Brunches in Hong Kong

The Brunch Club
70 Peel Street
2526-8861

The Press Room
108 Hollywood Road
Central, 2525-3444

The Flying Pan
9 Old Bailey STreet
2140-6333
**greasy spoon, 24-hours

Bricolage
62 Hollywood Road
2542-1991

Yum Cha by the Bay
80 Stanley Main
2813-0123

JUMBO
**champagne brunches
www.jumbo.com.hk
2553-9111

COCOCABANA
Beach Building, Deep Water Bay
2812-2226
**great vibe, make reservations!

BEO
16 Arbuthnot Road
2868-0625

Water Sports in Hong Kong

Wakeboarding:

1. Sai Kung: Wakeben
www.wakeben.com
9227-6745

2. Sai Kung: Hong Kong Wakeboard
www.hkwakeboard.com
9021-4221

3. Sai Kung: Kei Ling Wakeboard
www.kwchk.com
9012-4841

4. Lantau: Wakeaholic
www.wakeaholic.com
9222-7887

5. Tai Tam: Tai Tam Wakeboading Center
www.wakeboard.com.hk
3120-4102

5. Tai Tam: Wakeboarder HK
www.wakeboarder.hk
9759-8060


Windsurfing

1. Cheung Chao Wiindsurfing Center
ww.ccwindc.com.hk
2981-8316

2. Jockey Club Wong Shek Sports Center
2328-2311
**2 day classes at 150 HKD

3. Chong Hing Water Sports Center
2792-6810
High Island Resevoir, Sai Kung

4. St. Stephens Windsurfing Water Sports Center
Wong Ma Kok Path, Stanley
2813-5407


Sailing:

1. Aberdeen Boat Club
3400 HKD for 5 Day Course
2553-3032

2. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
www.rhkyc.com
2832-2817
**4500 HKD for course for non-members

Cappadocia, Turkey

Dre and I had an incredible trip to Cappadocia last August. Here are a few recommendations:

Places to Stay:

MUSEUM HOTEL - this was an incredible property and the owner is a rare rugs dealer with an appointment only store nearby. Dre's favourite was getting a shave by a barber at the property overlooking Cappadocia.

Eat:

Elai Restaurant

Museum Hotel Restaurant


To DO:

GUIDE: Get a provate guide arranged at the hotel, it is the friend of Omar the owner and is a top knotch guide for the area. We visited various ruins and went into other cities around including Avanos, Sarihan Caravanseri

KappadokyaBalloons - they were the first and are still the best! Lots of folks take the cheap route, but its not a goo idea.Publish Post

CROSS GOLF - cross country golfing

Rug Shopping - ask for Omar at Museum Hotel

Budget Hotels in Europe

1. Citizen M
www.citizenm.com

2. City Inn
www.cityinn.com

3. Room Mate Hotels
www.room-matehotels.com

4. 25 Hours
www.25hours-hotels.com

3 more Travel Websites

1. www.insidetrip.com (flight booking)

2. www.travel.halogenguides.com (hotel bookings)

3. www.smallshipcruises (small boat bookings)

Restaurants and Bars in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Senses - vegetarian
Hilton Hotel

Bijan
Malay food

La Bodega
Tapas and cool vibe

SKYBAR
Great views!

The C. Club

Zeta Bar

Zouk - if you want to party

MEDICAL TOURISM

BEST in ASIA

1. THAILAND: Bumrungrad International
www.bumrungrad.com

2. SINGAPORE: Mount Elizabeth Hospital
www.parkwayhealth.com

3. SINGAPORE: Gleaneagles Hospital - cancer/heart
www.westexcellence.com

4. INDIA: Apollo Hospital - orthopedics/cardiology

5. MALAYSIA: Prince Court Medical Center - lung/heart/oncology/uralogy

ART in SIEM RIEP

1. The ARTHOUSE
A: Old Market Area (above WAREHOUSE
W: www.thearthousesiemriep.com

2. The LINKWAY GALLERY
A: Raffles Grand Hotel

3. MCDERMOTT GALLERY
A: FCC

4. RED GALLERY
A: FCC

COURTYARD HOTEL in BEIJING

Check out...

Hotel Cote Cour S.L.
www.hotelcotecoursl.com

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

AZAYA VILLAS
www.azayavillas.com

Chiang Mai's luxury villas

HALONG BAY CRUISES

We went on a fantastic 5-Star cruise with Emeraude Cruises. We enjoyed watching the famous french flick on the roof at night under the stars on the big screen!

Emeraude Cruises
http://www.emeraude-cruises.com/


Also check out..

