Sale-aholic in HK

September 8, 2012, 11:41am

Queen's Road, Central

Every day is a sale day and Hong Kong’s myriad of shopping destinations continues to lure tourists and shopaholics alike. Cliché though it may seem, it was like "The Amazing Race" for shoppers who were bargain-hunting.  Whether in Central, Causeway Bay, or Wan Chai, shopping in Hong Kong is always an experience. Hong Kong’s shop and stroll indulgence ideally begins and ends with a luxurious air travel and hotel stay experience.

Shopping for bargains in Hong Kong likewise gives shoppers a respite from Metro Manila’s often crowded malls. Yet, despite the number of malls in Hong Kong, there are never too many for a shopper.

Kowloon may be a fabulous spot for shopping. The triumvirate malls in Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) are The One Mall, iSquare, K11. All three malls have all your needs from fashion and accessories, jewelry and watches, skincare and cosmetics, home and lifestyle goods, digital gadgets, and restaurants, but they have certain distinctions as well. The One is a 29-storey mall with restaurants on the 12th and 13th floors that have spectacular views of the Hong Kong skyline.

“This mall is actually named after a woman who was the former love of the owner of the mall. The woman is now with another man but his love for her remains,” said Mandy Lam of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).

A few blocks away is the iSquare. This mall is the tallest mall with 31 floors and greets shoppers with a display of different kinds of animation through LED lights by the entrance. The K11, with only six floors, may have no reason to boast about its height, but it sure is proud of its art.

After scouring the different malls, we were ready to hit the sack and review our shopping finds. Towering at 61 floors with 467 rooms and 46 suites, Conrad Hotel guarantees a luxurious, yet cozy hotel experience.

“We like to hear suggestions from our guests, and we always take them into consideration,” said Thomas Hoeborn, general manager of Conrad Hotel. “The clock inside the bath room was actually an idea of one of our guests. And it actually is a good idea for people who don’t want to be late for their daily endeavors,” he added.

And if you still can’t simply get enough of shopping, the Pacific Place mall has an overwhelming selection of upscale fashion brands and accessories from Italy, France, and most chic runway fashions.

It is never really too late to shop, not in Hong Kong, even after the shopping season. Dragonair, a full-service airline and a member of the Cathay Pacific Airline Group, even offers an opportunity to explore Asia’s top shopping destination with its affordable rates.

China’s “Best Airline” for six consecutive years offers a leisure flight experience with scrumptious packed lunch set and with your choice of drinks. A competent cabin crew completes dedicated airline service. “We have a seven-week training course for our cabin crew, so it’s really tough for them. They have to go through proper training. We also make sure they can speak English, Cantonese, and Mandarin,” said Tracey Kwong, assistant corporate communication manager of Dragonair.

Prepare a comfortable pair of chic flat shoes as you embark on a journey to satisfy your shopping urges and check out promo flights from Clark or Manila to Hong Kong on Dragon Air’s website atwww.dragonair.com/da/en_PH/homepage.