Topic Wiki

Hong Kong Island:
Things to do:
-Victoria Peak (tram),
-Ngong Ping 360 Glass bottom cable car (big Buddha),
-Downtown area
-Pink dolphin watching
-Ozone  Bar
-Tailors (Jantzen, tai panin admiraltyi cntr)
-Big Bus Tour
-Star ferry to Kowloon

Kosher Grocery Stores:
KosherMart On Hong Kong Island in the JCC
Kosher Original in Kowloon

Where to eat:
JCC Sunday night buffet can't be missed.
JCC Pizza - (Not open in the Summer)
Seven Zero - Dairy Resturant in the JCC
JCC Chinese
Shalom grill restaurant reported permanently closed by Mech
Shalom grill kosher market

Places to stay:
Grand Hyatt hotel
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Four Seasons

Kowloon:
Things to do:
-8:00pm Laser show
-Ladies market
-Ave. of stars- pier
-Museums (science, space)
-Diamond hill- nan lian garden/chi Lin nunnery
-Big Bus Tour
-Star ferry to Hong Kong Island
-Drinks at Felix (Peninsula Hotel)
-Drinks in the Lobby (Intercontinental Hotel)


Only place to eat:
Mul Hayam Restaurant at Kehilat Zion (Breakfast is now $100 HKD)

Places to stay:
The W Hotel - Great Hotel but far from Synagogues
Grand Stamford Intercontinental Hotel - next to Chabad (for Shabbos),
Intercontinental Hong Kong, Sheraton, Shangri la , Peninsula, Hyatt regency. (All these hotels are in great locations if you would like to be near KZ. You can also walk through the TST subway station to KZ from all these except IC Grand Stamford and Shangri La which is next door) 

Shuls
Kehilat Zion -Location: Unit 105, 1/F Wing On Plaza 62 Mody Road East Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon kzionhk@yahoo.com, or call: (852) 2366 6364 (office) or (852) 2368 0061
Chabad - Location:  67-71 Chatham Road, Oriental Centre 1/F Unit D, Tsim Sha Tsui  Telephone:  (852) 2366 5770  Mobile Tel.: (852) 9674 4450  Email: kowloon@chabadhk.org

Macau: (Ferry from hkg)
-Casinos (las Vegas style hotels),
-Curque like water show
-aj hachet tower (bungi)

-Disney

Lhasa:
Lake, pilgrims , culture

Airline Checkin Counters: Kowloon Station (below the W Hotel) to check your bags in. You then take the MRT straight to the airport (with just a couple of stops). It's super convenient and quick. You don't have to stay at the W to check in at Kowloon station though (and FWIW you can check in at Hong Kong station on HKI, too).


Trip reports:
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=1752.0
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=1070.0
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=3634.0
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=1548.msg22804#msg22804
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=2630.msg25855#msg25855
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=2630.msg25907#msg25907
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=2630.msg180625#msg180625
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=2630.msg264863#msg264863
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=2630.msg330403#msg330403
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=1885.msg17999#msg17999
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=25610.msg422555#msg422555
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=30766.0
« Last edited by davidmal on October 19, 2017, 04:21:17 AM »

Author Topic: Hong Kong Master Thread  (Read 402426 times)

Offline nobiggy

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1640 on: December 06, 2016, 05:42:35 PM »
If I land in HKG at 12:30 PM and depart at either 4:30 PM or 7:45 PM what can I do? Also I would need to get some food.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1641 on: December 06, 2016, 05:55:58 PM »
If I land in HKG at 12:30 PM and depart at either 4:30 PM or 7:45 PM what can I do? Also I would need to get some food.
If you want food leave at 7:45. 4 hours is quite tight to get to the city and back and have time for a meal. Once you're in the city you can go to Victoria Peak or just walk around HKI. If you don't go to the city go to Lantau Island near the airport.

Offline nobiggy

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1642 on: December 06, 2016, 06:41:59 PM »
If you want food leave at 7:45. 4 hours is quite tight to get to the city and back and have time for a meal. Once you're in the city you can go to Victoria Peak or just walk around HKI. If you don't go to the city go to Lantau Island near the airport.
How long does it take to go from HKG to the city?

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1643 on: December 06, 2016, 06:44:30 PM »
How long does it take to go from HKG to the city?
25-30 minutes after you get on the train.