Halong Jasmine
www.cruisehalong.com


Both will pick you up from Hanoi (3.5 hour drive to where you port)

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Where to stay:

Caravelle Hotel:
A: 19 Lam Son Square
W: www.caravellehotel.com
**Very nice hotel in central HCM. It is modern and contemporary

Nguyen Park Villas
www.ndparkvillas.com.vn
**boutique accomodations in HCM

Ordinary Bed and Breakfast
25 Dong Du Street
84-8-824-8262
**double from 35 USD


Restaurants:

Club Camarague
**We had a great meal here - french fusion in candle lit atmosphere - great spot for dinner. I had been to this exact spot years ago on Semester at Sea.
16 Cao Ba Quat
Dinner Only

Bun Ta
**one of our favourite lunches in HCM
A: 136 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia
6-11 PM

Temple Club
Set in a colonial villa/once served as Hindu pilgrim guesthouse
29-31 Tom That Thiep
84-8-829-9244




To DO:

*War Remnants Museum
*Cu Chi Tunnels


Shopping:
1. Ipa-Nima (famous local designer)
A: 85 Pasteur Street
W: www.ipa-nima.com

2. Minh Khoa - great dresses
A: 39 Dong Khoi Street

3. Puri Chori
A: 73 Pasteur Street

4. Authentique - ceramics, textiles, etc
A: 6 Dong Khoi Street

5. Gaya - interior
A: 39 Ton That Thiep Street

6. Life Impression - interior
A: 47 Ton That Thiep Street

7. Ben Thanh Market - bargain hunting
A: Le Loi Street

8. Mai's 132-134 Dong Khoi Street
www.mailam.com.vn


Great driver to take you to Cu Chi Tunnels and wherever you need to go:

He has a big van and can load up the whole crew. He does not speak much english but can certainly understand where you need to go...good value

Mr. Thang
912-0222 or 0918-030-702

Cool Hotels in Bali

Central:
1. Hotel Tagu Bali
www.taguhotels.com

2. The Elysian

3. The Bale

4. The Legian


Ubud
1. Alila Ubud
**amazing!

2. Uma Ubud

3. Como Shambala

4. Warwick Ibah Luxury Villas & Spa


Maggis:
1. Alila Maggis



Cheap:
I have stayed at Mutiara in Seminyak and it was nice - about 50 USD a night:
http://www.mutiarabali.com/

SAPA and Mai Chau, VIETNAM

Take an excape from the chaos - retreats in the woods!

Places to stay in Sapa:

Topas Eco-Lodge
A: 24 Muong Hoa
P: 84-20-201872-404
W: www.topas-ecolodge.com
***around 100-115 USD

Places to stay in Mai Chau:

Mai Chau Lodge
130 miles from Hanoi
www.maichaulodge.com
**150 USD including transfer from Hanoi

Interesting way to tour Singapore

Check out the new sound tour in Singapore - starts in Little India

www.spell7.net/desirepaths.com

Great Travel Websites

Asia Travel Booking Sites:

www.zuji.com

www.agoda.com

www.wotif.com


Other Websites for booking:

www.travelocity.com

www.expedia.com

www.hotels.com

www.orbitz.com

www.sidestep.com

www.farecompare.com

www.kayak.com

www.lastminute.com

www.vayama.com
***checks low cost carriers as well, must originate from USA


FOR COMPLEX ITINERARIES:

www.airtreks.com


FOOD:

www.chowhound.com


EUROPE:

www.flycheapo.com

www.hopstop.com
***driving in Europe



Destination Sites about Asia:

www. travelfish.org
**destination info about Asia

www.superfuture.com
***whats happening around the world

www.exotissomo.com
***for tour operaters but can help you plan

Restaurants in Mumbai, India

1. Blue Frog
A former warehouse in Mumbai has been transformed into an acoustic lounge. Jazz, pop, and rock musicians regular play here...
T: 91-22-4033-2300
W: www.bluefrog.co.in
A: D2 Mathuradas Mills

2. Indigo
We had a great dinner here over Easter. Both the bar and the restaurant have a cool vibe.
A: 4 Mandlik Road Colaba
T: +91 22 5636 8999

3. Olive Bar and Restaurant
Hip and Trendy - Bollywood fantastic
A: 14 Union Park Khar
T: +91 22 600 8248

4. Leopold Cafe
An institution in Mumbai for breakfast, good food, and good beer.
A must do!

Address: Colaba Causeway, Mumbai 400 005.

Phone: Phone: 2020131, 2873362

Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Sleepy Beach town in Vietnam - Pho Quoc

When to go? Nov - April (dry), May-Oct (rainy and humid)

How to get there?
Vietnam Airlines

What to do?
Diving in An Tho Island
**book with Rainbow divers (www.divevietnam.com)

Restaurants:
Banh mi cart (30 Trang 4)
Gio Bien (on beach at Mui Duong)
Le Giang (7 Tran Hung Dao Street)

The KFC of Bangkok, Thailand

One of Dre's favourite experiences!

Polo Fried Chicken
Soi Sanamkhli (Soi Polo) off Wireless Road

**fried Isan chicken with garlic

This is a true local experience...

