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Hong Kong Anonymous
Going to Hong Kong this summer. How hard is it to get around not knowing Cantonese? Can you get by speaking English and would knowing some Mandarin help at all?

Also any hotel/restaurant/tour suggestions appreciated
>> Anonymous
>>12887
English should be fine.
>> Anonymous
>>12887
No you don't need to know Cantonese. It would help a lot if you could master it before you go but don't worry about it. I went on some tours through a company called "Splendid" which was set up through the hotel I stayed in at Kowloon.
>> Anonymous
Mandarin gets you nowhere in Hong Kong. you're better off with English. Different Chinese dialects are more or less totally incompatible.
>> Anonymous
English is surprisingly sufficient. Make sure you book a hotel months ahead, if there's a tour package it's usually cheaper that way
>> Anonymous
>>12887
You should book that trip soon, prices are going to soar for summer trips for HK
>> Anonymous
English is fine in most areas

id be more worried about the smog
>> Anonymous
It was a fucking British colony.
>> Anonymous
I was in HK this summer (beginning of July), and spent the duration of my stay at the ``Payless Guesthouse'' in Chungking Mansions. Room cost me $150HK (~20USD)/night, and was clean, AC'd and had a working TV and shower. The staff's young and delightfully non-Indian (no disrespect to Indians) and very helpful (and english speaking). I didn't book in advance, yet there was no trouble getting a room, but I might've been lucky.

English works fairly well, but the bus and taxi drivers don't seem to know it, so be sure you know where you're going. (I ended up on the wrong side of a city after a bus driver nodded as I asked for the name of a location in English =_=)
Also, if you're lost, try asking at the bigger hotels; they're ridiculously helpful even if you're not a customer, and will generally book you on a bus or a train to wherever you ask.

Regardless, you'd be wise bringing a travel guide: I managed wonderfully with the HK chapter in LP's China, but I'm sure you'd be better off with a guide dedicated to HK.