April 2007 Hongkong for business has changed a little and now lost its flare as a buyers mecca. Now it is not the service centre it was for China as one can now arrive in Hongkong; go direct to the train station and head to China in 2 hours and do your business up there. Hongkong is full of expensive designer labels that you will find in Guangzhou at a much cheaper price- in fact half price. Why bother buying in Hongkong when you can get all you want in China for half price but they do have 7/11s and MacDonalds and designer wear. The markets like Ladies market and Temple market have the same stuff as 12-20 years ago and even their wholesale prices are definitely not as good as Bangkok as well as quality. There are also many copies in Hongkong now and the Police turn a blind eye to it all. Lots of vendors selling copy watches, bags etc and designer labels but check what you buy. Bangkok far outweighs anything Hongkong has to offer in prices and service. If going to  Hongkong don't stay there unless you are on a tour package --- go to China Travel buy your visa or better still get a visa bewfore you artrive for China -- then head to China as its a lot better; cheaper, nicer and you have everything at your fingertips.

FOOD: Bangkok is the mecca for food and many varieties and roadside stalls. Clean and they have serviettes which Hongkong rarely does in average restaurants. The prices in Hongkong and variety are not as good as Bangkok and as for cleanliness forget it plus they do not give you complomentary water --you have to buy it. The hygeine in Thailand far exceeds anything Hongkong can offer and this owes a lot to the Thai cuture. Hongkong people are only interested in money nothing else and beats me why they don't get more sars here. Food in China now is even better and a fraction of the Hongkong prices so head here to Guangzhou or Schenzen. Most people who stay around Nathan road go to MacDonalds for breakfast. They have 2 meals for around &HK16.50 & $HK19 hash browns; scrambled eggs, buns, sausage or ham plus coffee or tea & Kentucky also has a breakfast menu --open 24 hours. Theres not much else at the bottom of Nathan Road although you can buy sandwiches in the many 7/11s. If backpacking take 3 in one coffee or Milo with you or buy bread and make your own sandwiches. You may find this a cheaper option as many hotels have hot water jug for boiling.

TRAVEL:Apart from the expensive Hotels and theres many book via the internet as cheaper. Chungking Mansions or Mirador Manshions on Nathan Rd then main street. Theres many 7/11s now so you can buy there basics but not 3 in1s and MacDonalds still have cheap breakfasts for $HK19. Not many other places to go unless off the beaten track. This is by far the best breakfast in town as most Hotels starts at $HK88. Trains to China run every 1.5 hours and only 2 hours to Guangzhou and for $HK193 better to go there than Hongkong.

TRANSPORT: take your hat off to the British the MTR is still the easiest way to travel around Hongkong. It is very clean and quick to get from A to B. Theres also many buses and take the A21 from the airport to town $HK33 (make sure you buy a ticket at the booth near where the bus leaves at the airport and always have the right change) rather than the train which you have to change at Central and costs $HK99. The double decker buses are excellent and you can get yourself tours at the Star Ferry Tourist Information. A taxi is $HK15 at the fall of the flag so best take the MTR everywhere. Hongkong to Guangzhou is 193$HK and in China for the return you can pay in RMB or HK$. The Esatern Train Station is Hongkong has all the stores from MacDonalds to 7/11s etc.

CHECK cheap airfares from Thailand  

CLOTHES: forget Hongkong and shop in China yourself or Bangkok. Its far cheaper, better and the service is 100 % well above Hongkong. We checked the T shirts out and they are cheaper in Thailand but you will get even better bargains in China as with shoes etc. Many counterfeit shops are in Hongkong now and this month they were even ripping off mainland Chinese on REAL watches (fake designer watches}. The worst thing is the Indian touts on Nathan Rd trying to get you to buy fake watches; jucci bags and suits. They hassle you everywhere from Star Ferry to Nathan Rd and heck knows what the Police are doing about it --- nothing I guess. Hongkong is the forging capital worse than Thailand now. Remember in China  fake watch costs HK$20 off the street in Guangzhou but in Hongkong they will try to rip you for as much money as they can.

TRADE SHOWS: Hongkong needs to realize the benefits of trade shows but also China has the biggest. Its a way of hiking up the prices for Hotels etc here so again go to China for your buying as they have many arcades and walking streets in Guangzhou. However they do have an excellent China Sourcing Fair often and this is excellent as you can go from the airport in 5 minutes, leave your bages at the expo and source your products. This is what Hongkong is all about and they provide transport to and from r\town and it is well done. A credit to Hongkong.

WHERE TO STAY: Always book on the internet but the rat holes or cells to stay at are still in Chungking Manshions and Mirador Manshions. The accommodation is expensive and the rooms are very small $300-400 ( x4 for baht). During fairs they want higher prices and you pay per person not the room so again too overpriced but rest assured theres many hotels apart from Chingking. Be carefull with aircons as they do not change the filters so if you cough up flam the next day its the dirty aircons. Best stay in China as star 3 &4 Hotels cost the same with nice rooms and big and better rooms. Check out the hotels on the internet. If you come to Hongkong use the Internet 24 hour cafe on the 10th floor of Mirador Manshions $HK5 per half hour $HL10 for 1 hour 24 hours and a lot cheaper than the ground floor.

WHAT TO BUY: Nothing in Hongkong as its not worth it but check out the markets like Ladies Market -Ya ma tai; or Jade Market Sham sui Po & temple st in Jordan. Theres a computer plaza at MTR Wanchai and avoid camera shops etc on Nathan Rd as they have high rents for you to pay & do not list the prices. Even the tailor shops down here are a rip off as there rents are high? best go to China or Bangkok to buy. Hongkong is no different than 20 years ago and basically theres nothing to see here anymore or do --its a transit point fullstop. The prices are now expensive and you can get better in Bangkok or in China itself. Shoes are all double the prices of what they are in China so save your coins and go to China.

SERVICE: still the worst customer service in the western world. The shop owners don't care about you and people still spit everywhere, Hongkong is dirty and the restaurants are terrible. Why stay here when you have China next door and far better. However don;t get me wrong --if youre an upper class tourist this place could be OK for you but remember the rents are high and someone has to pay. INTERNET: best place and cheapest is the Mirador Manshions on Nathan Rd 24 hour internet $HK5 per half hour ans this cafe never closes so open 24hrs. Downstairs and in Chungking the rate is HK$10 for 1/2 hour and more.

However don't get me wrong Hongkong does have its own flavour of things and is an OK place.