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            Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love,
            live in or have just visited - are what make this guide.
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                <title>Tai Long Wan</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34492</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[If you ask the majority of people what Hong Kong’s like you’ll generally be told that it’s full of giant skyscrapers and that it's turbo-paced, noisy, crowded and truly 24/7. While this isn’t at all inaccurate, it’s not the full story - a short hop outside of the city centre and you have green country parks, breathtakingly beautiful walking trails and really pretty beaches. Some of Hong Kong’s more accessible beaches can get a little dirty and crowded, Tai Long Wan, a beach up in the New Territories, is a real slice of paradise. It’s not the easiest place to get to which means that it's often really quiet, verging on deserted. The sand is fine and buttery yellow, the water’s clear and clean; you could easily mistake it for a beach on one of the calmer Thai islands.<br>Head out here first thing and when the sun gets too much, enjoy lunch at one of the rustic beach bars which serve up cold beers to wash down noodles, fried rice and basic seafood (don't expect lobster and scallops). While a day trip is entirely possible, for a real getaway, you can rent camping equipment for a very a reasonable price from one of the beach bars which means that you can camp right on the sand. There’s nothing nicer than ending a day of sunbathing and swimming with a few Tsing Taos around the campfire under a starry sky and then waking up the next day with the waves lapping a stone’s throw from your tent.<br>How to get there: the lazy route is via speedboat from Saikung – if you head to Saikung harbour you can hire a speedboat taxi which, depending on how choppy the water is, should be able to take you directly to the beach in around 30 minutes. If the water’s too rough, the boats won’t go (and having been on a moderately rough journey, I really wouldn’t recommend it). The more energetic route is to take a taxi to Saikung Country Park and hike in. The hike takes around an hour and a half and is hilly. The beach awaiting you at the end is well worth the effort though and the views on the way in are very pretty too. For the high rollers, there are helipads on the beaches and there are always a couple of Sunseekers moored just off the beach.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Gao’s Foot Massage Co.</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34490</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Stuck in Hong Kong during the typhoon season rain? 95% humidity a bit much for you? Or just in need of an hour’s break from shopping and sightseeing? A foot massage is the perfect solution. The city has numerous reflexology shops which are usually hidden away in old Chinese walk-up buildings but can be hunted out by the neon flashing feet signs which often hang above the street-side doorway. After rigorous trials (it’s a tough job but someone had to do it) I can confirm that Gao’s Foot Massage Co. is one of the very best reflexology joints in town. Right in the heart of Central, sitting just below Lang Kwai Fong’s hectic bar scene, Gao’s is a haven of tranquility. Don’t expect a sleek spa interior, Gao's looks a little like your Chinese grandmother's sitting room with a bit of Ikea<br>thrown in. But the focus isn’t on décor here but on the blissful foot rubs. Choose how long you want your reflexology to last, settle into one of the reclining leather armchairs and let the therapists work their magic. Wrapped in blankets, resting on a warm, cinnamon scented neck pillow and sipping on rose petal tea, it’s the little extras that make Gao’s special. I guarantee that after an hour you’ll emerge back onto the LKF streets feeling like you’re walking on clouds.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Regal Riverside Hotel</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21228</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[This hotel is in Shatin. An ideal place to relax and collect your thoughts. It is a long bus journey from the airport but one that is both direct and I believe cheapest to reach, unless you can afford the Regal airport hotel.  If you book online and in advance, the early bird promotion is a good deal. You can take a healthy stroll by the river or visit the wide array of shopping centres networked together just over the bridge.]]></description>
                
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                <title>Cheung Chau Island</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17211</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[A beautiful small fishing island just 45 minutes' away from central pier by ferry. Has lovely beaches and a real village feel to it, such a great atmosphere.  <br><br>You can have the best seafood down by the pier, relax on the beach, swim in the sea, go for walks or cycles or try windsurfing (the womens' world champ lives there). Has an altogether slower, friendlier pace than HK and is so close and easy to get to.]]></description>
                
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