Thailand/Hong Kong or China advice welcomed

upallnighteatingcheese

Hi there,
Myself and my girlfriend and planning a trip for over Christmas and New Year and I'm looking for some advice for anyone thats been to Thailand/China/Hong Kong if possible.

We've done some research into the areas but when we started looking into flights a few days ago it became apparant that everyone wants to fly home to Glasgow around the 7th of January and so flights I reckon are going to become scare quite quickly, forcing a quick booking relatively soon.

At the moment, a very rough idea would be to fly from Glasgow to Hong Kong for a few days before flying on to Bangkok for a couple of days before heading to Koh Samui. At this point we'll get a boat over to Ko Pha Ngan where were meeting up with friends for a week for Christmas and New Year.

After that, we're thinking about flying to China for about a week and at this point we're more vague about where to go, what to see etc

So, does anyone have any opinions on whether were doing things in the right order and opinions or suggestions about what to see and do in Hong Kong, China and Thailand?
(Has any one got any hotel recomendations in Hong Kong?)

We'll have 3 weeks away but have to be in Ko Pha Ngan / Koh Samui for one week in the middle.

Theres so much information on the net that it's hard digesting all of it, and it's always better getting opinions from people that have done something silmilar.

Thanks very much for any replies!

Stu

Voyager2002

Thailand is on the way to Hong Kong and China, so your proposed route involves doubling back on yourselves. You might like to get a flight to Hong Kong with a stopover in Bangkok. From Hong Kong you can take a bus or train into China.

Remember that most of China will be freezing cold around then. although the south (and Hong Kong) will be reasonably pleasant. OTOH it will be peak tourist season in Thailand.

pandaonmyshoulder

We have flown to HK and onto Thailand twice. We fly from either M/cr or Heathrow depending on what airline I can find the best deal (2 adults 2 teenagers and 2 children (only youngest at 8 is classed as a child fare:eek: ).

First time- BA from Heathrow- 4 nights in HK (City Gardens Hotel at North Point). Fly- Dragonair 7 nights in Phuket (Karan Beach Hotel), Dragonair to HK - 2nights before flying BA back to Heathrow.

Second time - Emirates M/cr to HK 4 nights (City Gardens) then fly Thai Airline to Bangkok o/n in Bangkok, fly to Koh Samui for 7 nights then backtrack to HK via short stop in Bangkok then 2 nights in HK before catching Emirates flight back to M/cr. Can't remember the hotels names in Thailand but check out The Blue Wave in Koi Samui as we met the owners and their holiday rental accommodation looked good - they are something to do with the Dog Rescue on Koi Samui too (the owners not the accommodation).

In October we are flying Qatar Airline to HK for 10 nights from Manchester (my big brov lives there and this time he's sorted the accommodation:o ). Actually staying on Lamma Island this time-google it, looks good.

Everywhere flights, accommodation etc. are all going to be more expensive over the period you want to fly sadly but HK and Thailand are great places, lots to see and do you will not be disappointed. HK- The Peak, Kowloon, Stanley Market, Ocean Park, Lantau Island the list is endless. Also you can catch a ferry over to Macau (always been China) a sort of a Portugal meets Asia type of place.

Voyager2002

Some airlines (eg Gulf Air) actually stop in Bangkok on the way to Hong Kong. So unless you want to maximise the time spend squashed into aeroplanes, doing it as a stopover would be the most efficient.

I stayed on Lamma once, and I thought it was wonderful. But not what most people expect from Hong Kong! (Lamma is an island, about 45 minutes by boat from the city centre. Great for hiking, nature, and peace and quiet: no motor vehicles allowed there! But it does have some great seafront bars and a selection of fantastic seafood places.)

pompeii

We also stayed at City Garden with no problems, however if you are saving the pennies you could try the Ibis also at North Point, the rooms were tiny but clean and quiet, the airport bus stops almost outside and the MTR station is a couple of doors away.

In Bangkok we stayed at the Chaophyra Park [not sure of the spelling] a good hotel a bit out of the way but an MTR station is about a 3to 5 minute walk away and will take you to the more touristy areas, we booked this through Asia-Rooms fantastic value for the money. Hope you have a great time.

Voyager2002

In Bangkok not long ago, we stayed in the city centre near Siam Square. There is a quiet side street with a row of hotels: we chose the best and most expensive, but it was still really cheap. It was called Reno Hotel and was very comfortable, with helpful staff and a swimming pool.

alyth

I'm flying to China next week from Glasgow with Emirates, stopping off in Dubai en route, flying into Beijing and out of Shaghai, for £340. I can give you advice on what to see in beijing and Shanghai, Beijing will be absolutely freezing at that time of year, but still spectacular to see, you could always go up to Harbin to see the ice festival, but perhaps if you want to spend a week in China you could base yourself in a city and then travel in different directions for a day or so to see the sights, then back to beijing - for example fly to Xian to see the terracotta warriors, then back to Beijing.

Sounds a fantastic trip though, have a wonderful time!

miffyhugmuffin

Have you been to vietnam before? Hanoi is a great city and well worth a look and could be an alternative to china. I would love to go back there. As for Thailand, personally I prefer the west coast (particularly ko phi phi and the huts on long beach). On the samui side ko tao is the place to go if you want to spend any time in the water (snorkeling or diving), but I imagine your friends will know all the best places to go so you are sure to have a great time. Other places I've particularly loved in SE Asia are El Nido in the philippines, singapore (out of which you can fly to) borneo for great wildlife, and angkor wat in cambodia.

We stayed in buddy lodge in bangkok. Was a nice mid-range place in ko san road.

We were in hong kong over christmas last year, so can provide advice if you have any specific questions.