Outdoor gear stores in Hong Kong

1. Protrek
156-157 Connaught Road Central (tel: 2850-7900)

2. MS
GF, 271 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
www.mshk.com.hk

3. Flying Ball Bicycle Store - cycling,etc
www.flyingball.com

SECRET SHOPPING IN HONG KONG

Designer overstock shopping:

1. ALL4YOU: My fav for dresses

Central Branch: GF, Yu Tao Sang Building, 3 Chiu Lung Street
T: 2234-9138

Sheung Wan (larger selection): GF, Shop A, Bonham Strand
T: 2544-1938

2. Pedder Building - lots of great shopping here (above Shanghai Tang)



WATCHES AND BAGS

WINSON, 9645-4211


GREAT FURNITURE

South Horizons, Ap Lei Chao - over 28 floors of furniture from all over ASIA



VINTAGE

FATTO AMANO (tel: 2881-7153), previously named Beatnik, which used to be in this area, has now moved to Tsing Fung Street in Tin Hau. The store specialises in second-hand American '70s t-shirts and informal wear, priced anywhere from HK$80 to HK$1,000 depending on pattern, quality and stock. Starting prices for vintage leather jackets are from HK$980.

Guide in Siem Reap

We had a great guide in Siem Reap!

If you arrange, he will pick you up from the airport:

Hok San
855-12-937-096
Email: hoksan026@yahoo.com

SIEM RIEP, CAMBODIA

SIEM RIEP

WHEN TO GO? NOV - FEB
MAR-JUNE - hot season
JULY-NOV - rainy

Where to stay?
Hotel de la Paix - trendy
Amansara
Sofitel Royal Angkor - fantastic property!!
The One Hotel - only one room in this hotel


Spas:
1. Amrita Spa, Hotel d'Angkor
2. Spa Village, Angkor Village Resort (www.angkorvillage.com)
3. Spa Indochine, Hotel De'la Paix (www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com)
4. Le Lotus Blanc Spa (Khmer style) (www.victoriahotels-asia.com)
5. Visaya Spa, FCC Angkor


Places to eat?
FCC - really good food, outdoor venue
Amansura - entertainment as well
Local Restaurants!

Guangzhou, China

EAT:

Plum Blossom Restaurant - Garden Hotel

Yumin Restaurant

SHOP:

Halyin Market - silks and wools
Haizhu Market
Qingping Market

Dempsey Hill

EAT
Vintage India
Kashmir - Kerala
T: 65-6471-3100

Rakuichi
Japanese
T: 65-6474-2143

Culina
Gourmet Deli
T: 65-5474-7338

BARS/Restuarants

Oosh - great atmosphere

PS Cafe - very cool spot and good food

Angel's Share

Rain - outdoor hot pot restaurant


OTHER:

House - tea cafe, bar, spa
www.dempseyhouse.com

Red Sea Gallery - gallery for up and coming Asian artists

BTS in Bangkok, Thailand

SUKHUMVIT LINE

Mo Chit:
1. Chatuchak Weekend Market
*Exit 1
*8 AM - 6 PM

Siam:
1. Siam Paragon and Siam Center - fun shopping
*Exit 5 to paragon, Exit 1 to Siam Center

Chit Lom:
1. Department stores
2. Erawan Tea Room (Exit 2)

Nana: entertainment area
1. Bed Supperclub (Exit 3)
2. Soi 11 - good for mani/pedi

Throng Lo:
1. Outdoor Thai food (exit 4)
2. Face Bar

SILOM LINE

Surasak:
1. The Blue Elephant (exit 2)

National Stadium:
1. Jim Thomson House (exit 1)

DIM SUM in Hong Kong

Dim Sum which translates to "Touch of Heart" is famous in Hong Kong. Check out the top places to visit:

1. Dim Sum
63 Sing Woo Road
852-283-8893

2. Lin Heung Lau (one of HK's big 4 tea houses)
160-164 Wellington Street
852-2544-4556

3. Luk Yu Tea House
24-26 Stanley Street
852-2523-5464

4. City Hall Maxim's Palace
2nd Floor, Lower Level City Hall
5-7 Edinburgh Place
852-2537-8607

*biggest and brightest, a true instritution in HK

5. West Villa Restaurant
1st Floor, Lee Gardens Two
28 Yun Ping Road
852-2882-2110

6. T'ang Court
1st Floor, Langham Hotel
8 Peking Road
t: 852-2375-1133

7. Dragon-i
Dim Sum with a trendy twist

MUST EATS:
CHAR SIU BAO - barbequed pork buns
HAR GAU - steamed with prawn
SIU MAI - steamed prok dumpling topped with a fav topping
CHEONG FUN - steamy rice rolls with special sauce
DAN TART - famous HK desert - egg tart

