Top 10 Things to Do in Hong Kong

by Shane McDonald | Sep 10, 2020 | Travel

Top 10 Things to Do in Hong Kong

Hong Kong City Guide

I love Hong Kong. I have been there 5 times and every time I have learned something new about the city or tried a new experience there. There is a lot to do and see and there are many city guides out there but this is my guide to the things I like to experience in this amazing city – Hong Kong. One thing about Hong Kong is that it is easy to get overwhelmed when looking at guide books and travel guides, but in bite size pieces I have outlined the key things to see and do.

Getting To Hong Kong

Getting from Ireland/UK to Hong Kong is a bit of a trek. You can expect about 11-12 hours of a flight. This flight time maybe a bit more of you get routed more northerly or if your flight gets placed into a holding pattern while waiting to land. However, if you are in a holding pattern you will get to see some amazing sights of the boats in the bays around Hong Kong.

There are many airlines which fly to Hong Kong direct. The ones I have used include Cathay Pacific (Cathay is Very Highly Recommended), Qantas (Very Highly Recommended), Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. Other Airlines include Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Emirates, Swiss amongst others.

I very much recommend spending a bit more and enjoying Premium Economy if available. You will be on the flight quite a while so being comfortable is important. I never do long-haul now without Premium Economy!

Hotels and Staying in Hong Kong

Hotels in Hong Kong are plentiful. Many are 5* luxury hotels which are expensive and plush, such as The Langham and the Grand Hyatt. However, in the past, I have stayed in Ibis and Travelodge hotels which are basic but have all you need to rest during your visit to the city.

My Number 1 Go-To hotel in Hong Kong is always the Novotel Century Hotel which is located near Wan Chai. This hotel is within walking distance of the ferry pier, has access to the Tram system (the Ding Ding) where you can travel to Central for all your major transport needs. The key feature of this hotel which I really enjoy is the amazing Asian Buffet Breakfast. There is also an enjoyable roof-top swimming pool which is a real treat as it is outdoor and you can hear the sounds of the city and watch the aircraft fly overhead at night. Rates at the Novotel Century Hotel start at around €110/£100 low season and about €170/£155 in High Season per night. You will sleep very well here and you will be well fed at breakfast!

Believe it or not, I would prefer to stay here than in one of the plush hotels, purely because of the relaxed atmosphere, the excellent staff, great service, rooftop pool, comfy rooms and that amazing breakfast.

My Top 10 things to do in Hong Kong are listed below but are not really in any preferred order. Therefore, I have placed a ‘MUST DO‘ beside any ones which you really should do on a visit to Hong Kong.

1) Victoria Peak

This is a Must Do attraction on a visit to Hong Kong.

Victoria Peak is a hill overlooking Hong Kong. It is over 550m high, approx 1,800ft. You may also hear this area referred to as ‘The Peak’. This is one of the major tourist attractions in Hong Kong and you have a number of ways to get up here. You can take the Peak Tram which glides up the steep incline, you can take a taxi or bus, or if you feel very energetic you could walk (not recommended).

The Peak Tram is the best way to get here but be warned, queues could be anything up to 90 minutes in peak season.

It is worth coming here during the day just before sunset to see the view. Then, go get some food in one of the many restaurants. After night falls you have a different nighttime view of Hong Kong. It is a stunning view of an amazing city.

2) Tsim Sha Tsui

Tsim Sha Tsui is mainly known as being a shopping and nightlife district. The reason I include it is because there is so much to see an do along here. Some of the attractions below will require you to come back to this area of Hong Kong. You can get here by ferry if you are on the other side of the bay and it is very cheap, under €1 per trip to do so.

Really this is worthing coming to as an exploration. Visit the Harbour City shopping centre, big enough to suit most shoppers, or take a walk along Nathan Road where you will see major brand names including Canon, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and more. There are also lots of great local eateries in this area, so a good spot for lunch.

3) Symphony of Lights

This is a Must Do attraction on a visit to Hong Kong.

Normally Victoria Harbour looks wonderful at night, with the many skyscrapers lit up. However, the Symphony of Lights is a multimedia show which sets the harbour ablaze every night. This is one of the world’s most spectacular light shows. The Symphony of Lights has become one of the signature icons for Hong Kong as the buildings and skyscrapers on both sides of the harbour create a visual and sensational multimedia extravaganza.

