From the constant ticking of the pedestrian crossings, via the endless flash
of neon among swarming crowds, to the smells rising from its street-side
food stalls, Hong Kong is all-enveloping. The city that defines the word is
crowded, polluted and expensive. And it's also celebrating.
After some tough years marred by economic collapse and the threat of SARS, the
tourists are back. Camera-and-carrier-bag-laden, they're easily spotted
among seven million locals and suited expats. The influx has kick-started a
flurry of new openings: in September alone the town gets two five-star
hotels (the Landmark Mandarin and Four Seasons) and Asia's first Disneyland.
The buzz and building work is everywhere. In the old fishing villages out of
town, government-owned tower blocks climb into the smog, and underground
lines extend further and further beneath delicate yellow landscapes. The
city is opening its arms outwards, littering skyscrapers and shopping malls
in its wake. The old 1960s buildings still standing as a testament to
British rule may well have expiry dates stamped on their bottoms. Even
though this expansion is threatening the very last breathing spaces of the
city, the Identikit buildings never seem to alter Hong Kong's character:
despite 156 years of British rule, the city is palpably Chinese.
Follow the touristy Nathan Road right to its tail end and the real Hong Kong
emerges in crowded tenements. At the goldfish market, fish-lovers select new
pets shoulder-to-shoulder with gourmets choosing their dinner; while in
roadside dai pai dong, lightning-handed chopstick-users devour chicken feet
and lung kebabs.
But the scenery is a sideline for visitors, expats and wealthy natives, all
intent on spending money. They drop dollars at the malls that fight for air
space on the crowded skyline, over expensive meals with ringside seats for
the daily harbour-view light show, and at extravagant, champagne-fuelled
nights out in some of the best bars and clubs in the world. It's impossible
not to get caught up in the glamorous whirl - so buy now and hide the
credit-card statement later.
Your first visit
o Hong Kong's one true bargain is the Star Ferry (www.starferry.com.hk),
which crosses Victoria Harbour between touristy Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon and
sophisticated Central on Hong Kong Island for a mere 12p. Take the boat at
around 8pm for romantic views of the skyline lit up by the nightly 20-minute
rainbow-neon lightshow.
o The oldest attraction in Hong Kong is the 117-year-old tram from the city
centre to the top of Victoria Peak (www.thepeak.com.hk; £2 return) high
above the city. As it makes its vertiginous ascent, outsize tropical
greenery appears between the tower blocks. Take an hour's hike through the
woods at the top for the best views of the city sprawl. There are plenty of
dining options here (as well as an off-shoot of Madame Tussauds with a
dubious-looking Jackie Chan and David Beckham), best of which is the Peak
Lookout (00 852 2849 1000, www.thepeaklookout.com.hk). Away from the
shopping mall (yes, there's even one up here), it's a Hansel and
Gretel-esque cottage, and the food is excellent - try something from the
tandoori oven.
o Get something tailored. There are hundreds of backroom suitmakers along
Nathan Road, but the real institution is Sam's Tailors (Burlington Arcade,
94 Nathan Road; 00 852 2367 9423), which has been here since 1956. Drop by
at the beginning of your break to be measured up by Sam's son Manu, have two
fittings during your stay, hand over £180 and pick up your suit before you
fly home. He's worked his sartorial magic on Michael Jackson, David Bowie
and Jude Law.
o To a soundtrack of screeching Cantonese opera singers practising their
arias, the night market erupts on Temple Street in a scrabble of fortune
tellers, fake bag and watch merchants and ladies of the night. Pick out
bargains among the tat - wooden caskets on sale here for £3 each will go for
nearer £100 in the UK. Things heat up after about 8.30pm and carry on until
11pm.
For second-timers
o Hong Kong has 235 outlying islands - beach-hemmed, sleepy and exotic. Head
to Lantau - it's also home to the airport, but you'd never know as you taxi
through the dicey roads of the interior to Po Lin Monastery (above), where
the world's largest outdoor seated Buddha touches the clouds, and pink and
orange temples are attended by shaven-headed, robe-swathed nuns and monks.
