HONG Kong used to be a great Asian destination. Now, it's the end of the road for most backpackers, who find it too expensive for much more than a Visa run and a stroll through the Golden Arches.
'You generally pass through as fast as you can,' says Robert Storey, author of Lonely Planet's guide to Hong Kong, Macau & Canton. 'Ten years ago, Hong Kong was a great place, even for backpackers,' he says. 'Now, it's a transit place. You wind up eating at McDonald's, which is among the cheapest in the world. But it's a drag. You come to Hong Kong, you should eat Chinese. You should be able to stay a few weeks.' Storey still ranks Hong Kong highly for excitement and entertainment, but 'it's a very unfriendly city'. And he has a few choice words about the city's better-known locations: Chung King Mansions: 'There is probably no other place in the world like Chung King Mansions, the bottom-end accommodation ghetto of Hong Kong. It's a huge high-rise dump, [with] coffin-sized sweatboxes.' Central Market: 'You shouldn't have any trouble finding Central Market - just sniff the air. The smell from the fish section alone should be enough to make China think twice about taking over Hong Kong in 1997.' Tsim Sha Tsui: 'A lousy neighbourhood for buying photographic equipment. It's amazing that there aren't more homicides when you consider the way they blatantly cheat tourists.' Lan Kwai Fong: 'Not of any historical significance, nor does it have temples or markets. On the contrary, it has become what is best described as a playground for yuppie stockbrokers and other well-moneyed social climbers . . . There are many overpriced bars and eating establishments.' Repulse Bay: 'The prime attraction is the beach and, if you're into it, one of the biggest McDonald's in Hong Kong. In fact, the beach attracts so many people on hot weekends, you're just about swimming in suntan lotion.' Clearwater Bay: 'Popular, in fact, too popular, as on a hot summer weekend, it's standing-room only. If someone were to faint, they would never hit the ground, but would just be pushed around by the crowd until the beach closed.' Cheung Chau: 'It's ideal if you like concrete paths.' Lantau Island: 'Whatever you do, don't visit on a weekend. It's flooded by day-trippers with their radios and families, so you're more likely to trip over a dinky toy than a meditating monk.' Shek O and The Peak: 'Shek O is a prestigious place to live, though The Peak still ranks as number one in terms of snob appeal.'
