Welcome to Hong Kong Stopover Guide

The idea of creating an online-stopover-guide to Hong Kong came up after I realized there are so many travelers who pass through this fascinating city on their way from here to there, and don't really know what are the best possible ways to spend a day or two, while waiting for their next flight...

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I'm sure you'll find the info in this blog helpful and I look forward to hear from you...

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Bon Voyage


Monday, April 6, 2009

6) Hong Kong after midnight... A night-owls guide

While some of my previous entries focused on pre-midnight activities, like late shopping, night markets, restaurants and cafés... This entry is mainly about open-late nightspots, alongside a special section which explains how to get back to the airport in the wee hours of the night...
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Hong Kong after midnight: Places for night owls
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Hong Kong is alive and kicking 24 hours a day, so even if you want to party till it's dawn, you are not likely to find yourself alone on the streets...
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Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) and Wanchai's Lockhart Road are where Hong Kong Island's late nighters like to hang, While Knutsford Terrace and Ashley Road (together with some other streets in Tsim sha Tsui) are where Kowloon's hottest nightspots can be found.
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Here are a few recommendations for those of you who want to be dead tired before their next flight takes off...
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In Lan Kwai Fong (LKF)
Dragon I (one of Hong Kong's hottest night spots, combining a Chinese and Japanese restaurant, a stylish bar and a dancing club), Al's Diner (a 1950s American style restaurant, bar and club), Hong Kong Brew House (a resto-pub and a micro brewery), Insomnia (a very popular night spot, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week), Agave (Tequila lovers heaven), The Dublin Jack (an Irish pub), Philia (a classy lounge, serving a decent choice of spirits, beers and cocktails, alongside some European and international delicacies), Bulldog's Bar and Grill (a great British-Aussie style Sport bar), La Baguette (Serving a variety of sandwiches, toasts, salads, pastas and other café fare until late at night), Café O (a popular open-late café) and Ebeneezer's Kebabs & Pizzeria (a takeaway style eatery, serving kebabs and pizzas until the morning)
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In the SoHo
Staunton's Bar & Café (a great place to see and to be seen...), Blue door (one of Hong Kong's most popular jazz bars), Bohemian Lounge (a nice, cozy Jazz bar), Joyce is not here (a combination of a bar, café and gallery, with easygoing ambience and nice food), DiVino Wine Bar & Restaurant (This trendy Italian resto-bar is one of SoHo's most popular venues), Flying Pan SoHo (Hong Kong's best "all day breakfast". The restaurant is open 24 hours a day / 7 days a week), McSorley's Ale House (This excellent Irish pub serves great food, alongside a huge selection of beers, ales and spirits), Bacar Wine Brasserie (This restaurant and wine bar specializes in contemporary-light Mediterranean cuisine), Tastings wine bar (One of Hong Kong's best and hippest wine bars) and Boca tapas & wine (this contemporary tapas & wine bar is a good place to unwind, while watching life on the street go by…)

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In Wan Chai (Wanchai)
Flying Pan (Hong Kong's best "all day breakfast". The restaurant is open 24 hours a day / 7 days a week), The Bridge (one of Wanchai's nicest resto-pubs... stays open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year...), Coyote Bar & Grill (a Tex-Mex resto-bar), 1/5 (One Fifth) (This stylish lounge-bar is a good place to see and to be seen...), Klong Bar & Grill ("KBG" is one of Hong Kong's hippest and trendiest hangouts), Skitz (one of Wanchai's most favorite nightspots), Carnegie's (plenty of "special offers" and "Happy hour deals"... and good 1980s dancing music), Joe Bananas - JBs (one of Wanchai's most popular nightspots. It has been there for more than twenty years and still "ticks" vigorously... ), Delaney's (Irish pub), Mes Amis Wanchai, Les Visages (This popular place operates as a restaurant till evening hours and as a bar / night club, later on at night...), Café Zambra (Serving nice café fare till the wee hours of the night) and
The Pawn (One of Hong Kong's trendiest spots, featuring a Bar, Lounge and Restaurant under one roof...)


In Tsim sha Tsui (Knutsford Terrace, Ashley Road and other places...)
Balalaika (one of Hong Kong's only Russian resto-bars, well known for its "Siberian Vodka room"), Bahama Mama's (an easygoing bar, with nice dancing music and great pub grab), Ned Kelly's Last Stand (a great Jazz bar and restaurant, with "wild west" ambience...), Mes Amis (a very popular nightspot), Delaney's TST (Irish pub), Aqua Spirit (a romantic and stylish bar, with absolutely gorgeous views), Felix (an ultra stylish resto-bar on the top floor of the Peninsula. Designed by Philippe Starck), Biergarten (A lovely German resto-pub that serves good food, together with a variety of cold German beers),

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Traveling back to Hong Kong International Airport

As already mentioned in my first entry (Getting from and to Hong Kong International Airport), the first Airport Express train leaves Hong Kong Station (in Central) at 05:50 am (05:53 from Kowloon). The complimentary shuttle-bus service stops at around 11 - 11:30 pm (depends which line) and starts again only at around 6:20 am - That means that if you want to catch one of the last trains to the airport (those who depart just before 1am), you will have to get to the station by cab, or walk (there are walking directions in most of the sections across this article).

Night buses are the best alternative for those of you who wish to get back to the airport before it's dawn. They stop at all major dining and entertainment areas and the travel time at night is not too bad, as the roads are empty...

Citybus' route N 11 operates nightly, from 00:50 to 04:50 am and travels through Hong Kong Island's Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, before proceeding to the airport

From SoHo: From Queen's Road Central (at the bottom of the escalator), turn right to Jubilee Street and proceed with it (across Des Voeux Road Central) till you get to the corner of Connaught Road Central. Turn left and walk a few steps to the bus-stop (outside Ananda Tower).

From Lan Kwai Fong (LKF): Walk down D'aguilar Street to the corner of Queen's Road Central. Proceed with Pottinger (crossing Des Voeux Road Central) and turn right to Connaught Road Central. The bus-stop is near the corner, outside Wing Lung Bank Building

From Wan Chai (Wanchai) : The most convenient bus stop is, probably the one on 69 Hennessy Road (one street parallel to Lockhart Road), near the corner of Luard Road, just outside Floral House. Another centrally located bus-stop is on 163 Hennessy, near the corner of O'Brien Rd. (and very close to exit A-2 of MTR - Wan Chai)


Citybus' route N 21 operates nightly, between 00:20 and 5:00am and travels through Kowloon's areas of Tsim sha Tsui, Jordan, Yau ma Tei and Mong Kok, before moving on to the airport.

Bus stops:

  • Outside the Star Ferry Pier
  • On 27 Nathan Road, near the Kowloon Hotel (Works well for Asley Road and its environs, as well as for Mody Road, Carnarvon and the small streets east of Nathan Road)
  • On 83 Nathan Road (same as above - even better)On 131 Nathan Road, outside Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard and opposite the corner of Kimberley Road (for Knutsford Terrace)
  • On 639 Nathan Road, near the corner of Nelson Street and MTR - Mong Kok exit E-1 (for Mong Kok)

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for putting this up. I'm also going to be on a 10-hour stopover in Hong Kong that starts just around 11pm. Would it be safe for a female walking around hong kong after midnight? I don't want to check in at a hotel and i'd rather get a feel of the city while im there.

    ReplyDelete