The entrance ticket (£4) buys a vegetarian feast in the VIP restaurant.
o Take a taxi from Kowloon to the New Territories (30 minutes), where the Sai
Kung nature reserve opens up with inland reservoirs and island-filled
seascapes. All of Hong Kong heads here at the weekend for seafood lunches on
the promenade at Sai Kung Town - you pick your meal from the streetside
aquariums. The best restaurant is Chuen Kee (51 Hoi Pong Street; 00 852 2791
1195).
o Join the hedonists zooming up the mid-level open-air escalators in Central
to bar-hop through the hilly district of Lan Kwai Fong. The area gets lively
at around 9.30pm, when sophisticates head to model-filled Dragon I (The
Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street; 00 852 3110 1222, www.dragon-i.com.hk) and
happy-hour devotees hit The Cavern (D'Aguilar Street; 00 852 2121 8969).
o Before the flight home, treat your feet to an hour's reflexology. Sandwiched
between two strip clubs on Nathan Road, Tai Pan (Tsimshatsui Mansion, 83
Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui) is an unlikely sanctuary, but as the brilliant
therapists get rid of the nasty gritty bits between your toes, the
Buddha-and-bougainvillea interior lulls you into a state of calm. All for
£17 for 50 minutes.
ASK THE CONCIERGE:
Paul Quinn, The Peninsula
o There's a profusion of cheap taxis here - all licensed and regulated. But
if you're planning to take one, ask your concierge to write your destination
in Cantonese as the drivers are some of the few locals who don't speak good
English.
o In Hong Kong, Chinese chefs are the most highly paid and valued. After
that, it's Japanese, then French, then all the way down the chain. So it
follows that Chinese is the best food to eat. Big and loud and incredibly
popular with the local crowd, Maxim's Palace (2/F City Hall, Queen's Pier,
Central) is a favourite for dim sum, though the decor wouldn't win any
awards.
o Though it may not seem like it from the heart of the city, Hong Kong has its
fair share of wildlife. The most surreal must surely be the pink dolphins in
the Pearl River Delta between Hong Kong and Macau - they're bubble-
gum-coloured and real show-offs. Hong Kong Dolphin Watch
(www.hkdolphinwatch.com) runs three-hour trips from £22pp.
o Take a walking tour of SoHo (South of Hollywood Road) and immerse yourself
in the Western Market. Its stalls are packed with traditional red kwa, or
bridal dress, and bargain textiles. Walk along Queen's Road West, home to
traditional Chinese medicine shops, where you'll find bird's nests for soups
and fish bladders, both thought to be good for the complexion.
Where to stay
NO EXPENSE SPARED
The Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Kowloon (00 852 2920 2888,
www.hongkong.peninsula.com)
The Peninsula opened back in the glamorous 1920s, and more than a whiff of
colonial grandeur still lingers today. Rooms are a riot of gilded wallpaper,
antique dressers and plush carpets. Doubles from £167.
The Four Seasons, 8 Finance Street, Central (00 852 3196
8888, www.fourseasons.com/ hongkong)
This luxuriously beige waterfront hotel overlooking Victoria Harbour and the
financial district, and steps away from the Star Ferry, promises to be the
new fashionable address when it opens in September. Doubles from £267.
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
JIA, 1-5 Irving Street, Causeway Bay (00 852 3196 9000,
www.jiahongkong.com)
This Philippe Starck-designed fashion haunt is Hong Kong's modern classic -
the perfect antidote to the chintz elsewhere. White and acid yellow
dominate, and two of the city's restaurants-to-be-seen-in, Y and Opia, are
on site. Studios from £111.
Harbour Plaza Metropolis, 7 Metropolis Drive, Hunghom (00 852
3160 6888, www.harbour-plaza.com/hpme)
A limited view at this Kowloon-side hotel is more than made up for by the
fern-fringed pool and fairy-light-strewn patio restaurant. Doubles from £119.
ON THE CHEAP
Metropark, 148 Tung Lo Wan Road, Causeway Bay (00 852 2600 1000)
The main sell of this hotel is the rooftop pool with its view towards the
Kowloon side. Bargain rooms nod to boutique, but get one facing the harbour
unless you want to wave at your neighbours in the apartments opposite.
Doubles from £35.