Restaurants & Bars in Bangkok

Restuarants:
1. Mahanaga
W: www.mahanaga.com
T: 66(0)-2662-3060
A: 2 Sukhumvit 29, Bangkok, Thailand

2. FACE BAR
W: www.facebars.com
A: 29 Sukhumvit Soi 38

3. Arun Residence
*Great views!!

4. Long Table

5. Baan Kanitha - thai

Bars:

1. Q Bar
2. Tapas Bar
3. Bed Supperclub
4. Vertigo at Banyan Tree (rooftop)
5. MET Bar

Spa in Bangkok, Thailand

I highly recommend the below spa in Bangkok:

SPA 1930
W: www.spa1930.com
T: 02-254-8606
A: 42 Soi Tonson
BTS Chit Lom

Spa 1930 is housed in an old Thai house and is very intimate and relaxing.

Anguilla

Dre and I have visited Anguilla 2X and love the island!

First Visit: Cuisinart

Second Visit: Rented a 20,000 square foot villa with 4 other couples

Villa rental: We rented the Mystique Villa (5 couples)
Sheriva Villas (http://www.sheriva.com/)

Places to eat?
*Mango's - great view and food was amazing!
*Tasty's
*Smoky's - awesome place to get lunch right on the beach

Best beach?
Sandy Point

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Where to stay?
We stayed at Ritz-Carlton, St.Thomas and it was fantastic! We would recommend the catamaran to St. John/JVD for the day. Also, the spa at the Ritz is certainly worth a visit.

Where to eat?
Grand Cru
Blue Moon Cafe - great vibe!
Indigo - this is the new trendy place, great bar, but the food was terrible


Where to hit the bars?
Duffy's Love Shack - for late night dancing and hilarious times!
Fat Turtle

British Virgin Islands - Bars

Jost Van Dyke:

We visited two great beach bars in JVD, BVI via boat from St. Martin.

1. Soggy Dollar Bar
2. Foxy's Tamarind Bar

St. Johns:

1. Woody's Bar

Railay Beach, Thailand

We visited Krabi/Railay Beach, Thailand to celebrate Thanksgiving in 2006! We had an incredible time...

Best time to visit?
If you want a remote trip? May - October
High season - Nov - Apr

How to get there?
Best to fly to Krabi Island

*From Ao Nang Beach in Krabi, it's a quick longtail boat ride to Railay Beach. Boats run all day, and the beautiful boat ride from Ao Nang takes about 15 minutes. It's 60 Baht per person at the moment, randomly more after it gets dark. This is the place to get a boat during high season.

During low season when the weather is rough, you need to get a boat from Ao Na Mao or Krabi. These days there are more boats going from Ao Na Mao, and it's only 15 minutes from there to Railey Beach. From Krabi it takes about 45 minutes. Boats are caught from the pier in Krabi.

Where to stay?
We rented a house and we highly recommend it! Contact Railay Beach Club and they will arrange everything for your crew.

http://www.railay.com/railay/accommodation/bahn_rim.shtml

Other places to stay?

Sand Sea Resort (www.krabisandsea.com)
Rayavadee (www.rayavadee.com) - luxury

Where to eat?
* Krua Phranang - nice dinner at Rayavadee
* Grotto Restaurant - sunset cocktails
* If you are staying in a house, arrange for a cook to come to your place and cook a feast!

Bars?
There are some great rasta bars on the east side
Bar directly in front of the Railay Beach villas

Boracay, Phillipines

When to go?
Nov - June

How to get there?
from Manila airport to Caticlan Airport

1. International Airpot
Air Philippines - 8X per day

2. Domestic Airport
Seair - 10X per day
Asian Spirit - 13X per day

From Caticlan Airport, you will take a short boat ride to Boracay

Where to stay?
Discovery Shores
www.discoveryshoresboracay.com

Spider House
63-6-288-4568

Villas
SPR Real Estate
www.sprboracay.com

The Tides
www.tidesboracay.com

Khao Lak, Thailand

When to go?
NOV - MAR

How to get there?
Khao Lak is a 1 hour drive north of Phuket airport

from Bangkok...
* Fly Bangkok to phuket, you can take a budget airline (Nok Air, One-Two-Go, AirAsia)
from Singapore...
* Fly Silk Air
from Malaysia to Phuket...
* Fly AirAsia or Malaysia Airlines
from Hong Kong to Phuket
* Fly Dragon Air

*rent a car or organize the hotel to pick you up

Where to Stay?
Sarojin, www.sarojin.com

Eat/Drink
Mama's Cafe
Hapy Snapper

Diving:
www.wickeddiving.com

Boutique Hotels in Singapore

New Boutique Hotels in Singapore

1. New Majestic Hotel
This property is very unique! The owner allowed Singaporean artists to design each room with their own theme and unlimited budget. You can try a new room on each visit!