There are searchlights, lasers, LED screens and lighting working in synchronicity in a nightly showcase which makes the Hong Kong skyline into an experience for the senses. Music is played but in certain areas cannot be heard, but you can get an app which you can use when watching the Symphony of Lights so you can enjoy the music during the light show.

4) The Star Ferry & Ding Ding

Transport in Hong Kong is very good. The MTR is the underground and operates an amazing service which is normally to-the-second. Purchase an MTR Octopus card for the easiest way to get around the underground network.

If you want something more traditional, the Star Ferry runs between points of the harbour. The average cost of a return trip on the ferry is about €0.70c which is amazing value. It is a great way to see the city in a relaxed fashion. If you visit Hong Kong you should really do this at least once.

The Ding Ding is the Hong Kong Tram service. It is a tram so you only get it on the streets where you see the tram lines. It’s a very simple service. Get on at the back and disembark at the front where you also pay your fare which is around €0.30c ($2.70HKD). Again, this is a wonderfully traditional way to see the streets of Hong Kong.

5) Ngong Ping – Tian Tan Buddha

This is a Must Do attraction on a visit to Hong Kong and one which any Top 10 Things to Do in Hong Kong cannot fail to list.

The Big Buddha is the common name for the Tian Tan Buddha. This large bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni was completed in 1993 and is located at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island. You will find many tour operators who do tours to this location however you will find that your day is very much scheduled to their plans and you really don’t get a chance to explore. You can get to the Ngong Ping 360 terminus from the Central station via the MTR.

The Ngong Ping 360 experience starts with a cable car ride to the location. You can also get glass-bottomed cable cars if you are brave enough to look downwards. As you come across the hills you can see the buddha in the distance. It is an amazing sight. The statue itself is 34m/112ft and you have to climb 268 steps to reach the Buddha.

Once at the village you can enjoy tea ceremonies, visit Dim Sum houses, take a guided nature trail and visit the big buddha itself. There is a museum inside or you can explore the surrounding area. You should also visit the Po Lin Monastery while you are here.

The Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha are open to the public between 10 am and 5:30 pm.

6) Kowloon Park

One of the things Hong Kong has a lot of is parks. Kowloon Park has to be my favourite. It was formerly a British Army barracks which was redeveloped in the early 70s. These days the park is about 3 times the size it was back then at about 33 acres. Kowloon Park has everything from duck ponds and aviaries to sports centres and a swimming pool complex.

Why include Kowloon Park in a Top things to do in Hong Kong … It seems strange to include a park as a thing to do in such a huge city.
Well, from time to time in a busy city you might just want to get away from it all and take some (relatively) quiet time. The green areas, birds etc. certainly bring a sense of calm in a very busy city. You will also see in the early morning, people doing Tai Chi, Fan Dancing and even performing Cantonese Opera. I saw some amazing examples of positive ageing when I was there last when I saw 3 gentlemen probably in their late 70s / early 80s doing pull-ups in the park and they then went on to demonstrate to their friends some examples of kung-fu moves – amazing stuff. I thought that I had been lucky to see these men doing Kung-Fu, but many others have reported this on TripAdvisor!

7) Temple Street Night Market

This is a famous market in Hong Kong. Once the evening comes traders lay out their wares and await the thousands who visit this area. The Temple Street Night Market has a wonderful atmosphere with everything from teaware, gadgets, electronics and watches to menswear, antiques and leather goods. The surrounding streets are buzzing with the sound of restaurants serving the very best in street food. Many movies have used this area as a backdrop.

If you want to get to Temple Street Night Market take the MTR to Yau Ma Tei Station, Exit C, turn onto Temple Street at Man Ming Lane or you can take the MTR to MTR Jordan Station using Exit A and turn right onto Jordan Road and then take another right onto Temple Street. (You may need Google Maps as I chose MTR Jordan and ended up traveling the wrong direction from the exit).

