Hong Kong
Hong Kong Holiday
Hong Kong is one of Asia's most exciting and vibrant destinations. A city that continues to offer some of the World's best hotels, fabulous shopping, spectacular harbour views and famous Chinese and international cuisine.
One of the great attractions of Hong Kong is that whenever you travel you can be sure there will always be something going on. Throughout the year, there are a wide variety of fascinating colourful traditional festivals, sporting or cultural events. From the spectacular fireworks of the Lunar New Year to the mysterious rituals of the Hungry Ghost festival, and the excitement of the Rugby Sevens.
Thriving on contrast, Hong Kong remains a melting pot of eastern and western cultures. From its quaint, traditional Chinese heritage to the buzzing, high tech modern living amongst towering skyscrapers. The perfect starting point for any Asian adventure.
The drama of Hong Kong is played out on its streets, round the clock: noodle-vendors, hair-cutters, bargain-hawkers, bone-setters and fortune-tellers. Here is all the excitement, mystery, glamour and clamour of the Orient-without the inconvenience. Lavish home comforts ease the visitor's culture shock amid junks and sampans, black pyjamas and coolie hats, chopsticks and joss sticks.Packed into skyscrapers and double-deck trams and buses, the people of Hong Kong-98 per cent are Chinese-live fast and work hard in this hotbed of capitalism and commerce. The only thing you might miss in the over-populated metropolis is solitude. But you can go to the hinterland, where water buffalo still do the drudgery. Or sail to a deserted isle: Hong Kong has a couple of hundred to spare.
The enclave's most crucial island is called Hong Kong (meaning "fragrant harbour"). It contains about a quarter of the total population yet accounts for only a small fraction of the real estate; the rest is on the Chinese mainland across the harbour. The total area is a flexible figure, growing slightly from year to year as land is reclaimed from the sea. It's just above 1035 sq km (400 sq miles). But an unbelievable 6 million people are crammed into it-a population density duly noted in the record books.Even in the most isolated village you'll probably find someone who can muster a few words of English in greeting. The population is highly literate: over 60 Chinese-language newspapers are published in Hong Kong (a couple of English dailies, as well).
You'll need time and strength-and money-for the shopping. The range of choice in Hong Kong is exciting, with bargains as old as traditional Chinese porcelain and as new as the latest cameras and hi-fi rigs.Another area in which Hong Kong excels is food. You'll never be disappointed, whether you're smothered in luxury in one of the top restaurants or munching a morsel bought from a pushcart. As for the nightlife: yes, there are a thousand Suzie Wongs. But Hong Kong also has art festivals and its own Philharmonic Orchestra.