Here are the latest openings, offerings, changes, and events in Hong Kong and Macau.
Planning Your Trip
To help you plan your trip, the Hong Kong Tourist Board has installed a 9.5-minute long Hong Kong Experiences video clip on its website at www.discoverhongkong.com, showcasing the city's sights and cultural activities.
Hong Kong became mostly smoke-free January 1, 2007. A rarity in Asia, smoking is now prohibited in most enclosed public places, including restaurants and shops, as well as some outdoor areas like public beaches. Bars, nightclubs, and mahjong parlors, however, do not have to comply with the no-smoking ban until June 30, 2009.
Where to Stay
The Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Rd., Central (tel. 800/526-6566 in the U.S. and Canada; www.mandarinoriental.com), which reopened following a top-to-bottom renovation, now offers 502 larger, more contemporary rooms (the balconies were removed), as well as the contemporary French-influenced restaurant Pierre (tel. 852/2825-4001) and the sensuous M Bar (tel. 852/2825-4002). These two new additions share the 25th floor with perennial favorite for Cantonese cuisine Man Wah.
Meanwhile, the Kowloon skyline is slowly changing with the construction of a new Ritz Carlton near Kowloon Station (tel. 800/241-3333 in the U.S. and Canada; www.ritzcarlton.com). Occupying the upper 13 floors of a 100-story building, the luxury property will be the world's tallest hotel when it opens in 2009 and will boast three restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, and a spa.
Visitors walking along Tsim Sha Tsui's Salisbury Road to the Star Ferry may also notice construction surrounding the former Marine Police Headquarters. Built more than 120 years ago on a bluff, the historic building will reopen in 2008 as a boutique hotel and restaurants.
Where to Dine
In yet another makeover move since taking over the former Regent several years back, the InterContinental Hong Kong has replaced seafood restaurant Yü with NOBU (tel. 852/2721-1211; www.hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com). Under the helm of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, known for his innovative new-style Japanese cuisine, the restaurant offers signature dishes, like yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno, and views of the harbor.
Caprice, in the Four Seasons (tel. 852/3196-8860; www.fourseasons.com/hongkong), is already one of the hottest dinner venues in town with its dramatic setting, great views, and French cuisine, but with the recent introduction of a tasting menu providing smaller portions of the a-la-carte menu's favorite dishes, laid-back weekend lunches are also a good bet.
What to See & Do
Spurred, perhaps, by the 2005 opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park, Hong Kong Island (tel. 852/2552-0291; www.oceanpark.com.hk), is undergoing a huge transformation to elevate it to one of the world's leading marine-based theme parks. Among the changes are a proposed new MTR subway line that will link Ocean Park to Admiralty, the addition of three new hotels, and a doubling of the park's attractions from the current 35 to 70. The park will remain open during the renovation, with a target completion set for 2010.
Nan Lian Garden, connected to Chi Lin Nunnery by a bridge, is now open free to the public. Styled in imitation of famous gardens in Suzhou during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the 8.6-acre (3.5 hectares) scenic park features ponds, a waterfall, a hexagonal-shaped pavilion, and a variety of trees and shrubbery, with each hill, rock, body of water, and plant placed according to strict rules and methods. Facilities also include a vegetarian restaurant.
Visitors who like the outdoors but prefer the convenience of arranged encounters can join the Hong Kong Tourist Board's new Hong Kong Nature Kaleidoscope, a series of activities offered every morning of the week for free or a nominal charge. Activities range from gathering at a local park for bird watching, touring the new Hong Kong Wetland Park, exploring the Northeast New Territories, or hiking the Wong Nai Chung Gap Trail on Hong Kong Island. In addition, HKTB's Meet the People program, with free daily cultural classes and seminars led by local experts, has expanded its offerings with the addition of a diamond appreciation class, a Chinese cake-making class, and guided tours of several museums. For more information on these and other activities, contact HKTB at tel. 852/2508-1235, go to www.discoverhongkong.com, or stop in at any HKTB kiosk throughout the city.
Free tai chi lessons are now offered every Saturday from 9 to 10am from the rooftop of The Peak Tower on Victoria Peak, offering unparalleled views of Hong Kong. Organized by HKTB as part of the Meet the People program, the new location is in addition to the free tai chi lessons conducted on the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 to 9am.
Shopping
Long popular for shopping excursions, Stanley Market can expect even more visitors upon completion of a new promenade along the Stanley waterfront, due for completion by the end of 2007, which will enhance views from the string of open-fronted restaurants facing the water and may inspire shoppers to linger longer.
A Sidetrip to Macau
Macau, the Las Vegas of Asia, has upped its tourism ante so much is it any surprise that a record-breaking 21 million visitors poured in last year, more than double what it was just 7 years ago? To alleviate the tourist crunch, the government has proposed a new light rail system that would include 26 stations and span some 22km (12.6 miles), quickly depositing arrivals from mainland China at the casinos and convention facilities on Cotai. No word yet on when construction might begin. Meanwhile, you can keep abreast of the city's ever-growing streets, hotels, restaurants, and sightseeing spots by pinpointing them on MacauMap, a free PDA download at www.macautourism.gov.mo. And for those who need help boarding a taxi at the Ferry Terminal, Taxi Ambassadors are on hand to help visitors find a taxi and translate their destinations to taxi drivers.
New hotels are opening with lightning speed, including Wynn Macau (tel. 853/986-9966; www.wynnmacau.com) and the Rocks Hotel in Fisherman's Wharf (tel. 853/2878-2782), a 72-room boutique hotel designed in Victorian style and boasting private balconies from every room.