8) Chi Lin Nunnery

I visited the Chi Lin Nunnery in 2013 and it is a bit of a hidden gem in Hong Kong. The Chi Lin Nunnery is a large Buddhist temple complex located in Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hong Kong.Founded in 1934 the Chi Lin Nunnery was a retreat for Buddhist nuns. There are statues of gold and wood all around the area of the main halls and the majority of these temple halls as well as the beautiful Chinese garden in front of the nunnery are open to the public daily, all free of charge.

While you are here you should also visit the Nan Lian Garden which is located opposite the Chi Lin Nunnery.

9) Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple

The Wong Tai Sin Temple is the first Temple I ever visited in Hong Kong back in 2002. It is a Taoist temple dedicated to Wong Tai Sin, or the Great Immortal Wong, and is a famous shrine for those requesting prayers to be answered.

The temple has it’s roots in the early 1900s and the temple itself was only opened to the public in 1956. At that time there was a 10c admission fee. Today the temple is free to walk around and even in early January the crowds throng this area as from 1 to 15 January, whose who had prayers answers return to thank the immortal.

It is a wonderful way to observe and take in the spirit of Hong Kong as people use incense and ask Wong to answer their prayers.

10) Avenue of the Stars

This area along the waterfront celebrates Hong Kong’s movie industry. The Avenue of Stars pays tribute to the many names and actors who helped to make Hong Kong the ‘Hollywood of the East’.

There are many statues along the route with stars like Bruce Lee being a very popular selfie and photo spot.

This area is very popular during the Symphony of Lights extravaganza.

The Top 5 Things to do in Hong Hong

If you are short on time and only have resources to see a few things on your trip, this is my Top 5 Things to do or See in Hong Kong

Ngong Ping / Tian Tan Buddha & Lantau Island
Victoria Peak in the evening / sunset
Ride the Star ferry and Ding Ding
The Symphony of Lights, evening light display
Visit a Dim Sum House (this is not on the list above but I will add it soon) – this is an eating experience like no other !

Conclusion

Hong Kong is an amazing destination and I am going to re-edit this post and make it the Top 15 or maybe the Top 20 things to do in Hong Kong. The more I write about Hong Kong the more great places I recall. So please come back and revisit for future edits. I plan on adding a map of all these Hong Kong locations in a future edit also. If you like this post ‘Top 10 Things to Do in Hong Kong’ don’t forget to share it using the social media share buttons provided or even leave a comment…

Loko Waterford – Dog Friendly Restaurant Waterford

by Shane McDonald | Sep 7, 2020 | Restaurant Review

Loko Waterford, Restaurant Review: Dog-Friendly Restaurant, Waterford

Loko Waterford is located on the Dunmore Road about 10 minutes from Waterford city centre in Ireland. The restaurant is located on the same retail park as Ardkeen Quality Food Stores. Loko is quite a large restaurant which spans over three floors. The decor is very trendy indeed with lots of quirky and interesting items decorating everything from the ceiling to the lampshades. You will also find some great pieces of art hanging on the walls.

I had been to Loko a few times before but I recently heard that they allowed dogs. With the recent change of legislation in Ireland, more and more restaurants are allowing dogs inside. As a dog owner, this is great as there is no more having to leave the dog at home, eat in the freezing cold in the outside area of a restaurant or just having to eat a take away in the car (all because a restaurant won’t take a dog … well done to Loko on that stroke of genius). Some restaurants treat you as if you wanted to bring your pet rat inside … those restaurants need to change with the times! Some restaurants say ‘we are dog friendly’ and then put you in a covered outdoor area but Loko actually bring you inside.

Booking a Dog-Friendly Table at Loko

So we booked a table for 2 humans and one dog. On arrival, we were greeted and shown to the doggy friendly area downstairs. We were given a water bowl for the dog and menus. You will find lots on the menu for you to enjoy. I do like seafood, and there is normally quite a selection on their menu. On this occasion, we had the monkfish scampi and the roast chicken. The Roast Chicken was superb as it came on a bed of mash, with onion gravy and large dumpling style balls of delicious stuffing. The scampi was light and perfectly cooked with a really crunchy panko style coating.

