There are many cities which have been described as 'frenzied' and 'energetic', but none of them can compete with Hong Kong; this city has an energy all of its own. Yes, it’s chaotic, totally overwhelming, busy, frantic and congested with traffic (notably, overloaded trams) and there’s enough neon signage to rival the immense amount of noise pollution, but it’s also fabulously charismatic and, like so much of the Far East, surprisingly well-organised.
Considered to be the most western city in China, Hong Kong will still throw any western visitor, however well-travelled, totally out of their comfort zone; for every westernised Nike store, there are a dozen more street vendors selling odd-looking fish and tangled jars of Chinese medicine. Hong Kong Island is the most famous of the city’s five districts and it is here that you will find the city’s financial heart, as well as a forest of skyscrapers. In fact, there are more skyscrapers here than any other city in the world. View more than eight-thousand of them from ‘The Peak’, 12,000 feet above the city, via an exceedingly steep ride on The Peak Tram. Alternatively, take the Star Ferry to view the skyline from Hong Kong’s iconic harbour; a particularly rewarding experience if you take the ferry at night.
Fashionable types will want to head to Soho for its chic bars, international restaurants and the world’s longest outdoor escalator, which weaves through some of the oldest and most fascinating streets in Hong Kong. There’s also Lan Kwai Fong which is an L-shaped cobbled lane saturated with funky restaurants, nightclubs, bars and bistros. Stop for a second and you’ll be surprised that it’s even possible. Take an hour's break from the city’s relentless pace and retreat to the nearest Dim Sum restaurant for steamed dumplings and copious cups of Chinese tea; Hong Kong will simply carry on without you.