There’s an abundance of live music available in Wanchai.

Venues range from bars where the music is the primary entertainment, through to clubs, where there’s a live band, but their music is often indistinguishable from the disco with which they alternate.

There are also some pubs that occasionally have live music – usually a solo artist and, usually, only one or two nights a week. I’ve not covered those here.

The out and out music venues are relaxed and friendly, while the clubs and discos are more commercial – in every sense!

So here are some live music venues in Wanchai. It’s not the complete list of locations – only the places I visit.

The Wanch, Jaffe Road.

Website

The Wanch is a Wanchai institution. It’s been going since 1987 which, in Hong Kong, is highly unusual.

Landlords here often raise rents by ridiculous amounts and they’re quite happy to see their premises empty rather than agree a rent below their asking price.

The Wanch has had its share of rent related problems (and temporary closures), but to have survived 25 years in the same location is quite an achievement!

With a different act every night of the week, the Wanch is the home of live music in Wanchai.

Over the course of a week you can hear a wide range of music styles, from blues, classic rock, acoustic folk, chart toppers, 60′s and so on.

The best way to be sure of catching your style of music is to get onto the Wanch’s mailing list. Each week they email out the week’s program setting out who’s playing and when.

Missing a trick, they don’t have an email address capture form on their website. But you can contact them from here and ask to be added to their mailing list.

Cinta-J, Jaffe Road

Website here (Facebook Page)

Cinta-J is another place that’s been around for years.

Also located in Jaffe Road, about a minute’s walk from the Wanch, Cinta-J is both a restaurant and a live music venue.

The food is primarily Filipino, but there are also Indonesian and Malaysian dishes on the menu as well. The quality is so so, and prices are high – so I don’t often eat here.

But the music is good.

Cinta-J has a set of resident musicians, all Filipino, who rotate throughout the evening. This ensures a continuous stream of live music with only short breaks while the musicians change over.

The music is mostly chart toppers, with a few Filipino and popular Chinese numbers thrown in.

On Tuesdays and Fridays the resident musicians are joined by Nicki Flores and his band.

Nicki is a superb entertainer, as well as having a truly excellent voice, and his evenings are well worth making a point of seeing.

Spicy Fingers, Jaffe Road

I covered Spicy Fingers here as one of the pubs I frequent.

As I said in that mention, it’s a pub of two halves. At around 10:00 pm it transforms itself from a pub to a live music venue with a Filipino band playing a wide range of popular music.

The band is very good and, if you prefer sitting and listening to the music, rather than dancing, you won’t be disappointed.

You won’t be able to talk much, though, as the volume is cranked right up!

Dusk till Dawn, Jaffe Road.

Open until 6:00 am every day, Dusk till Dawn (right across the road from Cinta-J and 2 doors down from Spicy Fingers) comes into its own after 10:00 pm or later.

There are usually 2 or 3 bands that play here and rotate through the night with bands from other outlets in the same group.

As with most bands in Hong Kong, they’re Filipino and very good.

The Dust till Dawn bands all play similar music and are, essentially, indistinguishable from one another!

Dusk till Dawn has always been popular, especially late at night, and you’ll often be faced with a queue to get in.

Both Dusk till Dawn and Spicy Fingers (after 10:00 pm) focus on the music – whether you want to dance to it or listen to it.

Food and snacks are available (in both), but it’s definitely not fine dining.

Amazonia, Luard Road.

Located right opposite Delaney’s, just off Jaffe Road, Amazonia is primarily a live music bar that also provides sports coverage.

Don’t count on getting the live commentary, though, unless you go there in the afternoon!

There are two resident bands (Filipino) – both of which are excellent and both of which have international experience, having played in countries as far apart as Japan and Bahrain.

The music is less commercial than at Dusk till Dawn or Spicy Fingers, with covers of songs from Queen, ZZTop, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, ELO and others like that the mainstay. And all played very well.

If you’re into music from those bands then you should definitely pay Amazonia a visit.

It opens at midday, every day, and does offer a good place to meet for drinks or a chat during the afternoon.

But, unless you’re sitting right at the front, or at the bar, it’s pretty dark inside, so it’s not somewhere I go to often – other than later, for the music.

The music starts at 8:00 pm and the place is pretty busy from then through to closing time at 6:00 the following morning.

Neptune 2 and Escape, Jaffe Road.

I’ve lumped these two together because they’re very similar (although about a block apart).

Both of them are discos (or clubs) where the music is disco/dance and the bands (Filipino, as usual) often sound exactly the same as the discos they’re alternating with.

On a Sunday afternoon both places are pretty harmless (if a little dark) and most of the customers are domestic helpers on their day off, intent on having a good (but quite innocent) time.

After around 10:00 pm, though, both places become more commercial.

They both have security at the entrances and, despite the ‘no drugs’ notices (in Escape) you need to keep your wits about you – the drugs are there.