During the meal, the owner came down to see if our dog would like to try some doggy beer. “Bottom Sniffer” is an alcohol-free, non-carbonated doggy beer. Apparently, the label says that it is the ultimate doggy refreshment which will help make your dog the leader of the pack and will have other dogs sniffing their bottoms with jealousy! (a marketing text which would work for this beer but probably would not work for Budweiser)

Of course, we enjoyed dessert afterwards, Bread and Butter Pudding and a brownie as far as I recall.

Loko is a very trendy and very enjoyable place to eat, with a menu which will suit almost every diner and welcomes everyone, including the canine members of the family. We really enjoyed our meal and we will certainly be back again soon.

The only thing is that the portions are on the larger side and for me, I would need to be hungry, even for some of the brunch items. (but hey, that’s just me)

On other occasions I have also enjoyed the PoBoy Seafood Baguette, the Sting Onion Rings and also the most amazing cinnamon rolls with icing that you have ever tried in your life. The staff are very friendly and there is a lot to enjoy and savour at Loko Restaurant Waterford.

Loko – Photo Gallery

Contact Loko
Unit 1
Ardkeen Shopping Centre
Dunmore Road
Waterford
Phone: 051 841 040

Twitter:
@loko_ie

Facebook:
facebook.com/LokoWaterford

Instagram:
@lokowaterford

Loko, Ardkeen, Waterford

Hotel Review of The Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria, London

by Shane McDonald | Sep 5, 2020 | Travel

Hotel Review of The Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria, London

From time to time when travelling, you will want to splash out and go for a bit of luxury. In 2013 when planning a trip to London I was looking for a nice hotel. I knew of 2 very good hotels, the Blakemore Hotel and the Park Plaza Hotel, however, these were not what I was looking for. I found some excellent TripAdvisor reports for the Grosvenor Hotel Victoria London and noticed it had a Chinese Restaurant, the Grand Imperial, attached which clinched the deal.

The Grosvenor Hotel was booked and prior to arrival, I had a very nice pre-arrival courtesy call which I thought was a nice touch.

The History of the Grosvenor Hotel London

As with most of the major city railway stations in the UK, back in the day of steam locomotion, hotels were attached to thee stations. The Grosvenor Victoria was built by Sir John Kelk’s company. The Grosvenor is very much luxury and lavish and the grandest hotel in London. The Grosvenor opened to the public in 1862 a year after Victoria station opened. The original 1st class railway lounge is now the Reunion cocktail bar. The millionaire and Bellini cocktails here are worth a try.

Grosvenor Victoria Hotel Review

On the day of travel, we actually arrived very late thanks to a strategically planned Irish airport strike. However, we arrived at the Grosvenor just after midnight and had a very pleasant check-in and proceeded to the room. Even with our late arrival, nothing was a problem and the staff was ever courteous. You will be greeted very well and the check-in was very well polished.

Guest rooms are very comfortable and very nicely decorated. The history of the hotel is not very obviously reflected in the rooms. They are more contemporary in nature than the historic facade and foyer. Lush colours such as deep purples and chocolate browns give a real warmth to the guest rooms. There are some reviews which call the entry-level rooms to be small but I feel they are adequate. I have stayed here twice, thus, I have stayed in 2 room types.

In general, the rooms are very well appointed, include a small but nice bathroom and comfortable bed. Many rooms overlook Victoria Station but on our stay, being 5 floors up, there was no noise. You may get an infrequent station announcement or such, which may just catch the wind. Overall, you will be guaranteed a very pleasant sleep.

There are also very high-quality tea and coffee facilities in your beautifully presented room. Once on a return stay, we also got a complimentary upgrade. The touches here are high-end. If you are looking for a hotel stay in the heart of London but with a luxury-twist, you will not be disappointed.

The staff at the Grosvenor Victoria are excellent. They are all attired in immaculate black suits. The hotel was ideal for me, as a leisure guest, but would be an ideal hotel for corporate guests. You will also find that there is a gym, a 24-hour concierge plus round-the-clock room service should the need or hunger arise.

Photo of Grosvenor Hotel London Victoria, Room Photo

Image - The Grosvenor Hotel room - tea and coffee facilities

It is a pleasure to stay in such great accommodation. The hotel is pristine with a very ornate and impressive foyer. You must also go outside and cross to the street to get a vista on this impressive hotel, The architecture outside is amazing. Features with sculpted heads with laurel crowns, many balcony type features and sculpted flowers. It is a sight to behold. Just note that the street outside can be busy and there can often be queues for busses, so you might have to battle through the crowds during rush hour just to get into the hotel.