W: www.newmajestichotel.com
A: 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Roa
Singapore, 089845
P: 65-6511-4700


2. Naumi Hotel
New boutique property in Singapore - modern contemporary

W: www.naumihotel.com
A: 41 Seah Street, Singapore
P: 65-6403-6000

3. Link Hotel

W: www.linkhotel.com.sg
A: 50 Tiong Behru Road
P: 65-6622-8750

4. The Scarlet

W: www.thescarlet.com
A: 33 Erskine Road
P: www.thescarlet.com

5. Hotel 1929
Small rooms, but great value and trendy design

W: www.hotel1929.com
A: 50 Keong Saik Road
P: 65-6347-1929


41 Seah Street, Singapore 188396

Hong Kong - Camping in Tao Long Wan

What you need?

*tent
*beer and wine
*guitar
*There is a little place to get food, so no need to take your own.

How to get there?
Take a taxi from Central to Sai Kung bus station
Take a New Territories taxi from the bus station to Wong Shek Pier
Take a sampan into Tai Long Wan or to the place you hike 1 hour to Tai Long Wan

Sampan:
The sampans are usually waiting at the end of the pier. If you need to call, see below:
Chan So Tai: 2328-2266, 9382-5608, 9646-8815

Cool things to do in Hong Kong

1. Art Jamming
Listen to music, drink, and paint
123 Wellington Street
Central. Hong Kong
2581-3600

2. Aqualuna
Old junk pimping with Buddah Bar music in the harbour - cocktails!
www.aqualuna.com.hk

3. Cooking School - Martha Sherpa
We took a Thai cooking class and it was a blast!
852-2381-0132
www.cookery.com.hk

4. Camping in Tai Long Wan

5. Reflexology - Happy Foot
11F, Jade Center, 98-102 Wellington Street, Central
2544-1010

6. Eat at a Private Kitchen

7. Dinner at Lamma Island

8. Brunch at Po Toi Island

9. Brunch at CocoCabana in Repulse Bay

10. Hiking in New Territories

11. The Stoep in Lantau

12. Champagne Brunch at JUMBO

13. Squid Fishing

14. Shek-O - beach and lunch

15. Trip to Macau via Helicopter

16. Tea at the Peninsula

Hanoi and Halong Bay Trip with the Stanleys

Monday, 12/3: Arrive, check into hotel (The Church Hotel);

Dinner at Nam Phuong (casual), 19 Pho Phan Chu Trinh; +84 4 824 0926

Tuesday, 12/4: See Hanoi Luxe Guide for daytime activities in Hanoi. Old Quarter Tour (Start at Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake), Opera House performance, Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison Museum, Art Shopping, Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Shows at 5:15, 6:30, and 8pm. 57B Dinh Tien Hoang; +84 4 825 5450. Lunch at Au Lac Café (57 Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, +84 4 825 7807).

Dinner at Bobby Chinn, 1 Ba Trieu St, Hoan Kiem; +84 4 934 8577; www.bobbychinn.com.

Wednesday, 12/5: Full day exploring and shopping in Hanoi. Shopping at To Tich Street (Dragon Gallery, Kien Boutique, Bao Minh, L’Unique, Vietnamese Craft Guild).

Drinks at the Metropole Sofitel. Dinner at Verticale?

Thursday, 12/6: Depart for Halong Bay (Emeraude-Cruises.com)

Pickup at 8:30am from the Church Hotel

Friday, 12/7: Transfer back to Hanoi for final night in Hanoi at the Church Hotel.

Saturday, 12/8: Transfer to airport provided by The Church Hotel. Depart Hanoi airport for Hong Kong. Plane departs at 9:45am (call to confirm), arrives in Hong Kong at 12:05pm.

Beijing Recommendations

Places to Stay:

Raffles Beijing

St. Regis - re-opens after Olympics

Grand Hyatt

JW Marriott - love it!

The Opposite House -new boutique and very funky!

Financial District:

Westin

Ritz-Carlton Financial Street

Boutique:

Red Capital Residence

Beijing Sihe Courtyard Hotel

Hotel Cote Cour SL


Shopping:

1. Spin Ceramics - workshop for modern ceramics
6 Fangyuan Xilu,
Chaoyang District
Telephone: 6437 8649

2. Plastered Tees - Beijing's original t-shirt brand
86-134-8884-8855

3. District 798 - ex-electronics factory that now houses China's up and coming artists

4. Nan Luo Gu Xiang, Dongcheng District
Great shopping area - also where Plastered Tees is located.

DINING:

1. SOURCE - old hutong house with very spicy food
14 Banchang Alley
Kuan Jie
Dongcheng
6400-8811

2. Le Quai
Across from Gate 12 or Worker's Stadium
Chaoyang
6551-1636

3. Mei Fu - chic and contemporary, 200 year-old Hutong
24 Daxiangfeng Hutong
Houhai
Xicheng
6612-6845

4. The Courtyard
95 Donghuamen Dajie
North of Donghuamen Parking Lot at Forbidden City
6526-8883

5. Dadong - best for Peking Duck!
Bldg. 3 Tuanjiehu Beikou
East Third Ring Road
Chaoyang
6582-2892

6. Tianda Yijia - amazing decor and food! - modern
140 Nan Chi Zi Lu / Dongcheng / 8511 5556

BARS

1. Houhai District

2. Cute bars/restuarants - Nan Luo Gu Xiang, Dongcheng District


Great Wall:

Go to Simatai Section - best part of the wall! 3 hours from Beijing

Kempinski Hotel - amazing if you can swing it!


