Peter Hackney visits the "New York of Asia"

Where did you go and when?

Hong Kong and Macau for the Christmas/New Year break – three nights in Macau, a week in Honkers.

Where did you stay?

In Macau, we stayed at the gorgeous Sofitel Pointe 16 – huge suites, incredible service and obscene luxury! In Hong Kong, we bedded down at the Metropark Hotel, Wanchai – much more down-to-earth but clean, comfortable and close to everything.

What did you eat and drink?

Me and my partner are vegetarian and thankfully there were plenty of vego options. You can get at least a noodle soup with some veges anywhere. Our favourite places were the cheap and delicious Cha Chaan Teng (tea restaurants) which serve an eclectic mix of Cantonese cuisine and endless Chinese tea.

As far as drinks go, Tsingtao Beer was a regular. But my favourite was Hong Kong-style iced lemon tea: hot black tea poured into an ice-filled tumbler, garnished with lemon slices which you ‘muddle’ with a swivel stick to release the flavour. Delicious!

What did you do?

Lots of unashamed, touristy sightseeing like catching the bus to The Peak, trips on the Star Ferries, and a day at Hong Kong Disneyland. But also random excursions on the metro (which is amazing, by the way – we NEVER waited more than two minutes for a train!) into unknown, far-flung neighbourhoods, to just walk around and soak up the atmosphere.

Where did you party?

Volume (83-85 Hollywood Rd, Central), which is a fun club run by an Australian/Chinese gay couple, and popular with expats, tourists and flight crews. But we had the best time at the Wally Matt Bar (5A Humphrey’s Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui) on the Kowloon side of the harbour. It’s a bit of a dive – small and very crowded – but filled with fun, camp music and great local characters. Plus, we were the only Westerners there, which made us feel very exotic! While we there, a slew of Kylie songs made us feel right at home. (OK, this may have had something to do with me feeding all my change to the jukebox in the corner.)

What was the best part of your trip?

God, I don’t know, there were so many great moments! Nope, sorry, can’t pick just one.

What was the worst part of your trip?

Our visit to Tian Tan, the Big Buddha of Hong Kong. What was billed as a quaint Buddhist village that you reach by cable car was actually a nightmare of endless queues and crass commercialism. The ‘Buddhist village’ turned out to be a collection of souvenir shops, Starbucks, and a giant plastic Bodhi ‘tree’. The cable car ride was cool though.

What advice would you give your fellow traveller?

Do some shopping, sightseeing and eating in ‘regular’ Hong Kong neighbourhoods, to get a taste of how ‘real’ Hong Kongers live. Just get to an MTR (metro) station, pick some random line and go. Exploring the labyrinthine backstreets of Macau’s Portuguese old town is also a MUST. Keep well clear of Macau’s ugly, tackorama casino districts though unless you’re a problem gambler with a habit to sate.

Sum up your trip, in a nutshell.

Fun!!!!!

Peter Hackney is a Brisbane-based journalist. He is the Editor of Queensland Pride magazine, News Editor of SX magazine and a regular AXN contributor.

GAY SURVIVAL GUIDE

SPOTLIGHT

Courtesy of orbitz.com

The ‘New York of Asia’ is a lot cleaner and friendlier than its namesake, even if its gay identity is not as loud and proud.
For a city of its size, the gay nightlife scene is still fairly limited, mainly found in the party-hearty Lan Kwai Fong area on Hong Kong Island and to a lesser extent in the tourist-popular Tsim Sha Tsui district in Kowloon. Hong Kong is brimming with private gay saunas, which are more innocent than their Western counterparts and include karaoke, full bars, movie nights and lounges for discreet socializing. One of the rare sights in Asia – an all-gay beach – is at Middle Beach on Hong Kong Island, a 10-minute walk south from Repulse Bay.

TRANSIT

Qantas flies to Hong Kong ex Sydney from $1099 return. Check out special deals from outandabouttravel.com.au .

INFO

orbitz.com

utopia-asia.com

bgay.com