Should I stay or should I go - Hong Kong [protests]

[Lynda2475]

I'm about to post up the trip report I did from my trip there the weekend before last.

Did I miss this?

 

[harvyk]

Did I miss this?

Not yet, I've got it written, it's just I've been unbelievably busy with work to post it up.

 

[harvyk]

For those who are interested -> Hong Kong Trip or “Extreme Suiting”

 

[Lynda2475]

So was chatting online with a ex-pat friend who lives in HK, and he said if I keep my booking at the Harbour Grand and there are protests while I'm there that the "usual protest route" would make getting to Central Station and the Airport difficult.

He highly recommends I switch booking to SoHo area specifically the Pottinger (best deal seems to be be via Sino club membership but pushing AU $470/night for my dates with breaky included - so much for things being super cheap in HK due to protests) or somewhere else along the Central-Mid-Levels Escalators (no idea how to check for that when searching) that link to the airport express station, so if roads are closed can still get to the train.

Thoughts?

Bump - if i keep my booking at HarbourGrand will i be more impacted by usual protest route than moving to Pottinger? And how does one identify the central-mid-levels escalator on a map ?

 

[Lynda2475]

Well a mute point, on Friday Pottinger was $470/night (cancellation fee of 1 night) now it is $575/night (prepaid non refundable) way too rich for me . Owned by same company that owns Fullerton in Singapore which i loved but shocked it costs more than Fullerton given it doesnt seem as nice.

Looking back at Ovolo Central as seems walking distance to Hong Kong station for the airport express.

 

[JessicaTam]

News reports tonight saying the HKG police are becoming overstretched dealing with protesters/rioters.

Might not be long before we see green uniforms on the streets.

I have to say that China has been very patient up to now, but I expect it is wearing very thin.

 

[mrsterryn]

Husband has just landed in Hong Kong just on his way home.
I wonder if any impact airside

 

[Isochronous]

Well a mute point, on Friday Pottinger was $470/night (cancellation fee of 1 night) now it is $575/night (prepaid non refundable) way too rich for me . Owned by same company that owns Fullerton in Singapore which i loved but shocked it costs more than Fullerton given it doesnt seem as nice.

Looking back at Ovolo Central as seems walking distance to Hong Kong station for the airport express.

You'll find generally that HKG hotels are substantially more expensive than SIN on average. But I do agree that the Fullerton is a million times nicer than the Pottinger.

News reports tonight saying the HKG police are becoming overstretched dealing with protesters/rioters.

Might not be long before we see green uniforms on the streets.

I have to say that China has been very patient up to now, but I expect it is wearing very thin.

China has been far from patient - they have been sanctioning massive police and triad violence against the ordinary person on the street. Implying that China has the moral high ground on this issue is thoroughly offensive.

 

[kelvedon]

Husband has just landed in Hong Kong just on his way home.
I wonder if any impact airside

Flew out of HKG on Friday and no impact land or airside visible other than guards checking your BP when you get off the train. The airport was remarkably quiet.
CX 238 from LHR less than 40% full

 

[JessicaTam]

China has been far from patient - they have been sanctioning massive police and triad violence against the ordinary person on the street. Implying that China has the moral high ground on this issue is thoroughly offensive.

Perhaps I worded that poorly. Mainland China has not been very visible to date.

 

[The man with no name]

Was in HK airport landslide only and there was no sign of disruption

 

[whughes3]

Was in HK airport landslide only and there was no sign of disruption

I have seen landslides in many places in HK but never at the airport!

 

[Isochronous]

Visitors to HK better be quiet if they go out in public. You might be charged with assault otherwise!

Pro-democracy lawmaker Au Nok-hin has been charged with two counts of assaulting police with a loudspeaker at a protest in July.

Au and Civic Party lawmaker Jeremy Tam were arrested on August 30 on suspicion of obstructing the police in Mong Kok during a clearance operation in the early hours of July 8. The accusation was dropped when the pair reported themselves to the police on Thursday. Au was instead charged with assaulting police with a loudspeaker which was too loud, hurting officers’ ears.

Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Au Nok-hin charged with assaulting police using loudspeaker | Hong Kong Free Press HKFP

Pro-democracy lawmaker Au Nok-hin has been charged with two counts of assaulting police using a loudspeaker at a protest in July. Au and Civic Party lawmaker Jeremy Tam were arrested on August 30 on suspicion of obstructing the police in Mong Kok during a clearance operation in the early hours...

www.hongkongfp.com

 

[whughes3]

Well, here I am in HK (got here last Thursday), and I must say mostly it has been pretty quite and uneventful.

Until this afternoon...

I got the MTR from Central-> Jordan about 1:30pm. To my surprise the train did not stop at TST, but went straight to Jordan; when I arrived there, the exit I usually use (to Nathan Rd) was closed off, When I finally got to Nathan Rd the reason was pretty obvious: there was a mass of black-clad people heading south. I decided that this was a great place NOT to be, so have adjourned to my hotel room; was planning to go out later this afternoon, but maybe not...

 

[Hvr]

Watching CNA it looks like it's really kicking off in Hong Kong at the moment.

Authorities had forbidden the march in Tsim Sha Tsui, a densely packed shopping district filled with luxury boutiques and hotels, citing public safety and previous violence from hardcore protesters.
Read more at Protesters defy Hong Kong police after activists attacked

 

[whughes3]

Looking out my window, there seem to be a lot of very strange things going on, and a lot of shouting/chanting in the distance; however I don't think it would be wise to investigate further right now!

 

[whughes3]

Well, finally ventured out to see what is happening: it is all a bit surreal, Nathan Rd is blocked off as far as the eye can see and has become a vast pedestrian walkway, as have quite a few other major roads: this seems to mainly be a result of junk on the roads. There are still quite a few obvious protesters about, though many fewer than before. There is no obvious sign of any law enforcement presence at all. It is best described as "uneasy peace": I await the morning with interest!

 

[klm597]

So I am in HK as well at the moment. The hotel had a flyer up in the room with information so I avoided TST throughout the day. Caught the MTR to Kowloon station and walked back to the Eaton HK on Nathan Road where I saw the first signs of trouble.



As stated above Nathan Road is closed off. Half an hour later the police started rolling into town en-mass. I walked out onto the hotel bar terrace and couldn't breath with everyone coughing (I assume tear gas) so I have remained inside at the bar making the most of two free drinks vouchers.



Had planned on heading out for some Dim Sum but might hold off tonight.

 

[mlob]

Our family of 4 are booked (booked long ago) for a transit in Hong Kong New Years Eve. We had booked a harbour view suite at the Novotel Century . Flying out New Year’s Day with Hong Kong Airlines (velocity J award) to Japan to commence a ski trip. Am I right to think news Years day being a public holiday could be more problematic.?.Thinking of ditching whole plan and flying via Singapore on my kris points or just staying overnight at airport. Hong Kong flights were paid virgin flights through Amex travel.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Our family of 4 are booked (booked long ago) for a transit in Hong Kong New Years Eve. We had booked a harbour view suite at the Novotel Century . Flying out New Year’s Day with Hong Kong Airlines (velocity J award) to Japan to commence a ski trip. Am I right to think news Years day being a public holiday could be more problematic.?.Thinking of ditching whole plan and flying via Singapore on my kris points or just staying overnight at airport. Hong Kong flights were paid virgin flights through Amex travel.

Who can say.

If you want to be really risk averse you could change the routing.

If you decide to stay via Hong Kong, the worst that could happen is that you stay in the airport and skip the hotel. The best is that you enter Hong Kong as planned.