Some years ago Westerners visiting Fenwick (as it was then) were often the target of date rape drugs. Your drinks were spiked and you were then taken off to a cash machine, which you helpfully emptied for the benefit of the spikers.

If you go into either place late at night keep your wits about you – and not just because of the drugs. The girls often get commission on drinks from the bar and you’ll usually end up with a pretty steep bill.

My Picks:

The Wanch, Cinta-J (particularly Tuesdays and Fridays) and Amazonia.

As I said – those are not the only live music bars in Wanchai, not by any means, they’re just the ones I visit.

And, as with everything else here, any of them can close (and new ones can open) at any time. So be sure to check what’s on through one of the free magazines (BC Magazine or HK Life) that you can find in any of the bars.

Cheers,

Wanchai is one of the 3 major nightspots on Hong Kong Island, the other two being Lan Kwai Fong and SOHO (South Of HOllywood Road).

While SOHO mainly boasts restaurants (and lots of them), in Lan Kwai Fong and Wanchai the emphasis is on bars, live music and, in Wanchai, discos.

Most of the action in Wanchai takes place on 3 blocks along Lockhart Road. All the taxis know Lockhart Road, and the MTR station has an exit right onto Lockhart – so getting there is a piece of cake.

Most of the ‘pub’ type bars in Wanchai offer pretty much the same things: daily set lunch, TV sports coverage (although different pubs lean towards different sports), pub food (of varying quality!) and merchandise – mostly consisting of rugby shirts and golf caps.

Here are some of the Wanchai pubs I haunt, all of which are within, at most, a 3 minute walk of each other:

The Dog House, Lockhart Road.

Website here.

Popular with Kiwis and Aussies.

The TV sports coverage focuses on Australian Rules Football, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Cricket and Formula 1. Other sports are covered, but those are the default settings.

The seating is more comfortable than most Wanchai pubs and the staff are cheerful and friendly (not always the case in some pubs).

The food is ‘pub grub’ but it’s good – particularly the Aussie Sirloin – and there’s quite a wide choice.

Delaney’s, Luard Road

Website here.

An Irish bar (in case the name escaped you!). There’s a big screen that they use for major sporting events – International rugby, F1 races, International football matches, etc.

Delaney’s is on two floors and the upper one is the home of the Tottenham Football club supporters in HK.

The Irish food menu offers a smaller range of choices than the Dog House, but the food is excellent.

There’s a daily lunch time carvery (two different meats, which are changed each day) and, on Sundays, this is extended to 4:00 pm.

The White Stag, Lockhart Road

Another pub offering lots of live TV sports coverage, with the emphasis here on Football (Soccer).

A laid back pub with a typical pub food menu and a daily lunch set menu offering.

Like many of the bars here it’s open fronted – a good location for people-watching.

The Devil’s Advocate, Lockhart Road.

Website here.

Right next door to The White Stag, Devil’s also offers live sports coverage.

There’s a daily lunch set menu and an a la carte menu offering both Western and Asian dishes.

Sticky Fingers, Jaffe Road.

This is a pub of two halves (to mangle a phrase).

During the afternoons and early evenings it’s good for a quiet drink and a catch up with friends, although the seating is definitely the most uncomfortable in Wanchai. You’ll be fine if you’re OK standing!

There is a TV, and you can sometimes get coverage of major sporting events, but Sticky Fingers definitely doesn’t major on sports coverage – and there’s only one screen.

Then, at around 10:00 pm. a live band starts and they close the front doors.

Conversation inside immediately becomes impossible, but you can still stand outside where the double doors deaden the sound enough for you to continue chatting to your friends.

The band is pretty good – a Filipino band playing popular rock and songs from the charts.

My Picks

The Dog House and Sticky Fingers (afternoons and early evenings) for drinks, Delaney’s for food.

OK, that by no means exhausts the list of Wanchai pubs – there are plenty more, but that covers the ones I visit regularly.

Next time I’ll cover some of the restaurants I go to in Wanchai.

Cheers,

The Eastern side of Hong Kong is (at least to my mind) a LOT more attractive than the Western side.

It’s mountainous, with lots of forestation and a spectacular coastline: lots of inlets, including some pretty big caves, lots of little islands and beautiful bays.

Although you can get to Saikung easily via public land transport (taxi, bus or mini-bus), a great day out is to hire a Junk from Central and sail to Saikung. Once you arrive you can disembark, let the Junk captain know what time you want to be picked up, and explore the restaurants and shops.

Saikung is primarily a residential town. There are no major businesses there – just local businesses serving the local community.

But there are lots of antique shops and lots of restaurants – and not just seafood restaurants. The number of ex-pats who live in Saikung has created a market for international cuisine, so you can get many different types of food there.

But if you’re just visiting from outside of Hong Kong, then it seems a shame not to enjoy the local speciality: selecting your own freshly caught seafood from the tanks and having them cook it to your specification.

I can tell you – it’s wonderful. And if you’re not a seafood expert then let the restaurant owners make their suggestions.

