The Lure of Hong Kong - Efficient, Chaotic and Impossible Not to Fall in Love

If you're into magnificent views, quirky sights, Chinese food and shopping in an environment that's old-world colonial at the same time as bubblingly modern, Hong Kong's a city you'll love.

The first thing that made me fall for it was after braving a 20-hours of flight time, getting from the airport to the hotel was so easy. There are many options and one of them is the Airport Express, which took us straight to Kowloon, where our hotel was.

Then there's Hong Kong's skyline. Two minutes walk from Central is the harbor which is impressive by day but at night it'll take your breath away. The architectural boom of the 80s and 90s left a Manhattan-esque skyscraper profile behind a body of water peppered with modern ships and old fishing boats. Every evening before 8pm people stake their spots along the promenade and wait for the famous lights show to start. Most of the skyscrapers like Bank of China, Hong Kong and Shangai Bank, The Center and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre participate in turn and the effect is like fireworks of the future in a modern-world sensory delight. All this as the calm water of the bay gently laps against the concrete balustrades.

A word of advice: don't get your picture taken at any of the myriad vendors begging to do so with the skyline as a backdrop. Ours was expensive, grainy and the paper bad quality. The shot where we balanced our own camera on a statue and used the timer to shoot ourselves was much better.

We decided to stay at an affordable hotel for the first few nights and use the savings to spend our last night at the spectacular Hong Kong Peninsula . So we were kind of expecting the worst but when we arrived at the Hotel Nikko in Kowloon , it turned out to be marbled, glossy and efficient. A very posh feel for such a well-priced hotel.

There was a bar with a view on the top floor and although our cocktails weren't cheap, the snack mix that they kept refilling made it totally worth it.

Hot Hong Kong shopping

When you plan your trip to Hong Kong , decide what you want out of it. Looking to shop until your legs give out or want to explore the more gritty, real parts of the area? A bit of both is probably the best because a shopping mall is a shopping mall is a shopping mall - although Hong Kong's are world-renowned.

The Landmark, The Galleria, Prince's Building, Alexandra House and the IFC Mall are the main shopping centers and if you're looking for brand-names, these are your places.

Pacific Place is one of Hong Kong' s most popular malls and once you get inside you'll be... lost. There's such a huge array of shops that we just headed straight for the food court, where again there was so much to choose from it took us ages to decide what to have. We chose a small bakery that makes only Hong Kong' s famous Egg Tarts. They were hot and creamy - a must for any fan of egg tarts (similar to custard tarts).

Bargain goods are also available in abundance at markets and stalls in places like "The Lanes" between Li Yuen Street East and Li Yuen Street West . Here you'll be able to bargain for cheap clothes, watches and jewelry, luggage and shoes.

Stanley Street is known for its well-priced photographic equipment and Hollywood Road is Hong Kong' s antiques area.

Bargain hunters remember - discounts abound during the winter and summer sales (late December to February for summer and July to September for winter).

Shopping warning: it's not that unusual to get scammed out of a few bucks so check receipts carefully, know exchange rates before you go and get familiar with the average prices of things.

A food paradise

I've always believed that to get an authentic local meal you need to get out of your hotel and into the heart of an area but that's not true of Hong Kong . You'll find some of the best food at hotels and shopping complexes and because it's an international city, there is a barrage of different tastes and cultures. Cantonese, Chiu Chow, Peking, Szechuan, Shanghainese, Chinese Vegetarian or Hunan - are you confused? It's worth it to do some Internet research before you go or from the hotel you're staying at. Many restaurants either have websites or are reviewed by people who either loved or hated their dining experience, so you can read up and decide for yourself. And my knowledge of Chinese food is limited to dim sum and chow mein, so the online photographs of the food helped a lot.

The best meal we ate (of many great ones) was on Nathan Street's Loong Yuen Cantonese Restaurant next to the Holiday Inn. You can choose from a picture selection of dim sum which all looked good. Try the fried rice and the wanton soup. The soup was flavored perfectly and came in a huge bowl which served both of us a few times over. Not too expensive even though we ordered too much, and we actually went back the next day for another round.

Best things to see and do

* The Bird Market

A must whether you're a bird-lover or not is Kowloon's Bird Market, on Yuen Po Street, north of Prince Edward Road West. An eclectic group of locals meet-up everyday with or without their birds to chat about exotic songbirds, drink tea, and heckle visitors to buy their goods. The locals also bet with each other about the skills of their songbirds or strength of their fighting birds. A lot of the cages are covered up to keep the birds from getting excited, so that when uncovered they sing full blast in competition with their other feathered friends. Within the market is the tea house, also buzzing with young and old people who have some connection to birds.

I adored th hand-carved bird cages of all sizes - an iconic Hong Kong image. The smaller ones would definitely fit into your suitcase.

