Customer Reviews

Top 10 Hong Kong (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wanted Temples.

And my only disappointment with the book was the Chi Lin Nunnery - it is a stunning Temple and the best one I visited (they rated it too low). Po Lin, Wong Ti Sin, Fat Jong ( up hill and they said it was down hill), 10000 Buddha, Man Mo, and the Tin Hau (the spirial incense is still burning for my granddaughter and will not go out until after New Year).

The detail and architecture is so unlike europe and the states - Hong Kong is safe (except the roads), clean and a wonderful combination of old and new. It has replaced New York on my list of favorite cities, with Paris still number one.

And I tried to do many of the 10 ways to experience the real china - with nine ladies tolerating my Tai Chi attempt in the Kowloon Walled City Park at 7:00am toping the list. Everything Zen was the temples and Temple Street market and a Fortune Teller were also highlights.

I used this book to prepare for my first time in Hong Kong because I was limited to a week - I am a Rick Steves type traveler with just a carry on and stayed in a 2 star hotel ( I was the only Caucasian for miles ) and walked as much as possible. Never afraid even though I was lost often. Said Jousahn (joy-sahn which is Cantonese for good morning) to everyone just like I say Bonjour in Paris - brought smiles to many faces - including my own.

One very important item the book mentioned - the Octopus card - get one because it can be used to ride bus, MTR, airport express, star ferry, shuttles and as a bonus can be used to grab sandwiches, bottled water or camera batteries from 7/11, McDonald's and other quick in and out stores. No change rattling around in your pockets and turn it in at the airport when you leave to receive the balance.

Very much worth the money - this book - especially for planning.

The PLUS: 5 Stars!
The guide takes a pyramidal approach to the sights of your destination. So you slowly can work yourself through the areas that really interest you by easily skipping things you would not want to see or visit at all.
It also makes it easy to find the things that are important to you because the descriptions are small enough and pictures further make it easy to attract your interest or pass things by.

The MINUS: 4 Stars!
The good about the Maps is that they are there at all and also that there is an index of some streets.
The contained foldout maps though helpful when there is nothing else at all are not my favorite because they are quite small and are more an overview to identify the area where something is to be found on a better more detailed map. The same maps as the foldouts are also on a separate map that is detachable. This is a good idea but they are way to small and hard to read especially in dim light and in an awkward format to be really useful. - When available, I rather get a local map from the tourist office and transfer my destinations to it.

SUMMARY: 5 Stars!
This guide is an extremely useful sightseeing guide and small enough to be carried with you all the time for quick reference. It also allows you to choose the amount of detail you want to follow for the town: top 10 Highlights - top 10 to each highlight - top ten to some general categories like museums, bars, hotels, restaurants, shopping, and also some specific categories just for this destination like top 10 views or most thrilling festivals.
Insider tips or as they call the sections: "Street smart" round up this little guide. The maps are OK but could be improved. The deficiency of the maps though should not detract from the overall usefulness of this guide for your destination. This is true for a first time visitor with limited or all kinds of time and also for the return visitor, who wants to to repeat some destinations in more detail or avoid the same old top ten but venture out into new territory.

This is an excellent way to navigate the many attractions of Hong Kong, especially if you're there for just a short time. The format is "Top 10" -- top ten sights, top ten shopping, etc. The advice is very good and the guide tells you how to make use of the excellent public transportation options in Hong Kong. There are reasonably good maps of Hong Kong island and Kowloon along with a transit system map. The maps on the back flap are particularly helpful. In addition to the "what to see" advice, it's full of practical information about how to get around. The guide is strictly about where to go, not about where to stay or dine except in general terms. It's printed on sturdy, glossy paper and bound in a size that makes it easy to carry in a back pocket or small bag. For more information on where to stay & eat you may want something like the Lonely PLanet or Frommer guides. Lonely PLanet's is also available as an good (4 star, not 5) iPhone app.

Bought this for a recent trip to Hong Kong, and was really disappointed. Recommended restaurants were either not where they said they would be (in one case) or terrible and not worthy of a guidebook recommendation (a second case). We weren't going to try a third. It seemed as if the writers hadn't actually been to Hong Kong and seen the sights or eaten in the restaurants. There was no information on traveling with children, either (a minor point, granted, but the book could easily have included a few helpful tips in the back). Maps were okay, but larger more detailed neighborhood maps would be more useful to show more clearly where places are really located. All that was useful, really, was the top ten what to do in Hong Kong and the description of those places--that helped to narrow down what to do in our limited time. That said, we could have figured that out elsewhere.

a little underwhelmed by this book. was expecting some walking guides and in general more meat. really covered just the basics and without much detail. would probably pass as you can find the information in this book on any free travel site about hong kong.

Have been working in the cruise industry for 15+ years and Eyewitness still has the best maps and graphics in the travel guide business. These new "top ten" are great for quick week-end visits or a inexpensive option.

What I particularly liked about this book was that it distilled all that there is about Hong Kong down to what someone with only a few days visiting ought to try to see and do. I have another travel guide but it harder to focus on just what I should do in 3 or 4 days. It is well organized and easy to follow.

I went to HK last year and this was one of two books I bought and actually took to China. One of the best guide books I could find. Very clearly written and organized. I highly reccommend it.

When it comes to city guides, Eyewitness wins hands-down. Just used this guide in Hong Kong and found it to be superb. It can fit in a back pocket pretty easily and the durable, laminated map is excellent.

I would like to see more of these city guides for places like Ho Chi Minh City. Using the whole Vietnam guide just wasn't practical, but at least I was able to borrow that from the local library.