Whip Whip Hooray
Sun Herald
Sunday December 16, 2007
Adrian Nisbett takes a punt and finds the perfect Asian stopover.
If your last visit to Hong Kong involved flying in to the old Kai Tak Airport, you are in for a treat. Chek Lap Kok Airport or Hong Kong International Airport, while not having the variety of distractions and facilities as Singapore's Changi, is a marvel of efficiency and really demonstrates how far airport design has come since Sydney Airport's international terminal was built.Total time elapsed from the moment I left the aircraft to getting off the metro at Kowloon station was 30 minutes. Immediately impressive was the seamless way in which every aspect of the arrival formalities worked; the eagerness of airport workers to assist confused travellers; the lack of officiousness from immigration and customs staff; and the pleasure of being on a clean, fast and on-time train. From Kowloon station a free shuttle bus delivered me to my hotel, free of the stress that usually accompanies arriving in a foreign city after a lengthy flight.I was not at all surprised to find, over the next few days, that efficiency and helpfulness do not stop at the shiny new airport.Hong Kong really works. Public transport is a delight to use (look even slightly confused at a ticket machine and someone will be there to assist), service in shops and restaurants is attentive (sometimes more so than you may want) and this is one part of the world where government travel alerts are irrelevant.Should you tire of the modern face of Hong Kong, walk behind the fancy streets and you will find that much of "old" Hong Kong remains, with its narrow, sign-bedraggled streets, hawkers and their smoky woks, assorted smells and grimy, crowded tenements.Hong Kong's traditional attractions of shopping (not quite as cheap as it once was but with keen prices on photographic and electronic gear) and food aside, what to do? While the familiar sights of the harbour, Stanley markets and the Peak are not to be missed, did you know that much of Hong Kong is national parkland, with well-laid walking tracks? Or that there are several islands with great vistas and interesting restaurants within a half-hour ferry ride of Central? Or that Hong Kong boasts some fine beaches? Or that there are some excellent museums and parks, not to mention Disneyland? All of these are worth exploring, but I decided on the Wednesday night races at Happy Valley.Like a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, spending an evening mixing with Hong Kong's racing public reveals a side to a city that you just don't see while walking the streets. Here is a much more down-to-earth and entertaining Hong Kong, quieter than you might expect, relaxed and intent on the racing rather than on being a clothes horse or a show pony. Given the popularity of gambling in Hong Kong it is not surprising that the midweek meet is well attended. The compact course is full, but not uncomfortably so. Down at the rails the action is very close and exciting, but the atmosphere is rather different from that on an Australian track. The racegoers in the stands sit rather like a theatre audience awaiting the first act: quietly, expectantly and with anticipation written on their faces. Trackside, Australian expats pass comments to bemused Australian jockeys and just occasionally someone will become highly excited as a race finishes. Even if you have no interest in horse racing you will have fun watching the locals at play.Australians are used to flying to Europe via Singapore or Bangkok, but Hong Kong and its unique attractions are worth considering. Total flight time to, say, Heathrow is a little more than going via Singapore, but there are some compensations. Depending on the weather, there are spectacular views to be enjoyed as you fly over China and the vastness of Russia. Also, the early morning Qantas flight to London gets to Heathrow early in the afternoon, a much quieter time than the usual dawn landing that seems to coincide with the arrival of just about every Boeing and Airbus ever built. By all means be amazed by Hong Kong's transport system, shop from one end of Nathan Road to the other and enjoy the great food, but do leave Wednesday evening free for a Happy Valley excursion.TRIP NOTES* Getting there Qantas, Cathay Pacific and other airlines fly to Hong Kong daily, with onward connections to Europe.* Staying there The four-star Royal View Hotel is on the waterfront between the Ting Kau Beach and Lido Bay, 25 minutes from the airport. Prices start from $124 a night. See www.royalview.com.hk.Guests at the luxurious Peninsula Hong Kong can ride to the airport by hotel helicopter or Rolls-Royce limo. Rooms from $709 a night. See hongkong.peninsula.com. For bookings, phone Flight Centre on 131 600.* Further information Happy Valley racecourse is close to the Causeway Bay MTR station. For details of fixtures and betting, see www.happyvalleyracecourse.com
© 2007 Sun Herald