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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great all-round guide to HK. And it fits in your pocket!, 16 May 2002
The Lonley Planet condensed guide to Hong Kong jumped off the shelf at me as it was bright pink. The colour isn't the only hot thing about it, let me tell you! For a small guide, this product really packs all of the relevant information in to its 128 pages starting with important facts about Hong Kong from history, orientation, environment, culture and society to arts, economy and climate! The text isn't the largest I have ever seen, but this guide is very easy to read, and fits easily in to your top pocket, thus making it the ideal companion for long day trips on foot. Obviously, it is advisable to read from a selection of guide books, but this one is the perfect size to take along with you on the day.A whistle-stop tour of the highlights of Hong Kong proved particularly interesting and useful to me as I could simply mark off each landmark in order and visit accordingly when I was in Hong Kong. Unlike some other guides, there are also sufficient photographs to help you recognise all the most important landmarks and to give you a bit of insight in to the city before you arrive. I particularly liked the colour-coded sections for sights & activities, Out and about, Shopping, Places to Eat, Entertainment, Places to Stay and Facts for the visitor. This provided comprehensive information on a variety of activities, sights, tours, restaurants, markets, bars and hotels which were both up to date and objectively remarked upon. Although the guide cannot go in to detail and include every place of interest in Hong Kong, the top places were mentioned, hints and tips given as to where not to miss and a good range of places were written about to accommodate any budget or any interest. As is always useful in a large, non- western city, good directions are important, and the Lonely Planet condensed guide book certainly provided this. Tram, bus and MRT information was provided for all of the attractions in the guide as well as detailed road and street maps for Central, Causeway Bay, Kowloon, Wan Chai and other parts of Hong Kong Island and the outer lying territories. Interesting and funny anecdotes also make an interesting read, both preparing the visitor for what you will see and providing a cultural insight in to the more unusual side of life in Hong Kong. I particularly enjoyed the extra information about eating out in Hong Kong - from tea drinking to dim sum culture, vegetarian life in Hong Kong (or lack of it!) and where to eat late at night! The hotel listings are perhaps the least well covered in this small but sweet offering from Lonely Planet, but there is still a decent enough selection of lodgings from cheap to super delux to suit any budget. Obviously, the reason that the accommodation section is not as comprehensive as other guides is that it focuses more on the real, day to day Hong Kong - emphasising the fact that this is a great guide to keep with you at all times as it is easy to carry and a really useful companion. Lastly, the travellers facts combine all of the must-know information at the back of the book in an easy look-up section. Getting to and from the airport, travelling in the city, health and safety information, events, public holidays, brief vocabulary section and conversion tables mean that if you are staying for 24 hours or a week, you will have sufficient help to enjoy everything that Hong Kong has to offer. This book really was the best one that I found!! Well worth the money!
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