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1644 on: December 07, 2016, 03:50:52 PM »
Latke: Please let us know how your dilemma resolved.

I am planning a trip to Hong Kong as well and booked the Sheraton in Kowloon. Wondering pros and cons of Shabbos meals at KZ vs. Chabad, as well as Shabbos davening.  Also, I read that Sheraton is "Shabbos friendly" but wonder how they accommodate. Do they accompany you to your room with a master key?

After spending Shabbos in Kowloon at the Popway Hotel here is what I can report:

I decided, based on input from here, that KZ was the place to be Friday night.  Davening was quite different than what I'm used to, as it's Edot Hamizrach- which means they say a VERY long Shir Hashirim, while the rest of davening is shortened (no kabbalat shabbat).  It still took over an hour.  It was a jewelry convention, so there were more people there than a plain Shabbos.  And too many talkers during the Rabbi's speech, which i found so disrespectful.  Met a few jewelry businessmen, but for the most part, the crowd was there for the food, and not too interested in social interaction.   If you've even eaten at the now closed Pardes in Brooklyn, you'll understand when I say the meal was served Pardes-style.  So many things kept coming out, but since each platter of food barely served the whole table, if you didn't take it as soon as it came out, it was gone.  There was sushi, 3 kinds of fish, gefilte fish, salads, soup, rice, chicken, veal?, and minute steak.  And more.  It was insane.  But not necessarily a good insane.  The food was spiced a little more Meditteranean than I would have liked- cinnamon on the chicken, for example.  And because it kept coming out every minute, I didn't have a chance to actually enjoy my meal because I kept having to take something or pass something.  I know, i know, it sounds like an odd complaint, but contrast that to my Chabad experience the next day, and you'll see why i much preferred Chabad.

Chabad:  Fast davening, no page numbers announced- this was not your trypical Chabad experience.  Davening moved along quite nicely (likely too fast for some) except for the auctioning of aliyot. 

Lunch was amazing.  Lovely assortment of salads (not only dips, salads like cucumber, egg, israeli, etc), all delicious.  2 kinds of kugel and chulent, all made by the Rabbi.  Very heimish.  Lovely dessert spread, including phenomenal fruit and cakes made by the Rebbetzin.  Nice brightly lit shul.  Great younger crowd, but again, this is because of the jewelry convention.  I was not there for Friday night, but heard they had a chef and a similar insane menu to KZ- I was sorry I missed it.

I went back for Mincha/Shalosh Seudos/Maariv to Chabad and it was very chill and relaxed. 

Chabad asked me to come for Minyan sunday morning (atypical but since the convention was there they were able to have a minyan for an avel)  I didn't commit, because hey it's 7am on sunday- I don't even to go to shul in the US, let alone a sunday morning haha.  Well, due to jetlag, I was up and went.  and they had an amazing breakfast!  All prepared fresh- Shakshuka, eggs, pita, israeli salad.  And the next day add tuna salad to that.  It was amazing and unexpected.  One newlywed was there on his honeymoon and an older gentlemen brought him containers and told to bring food back to his wife, and he did- how lovely!!

The difference between the two shuls were night and day.  At KZ, the food was fantastic and plentiful, and a required $75.  At Chabad, the food was also amazing, yet the warmth and the relaxed atmosphere, and the friendlier crowd are making me donate more than $75- I was that impressed.  They don't charge upfront, but it's expected you contribute.  And I will.

Before the trip, I read almost nothing about Chabad of Kowloon except that it was a Purim Seudah.  I had such reservations about going.   My experience couldn't have been any more amazing.  It was great, met some nice people, and the atmosphere was so much better than KZ. 

I hope this helps people on the fence about where to Daven/eat. 
« Last Edit: December 07, 2016, 03:58:09 PM by latke »

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1645 on: December 07, 2016, 07:33:02 PM »
I didn't have a chance to actually enjoy my meal because I kept having to take something or pass something.  I know, i know, it sounds like an odd complaint

, but contrast that to my Chabad experience the next day, and you'll see why i much preferred Chabad.
2 things
1. try to sit at the end of the table so your in no position to pass (i'm usually in the middle and don't mind)
2. Chabad Kowloon if you like it so much you should update the wiki with the information.
-DMC
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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1646 on: December 07, 2016, 07:55:35 PM »
After spending Shabbos in Kowloon at the Popway Hotel here is what I can report:

I decided, based on input from here, that KZ was the place to be Friday night.  Davening was quite different than what I'm used to, as it's Edot Hamizrach- which means they say a VERY long Shir Hashirim, while the rest of davening is shortened (no kabbalat shabbat).  It still took over an hour.  It was a jewelry convention, so there were more people there than a plain Shabbos.  And too many talkers during the Rabbi's speech, which i found so disrespectful.  Met a few jewelry businessmen, but for the most part, the crowd was there for the food, and not too interested in social interaction.   If you've even eaten at the now closed Pardes in Brooklyn, you'll understand when I say the meal was served Pardes-style.  So many things kept coming out, but since each platter of food barely served the whole table, if you didn't take it as soon as it came out, it was gone.  There was sushi, 3 kinds of fish, gefilte fish, salads, soup, rice, chicken, veal?, and minute steak.  And more.  It was insane.  But not necessarily a good insane.  The food was spiced a little more Meditteranean than I would have liked- cinnamon on the chicken, for example.  And because it kept coming out every minute, I didn't have a chance to actually enjoy my meal because I kept having to take something or pass something.  I know, i know, it sounds like an odd complaint, but contrast that to my Chabad experience the next day, and you'll see why i much preferred Chabad.

Chabad:  Fast davening, no page numbers announced- this was not your trypical Chabad experience.  Davening moved along quite nicely (likely too fast for some) except for the auctioning of aliyot. 

Lunch was amazing.  Lovely assortment of salads (not only dips, salads like cucumber, egg, israeli, etc), all delicious.  2 kinds of kugel and chulent, all made by the Rabbi.  Very heimish.  Lovely dessert spread, including phenomenal fruit and cakes made by the Rebbetzin.  Nice brightly lit shul.  Great younger crowd, but again, this is because of the jewelry convention.  I was not there for Friday night, but heard they had a chef and a similar insane menu to KZ- I was sorry I missed it.

I went back for Mincha/Shalosh Seudos/Maariv to Chabad and it was very chill and relaxed. 

Chabad asked me to come for Minyan sunday morning (atypical but since the convention was there they were able to have a minyan for an avel)  I didn't commit, because hey it's 7am on sunday- I don't even to go to shul in the US, let alone a sunday morning haha.  Well, due to jetlag, I was up and went.  and they had an amazing breakfast!  All prepared fresh- Shakshuka, eggs, pita, israeli salad.  And the next day add tuna salad to that.  It was amazing and unexpected.  One newlywed was there on his honeymoon and an older gentlemen brought him containers and told to bring food back to his wife, and he did- how lovely!!

The difference between the two shuls were night and day.  At KZ, the food was fantastic and plentiful, and a required $75.  At Chabad, the food was also amazing, yet the warmth and the relaxed atmosphere, and the friendlier crowd are making me donate more than $75- I was that impressed.  They don't charge upfront, but it's expected you contribute.  And I will.

Before the trip, I read almost nothing about Chabad of Kowloon except that it was a Purim Seudah.  I had such reservations about going.   My experience couldn't have been any more amazing.  It was great, met some nice people, and the atmosphere was so much better than KZ. 

I hope this helps people on the fence about where to Daven/eat. 
Great report.

Loved the food and social experience of Chabad on HKI so I'm not surprised that the Kowloon side was nice as well.
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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1647 on: December 13, 2016, 09:21:56 PM »
What is the best way to travel from Kowloon (e.g., Sheraton Hotel) to the restaurant at the JCC? How long does the trip take?

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1648 on: December 13, 2016, 09:27:11 PM »
What is the best way to travel from Kowloon (e.g., Sheraton Hotel) to the restaurant at the JCC? How long does the trip take?
Walk to ferry, walk along catwalks to Central Mid Escalators, take escalators to the top (Robinson Road), turn right and walk a few minutes. Total trip should be around 30-60 minutes depending on if you have to wait for the ferry, if the escalators are going up or down and how fast you walk.

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1649 on: December 14, 2016, 09:14:23 PM »
Walk to ferry, walk along catwalks to Central Mid Escalators, take escalators to the top (Robinson Road), turn right and walk a few minutes. Total trip should be around 30-60 minutes depending on if you have to wait for the ferry, if the escalators are going up or down and how fast you walk.

Great, detailed info, thx!  Do you happen to know about the Sunday evening meat buffet at the J.  Is it worth the money?