If you prefer, you can walk along the coastline, on a paved walkway, to the New Beach Resort hotel (about a 20 minute walk) where you can set up a Barbeque or get a drink and some food under the covered verandah.

The views are beautiful, and you can watch people windsurfing from the water sports centre next door.

Saikung is one of my favourite places in Hong Kong – somewhere I definitely plan to live once I no longer need to do a regular commute to clients’ offices on HK Island .

Here are some pictures. Click on the thumbnail to get a bigger picture and then click again on the bigger picture to get a decent sized one. If you use any of these pictures please be sure to attribute them to www.best-familyvacations.com.

Cheers,

Most people’s image of Hong Kong usually includes high rise buildings, crowded streets and noisy markets.

But there are lots of places where you can get away from the hustle and enjoy some real peace and quiet.

I already wrote about Mui Wo and Silvermine Bay here – and they’re well worth a visit for a change of pace.

But if you’re into hiking there’s a whole range of options on Lantau.

One of the easiest is to walk from Mui Wo, round the eastern end of Lantau, following the coast to Pui O.

It’s roughly a two-and-a-half hour walk (longer if you want to stop and soak up some of the scenery) and, once you get to Pui O, you can catch one of the frequent buses back to Mui Wo and the ferry back to Hong Kong.

The trail is sign-posted, but mostly it’s not concreted. So in some places it’s pretty rough. You do have some hills to climb, but they’re pretty easy – a lot easier than the 1,000 steps climb I referred to here.

On the way you’ll pass Chi Ma Wan – an absolutely beautiful bay that also happens to be the location of a prison. (I doubt there’s a prison anywhere in the world that’s in such a beautiful location!).

You’ll also get great views back to Hong Kong Island and across to Cheung Chau Island. And once you reach Pui O some really stunning beaches – see the pictures below.

But perhaps the real beauty of this hike is the utter peace and quiet you experience, especially when you’re on the trail, rather than the road which you do follow in some places.

When you add in the ferry trip from Central (Hong Kong) to Mui Wo and back, plus some time to enjoy the views and have a drink on your return to Mui Wo, you’re looking at a day trip here. Leave at around 10:00 in the morning and you’ll be back by late afternoon.

Alternatively you could take a more organised tour. 1-Day Lantau Exploration with Lunch

Here are some pictures. Click on the thumbnail below for a bigger picture and then click again on the bigger picture for a decent sized one. If you use any of these pictures please be sure to attribute them to www.best-familyvacations.com.

Cheers,

Possibly Hong Kong’s most famous landmark, Victoria Peak (known simply as ‘The Peak’), rises 1,800 feet above the harbour and the city below.

It’s the hill (mountain) that figures in the background of scores of pictures of Hong Kong, dating back to the beginning of the 1900′s

There are 3 ways of getting up there:

1. The Peak Tram
2. Bus or taxi
3. Walking

Of the 3, the Peak Tram is the quickest and the most spectacular.

Operating on a funicular system, with two trams connected to cables and balancing each other out, the tram runs straight up the side of the mountain. The gradient varies a lot during the climb, but at its steepest is at 48% (almost 1 in 2).

The trip will take you around 10 minutes and, the nearer you get to the top, the more spectacular the views. For the best views, you need to sit on the right side of the tram on the upward trip, and the left side coming down.

Note, though, that on your trip down you’ll be facing the rear of the tram and traveling backwards – so if you have an aversion to traveling backwards down a steep hill you’d be better off returning by bus or taxi.

Once at the Peak you have a myriad of options. There are two shopping malls, lots of restaurants, a Madame Tussauds wax museum and various other entertainments.

And there are some walks you can do.

Lugard and Harlech Road, a 3 kilometer circular trip that takes you round the Peak and back to where you started from, is an easy walk and a great way to walk off a meal. I like this one because you get great views of both the south side of Hong Kong island and the north side, looking down onto the harbour, Central, Wanchai and across to Kowloon.

Or you can walk up Mount Austin Road, past Victoria Peak Gardens to the top – a much tougher walk since it takes you to the top of the mountain. But the views are definitely worth the climb.

And for a meal I definitely recommend the Peak Lookout Restaurant. It’s located across the road from the two malls and has a really nice outside seating area at the back (see the pictures below), where you can watch the sun go down over the South China Sea as you sip your sundowners. The views are wonderful.

The menu is international, and there are some great Indian items I love that are exceptionally good – lots of subtle flavours without burning the roof off your mouth.

There are some restaurants in the Peak Galleria and the Peak Tower as well. The food at Cafe Deco (Peak Galleria) is also good, and you can get some good views of Victoria Harbour and Kowloon – but it lacks the atmosphere of the Peak Lookout.

Here are some pictures taken on the Peak. Click the thumbnail below for a bigger picture and then click the bigger picture for a decent sized one. If you use any of these images please make sure to attribute them to www.best-familyvacations.com.

Cheers,