Shop Hong Kong!
Join Wild Things Beads on a Buying Trip
February 26 – March 5, 2012
Beadventures is partnering with Wild Things Beads to go along on a bead-buying trip to Hong Kong! This is a tremendous opportunity to access pearl, bead, buttons, and trim warehouses and wholesalers into which you otherwise would never be able to go.
J-ME and Guy of Wild Things Beads will be your tour leaders. They will introduce you to the wonderful city of Hong Kong and guide you through this tremendous bead shopping opportunity.
Itinerary
Day 1. Sunday, February 26. Arrive in Hong Kong.
Fly into Hong Kong by late afternoon or early evening and check into your hotel.
This is a great opportunity to walk the infamous Temple Street during the evening. Temple Street is an amazing shopping sight, featuring rows of brightly lit stalls hawking an astonishing variety of inexpensive items especially for men ─ including clothing, pens, watches, CDs, cassettes, electronic gadgets, hardware and luggage, which is why it is also called “Men's Street”. Fortune-tellers cluster at the Yau Ma Tei end of the street, as do 
Chinese opera enthusiasts seeking kindred spirits for impromptu performances.
The market is open from 4 p.m. to midnight, but really comes alive after sunset. Like in other markets in Southeast Asia, prices always can be negotiated by bargaining—and remember to hunt for shops hidden in streets behind the stalls rather than looking in the stalls themselves!
Day 2. Monday, February 27. Pearl Shopping.
Today the group will visit the pearl district to find piles of pearls just waiting for you to bring home. You 
will find both freshwater and saltwater pearls as well as pearls priced for every budget. We’ll have lunch at a world famous Dim Sum restaurant. You also might want to visit a teashop and enjoy the many flavors and add a teapot to your collection!
Day 3. Tuesday, February 28. Jade Shopping.
Today you’ll visit the Jade Market during which we’ll haggle with vendors to buy your treasures. We’ll also travel by taxi to visit the button and trim district, located in the New Territories. The New Territories was so named when the British took more land from China in 1898. This area offers a diverse landscape of mountainous country parks that overlook New Towns that have a modernity that attracted many to move here from Mainland China.
Day 4. Wednesday, February 29. Stone Beads Shopping.
Today the group will go to the Stone district, where you will find beads, cabochons, and sculpture-carved stone beads. We’ll go to lunch at a fabulous Japanese Restaurant where we will get to enjoy moochi for desert!
Day 5. Thursday, March 1. Shopping for more Pearls.
Today we’ll go back to the Pearl District to shop for more pearls or pick up the ones you previously selected that will have been packed up for you. Tonight we’ll have dinner at the Taj Mahal, an exclusive Indian restaurant where you have to be a member to be admitted—but don’t worry, the membership has been taken care of!
Day 6. Friday, March 2. Buttons and Trim Shopping.
Today we’ll visit the button and trim district, which is where the DIY bead area is located. It’s also a great place to find other arts and crafts such as lovely jewelry boxes, silk, lace, and other assorted notions. You might even find a few places to purchase metal chain!
Day 7. Saturday, March 3. Antique District.
Today we will cross the channel to Hong Kong Island where we will visit the Antique District, its many pubs, and ride the world’s longest outdoor escalator. Think pub food for lunch.
Day 8. Sunday, March 4. Play Tourist!
Lots of options today based on what the group would like to do. It could be a tram ride to see the world’s largest Buddha or a visit to the Hong Kong Disneyland or anything in between. Or if you want to do your own thing, that’s fine too.
Day 9. Monday, March 5. Depart for Home.
All good things must come to an end. It’s time for the group to return home with a lot of wonderful purchases and great memories.
Trip Notes
- The group size is limited to 14 so the trip will be fun and rewarding without feeling overcrowded.
- You will need to be healthy and fit. We will be walking a lot. You will need to wear comfortable walking shoes!
- Please realize this is not a slick guided tour. It will be a “working tour” with some fun thrown in between friends. J-Me and Guy will be on a buying trip to working warehouses that you otherwise could not access.
- If you will be buying large quantities (i.e. items that will not fit in your suitcase), J-Me and Guy will help you through the steps to arrange for shipping and figuring out the customs fees back in the USA.
Read about J-Me and Guy's last trip to Hong Kong and about them!
Trip Cost
$1,000 fee
Includes: Experienced bead importers knowledge who have planned the trip itinerary and will serve as tour guides and provide access to bead export warehouses.
Doesn’t include: Airfare, lodging, meals, ground transportation (i.e. all your expenses). Estimates are that the trip will cost about $3,500.
Update re: the hotel: The group will be staying at the Kowloon Hotel on Nathan Road. The cost is 1210 in Hong Kong dollars (which is about $156 per night in US dollars); if you want breakfast each monring it is an additional US $14.50. Beadventures will make the hotel reservations but you will pay the hotel directly.