Across the street is the flower market, worth a visit just to admire the tons of different flowers all packed perfectly and decadently colored.

* The Peak

Take a very steep tram up the Victoria Peak and you're on top of the highest mountain on the island as well as the biggest tourist attraction in Hong Kong . Once you're up there you'll understand why it's so popular: the views of the city and the bay are breathtaking. There's a 60-minute trail which ambles among benches, birds and butterflies. It's very romantic and surprisingly secluded. The last part goes past Plantation Road , which is the address in Hong Kong and where some of its wealthiest people live.

When you're weary after your trek and need something to eat or drink, help is in the form of yet another glamorous shopping centre, the Peak Galleria on the Peak. It has more great shops, restaurants with views and a huge food court.

There's also a Madame Taussaud's, Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium, Peak Explorer Motion Simulator and a Hong Kong history entertainment ride for those wanting to teach the kids or themselves at the Peak Tower at Victoria Gap, where the upper terminus of the tram is.

The cold can sneak up on you so high up, so be sure to take a sweater along.

* Cat Street

Cat Street is in Hong Kong' s Western district, Upper Lascar Row, and is a prime attraction. It's bulging with antique shops and an open-air curio market to stock up on oriental pieces, eclectic souvenirs and gifts. Things like Ming furniture, lotus lamps, Mao badges and old snuff bottle are there for the bargaining.

While you're there have a look at the Man Mo Temple, dedicated to Man, the God of Literature and Mo, the God of War.

* Harbor cruise

While the harbor views gets your heart racing at night from the sidelines, a ferry trip is also a great way to see the city. You can go most times of the day or at night, but we took a Chinese-style junk around Victoria Harbor at sunset. You go on a circuit of the harbor as well as to Lei Yue Mun on the eastern tip of Kowloon Peninsula . It's a great ride but my advice: wear a hat because while that ocean air may be good for the soul, it does nothing for a hairstyle.

Hong Kong's sizzling nightlife

* Bars and clubs

Hong Kong is known as the City of Life and it comes alive at night, often around midnight where the pace is even more hectic than during the day. Ex-pats love karaoke, Lan Kwai Fong or Soho' s bars and restaurants, while Chinese locals seem to like Tsim Sha Tsui's bars and clubs.

There are also often concerts, raves and live music, so check listings in places like HK Magazine for current events.

* Casinos

There aren't any casinos in Hong Kong but take a 50-minute jetfoil ride to Macau and you're in a famous gambler's paradise. These places are so popular that the jetfoils run all night long. Macau has nine casinos and varying dress codes. It's a good idea to keep your passport on you.

For our last night we checked into the world famous Peninsula Hotel (known affectionately as the Pen). The foyer bustled with people meeting, lunching, looking and checking into this grey-stone old-mansion-feel hotel. Our room had a harbor view and it was worth it just for that. Chinese tea was served on the chaise lounge at 4pm and there was fresh fruit waiting when we arrived. And don't you just love toweling gowns when they're big, fluffy and monogrammed?

After a swim in the azure-blue pool we picked a restaurant listed in the hotel guide. It was Felix, a bar-restaurant on the 28^th floor decorated by Philippe Starck. The decor was striking but the atmosphere tended to be posy - a kind of who's who of Hong Kong and the world, so I found it a little stifling. My seared tuna was delicious though.

The next morning we woke up and looked out of the window to see thousands of people practicing Tai-chi outside at the Expo center near the harbor.

The Peninsula is also famous for its chocolate, and you can get them at its gift shop.

Another great and inexpensive gift for yourself or friends is some Chinese tea. Get ones that quench your thirst, aid digestion, add flavor to food or are full of anti-oxidants from many shops around the city. Famous ones are Fujian' s Ti-guan-yin tea, Yunnan' s Pu-erh tea or Taiwan' s Don-ding Oolong tea.

Maybe I'm easy to please but another thing that thrilled me was on the way back to the airport that day I was able to check onto my flight at a check-in service they offer, where you can get rid of heavy bags at stations and the head off to the airport. It was so quick and painless, I was almost skeptical that my bags would arrive back in the USA , but they did.

Tourist info

Hong Kong Tourist Association's head office is at 9-11/F Citicorp Center, 18 Whitfield Road in North Point. Tel: 852 2807 6543. Email: info@discoverhongkong.com, website: www.hkta.org. It's open from 8am to 6pm every day.

Passes

The HKTA Museum Pass will give you unlimited admission to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Science Museum , the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of History. It's valid for a month and costs HK$30 from HKTA offices and participating museums.

Best time to go

October, November and most of December are the best months to visit Hong Kong because the skies are clear and it's sunny. From June to August it's hot and rainy but still sunny. Hotels often offer discounts outside high season (March-April and October-November).

The Chinese New Year is in late January/early February and can make travel a little difficult.