Hong Kong and Hainan Island
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Highlights:
While Hong Kong is well known to many travelers, Hainan may be less so. It was, at one time a place of exile for out of favor Mandarins in Imperial China, although as you will find out, it was not hard duty.
This program allows you to experience Hong Kong like a resident before flying off to Hainan Island where you will combine some beach time with expeditions through the rainforest. It makes for a special honeymoon or a great repeat visit to China for one or two couples.
While Hong Kong is well known to many travelers, Hainan may be less so. It was, at one time a place of exile for out of favor Mandarins in Imperial China, although as you will find out, it was not hard duty.
This program allows you to experience Hong Kong like a resident before flying off to Hainan Island where you will combine some beach time with expeditions through the rainforest. It makes for a special honeymoon or a great repeat visit to China for one or two couples.
SKU:
Explore: HONG KONG AND HAINAN ISLAND
Customizable Itinerary - 12 Days (from $5,650 / person)
Days 1-2: USA Hong Kong
Depending on your origin market or flight you will depart the USA in the morning, afternoon or late evening bound for Hong Kong.
Day 3: Hong Kong Arrival
You will arrive at the airport in Hong Kong and one of our drivers will meet you and take you to your hotel which is located on the waterfront in Kowloon. The journey normally takes about 30 minutes. You have the rest of the day to relax and adjust.
Day 4: Iconic Elements of Hong Kong
Fully refreshed, you are ready to meet your guide in the lobby. You will take a walk down the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade for a spectacular view of Victoria Harbour as you pass the Kowloon railway clock tower. Make your way to the pier where you board one of the legendary Star ferries, a true institution for the locals and mythical voyage for visitors, this crossing has been listed as one of National Geographic Traveller Magazine’s top 50 experiences of a lifetime. Get a taste of the city’s colonial heritage at the Tramway Museum and then ride the funicular to the top of Victoria Peak which, at 1811 feet is the island’s highest point. It offers spectacular views of the skyline and the harbor. Your guide will take you to an excellent local place for dim sum before you take the subway back to Kowloon for a tour of the Hong Kong Museum which gives a complete overview of Hong Kong from its founding to the present day. Finish the day with a visit to Nathan Road the main shopping area of the Hong Kong. We will provide suggestions for dining options on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Day 5: The markets where the locals go
You meet your guide and head to Mongkok where you visit the Bird and Flower Markets. Walk the cobblestone streets past chirping birds which residents but as pets because of the cramped living quarters. At the neighboring flower market, everything from Dutch tulips to exotic orchids line the stalls adding to the beautiful sensory experience. As if to validate the feeling that “you can buy anything in Hong Kong you next visit the Goldfish Market on Tang Choi Road. This bazaar not only offers a large variety of fish but other items like coral, plant decor and fish tanks. You can also find spiders, lizards and snakes if you are interested. Move to a more contemporary theme as you check out the stores in Langham Place. One of the most unique encounters of the day is found on Ko Shing Street, home to the Chinese Medicine Market. Here you will find pills, powders and brews made from plants like ginseng root, scorpions, seahorses and snakes. The pharmacologists are known for their knowledge and many medicines seem to work. As the day winds to an end you visit Temple Street evening market where your guide will pick out a variety of seafood and other specialties for you to eat which when added up comprises dinner.
Day 6: A Day on Lantau Island
In the morning you join your guide in taking a scenic cable car from Hong Kong to Lantau Island. The scenic four mile ride provides some photo ops of the South China Sea and the steep hills of Lantau National Park. When you arrive on the island, start your visit by climbing to Bronze Tian Tan Buddha Statue which is adjacent to the 100 year old Po Lin Monastery. Take the wisdom path, a 15 minute trail loop with a variety of prayers p[aced out along the trail. You next visit will be to Tai’O a community founded by the Tanka fishermen. These Chinese minorities (once referred to as “Sea Gypsies”) have long since assimilated into Han culture but still retain their traditional fishing lifestyle. Unique stilt-style homes (built above a mudflat) give the region a truly authentic feel dating back many generations. Enjoy Tai’O street food as your lunch primarily based on fresh fish. Board a public bus with your guide to Cheung Sha a one mile stretch of sand lined with restaurants and bars. Stop for a break and then the bus will take you to the ferry terminal which allows great skyline views as you return to Hong Kong.