Hilarious Adventure!

* Madame Mao's Red Limo - 50 minute cruise around town in a classic Mao limo - hilarious experience! www.redcapitalclub.com



3 Day Tour - BEIJING

DAY 1: Forbidden City & Imperial Tour (half day)
The morning begins with a visit to Tiananmen Square where one is overwhelmed by the power and authority of China's Stalinist architecture. Then a walk under Mao's gaze under the Tiananmen gate into the depths of the Forbidden City, home of emperors from the Ming and Qing Dyanasties, through the quarters of Emperor Qian Long and a peak at the curtain from which Empress Dowager ruled behind. Then to the pavilions of Coal Hill for the best view of Beijing where the last Ming emperor hung himself. End with a stroll through the Beihai imperial gardens, once palace of Kublei Khan and residence of Marco Polo.

Old Beijing (half day)
Morning begins with a visit to the Temple of Heaven, epitome of Ming architectural splendor. Followed by a visit to Dashala'r the bustling business section of old Beijing near the historic Qianmen front gate, and then on to Liulichang, a restored Qing street full of art galleries and antique brousing.

Ritan Park (Stone Boat Bar) and Liulichang Jie (shopping) – see Luxe Guide.

Madame Mao’s Red Flag Limo Tour: 7:30pm – 8:30pm (confirmed)

Dinner at Tianda Yijia, 140 Nan Chi Zi Lu / Dongcheng / 8511 5556


Day 2: Great Wall

Great Wall Tour - Simatai Section

Peking Opera

Dinner at Mei Fu. 24 Daxiangfeng Hutong / Houhai / Xicheng / 6612 6845

Day 3: Shop and Explore

Explore around Beijing, shopping, antique markets, 798 art village, etc.

Hutong Tour

Tea Street


Recommended Tour Guide:
Jason Chen: kingchen00@hotmail.com
**be sure to get full quote from him up-front and ask for a driver as well. They will pick you up from the airport and take you everywhere you need to go...

Travel Agency: Hong Kong
Queenly
moderntravelltd@yahoo.com.hk

Travel Agency: Lotus Travel
Jennifer Chung
jenniferc@lotusint.com.hk

Hong Kong Private Kitchens

Dinner: PRIVATE KITCHEN

Most private kitchens require reservations and are BYOB.


1. Mum Chau’s Sichaun Kitchen

37 D’Aguilar Street 8108-8550

* no atmosphere, but good food


2. Sichuan - Opera Singer/Chef

Da Ping Hua

49 Hollywood Road

2559-1317

*This is a husband/wife owned restaurant and a total experience. The wife is the Chef and an opera singer. The husband is an artist/photographer. You will experience excellent food and opera singing by the chef. They do have a vegetarian option and wine.

3. Cajun Fav - Magnolia

G/F, Shop 5, 17, Po Yan Street,
Sheung Wan
Tel: 2530 9880
www.magnolia.hk

A Creole private kitchen, which offers a unique dinner-party style dining experience. Diners are welcomed right into the kitchen, where there is a small open plan seating area where they can watch the chefs hard at work as they enjoy canapes and drinks. They are then shown up to one of three intimate dining rooms with long tables of 16 to 20, which can either be entirely booked out by one group, or if you arrive in a two, you sit with other people at the table, creating the perfect atmosphere in which to create a brand new set of friends. The food is a hearty combination of ribs, gumbo and mashed potato, which is all served family-style by the vivacious owner, Lori Granito, further encouraging interaction amongst guests. It’s like attending a dinner party thrown by a Southern American “mom,” without needing an invite and has perfectly tapped into the market of newly arrived expatriates.


4. Thai

Causeway Bay

9782-6227

*Great for groups!

5. Hot Pot and Spicy

1F, Thai Kong Bldg.
482 Hennessy Road
Causeway Bay, HK
2838-8811

6. Le Marron
12/F, Ying Kong Mansion
2 – 6 Yee Wo Street
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
(852) 2881 6662
bookingmarron.com.hk
www.marron.com.hk
Dinner only, minimum charge $280 (BYOB but with $40 corkage per bottle)

7. Le Blanc
6/F, 83 Wan Chai Road,Wan Chai

Tel: 3428 5824

Le Blanc is a tiny French private kitchen on the sixth floor of an office block down a dingy market alleyway in Wan Chai. Like, Da Ping Huo, the obscure location only adds to the drama when you emerge from a rickety old lift into a small dining room decorated like a French country barn with huge velvet curtains sectioning off each table allowing you a perfectly private dining experience. The French food served here is near world-class and five- or nine-course menus are available from HK$350 to HK$580 per person. Given the quality of the menus, which feature everything from foie gras to decadent platters of hearty French cheeses, this is incredible value for money and a similar meal in a big hotel would cost almost three times as much before you have even looked at the wine list.

