Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [183]
This YWCA-run guesthouse, which accommodates both women and men, is located near Pui Ching and Waterloo Rds in Mong Kok, behind and uphill from a petrol station. There are laundry facilities and a decent restaurant here. Conveniently, almost half of the rooms are singles.
CARITAS LODGE Map Guesthouse $
2339 3777; www.caritas-chs.org.hk; 134 Boundary St; s/d from $408/456, s weekly/monthly packages from $2387/6900, d from $2772/8910; MTR Mong Kok East (exit C or D)
With just 40 rooms, this place is just as nice as its sister guesthouse, Caritas Bianchi Lodge Click here, but the rooms are smaller and it’s further afield. Still, you couldn’t get much closer to the bird market, and the New Territories is (officially) just across the road. Breakfast is included in the price.
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NEW TERRITORIES
The New Territories does not offer travellers a tremendous choice of accommodation, but there are five official and independent hostels, mostly in the more remote parts of the region. Remember, too, that walkers and hikers can pitch a tent at any one of 38 New Territories camp sites managed by the Country & Marine Parks Authority ( 1823; www.afcd.gov.hk).
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TAI MEI TUK
BRADBURY JOCKEY CLUB YOUTH HOSTEL Map Hostel $
2662 5123; www.yha.org.hk; 66 Tai Mei Tuk Rd; dm members under/over 18 yr $65/100, d/q members $280/420; 75K
Bradbury Jockey Club Youth Hostel (not to be confused with Bradbury Hall Youth Hostel in Sai Kung) is the HKYHA’s flagship hostel in the New Territories. It has 72 beds and is open daily year-round. Check-in is from 4pm to 11pm (from 3pm on weekends and holidays). Bradbury is next to the northern tip of the Plover Cove Reservoir dam wall, a few hundred metres south of Tai Mei Tuk. Camping is not permitted. To get here take bus 75K (or 275R on Sundays and public holidays) from Tai Po Market KCR East station to the Tai Mei Tuk bus terminus. The hostel is on the road leading to the reservoir.
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SHA TIN
HYATT REGENCY HONG KONG Map Luxury Hotel $$$$
3723 1234; www.hongkong.shatin.hyatt.com; 18 Chak Cheung St; r $2500-3000, ste $3500-12,500; MTR University East Rail (exit B);
Despite an unremarkable exterior, the Hyatt Regency is the plushest hotel in the New Territories, and it makes the best of its location. Most rooms have peerless views overlooking Tolo Harbour or the rolling hills of Sha Tin. Guests won’t be short of space to stretch their legs: there are gardens, a swimming pool and a tennis court. It’s a five-minute walk from MTR University station.
REGAL RIVERSIDE HOTEL Map Hotel $$
2649 7878; www.regalriverside.com; 34-36 Tai Chung Kiu Rd; r $1300-1700, ste from $3800; 284, MTR Sha Tin Wai East Rail (exit A);
This enormous hotel is not very appealing from the outside, but inside the rooms are well decorated and surprisingly spacious for Hong Kong. Those overlooking the Shing Mun River have excellent views. MTR exit A is inside Shatin New Town Plaza ( Map). Walk straight ahead for three minutes and you’ll see, to your left, escalators going down to the bus terminus.
PILGRIM’S HALL Map Hostel $
2691 2739; www.achouse.com; 33 Tao Fong Shan Rd; s/d with shared bathroom $240/360; MTR Sha Tin East Rail (exit B);
This cosy 18-room place affiliated with the Lutheran Church provides a nice escape from the city as it’s set on a peaceful hillside above the town. To get here, take the MTR East Rail to Sha Tin station, leave via exit B and walk down the ramp, passing a series of old village houses on the left. To the left of these houses is a set of steps signposted ‘To Fung Shan’. Follow the path all the way to the top and you’ll see Pilgrim’s Hall. The walk should take around 20 minutes. A taxi from the nearest MTR station in Tai Wai will cost around $24. There are free shuttle buses running between Sha Tin and To Fung Shan two or three times daily (Monday to Saturday). The canteen serves simple