Phil riding KTM in China

[Franki]

Well, Hong Kong is part of China, so it counts.:RE

Phil made a quick visit and asked for a meeting. How can riders meet without a ride? So he went on a little ride to see a bit of HK unknown to most people.

 

[Franki]

Phil on top of it all



Phil becomes a student again in the oldest college in HK.

 

[Franki]

Phil has no sprite of adventure when it comes to chicken feet for lunch :kat




On a military road at the border with mainland China

 

[Franki]

Time for tea




Posing at Rider's Corner of HK

 

[KTMphil]

Was immense fun Frankie -Really appreciate you showing me around, quite amazing what hidden treasures there are in Hong Kong.

 

[zachb]

Phil, did you have to get a HK driver's licence? I heard you can use your home countries license to obtain a HK DL but I am not sure.
HK is small but it has such beautiful scenery up in the mountains.
I lived in Shenzhen for a couple years just across the border but that place is hell for any motorcyclist.
Motorcycles are not allowed

 

[KTMphil]

You do need a Hong Kong licence to drive there legally Zach.

www.RideAsia.net

 

[zachb]

How long did it take you to obtain the HK DL?
Thanks, Zach

 

[KTMphil]

Whoever would have thought crazy Hong Kong could look like this?

 

[KTMphil]

A quick trip up to the Special Administrative Regions of China (SAR), you can get bargain Air Asia flights from Chiang Mai direct to Macau. The beauty of Hong Kong and Macau, is that both regions offer immigration visa-on-arrival, unlike China, so all very hassle free.

If you hunt around you can get promotional room rates at some of the new casino's, we gave the 4 star Riviera Hotel a shot in Macau, which worked out to be around 4,800 Thai Bht a night.

The Macau night skyline is quite stunning with the casino's and towers

 

[KTMphil]

The ferry from Macau to Hong Hong takes 1 hour, all of the Macau hotels offer free shuttle buses to the ferry terminal, ferries run every 30 minutes. We stayed at the I - Regal hotel on Hong Kong Island in the Wan Chai district, room rate was around 5,000 Thai bht a night. All the cheaper hotels have small rooms, as does this one.


http://www.regalhotel.com/Regal-iclub-Hotel/Main/Hong-Kong-Wan-Chai-Boutique-Hotel.aspx

 

[KTMphil]

I'd been recommended the Fook Lam Moon dim sum restaurant in Wan Chai ( in the link below)

http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/showthread.php?t=2551&p=19315&viewfull=1#post19315


Food and service was spectacular with a price to match

 

[KTMphil]

Being the mid-autumn, Chinese nat'l holiday, there were a few people around to watch the celebratory fireworks over HK harbour.

It was a pretty good show

 

[KTMphil]

This classic HK roast pork restaurant is fanstastic in Wan Chai, HK Island

Location:

Latitude : 22.27905 (22°16′44.579″N)
Longitude : 114.17725 (114°10′38.090″E)
Accuracy of signal : 15.0 m
show on google maps

 

[KTMphil]

A bit of cultural sight seeing around HK

Then luckily Frankie was free for a ride around Hong Kong - he lent me his KTM 690 SM, which was a lovely surprise

 

[KTMphil]

He also has a beautiful, 13 year old, KTM 620 sc with only 3,000km on it from new!

 

[KTMphil]

Once out of the city, up into the winding hills to one of Frankies favorite riding spots in HK

From here you can make out an old colonial, British Airforce base thats now a Chinese Airforce base

This is as far as you can get on a motorized vehicle

The smog was pretty bad, the camera couldnt focus on the buildings and bridges in the distance

The road we came up on

The old police checkpoint from colonial days

 

[KTMphil]

Back down the mountain and wasn't quite sure at the time why we were stopping here

Then i was shown why, this banyon tree had complety taken over this house - Ankor Wat style

This was where the door was

 

[KTMphil]