8. Alcove
(G/F, 55 Peel St, Soho, Central, 2975 9788)

Furniture designer Nelson Siu wanted to open his own furniture shop and was looking for a place in Central. When he sat down in a teahouse on Peel Street, the chef told him the owner was looking to sell the place and that’s how Alcove was born. Alcove serves Chinese fusion cuisine and their latest offer is Taidiao Fondue. Inspired by the Swiss dish, Alcove uses Taidiao, a kind of Chinese yellow wine as its base. Ingredients to go with the fondue include king clam, scallop, Japanese Wagyu and Chinese sausage. Another specialty of Alcove is its original Chinese cocktail, using a Hua Diao, Fen Liquor and Taishan special blend for a taste you will not have experienced before. An eight-course dinner costs from $268 to $388 per person depending on ingredients. And while you are busy savouring all that good food, take a glance around at the decor and furniture – it’s all is designed by Nelson, down to the bowls and plates!

9. Bon Appetit
132 Austin Road, Tai Chi Court, TST, 2314 3008
French cuisine, as well as Italian and Chinese food – or a fusion of the three.

Owner Sue, a Christian, opened the kitchen four years ago and loves sharing her beliefs with her customers. The house specialty is the soup they’ve called ‘Heart of a Woman’, in which gazpacho is ambushed by a hot, thick pumpkin soup, giving the diner a simultaneous hot-and-cold sensation which, according to Sue, is like a woman’s heart. Bon Appetit can serve 30-40 customers at a time, but a minimum of two persons is required to book a table. No walk-in is allowed. For bookings, call 2314 3008.

10. Yellow Door
6/F, Cheung Hing Commercial Building, 37 Cochrane Street, Central, 2858 6555
Sichuan and Shanghai-style cuisine

11. Club Qing
Address: 10/F, Cosmos Building, 8 - 11 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, HK
Phone: (852) 2536-9773 (Reservation)
Fax: (852) 2536-9778
Email: info@ClubQing.com
Directions: Exit D2 of Central MTR Station

Club Qing is a very special Chinese cuisine dinning restaurant (also know as Speakeasies) decorated in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 A.D.) theme. The fine cuisine that we serve are unique and authenticated Cantonese food. We are also famous for our exquisite Chinese tea. At Club Qing, you not only enjoy the finest Chinese cuisine, but also the elegant environment, exceptional service, and marvelous Chinese tea.

12. ORO 18
18/F, South China Building, 1 Wyndham St., Central.
Website: http://www.oro18.hk

13. Gio's
http://www.gios.com.hk

14, Plats (european food in central area)
Tel: 2971 0808

15. Lips (chef is a former chef of Petrus)
Tel: 93860981

16. Jean Restaurant
jpghk@netvigator.com
The place is Jean's home in Lamma Island.

17. La Bouteille
Tel: 2526 2621
The chef has lived in France for more than 10 years.

18. Palace Kitchen (central area,former chef of Stanley Ho)
Tel:6100 6872
http://www.palacekitchen.net/

19. Tungs House (chinese food in central area, 100 seats, won award in France)
Tel:25715168

20. Good Choi (in Wan Chai)
Tel: 2838 6959
goodchoi@america.com.hk

6 Days in Hong Kong

Sunday:

Dinner in Soho:

SOHO SPICE

Monday:

1. Sheung Wan

MUST DO:

• Check out the local Chinese medicine shops

• Tea House – up the stair from Café O at 285 Queens Road Central. Tell them you would like to try a variety of teas.
• Man Mo Temple
• Wet Market (across from Western Market)
• Hollywood Road – antiques, etc.
• Grab a fresh juice at one of the street stands
• Go to a dai pai dong for a taste of my fav breakfast (Chuan Fan – rice noodles with spicy chile sauce)
• CAT STREET

WALKING TOUR: Sheung Wan

Western Market

Wing Lok Street (birds nest, shark fin, chinese medicines shops)

Man Mo Temple (Hollywood Road and Ladder Street).

You can grab a coffee or lunch at Classified/Press Room.

Upper Lascar Row- cross Hollywood Road away from the temple, go down the steps until you reach Upper Lascar Road and turn left into the antique market (Cat Street)

Walk down Hollywood Road and check out the antiques

2. Dim Sum

* Luk Yu Tea House CANTONESE -- The most authentic dim sum teahouse in Hong Kong is often so packed with regulars that mere tourists can't get a seat. Furthermore, trolleys with dim sum are pushed through the place only until 11am, after which there's an English menu with pictures but no prices (ask before ordering). Yet it's worth the effort to come here; try to bring along a Chinese friend to help you with your selections.

