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I am going to have at least a few days free to be a tourist. Can anyone recommend things to do? I would like to get out of Macau for a day at least, but assume I can only go to Hong Kong without a visa? What sort of Chinese cultural stuff is there to do?
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You won't need a visa to go to HK if you have a US passport.
(Mainland China requires a visa: USD$100.)
I am planning to spend 2 days in Hong Kong as well, probably on Monday and Tuesday (November 26, 27).
The usual stuff catering to western tourists (i.e. mid-range to high-end shopping, museums, etc.) is available in the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront on the Kowloon side near the Star Ferry Terminal.
The Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central (less than 10 minutes to get across the harbor) is the biggest bargain there is, at HKD $2.30 (about USD$0.35) each way on the upper deck (I don't recommend the lower deck unless you don't mind the rock hard bench seats).
http://www.starferry.com.hk/new/en/index.asp
The bird's eye view from Victoria Peak is another one not to be missed. The "Peak Tram" is the most efficient way to get up to "The Peak". HKD $33 (USD $8.50) roundtrip (locals tell me to avoid the "Peak Tower Sky Terrace", which is an overpriced tourist trap).
http://www.thepeak.com.hk/full/en/peak_tram_fee.php
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Hotels in Hong Kong are relatively expensive if you are staying at a hotel near a station the MTR underground subway rail system on either the Hong Kong or Kowloon side. (Expect to pay at least HKD$1000 a night, or USD$130, for a room at a "3-star" hotel that is up to minimum western standards with internet access, if you want to stay near the MTR system.)
I found a 4-star hotel (MetroPark Hotel Kowloon, on 75 Waterloo Road) for HKD$622 (about USD$80) a night with free broadband internet, free use of swimming pool and fitness center, and a handful of satellite TV channels. This hotel is well off the beaten path, i.e. more than a mile from an MTR stop. I will have to rely on the hotel shuttle bus or the KMB public buses (
www.kmb.hk), but I speak Cantonese so I won't have a problem with the public buses even though I haven't been in Hong Kong for 29 years.
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As usual, watch out for "pick pockets" in any crowded. They thrive on public buses, in bus queues, at MTR stations, and just about any tourist area where people are distracted just enough to be prey upon.