Introduction A tiny bubble on the underbelly of China, Hong Kong has undergone explosive development since being pinched by the British and turned into a trading outpost. Hong Kong’s role hasn’t changed much, even after the handover, and it remains one of the great trade centres of the world.

Hong Kong is one of the most energetic cities anywhere and a place to soak up rather than do any specific sightseeing. Dining choices are almost unlimited and shopping remains a pastime. There are few places on Earth that can match this optimistic city.

Attractions Topping the bill is a trip up Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island. Views from the top are excellent – on a clear day. The century old Peak Tram hauls visitors up its steep inclines and guarantees some superb views on the way up if the top is shrouded in mists. You can take a 45-minute stroll around the summit and it’s worth going up night and day to appreciate both the busy harbour by day and the city lights. There are one or two touristy diversions plus some excellent restaurants up there.

At the tip of the peninsula in Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) is Kowloon promenade, the best viewpoint of the world famous harbour and a partial escape the frantic streets nearby. The view of Hong Kong Island from here is better than the view from the other side as the island sprouts a dramatic cluster of modern architecture with a graceful mountain backdrop. There’s as much activity on the waters as there is around it – hop on the old faithful Star Ferry chugging back and forth between TST and Central and enjoy.

The fabulous modern architecture can be appreciated closer up – getting off the ferry at Central you’ll be struck with some award winning and inventive structures. The Hong Kong Shanghai Bank with its suspension bridge technology and innovative frame, and the distinctive sharp and angular Bank of China both tower above the cool colonial stonework of the Legislative Council.

Back on the opposite waterfront of TST, the Arts Museum focuses on Chinese art through the centuries, with some beautiful examples of porcelain, calligraphy and more bits and bobs. Next door the Cultural Centre has many more contemporary Chinese themes.

Nearby, the dome of the Space Museum is difficult to miss. The free museum section isn’t really aimed at tourists although many stop and consider popping in. It’s informative with hands-on educational tools - you can try floating around on moon gravity simulators and toppling around in gyroscopic chairs. The top part of the dome has a small Omnimax cinema showing astro or eco-documentaries, and star charts projected on the curved ceiling. Not bad.

Arguably the best of Hong Kong’s impressive museums is the History Museum on Chatham Road TST. This spacious museum offers a full historical account of local history dating right back to Neolithic times. The photo exhibits offer an enchanting window on the past and there’s lots of buttons and levers for kids. Well worth it.

Quiet and little visited is the commendable Museum Of Coastal Defence near Shau Kei Wan back on Hong Kong Island. Remnants of the strategic British hilltop fort have been converted into a well-presented museum decked with cannons, military vehicles and shells. The Ming period, Opium Wars and WWII battles are thoroughly and dramatically explained. The windswept gun emplacements have commanding views of the harbour. On a similar theme, you can watch the Noon Day Gun go off every day in Causeway Bay’s yacht filled typhoon shelter.

The Heritage Museum is located on the fringes of Sha Tin in the New Territories. Once you’ve found it, you are rewarded with bright and engaging cultural exhibits. While in Sha Tin, you may as well clamber up the hill to Temple Of Ten Thousand Buddhas and sample the thousands of Buddha images and grinning golden deities.

Deeper into the New Territories along the railway line from Sha Tin is Tai Po, and a quick taxi takes you to the village of Lam Tsuen. The village is famed for the Wishing Trees. The idea is to hurl tapered oranges at it until they get trapped in the branches – and make a wish. The mighty bows of the older trees have been weighed down by tonnes of fruits and have been pelted by endless citrus strikes over the generations.

Ocean Park on HK Island has a full range of entertainment and some freaky rides including freefall turbo drops, roller coasters and as a superb educational marine park. The cable cars threaded across the mountains lend awesome views. Ocean Park is an all round family entertainer, although not quite on par with bigger international theme parks, it does have something for everyone and is a fun day out

There is so much to experience in Hong Kong and when the senses overload try escaping to the greener areas. More than half of Hong Kong is devoted to National Parks, as most of the population is squeezed into a few miles around the harbour. One the of great things about Hong Kong is that you only need to travel quite literally less than half an hour from any thriving district to enjoy the rural pace and green surroundings.

Many picturesque hiking trails exist, they just need tracking down. The MacLehose trail extends 100km across the New Territories with casual hilltop strolls or tougher, more challenging sections for hikers. Another good hiking trail is the Dragon’s Back on Hong Kong Island.

The Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island is a quiet retreat attracting a steady trickle of visitors. Plod up the steps to appreciate ‘Asia’s largest seated outdoor Buddha statue’. It makes a relaxing afternoon with its scenic location overlooking mountains jutting from the sea. When on Lantau you may as well take an extra 20-minute bus trip to the small, charming and traditional fishing village of Tai O to observe what’s left of the quiet traditional village.

Just minutes away from Central is Bowen Road, a leafy and quiet lane mainly cut off to traffic. Being halfway up the mountains it gazes down over the famous strip of skyscrapers lining the harbour. It’s an amazing contrast to the city below. Many sections of the road enjoy a thick green canopy, fluttering butterflies and the damp smell of moss. There are surprisingly few people absorbing this lovely respite, only a few joggers, dog walkers and the odd elderly tai chi practitioner.