24-26 Stanley St., Central. tel. 852/2523 5464. Dim sum HK$25-HK$55 (US$3.25-US$7.15/£1.80-£3.90). MC, V. Daily 7am-5:30pm for dim sum. MTR: Central

* Maxim's Palace CANTONESE -- There's no better place for cheap dim sum than this enormously popular restaurant, located on the second floor of City Hall with good harbor views. It's a lively, noisy place, with dim sum still offered from trolleys, plus there's an English menu with photos and prices. It doesn't get much easier than this.

Low Block, City Hall, Connaught Rd. Central and Edinburgh Place. tel. 852/2526 9931. Dim sum HK$20-HK$29 (US$2.60-US$3.75/£1.40-£2.05). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily Mon-Sat 11am-3pm; Sun and holidays 9am-3pm, for dim sum. MTR: Central.

* Bo Kong VEGETARIAN -- Although there are at least a few dim sum vegetarian offerings at most restaurants, this simple Chinese restaurant with an English menu offers a larger selection than most, including a steamed vegetarian barbecued "pork" bun, steamed spinach dumpling, and deep-fried bean curd rolls with vegetable.

Times Square (12th floor), 1 Matheson St., Causeway Bay. tel. 852/2506 3377. Dim sum HK$10-HK$15 (US$1.30-US$1.95/70p-£1.05). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 11am-4pm. MTR: Causeway Bay.

* Dragon-i

Trendy and good!

60 Wyndham St, The Centrium, Central

MTR: Central

3110-1222

3. Star Ferry to TST side

4. Go to a Tailor in TST: OUR FAV: Shaniel Custom Tailor

**tell them Shea and Andrew sent you

5. Purses: Call Winson to arrange: 9645-4211

6. Dinner – Lamma Island

Take the ferry in Central to Lamma Island (30 minutes) and head to Rainbow Seafood restaurant. The last ferry back to Central is at 11:00 or 12:00 – always check when you arrive.

Tuesday

1. Peak Tram and walk around the Peak (45 minutes)

2. Lunch

3. Shanghai Tang at Pedder Street

4. Upstairs shopping at Pedder Building

5. Reflexology at Happy Foot

11F, Jade Center

98-102 Wellington Street

Central

P: 2544-1010 (make reservations on weekend)

Dinner: PRIVATE KITCHEN

1. Mum Chau’s Sichaun Kitchen

37 D’Aguilar Street 8108-8550

2. Sichuan - Opera Singer/Chef

Da Ping Hua

49 Hollywood Road

2559-1317

3. CajunFav

Magnolia

17 Po Yan Street

2530-3880

4. Thai

Causeway Bay

9782-6227

Wednesday

Stanley Market

Stanley – BOATHOUSE for lunch

Horse Races in Happy Valley

Dinner: Thai Restaurant in Causeway Bay

*Hole in the wall and top Thai food. Go through alley by Times Square to where you would pick up the Stanley bus in Causeway Bay.

Thursday: Lantau Island

Nyong Ping 360 to Lantau

Lantau and the big buddah

Lunch at The Stoep (Med South African Cuisine)

* Lower Sheung Sha Village

*Tai O - take a taxi here and check out the village on stilts - worth the extra ride!

Red Bar for Drinks at IFC 2

Dinner Indochine

BAR TOUR: Feather Boa, Hotel LKF, Geikos

Friday

www.kayak-and-hike.com: 9300-5179

Ten Thousand Buddahs in Lamma Island

Drinks at Aqualuna, Dinner in Hutong

Star Ferry back to Central

Hong Kong Health Food Shops

HEALTH FOOD SHOPS
1. Green Concepts
2/F Prosperous Commercial Building
54-58 Jardine's Bazaar
2882-4848
www.healthshop.com.hk

2. Green Dot Dot
HOK 23B, Hong Kong Station
2149-3239
www.greendotdot.com

3. Health Gate
8F, Hung Tak Building
106-108 Des Voeux Rd
Central
2545-2286

4. Nature's Village
38 Lyndhurst Terrace
Central
3107-0817
www.naturesvillage.com.hk

5. Organic Farmer's Market
Central Star Ferry Pier
2488-0602
www.hofa.org.hk
*twice a week

*6. OUR FAV: Three Sixty
3-4F, The Landmark, Central
2111-4480
www.threesixtyhk.com

HEALTH FOOD RESTAURANTS

1. BEO (Organic)
16 Arbuthnot Road
Central, Hong Kong
2868-0625

2. LIFE (vegetarian)
20A Aberdeen Street
Central, Hong Kong
2810-9777

3.