From: joel@math.toronto.edu (Joel Chan)
Subject: Re: Hong Kong & Taiwan advice needed!
Organization: Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto
Distribution: rec
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 92 20:04:50 GMT

In a previous article lhughes@b11.b11.ingr.com (Lawrence Hughes) writes:
>Ron Greve writes:
>> How many days would you advice to stay in Taiwan and Hong Kong each?
>> What is interesting to see in these countries? What kind of
>> places/things should I definitely go to/do?
>
>If it were me, I would split it down the middle - half and half. Both places
>are quite interesting.

Here I would disagree.  I would probably want to spend more time in Taiwan
than in Hong Kong.  Hong Kong is a shoppers paradise and has fewer tourist
attractions than Taiwan.  Unless you like spending $$$...  A week in
Hong Kong is usually more than enough.

>
>In Taipei - if you like museums and/or history AT ALL, do spend some time in
>the National Palace Museum - especially nice are the cheap ($NT 2?) and fine
>reproductions of art available in the lobby, and the dim sum cafe on the top
>floor (reproduction of a 17th century emperor's study, complete with live
>nightengales). Also try Lung Shan Temple, Snake Street, etc. If you can, a
>side trip to Taroko Gorge is quite worthwhile. If you are interested in such
>things (erotic fare) I hear that Peitou (north of Taipei) is the place to go.
>
Agreed.  If you plan to tour around the island, other nice places include
Kenting (beach area and national park), Alishan, and Sun Moon Lake.  The
National Palace Museum is definitely not NT$2 (=about US$0.08), but the 
admission price is well worth the visit.  It takes the museum more than 10
years to display all the stock they have, and they change it every 2 months.

In Hong Kong, you might like to visit the Peak, Hong Kong Park, the
outlying islands, and definitely enjoy the Star Ferry when you cross
Victoria Harbour.
There are various ways to get to China.  The Kowloon-Canton Railway is
a good way to enjoy the view.  Bus service is also available, and you
can always fly Air China.  Be sure to apply for a visa though.
I would spend a day in Macau to just walk around and visit.  It reminded
me of rural Taiwan.

>> What are the best (cheapest) places to stay in Hong Kong and Taiwan? Any
>> popular youth hostels?
>
> [YMCA Taipei details deleted]

The YMCA Harbour View at Wan Chai (Hong Kong side) is fairly cheap too and
with good facilities.  The YMCA at the Kowloon side was just renovated and
is good too.
>
>> Are Hong Kong and Taiwan safe countries? I mean is it dangereous for a 
>> foreigner to walk alone over street at night? Many pick-pockers?
>
>Can't speak for HK, but Taiwan is the safest country I have yet to travel in
>(out of about 12 so far). Teenage girls think nothing of walking around alone
>in their largest city in the middle of the night - and they are perfectly safe!
>Watch out for "barber shops" (like massage parlors in the west) - the green
>barber poles and huckster (man trying to get you to enter) at the door are the
>tip-off.
And watch out for the "Ice pudding shops" in Kaohsiung.  They do everything
*except* sell ice pudding! :-)

I have lived in Taipei for 10 years without incident, although I would
recommend that you still take precautions.  Hong Kong is also relatively
safe, I would say it's safer than Taipei.

Cheers!

-- 
Joel Chan, Department of Mathematics	  	 joel@math.toronto.edu
"History: Those who ignore it are condemned to repeat it.  Math, too."
				    -From the comic strip "Betty"
Newsgroups: rec.travel