Whilst it would hardly qualify as a beach destination, Hong Kong does have some reasonable stretches of sands. Although it can get a bit crowded on sunnier days the beaches can still be very pleasant. Clear Water Bay and Sai Kung in the New Territories are by far the cleanest and most picturesque, and there’s not a skyscraper in sight. Minibuses run down to Clear Water Bay Beaches 1 and 2 every 15 minutes from Choi Hung MTR Station.

Note: from roughly June to August sharks trawl the waters – and they’ve munched on more than one bather. If sharks are not your thing then stick to public, life guarded beaches with shark nets.

Shopping Hong Kong was once a shopping Mecca, but today, the prices are closer to those of the West and the fantastic bargains are gone. However many goods are still noticeably cheaper and there’s a fine choice of mainstream and brand name shopping to be had. Shopaholics will keep coming back for more. Electronic goods are comparatively cheap but overall it is advisable to stick to the bigger stores. Some independent electrical shops in TST are triad run and have a terrible reputation for honesty and service - best avoided.

Shopping plazas are everywhere in shopping mad Hong Kong. Nathan Road in TST is often the first port of call for foreign shoppers with its blend of bargain goods, souvenirs and luxuries. Heaving Causeway Bay is more up-market with the focus on brand names and foreign imports. Business district Central again targets the top end. Bigger malls include Ocean Terminus in TST, Pacific Place in Admiralty, Times Square in Causeway Bay and cavernous Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong.

Vibrant and active Temple Street night market kicks into life in the late evenings. It is packed with cheap clothes, food stalls and little trinkets. Towards the centre are traditional fortunetellers, and some speak English. The whir of a tacky toy, waft of snacks and babble of vendors make it a lively place to shuffle along with the crowds.

The Jade Market, open till late, is a similar scene and located at the junction of Kansu and Reclamation Streets in Yau Ma Tei. In a series of small alleys, is the chirping Bird Market in bustling Mong Kok, and nearby Lady Street is stuffed with cheap clothing and copied goods. Incredibly cheap brand name trainers are almost certainly fakes.

Set on the southern side of Hong Kong Island is Stanley Market. Little souvenir shops huddle together in tightly winding alleyways with lots of little bargains and also one or two good-looking antiques. Stanley itself is a nice place to hang out, with a small temple or two and some good restaurants and old pubs.

One of the best places for Chinese antiques anywhere in the world is along Cat Street near Central. Strings of antique shops deal in pieces from over the border. Most shops are reputable and it’s better to shop for curios here rather than in China where fakes abound and exporting genuine antiques illegal. There are no problems exporting antiques from Hong Kong and Cat Street draws dealers from all over. Some fantastic stuff.

Transport Hong Kong's world-class public transport system is easy to use, cheap and fast. As Hong Kong is relatively small you are never that far from your destination. Handy Octopus cards are available at MTR stations and can be used for all major modes of transport and even in some convenience stores. They save queuing for tickets and rummaging for change, and can be cashed in at the end of your stay.

The underground Mass Transit Railway or MTR, is the best way to get around the urban districts. It efficiently shuttles passengers around the busiest areas. It gets very crowded at rush hour but the modern service is the best way to get around.

Hong Kong Island has several traditional trams bumping and clanking along. Cheap but slow they are an enjoyable way to soak up the bustle and neon of the city and people watch. To avoid a tiring trek uphill from Central to the Mid-Levels take the escalator. Not only does it cut down on shoe leather, it cruises you past some of the best dining and entertainment areas.

Taxis are an excellent and cheap way to skip around and always metered. Sometimes it’s best to show the driver where you are going on a map since few speak good English. Hire cars are available but are almost impossible to park in the city and somewhat impractical unless you intend to visit rural areas.

Between them, buses and minibuses cover just about every road and offer a very economic mode of travel. Buses are simpler to understand, sticking to set timetables and routes, while minibuses require a degree of familiarity and interaction with the usually frantic, Cantonese speaking drivers.

The KCR train line links Kowloon to The New Territories and terminates at the Chinese border at Lo Wu. Cross-border trains direct to Guangzhou or lengthy epics to Beijing leave from Hung Hom terminus in TST East.

As an international port, Hong Kong is well linked by sea. Ferries criss-cross the harbour continuously throughout the day and the territory is connected to Macau and various points in China by jetfoils, ferries and catamarans. The main terminals are at TST and Sheung Wan. Macau can also be reached by helicopter in just over 15 minutes – flying across the harbour is a treat.

The territory is a regular stopover point for cruise liners. Star Leo offers overnight trips and longer journeys to Hainan and Vietnam.

The Chek Lap Kok International Airport is accessible by road and rail. The efficient Airport Express runs frequently between 6am and 1am. The smooth and comfortable service reaches Kowloon in only 19 minutes and Central in 23. To save time check-in at Central or Kowloon stations. Cheaper Cityflyer airport buses operate virtually around the clock at 15 - 20 minute intervals - depending on traffic they take about 40 minutes to reach Central.

Eating Out Hong Kong is bursting with restaurants of every description and budget. For information on dining and what's on, check HK Magazine or BC Magazine, free in many bars.

Tours Hotels can connect you with a whole array of little trips. There are a few half-day tours for the uninitiated that cover the basics – Greyline are the leaders in the field. A good open top tram tour also helps you get your bearings. Public transport is excellent so tours aren’t really necessary, but there are some lovely hidden corners of Hong Kong that can be hard to track down and are most easily reached by joining a tour.