Treasures and Pleasures of Hong Kong: Best of the Best

Library Journal

Both works offer tremendous amounts of information on Hong Kong and lesser information on Portuguese Macao and the Guangdong province of China, of increasing interest as the Chinese takeover of 1997 approaches. The Kranniches concentrate on Hong Kong as a perfect "shop till you drop" destination. Their guide explains how travelers can make the most of their expeditions, whether of the do-it-yourself variety or via inexpensive tours. The authors discuss pretrip planning, arrival formalities, accommodations, restaurants, sightseeing information, the art of bargaining, wares, shipping, and myriad other details. Lengthy appendixes cover tailoring tips and recommended shops by type of product handled and location. The new Travelers' Tales volume joins a series that already has covered Thailand (1993) and France (1995), with "tales" meant for those interested in discovering the character of a place, not the details necessary for enjoying it. The Hong Kong volume includes 52 tales, mostly written in the 1990s by writers ranging from Pico Iyer and Paul Theroux to an ex-British magistrate, a Chinese American visiting Canton, and an Indian tourist who could not wait to escape the place. This is a book best sampled in small doses, as the breadth of coverage is broad indeed, from cuisine to superstition, from racism to horse races, and everything in between. Both works are highly recommended for public libraries and travel collections.-William R. Smith, Johns Hopkins Univ. Lib., Baltimore