Originally Posted By Mr X So I'm talking to a Japanese friend who's trying to decide between Hong Kong and Hawaii for his February vacation. He said that he was strongly leaning towards Hawaii because "Hong Kong isn't much different from Tokyo". He's never been, that's just his assumption about the place. I tried to explain how different they were, but the vibe I got from him was "Asia is all the same". Thoughts?
Originally Posted By TokyoSweets With the dollar as cheap as it is right now I would say Hawaii and they can always go to Hong Kong later ykwim?
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I would guess HK and Tokyo seem the "same" because they are very urban and congested, but Hawaii is, well, HAWAII. Why does he consider HK to begin with?
Originally Posted By Mr X I dunno, that's just the place he mentioned (he actually mentioned Hokkaido too, but said it was a remote possibility since he wants to go somewhere warm). Wouldn't the dollar being cheap also mean the HKDollar is weak against the yen?
Originally Posted By Anatole69 Hong Kong suffers in comparison to Tokyo. Tokyo is bigger and has more culture than Hong Kong. I'd pick Hawaii over Hong Kong. I disagree about all of Asia being the same, though. A trip to Macau, for instance, should be enough to say otherwise... not to mention that even between China and Japan there are several things that stand out immediately to a visitor... spitting, people rushing lines, noise pollution etc...
Originally Posted By WorldDisney ^^Some of us are already there trekkeruss . Yeah, Sydney is a nice place. I guess Mr. X the question should be what does he actually want to DO for his vacation? If its just laying around in the sun, beaches, eating, then I would guess Hawaii (although I never been to really know). But if he wants a little bit of culture, nightlife, shopping and international foods (although I'm guessing Hawaii has a lot of that as well) then hands down Hong Kong. I never even thought of ever going to Hawaii before, but as you know I'm in Hong Kong every year, last time this past June and I just think its a great place. But, it sucks if you just want to lie around on a beach and collect your thoughts kind of place although they DO have those there....but nothing like Hawaii . And yeah, tell him Tokyo and Hong Kong are night and day. Hell, you been to both places and live in Tokyo, not sure why he wouldnt take your word for it?
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< With the dollar as cheap as it is right now I would say Hawaii and they can always go to Hong Kong later >>> The Hong Kong dollar has a fixed exchange rate with the US dollar (it hasn't changed in 25 years), so when the US dollar falls with respect to the yen, things get cheaper in Hawaii and Hong Kong at exactly the same rate. So it's a wash. I think that saying that all cities in Asia are the same would be like saying all cities in Europe are the same. But, London, Paris, Berlin, and Rome are very different places. I think WD has hit it on the head: the issue really is what type of vacation does he want? Does he want a relaxing beach vacation, or does he want an urban experience? Tokyo and Hong Kong are similar in that they're both very dense, urban places, but they have very different vibes. Both Hawaii and Hong Kong offer lots of opportunities for sightseeing.
Originally Posted By Mr X Pretty much what I thought guys (and that's what I said to him as well). I just thought it was funny because they DO seem interested in seeing cities (they want to visit LA and New York some day, for example), but he sort of dismissed Hong Kong out of hand. I wonder how much of that sentiment is true of Japanese people. You rarely hear them talk about any interest in Hong Kong, though lots seem to want to visit Korea and Vietnam (go figure).
Originally Posted By Anatole69 Yeah sorry I have been to Tokyo and Hong Kong and pretty much everything that they have in Hong Kong tourist wise they have in Tokyo, bigger and better (an exaggeration, so sue me). The only thing I can think of that would make Hong Kong unique in comparison would be the beaches and mountain areas, and the Chinese food... but if you are thinking of Hawaii then Hong Kong can't compete as far as a nature holiday, which means the only reason to go to HK if you live in Tokyo would be food and maybe shopping (god knows why though, since Tokyo has all the same brands and then some). - Anatole
Originally Posted By Malin Personally it sounds like your friend has already made up his/her mind. And once people have there heart set out on Hawaii thats really it. I guess Hong Kong is an option but not really considered. I think its sad people can think Hong Kong is like or similar to what Tokyo is, with out going there first. For me making new discoveries is the whole purpose of going away on vacation to begin with. Personally I love Hong Kong and I would recomend it over any other city I have been to. Its easy and simple to navigate, clean and safe and offers a full package of different options to do, right at its door step.
