Posted on Wednesday, 5 July 2017

Suzy Haywater and her boyfriend find themselves among the dazzling high rises of Hong Kong, where East meets West in the most thrilling manner.

I have long harboured a desire to visit Hong Kong, but given its location and small size, it only seemed feasible as part of a bigger Asia trip.

The opportunity to visit this autonomous region of China when my boyfriend and I found super-cheap flights to the city. The plan was to use HK as a springboard to Thailand, where we would enjoy a longer holiday.

When it comes to Asian skyscraper cities, Hong Kong is up there with the best – boasting an awe-inspiring array of lofty towers built on more than a century of economic success, itself the product of Hong Kong's geographical and political orientation, the hard work and ingenuity of its citizens – and British rule of law.

But as influential as the British were up until the handover of 1997, Hong Kong is undoubtedly rooted in Chinese culture. This mixture of East and West has given Hong Kong a unique look and feel – where European imperialism and Chinese traditions are fused; where the past meets the future head on.

Entering Hong Kong

As UK residents, my boyfriend and I entered Hong Kong on a tourist visa, which in theory permitted us to stay for six months! We purchased 'tourist octopus' cards after immigration, which included return tickets to the city, as well as three days of MTR travel.

The train whisked us to Hong Kong station in just 30 minutes. We then walked to Central and took a connecting train to Wan Chai. We emerged into the thronging streets of Wanchai and were astonished by the intense muggy heat – a big contrast to the chilly London we had left behind.

We checked into the Charterhouse Causeway Bay, a pleasant 3-star, eager to sleep after our long flight. However, with a view to minimising our jetlag, we forced ourselves to stay up late so that our body clocks would be forced to re-adjust. After raiding the hotel fridge (and quickly developing a taste for Tsingtao beer!), we gave into sleep around 11pm.

Exploring Hong Kong

We rose before midday feeling almost normal. The prospect of exploring Hong Kong seemed to give us extra energy, but not so much that we didn't need our coffee fix. Eschewing the hotel's overpriced coffee, we ventured outside, only to find a 1950s themed eatery where the coffee was also overpriced.

Using our octopus tickets we found ourselves in a great little bookshop called Kelly & Walsh, before taking a trip to Hong Kong Park.

Having skipped breakfast, our tummies began to demand food. We wandered round and only seemed to see famous American fast-food joints. Eventually, however, we found a great congee and wonton establishment on the top floor of the building above Central MTR.

Star Ferry & the Space Museum

From Central we strolled in the Hong Kong sunshine to the ferry terminal where we boarded the famous Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui. After perusing a number of traditional Chinese arts and craft shops, we visited the nearby Hong Kong Space Museum. My boyfriend – something of a sci-fi enthusiast – found it fascinating, but to me it looked a little outdated compared to most modern museums.

Spam & Egg Rice

We returned to Hong Kong Island as the sun began to wane and our stomachs once again directed us to find sustenance. We found it in the form of Ma Sa Restaurant near Sheung Wan Station. Here we sampled the delightful Spam and Egg Rice; two wonderfully runny eggs on slices of pork, adorning a bed of fluffy white rice. Delicious and rather inexpensive.

A Symphony of Lights

Our bellies full, we emerged into the buzzing night streets of Hong Kong Harbour, keen to enjoy one of the city's most famous sights: "A Symphony of Lights". We had to return to Tsim Sha Tsui to get the best view – this time by MRT.

Guinness World Record holder of 'The World's Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show', we expected something special – and we weren't let down. The vast laser and light show is beamed from the top of HKs tallest skyscrapers and is based on the five themes of Awakening, Energy, Heritage, Partnership and Celebration.

Tian Tan Buddha

The next morning we visited Lantau Island and took the cable car up to the famous Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha). The ride up was a little scarier than we had bargained for, but the view was amazing. But best of all was the Buddha itself; huge yet noble.

After browsing some rather kitschy souvenir stalls, we enjoyed a vegetarian meal in the monastery, before heading back to Hong Kong Island.

Victoria Peak

After lunch we took the tram up to one of Hong Kong's biggest draws – Victoria Peak. The crowds were rather onerous, but it was worth it once we reached the top. The famous views of Hong Kong's towers were just as incredible as the photos we'd seen. We skipped the Madame Tussauds museums (we've both been to London's several times) but did enjoy wandering around the shops and restaurants, while always being able to return to that breath-taking view.

Unique Hong Kong

Hong Kong is unlike any city I've visited: more Chinese than Singapore, more futuristic than Tokyo, more hectic than London and more big-scale than New York. My boyfriend and I agreed: we would return.

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