Day 7: Hong Kong to Hainan Island
Today you will leave Hong Kong for a much larger island off the mainland of China. Your flight will take you to Sanya which is the capital of Hainan. You will be met and taken to your luxury resort where the rest of the day is at leisure. There are a variety of water-based activities including diving, snorkeling, surfing and jet skiing. Or you can relax by the pool or on the beach.
Day 8: Xincun Fishing Village
Spend the morning discovering Xincun fishing village which provides an authentic glimpse of Hainan, boasting an impressive flotilla of fishing boats, a colorful market and, above all, its floating houses, which are home to a community of around one hundred families. Return to the resort where the afternoon is left open.
Day 9: Jianfengling Nature Reserve
After breakfast you will meet your guide who will be taking you to the country’s largest rainforest. A protected reserve since 1976, the 300 square mile of natural escape is just southwest of the island. The reserve is home to gibbons, pheasants, clouded panthers (very hard to see) and a rich tropical flora of close to 3,000 different species of which some are very rare or close to extinction. You will visit the Hanging Gardens which boast a stunning variety of flowers, grasses, ferns, ornamental plants, thousand -year old trees and is populated with 400 types of butterflies and overlooked by 18 peaks of more than 3,000 feet in altitude. Take a walk around the “Celestial Lake” located at more than 2,400 feet and surrounded by “alpine” countryside. Following your walk, check into your hotel which overlooks the lake.
Day 10: Wuzhishan and Baoting
Today you will drive through the superb countryside of the entire of the island. Your first stop will be Shuiman. This small village, found in the middle of the island is dominated by the “Wuzhishan” mountains which translate as “five Finger Mountain” which relates to the five peaks with the tallest reaching 5,600 feet. Stop by the waterfalls in the Wuzhishan Canyon and continue to the town of Baoting, a Li minority town and departure point for the visit to the Seven Fairies Mountain. The route passes through a host of traditional villages, surrounded by rice paddies arranged in terraces. Finish your day at your resort hotel.
Day 11: Return to USA
You will be transferred to the airport in Sanya for a flight to the mainland connecting to a USA bound flight.
Day 12: Arrive in the USA
You arrive back in the USA.
Depending on your origin market or flight you will depart the USA in the morning, afternoon or late evening bound for Hong Kong.
Day 3: Hong Kong Arrival
You will arrive at the airport in Hong Kong and one of our drivers will meet you and take you to your hotel which is located on the waterfront in Kowloon. The journey normally takes about 30 minutes. You have the rest of the day to relax and adjust.
Day 4: Iconic Elements of Hong Kong
Fully refreshed, you are ready to meet your guide in the lobby. You will take a walk down the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade for a spectacular view of Victoria Harbour as you pass the Kowloon railway clock tower. Make your way to the pier where you board one of the legendary Star ferries, a true institution for the locals and mythical voyage for visitors, this crossing has been listed as one of National Geographic Traveller Magazine’s top 50 experiences of a lifetime. Get a taste of the city’s colonial heritage at the Tramway Museum and then ride the funicular to the top of Victoria Peak which, at 1811 feet is the island’s highest point. It offers spectacular views of the skyline and the harbor. Your guide will take you to an excellent local place for dim sum before you take the subway back to Kowloon for a tour of the Hong Kong Museum which gives a complete overview of Hong Kong from its founding to the present day. Finish the day with a visit to Nathan Road the main shopping area of the Hong Kong. We will provide suggestions for dining options on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Day 5: The markets where the locals go
You meet your guide and head to Mongkok where you visit the Bird and Flower Markets. Walk the cobblestone streets past chirping birds which residents but as pets because of the cramped living quarters. At the neighboring flower market, everything from Dutch tulips to exotic orchids line the stalls adding to the beautiful sensory experience. As if to validate the feeling that “you can buy anything in Hong Kong you next visit the Goldfish Market on Tang Choi Road. This bazaar not only offers a large variety of fish but other items like coral, plant decor and fish tanks. You can also find spiders, lizards and snakes if you are interested. Move to a more contemporary theme as you check out the stores in Langham Place. One of the most unique encounters of the day is found on Ko Shing Street, home to the Chinese Medicine Market. Here you will find pills, powders and brews made from plants like ginseng root, scorpions, seahorses and snakes. The pharmacologists are known for their knowledge and many medicines seem to work. As the day winds to an end you visit Temple Street evening market where your guide will pick out a variety of seafood and other specialties for you to eat which when added up comprises dinner.