Dining & Breakfast at the Grosvenor

I already mentioned the Grand Imperial restaurant but the hotel has a second restaurant. This is called The Brasserie – we tried both restaurants and both are well worth experiencing. I had a fantastic croque madame which is always a favourite of mine. It was perfectly cooked and had a really fine quality cheese filling.

The breakfasts are very good and are held in the Brasserie area. Plenty of choices and no rush with great coffee to get you started for the day.

Inside and Outside the Grosvenor Hotel

The entrance of the Hotel has a grand foyer, with a stunning chandelier which you can’t miss. You should take to the next level up, so walk around and see the architecture in more details.

The Grosvenor’s location is great, only a 60-second walk to Victoria station. There is a private and direct route from the station into the hotel. There are also many bus stops outside the hotel also. If you are flying into Gatwick then the Gatwick Express will get you direct to Victoria Station. As a result, the Grosvenor Hotel would be ideal for you.

This was a wonderful stay at the Grosvenor Hotel and we will certainly be back next time we are in London.

Grosvenor Hotel London Victoria Address & Hotel Information

Grosvenor Hotel Website: https://www.amba-hotel.com/en/london/the-grosvenor.html

Grosvenor Hotel Map & Location
Grosvenor Hotel, 101 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0SJ, England

The Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria, London

Things to do near the Grosvenor Hotel, London

The Grosvenor Hotel is located in the area known as Victoria. This is close to Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Westminster Cathedral and is ideal if you want to visit the Apollo Victoria which at the moment has the show, ‘Wicked’. The fact that Victoria station is on your doorstep, means you have a variety of tube lines at your disposal.

You can also refer to my London Guide: Top things to do in London as a reference.

Photo Gallery – The Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria, London

Grosvenor Hotel, Tea and Coffee facilities

This is a Hotel Review from my Travel Blog. This Hotel Review of the Grosvenor Hotel, London is not a sponsored post. I was not paid or compensated by the Grosvenor Hotel London for this hotel review and it is simply my honest view and review of two separate stays at the Grosvenor in 2013 and again in 2015.

Some Questions which were submitted to me by email, which I will answer here for others to see…

Is the Grosvenor Hotel London Nice?

In a word, yes, however if you have a chance to spend a bit more I would do so. A few extra on the room will give you a more spacious and more lucurious room. However on the 2 occasions I stayed I certainly had no complaints on the room size. Great Staff, Great Food, Great Hotel.

Did you try the Grosvenor Hotel Afternoon Tea?

No, I did not have a chance to enjoy the Afternoon Tea, however it is not something I normally go for, so therfore we probably did not see it out. But in general the food here is excellent.

What’s the Breakfast like at the Grosvenor Hotel?

For me, Hotel Breakfasts are things I avoid unless included in the price. One one occasion we did have breakfast at the Grosvenot Hotel and it was very impressive and also very enjoyable.

If you have any other queries about my stay at The Grosvenor Hotel London Victoria please drop me a line

Tips to Improve your Twitter Account in 2020

by Shane McDonald | Aug 20, 2020 | How to..., Internet & Technology

Easy Twitter Tips to improve your Twitter account in 2020

I have been on Twitter 11 years now (as of April 21st 2019) and over the past 8 years I have come to love the platform. For me, Twitter is a source of news, opinion and interesting articles as well as the odd competition which I have won. If you are looking to grow your Twitter audience and influence you are going to have to invest some time on Twitter. These are some Twitter Tips to help in growing your following and presence.

1. Have a good Twitter Profile image

The first of the Twitter tips is to update your profile pic. The Profile Image is the small icon which appears beside each tweet. Your profile picture should be representative of you or your business. Try to make the image one which will stand out.

The key here is don’t leave it as the default Twitter Egg! The profile photo of an egg is indicative of an account which is new. So change this and you’ll get an advantage over accounts with Twitter eggs.