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1650 on: December 14, 2016, 09:19:30 PM »
Great, detailed info, thx!  Do you happen to know about the Sunday evening meat buffet at the J.  Is it worth the money?
No clue, but most say it's worth it. The dairy buffet for lunch was totally worth it.

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1651 on: December 15, 2016, 12:51:15 PM »
Walk to ferry, walk along catwalks to Central Mid Escalators, take escalators to the top (Robinson Road), turn right and walk a few minutes. Total trip should be around 30-60 minutes depending on if you have to wait for the ferry, if the escalators are going up or down and how fast you walk.

Thanks so much! We are a bit concerned about getting lost, and also will be traveling back at night after dinner, so would prefer if it were possible to just take a taxi door to door. Is that possible? Google Maps indicates that it's a 15 - 45 minute drive depending on time of day.

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1652 on: December 15, 2016, 12:55:25 PM »
Thanks so much! We are a bit concerned about getting lost, and also will be traveling back at night after dinner, so would prefer if it were possible to just take a taxi door to door. Is that possible? Google Maps indicates that it's a 15 - 45 minute drive depending on time of day.
yes its possible to take a taxi it should cost roughly $25 (US) each way
« Last Edit: December 15, 2016, 01:04:51 PM by mochjas »

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1653 on: December 15, 2016, 01:04:27 PM »
Thanks so much! We are a bit concerned about getting lost, and also will be traveling back at night after dinner, so would prefer if it were possible to just take a taxi door to door. Is that possible? Google Maps indicates that it's a 15 - 45 minute drive depending on time of day.
You can take a taxi, though I found it to be extremely easy if you have google maps walking directions navigation either on your phone or the Handy from the hotel. It's accurate and there are signs all over the place.

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1654 on: December 15, 2016, 01:07:38 PM »
You can take a taxi, though I found it to be extremely easy if you have google maps walking directions navigation either on your phone or the Handy from the hotel. It's accurate and there are signs all over the place.
Midday tends to have heavy traffic and paste to take the Star ferry if you're doing it at night it shouldn't be an issue to take a taxi although it might be faster to take a taxi to the ferry, Ferry and then Taxi again
-DMC
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it ~Ferris Bueller"

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1655 on: December 15, 2016, 01:17:36 PM »
Midday tends to have heavy traffic and paste to take the Star ferry if you're doing it at night it shouldn't be an issue to take a taxi although it might be faster to take a taxi to the ferry, Ferry and then Taxi again
Or just walk the last 2 blocks once back in Kowloon.

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1656 on: December 15, 2016, 01:21:46 PM »
Midday tends to have heavy traffic and paste to take the Star ferry if you're doing it at night it shouldn't be an issue to take a taxi although it might be faster to take a taxi to the ferry, Ferry and then Taxi again
you do t need to do that I had a taxi yake me straight from Jcc to Sheraton Kowloon

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1657 on: December 15, 2016, 01:22:46 PM »
you do t need to do that I had a taxi yake me straight from Jcc to Sheraton Kowloon
That means going thru the tunnel which could be heavily congested just check traffic then decide
-DMC
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it ~Ferris Bueller"

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1658 on: December 15, 2016, 01:27:38 PM »
Midday tends to have heavy traffic and paste to take the Star ferry if you're doing it at night it shouldn't be an issue to take a taxi although it might be faster to take a taxi to the ferry, Ferry and then Taxi again

Looks like an easy enough 9 minute walk from the Sheraton Hotel to the Star Ferry.  Is it easy to find a taxi at the Central Star Ferry Pier?
How much does the Ferry cost to the Central Star Ferry Pier, and how long does it take?   

Thanks!

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Re: Hong Kong Master Thread
« Reply #1659 on: December 15, 2016, 01:55:21 PM »
Looks like an easy enough 9 minute walk from the Sheraton Hotel to the Star Ferry.  Is it easy to find a taxi at the Central Star Ferry Pier?
How much does the Ferry cost to the Central Star Ferry Pier, and how long does it take?   

Thanks!

your best bet is star ferry then taxi from there. prob half the price and half the time. the ferry is about 1o min. make sure you take the first class  ;).

I took a train back from JCC. having no knowledge at all of how it works i somehow made it back to kowloon. go figure! just make sure you keep your ticket to leave the train station.