Day 6: A Day on Lantau Island
In the morning you join your guide in taking a scenic cable car from Hong Kong to Lantau Island. The scenic four mile ride provides some photo ops of the South China Sea and the steep hills of Lantau National Park. When you arrive on the island, start your visit by climbing to Bronze Tian Tan Buddha Statue which is adjacent to the 100 year old Po Lin Monastery. Take the wisdom path, a 15 minute trail loop with a variety of prayers p[aced out along the trail. You next visit will be to Tai’O a community founded by the Tanka fishermen. These Chinese minorities (once referred to as “Sea Gypsies”) have long since assimilated into Han culture but still retain their traditional fishing lifestyle. Unique stilt-style homes (built above a mudflat) give the region a truly authentic feel dating back many generations. Enjoy Tai’O street food as your lunch primarily based on fresh fish. Board a public bus with your guide to Cheung Sha a one mile stretch of sand lined with restaurants and bars. Stop for a break and then the bus will take you to the ferry terminal which allows great skyline views as you return to Hong Kong.
Day 7: Hong Kong to Hainan Island
Today you will leave Hong Kong for a much larger island off the mainland of China. Your flight will take you to Sanya which is the capital of Hainan. You will be met and taken to your luxury resort where the rest of the day is at leisure. There are a variety of water-based activities including diving, snorkeling, surfing and jet skiing. Or you can relax by the pool or on the beach.
Day 8: Xincun Fishing Village
Spend the morning discovering Xincun fishing village which provides an authentic glimpse of Hainan, boasting an impressive flotilla of fishing boats, a colorful market and, above all, its floating houses, which are home to a community of around one hundred families. Return to the resort where the afternoon is left open.
Day 9: Jianfengling Nature Reserve
After breakfast you will meet your guide who will be taking you to the country’s largest rainforest. A protected reserve since 1976, the 300 square mile of natural escape is just southwest of the island. The reserve is home to gibbons, pheasants, clouded panthers (very hard to see) and a rich tropical flora of close to 3,000 different species of which some are very rare or close to extinction. You will visit the Hanging Gardens which boast a stunning variety of flowers, grasses, ferns, ornamental plants, thousand -year old trees and is populated with 400 types of butterflies and overlooked by 18 peaks of more than 3,000 feet in altitude. Take a walk around the “Celestial Lake” located at more than 2,400 feet and surrounded by “alpine” countryside. Following your walk, check into your hotel which overlooks the lake.
Day 10: Wuzhishan and Baoting
Today you will drive through the superb countryside of the entire of the island. Your first stop will be Shuiman. This small village, found in the middle of the island is dominated by the “Wuzhishan” mountains which translate as “five Finger Mountain” which relates to the five peaks with the tallest reaching 5,600 feet. Stop by the waterfalls in the Wuzhishan Canyon and continue to the town of Baoting, a Li minority town and departure point for the visit to the Seven Fairies Mountain. The route passes through a host of traditional villages, surrounded by rice paddies arranged in terraces. Finish your day at your resort hotel.
Day 11: Return to USA
You will be transferred to the airport in Sanya for a flight to the mainland connecting to a USA bound flight.
Day 12: Arrive in the USA
You arrive back in the USA.