This is in one of the oldest villages in HK, they are used as community meeting places, kind of town halls

 

[KTMphil]

This is the oldest/ first school in Hong Kong

Back 200 years ago, you had to be pretty special to get a place in a school as everyone was expected to work then fields

 

[KTMphil]

The great thing being shown around by locals, is that you get to discover restaurant gems like this, a fabulous, locals dim sum restaurant in the back of Hong Kong, packed to the doors with locals

Location of this fabulous place:


Latitude : 22.47321 (22°28′23.566″N)
Longitude : 114.05154 (114°03′05.528″E)
Accuracy of signal : 15.0 m
show on google maps

 

[KTMphil]

After lunch, up to an old strategic, British lookout, where the British used to snoop on the Chinese, there's even a heli pad there

You almost forgot about the millions of people on this small island up here

Heli pad location:

Latitude : 22.53996 (22°32′23.869″N)
Longitude : 114.18748 (114°11′14.918″E)
Accuracy of signal : 25.0 m
show on google maps

 

[KTMphil]

From this lookout you can see an area of Shenzen, China below, with its massive condo buildings

Right at the Chinese border is the HK rubbish landfill. Layers and layers of refuse are put here, let settle for 20 years, then skyscrapers will be built on them

The Shenzen Television tower, dwarfing everything else around

A view of the HK side from the same spot

 

[KTMphil]

Back down and off to see some areas of HK you wouldnt know existed

This is another area of Shenzen, China in the distance, there's even an international border crossing there.

Shenzen, China

 

[KTMphil]

This all leads to a non-fussy coffee/cafe on the far side of the inlet.

Frankie tells me this place has become kind of a cult hangout on a Sunday. The car park is then packed with Lamborghini's & Ferrari's.


If you want to check it out the location of this cafe is:


Latitude : 22.5252 (22°31′30.732″N)
Longitude : 114.21957 (114°13′10.442″E)
Accuracy of signal : 15.0 m
show on google maps

While we were there a few HK riders turned up

 

[KTMphil]

The worst disaster in HK's maritime history happened the day before we were due to get the ferry back across to Macau, 38 people had drowned in a ferry collision in HK harbor it was all over the news, at least this made the odds of our ferry crossing better back to Macau.


Some time to kill once off the ferry, so went to check out the new Galaxy Casino in Macau

What a monster

Look what you could win (if the odds weren't against you)

 

[KTMphil]

Thanks again to Frankie, for the loan of his 690 SM and taking the time to show me some of his favorite places in Hong Kong.

 

[Franki]

Thanks again to Frankie, for the loan of his 690 SM and taking the time to show me some of his favorite places in Hong Kong.

You are welcomed !

 

[Ally]

Fantastic report Phil, thanks to Franki too.

Ally

 

[LivinLOS]

Great report.. I was also looking at the CM macau link the other day, a few buddies have done gambling holidays and got great deals on casino rooms.. Gaming (in casinos) not really my thing..

Last trip to HK I stayed in the same i-something hotel.. Did your room have a glass window through to the bathroom and toilet ???

 

[KTMphil]

Great report.. I was also looking at the CM macau link the other day, a few buddies have done gambling holidays and got great deals on casino rooms.. Gaming (in casinos) not really my thing..

Last trip to HK I stayed in the same i-something hotel.. Did your room have a glass window through to the bathroom and toilet ???

This gives you an idea of how cheap you can get there and back for ----- basically the same price as flying Chiang Mai/ Bangkok, quite amazing.


View attachment 10473

 

[KTMphil]

Talked with Frankie about this trail under the cable car in HK, he said there is a way up, but a different road and its pretty windy


View attachment 10475





Free wifi in most public transport areas in HK


View attachment 10476

 

[oldbloke]

All done with mirrors

A nice bit of tricky camera work, Phil, but I bet your young 'un isn't quiet as impressed!!3
I've never gotten around to visiting HK, but sounds like it might be worth a brief check-out.