lower hotel-rate then you will find none, as it is always on high. Instead, price goes high during special events and Chinese festive season. To get a waiver in rates in Hong Kong hotels, you must get your bookings done prior to reaching here, as a last-minute booking always invokes the price. Hong Kong hotels are almost full through out the year; therefore, if you are thinking to book a budget room after landing in the city, you must be ready for a hard task.
Though, it is very difficult to locate cheap hotels in Hong Kong, an assistance of booking agent can be beneficial. You will find an ample of such agents in the city. A detailed googling (comprehensive search on internet) can also help you in your endeavor to find out a best value hotel. To get a less expensive hotel out here, you must know the art of traversing, as almost every hotel in Hong Kong is supposed to be negotiable. Trotters, who have planned to relish the enchantments of the place for more days, can get better relinquishments, as good discounts are given for a booking made for more than a week. Discounts are also available on a large-scale booking. (While negotiating for rates in Hong Kong Hotels, you must act wise, as this can bring a price waiver up to 25%).
Still you are in the queue and could not avail an accommodation in cheap hotels in Hong Kong… you can look forward to get a room in youth hostel or guest houses. Nevertheless, there are numbers of eerie lore linked with such lodgings but many of them are just rumors. Hong Kong youth hostel federations, YMCA are supposed to be the best-valued tourist housings in the city; these are taken as new incarnation of budget hotels in Hong Kong. At the end of the day, you have availed budget lodging in Hong Kong but it was completely tiresome; hence, to avoid such irksome go for an advance booking.
Just a little research time spent online, checking daily newspapers or your local travel agent will show you that finding flights from London to Hong Kong at a reasonable price is easy. China travel opportunities and cheap Flights are available from both the major London airports. Whether you want to fly from Gatwick or Heathrow, it is now easy to find flights from London to Hong Kong.
How and when you travel is largely reliant on your budget. If you want to go first-class during the month of August, or around Christmas time, then you need a high budget. However, there are flights from London or Hong Kong for even the tightest of budgets.
A direct flight from London to Hong Kong will take around 12 hours, flying direct. This is a long haul flight, and travellers should make sure that they take items with them that will make the journey as comfortable as possible. However, be sure to check the local hand luggage rules in force at the time that you intend to travel.
Once you arrive in Hong Kong, there are many things to see and do that will suit all tastes and purses. Hotels in Hong Kong range from expensive 5 star luxury in the heart of the city, to more moderate accommodation more suited to a smaller budget on the outskirts. At off peak times, many hotels offer substantial discounts, so check to see what is available at the time you book your flights from London to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is one of the cities that never sleep, but if you find that the noise and hustle and bustle proves too much for you, there are other alternatives. When you book your flights from London to Hong Kong, look for excursions to some of the smaller islands around the city. Here you will find a quieter pace of life with time to unwind and enjoy the scenery. Finding cheap flights to Hong Kong is a simple process and you’ll have little difficulty finding a great deal.
A boat trip to the island territory of Lantau will show you a different part of China than the cosmopolitan Hong Kong. On this island you can see the very last surviving fishing village, complete with its aluminium stilt houses. Lantau is also the home of the famous bronze Buddha.
If you fancy a walking China holiday, then try the Lantau Peak trek, which is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong city. If the trek seems too much for you, then take a boat trip and go pink dolphin spotting. Or take in some culture in the New Territories with the traditional walled villages.
The majority of people book their flights from London to Hong Kong with a view to experiencing the fast pace of Hong Kong itself. The shopping is second to none, and although there may not be the rock bottom bargains of the past available, but there are still bargains to be had. Many people buy silk to bring home with them, to be made into luxurious garments.
The variety of food available in Hong Kong is vast. The Chinese believe that all food should not only satisfy your hunger, but should bring joy to all the senses. The food in Hong Kong is no different.
When eating in Hong Kong, it is possible to find most of the cuisines of the world in a single street. From the street side vendors to five star restaurants, there is sure to be something for everyone. Remember that lunchtime is one of the busiest times with literally hundreds of workers looking for somewhere to eat, so it is best to avoid eating at this time.
Booking flights from London to Hong Kong can provide a gateway to experiencing the rest of China. A China holiday with the Olympics being held in Beijing 2008 is perfect for any vacation, and you may want to combine the trip with some travel throughout the country. Or you may decide to use your flight to Hong Kong as an opportunity to take in some of the many tourist attractions that China has to offer.
The most well-known tourist attraction in China must be the Great Wall of China. However there are many other things to see in the vast country and many travellers have been delighted with what they find when they venture off the beaten track a little. If you intend to do this, then it is wise to make sure you have the relevant maps and information.
All of China has a deep spiritual element, with a variety of religions being practised. In Hong Kong, it is possible to step from a busy street into a quiet temple that seems like another world. Many travellers have sought sanctuary in the peace and quiet of such places.
Booking your flights from London to Hong Kong provides any traveller with a gateway to another land that will surprise and enthral them. It is worth considering this destination as a full day stop over when travelling even further abroad. Whatever your intentions, booking flights from London to Hong Kong has never been easier.
Flights London to Hong Kong Tel: 08700 490002 or +44 (0)1780 484824 Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm or Sat – Sun 10am – 4pm or visit or for general travel enquiries visit Jigsaw Conferences Travel Our staff are multilingual and very friendly with many years of experience.
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