YMCA, 41 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (00 852 2268 7000,
www.ymcahk.org.hk)
It's fun to stay at this YMCA kitted out like a three-star hotel, with an
address next door to the Peninsula. Suites have floor-to-ceiling harbour
views. Doubles from £38.
Where to eat
NO EXPENSE SPARED
Spoon, Hotel Intercontinental, 18 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui,
Kowloon (00 852 2313 2256). With romantic harbour views, and reliably
expensive classics such as poached lobster and beef tournado overseen by
super-Chef Alain Ducasse, this is the best choice for a splash-out meal in
the city. Meals from £52pp.
Water Margin, 1205, 12/F Food Forum, Times Square, Causeway
Bay (00 852 3102 0088). Polished service, rich wood interiors and
experimental local food have made this a hit with wealthy Hong Kongers.
Ignore everyone's advice to try the crispy lamb and opt for the pork cheeks
instead. Meals from £30pp.
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
Cocobana, Mo Tat Wan, Lamma Island (00 852 2328 2138). Take
the ferry from Aberdeen to laid-back Lamma for this shack with tables on a
decked area overlooking the beach. The food is Greek and passable, but it's
the sunset views that make the place. Meals from £15.
Chao Inn, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (00 852 2369 8819). The
food may be cheap but this branch of the popular Chao Inn chain feels like a
posh night out. It could be the harbour views, or the chi-chi types grabbing
a bite before heading upstairs to Aqua. Goose is the speciality. Meals from
£7.
ON THE CHEAP
Herbs Golden Mansion, 83-85A Chatham Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (00 852
2736 5918). Tucked away near Nathan Road, this little Vietnamese cafe serves
wonderful food with plenty of smiles. Make sure you order the pork on prawn
crackers. Meals from £4.
Superstar, 19-27 Wyndham Street, Central (00 852 2525 9238). This
three-restaurant chain is where everyone heads for dim sum. Mix-and-match
won ton with modern takes on dumplings and battered dishes. From £1.50.
Bars & Clubs
Finds, Lan Kwai Fong Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central (00
852 225 229318). The look is white-on-white with ethereal touches of dove
feathers. Drinks are Caipirinhas on the terrace.
Aqua, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (00 852 3427 2288,
www.aqua.com.hk). In the tiny mezzanine area, Aqua Spirit, a DJ plays
laid-back hip-hop as beautifully dressed, beautiful people drink martinis.
Felix, Salisbury Road, Kowloon (00 852 2315 3188,
www.hongkong.peninsula.com). It's UV-lit and vast. You'll pay for the
harbour views with the drinks.
Kee Club, 32 Wellington Street, Central (00 852 2810 9000). Ask
your concierge to put you on the guest list and do a double-take at the
pictures on the walls - they really are Picassos.
Shopping
D-Mop, 11 Lan Street, Central (00 852 2840 0822). Buy Nike, Missy
Elliot's Adidas range and Y-3 by Yohji Yamamoto in this huge Central
emporium.
Sasa (00 852 2505 5023, www.sasa.com). Bright eyeshadows and flavoured lip
glosses go for pennies at this chain of cosmetics shops.
Lilly, 3 Tower 2, Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road, Central (00 852 2865
6088). Take along a photo of any shoe and they'll make a copy for £80.
Getting there
Virgin (08705 747747, www.virginatlantic.com), BA (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com)
and Cathay Pacific (020 8834 8888, www.cathaypacific.com) fly direct to Hong
Kong from Heathrow from £721 return. KLM (08705 074074, www.klm.com) flies
from 14 regional airports, via Amsterdam, from £369.
Tour operators
Virgin Holidays (0871 222 0307, www.virgin.com/holidays) has
five-night breaks in Hong Kong, with flights from Heathrow, staying at the
Metropark Hotel from £709pp, and the Harbour Plaza Metropolis from £719pp.
Or try Carrier (01625 547030, www.carrier.co.uk), or Kuoni (0870 990 9905,
www.kuoni.co.uk).
Actually Hong Kong does not have Asia's first Disneyland. Tokyo does. Also the one in Hong Kong is terrible. I wouldn't recommend anyone to go - go to Ocean Park instead.
Ellie, Hong Kong,