2. Ensure you include a Twitter Header image

At the same time, you should upload a good header image. The header image could be a product photo or something which works along with your profile image to strength your accounts visual appeal. You can use systems like Canva to place a nice quote or even your web address. Canva is a very easy to use system which gives you great results. It certainly saves me lots of time when I need to create a graphic in a hurry and gives results which are as good as using a graphics programme.

3. Your Twitter Bio

Your Twitter Bio should detail what your account is about. Tell people the benefits of following you. It should also outline the types of interest and content people will expect if they follow you. For example, you could tell people what interests you or what you tweet about. If you look at my Queen account @shanesqueensite it has the following biog…

Shane’s Queen Site run by Irish Queen keyboardist Shane McDonald. Tweeting about Queen, their music, videos, #Queen Tribute Bands, Queen Chords & more.

Feel free to use hashtags like I did or even other accounts. e.g. “I am an account manager for @mentioncompanyhere and I like #Travel”. or “I love Twitter. Follow my account for freebies and great Twitter Tips and advice.”

If you have a website don’t forget to include that. This is one of the key Twitter Tips – so if you do one thing, it’s update your Bio.

4. Daily Twitter Activity – Key Twitter Tip !

Each day, as as much as you can, you should log on to Twitter and do some sort of activity. This is my personal must do from this Twitter Tips list.
This activity may include;

– Tweeting something even if it is just a comment on the weather. This keeps your feed flowing with recent content.
– Retweeting others tweets. If you find something interesting retweet it.
– Responding to any replies or notifications
– Thanking some of your recent followers.
– If you find the content you like the press the ‘Like’ button
– You should follow any Twitter accounts which you are interested in. Normally I follow about 5-10 accounts per day. If I find a Twitter list of Food Bloggers or Travel Writers I may end up following 50 or 60 accounts.
Using Twitter Lists you could place all accounts which are foodies in one list or all accounts which give great Twitter tips in another list. This saves you time in reading related content. By monitoring their content I can then see if I want to keep following. Every so often I clear down the accounts I am following based on their content. One good app for doing a follower check is Crowdfire.

One warning on things like ‘The weather today is …” if you over use that sort of tweet, just for the sake of having content, then you run the risk of people becoming bored and perhaps unfollowing or muting you.

5. Tag or include others in your tweets

Every now and again you should mention other accounts using the @account method.
For example “Hi @mrshanemcdonald many thanks for liking my tweet. I am delighted with the Twitter Tips post on your website” would send me a nice mention and I may then follow you as a result. This can be especially good when responding to Brands, e.g. complementing a brand on a good job or a great product you recently used. They may retweet your tweet to thousands thus exploding your reach.

How do I know if I am doing well on Twitter?

If you follow some of the Twitter Tips above, you should see some growth over the next while. There are a few pointers and KPIs to show your success in growing your Twitter account.

The first is your follower’s growth if it is increasing fast this is one indicator that you are doing well.
Secondly is your mention notifications, if you are getting a lot of @mentions, either responses or direct mentions, this shows a well-engaged audience.
Check your Twitter Analytics to see your performance month on month
You can also look at how much traffic is being driven to your website via Google Analytics. Strong Twitter performance would lead to good traffic to your website.
If you are enjoying Twitter and you are Tweeting daily – In a way, this is a success of its own as many people start on Twitter and just give up!

Klout is Dead, Long live the King

In 2018, Klout had it’s last score update. There are a few different cites which have digitally passed-away over the years.

You may also be interested to know how long people spend online and on social media – check out this report regarding the Average Time on Social Media.

I hope you enjoyed these Twitter Tips for 2020 and this is what works for me. Twitter changes all the time which is why I updated this list of Twitter Tips for 2020 as it was last updated in 2018.
If you have any other interesting Twitter Tips or hacks please feel free to leave a comment.

Follow Me on Twitter

My Twitter account is @mrshanemcdonald so if you like this list of Twitter Tips post why not follow and say hi!

A full list of Social Media Tools

If you are looking for a great list of Social Media Tools please visit this great link – https://bulk.ly/social-media-tools/

Travel Packing Checklist | What To Pack for Holiday & Vacation – Pack like a Pro

by Shane McDonald | Aug 11, 2020 | Travel

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