Luxury travel ideas in Hong Kong

Now officially part of China, Hong Kong maintains a unique cultural identity which has developed over centuries and now draws tourists from around the globe.

Located on the Pearl River Delta the region contains just over six million inhabitants, the vast majority of whom are Chinese. Cantonese is the principle language; however, English is widely spoken – due to Hong Kong's colonial past – with the use of Putonghua also on the rise.

Spread over just 425 square miles, 70 per cent of Hong Kong's total area is rural - including about 40 per cent designated as protected country parks, giving the region one of highest ratios of designated parkland in the world.

However, the urban metropolis that is Hong Kong Island is a city that never sleeps with a world of wonders at visitors fingertips.

Here travelbite.co.uk takes a look at what the region has to offer.

What to Do

Perhaps the best way to experience Hong Kong is from above. The Peak allows guests an incredible view of the city skyline; taking in the world-famous Victoria Harbour and Kowloon, towering skyscrapers and peaceful green hillsides.

For a more traditional view of the city, the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple covers 18,000 square metres at the heart urban Kowloon. An important religious destination in own right, the temple is also an ornate wonder and includes the Main Altar where the portrait of Wong Tai Sin is hung.

Here believers go to pray for divine guidance and good fortune.

The future is also bright for Hong Kong, with some world-class projects on the horizon.

Expected to become a hub of the Hong Kong tourist circuit in the near future, for example, is the M+ - a new £350 million visual-arts museum.

The ambitious plans have been announced as part of the government's plan to develop a £1.5 billion art zone in the West Kowloon district, with an estimated two million visitors a year expected.

The first phase of the project will be finished by 2015. Once the final stage is completed, the new museum will have more than 850,000 square feet of floor space - more than New York's Museum of Modern Art.

At a soaring 118-storey height, the International Commerce Centre (ICC) will be a new distinctive landmark for the city - featuring an imposing observation deck on the 100th floor and the world’s highest hotel, which will occupy the top floors of the development.

Upon completion, the skyscraper will become Hong Kong's tallest building and will have one of the top three highest roofs in the world, along with the Burj Dubai Complex and the Shanghai World Financial Centre.

Located at a key crossing point, ICC’s Observation Deck will sit 100 floors high, providing a must-see panoramic view over Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong’s famous skyline.

The project is due to be completed in 2010.

Finally, the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel’s Lobby Lounge has been recognised as having the 'Bar with the World’s Most Varieties of Rum Commercially Available' by Guinness World Records.

Lobby Lounge’s selection boasts 102 premium and exotic rum varieties from different parts of the globe, including Antigua, Barbados, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Guatemala and Mexico. Most expensive among the selection is the El Dorado Rum 25 Years, referred to as 'liquid gold of Guyana' and one of the smoothest rums ever produced.

Where to Eat

Hong Kong is already home to a host of top quality restaurants taking in flavours from around the world. It is home to over 9,000 restaurants split into nine districts all of which boast a unique ambience and selection of food.

However, things can get confusing. So to make things a little easier for the discerning visitor it has been confirmed Hong Kong will be the next destination added to the acclaimed Michelin collection.

Inspectors have been on the ground in Hong Kong since late 2007 and have been conducting visits at leading locations. Anonymously dining in restaurants and sleeping in hotels to judge the quality and consistency of meals and services, the judges have made a number of pre-selections in the city for inclusion in the guide.

The new guide on Hong Kong is scheduled for release in December 2008; with more than one million copies of the Michelin guides sold worldwide every year.

For a couple of pointers, Spoon (by nine time Michelin starred Alain Ducasse) at the Intercontinental Hotel and Gaddi's at the Peninsular are considered among the finest in the city.

Festivals and Events

Hong Kong will this year celebrate the annual WinterFest from November 28th until early January this year – a time for families, friends and couples to share in the happiness and warmth of the holiday season.

The event sees the creation of a wonderland of glittering decorations and themed Christmas settings in the city centre, while shops spread glad tidings with winter sales and special offers on gifts.

Many restaurants also have special deals to tempt guests with their tasty seasonal delights.

Among the most celebrated events anywhere in the world, Hong Kong also offers visitors an amazing Chinese New Year celebration experience.

The occasion – which is the biggest event on the Lunar calendar - is marked with a unique fusion of ancient customs and modern fun in the world's biggest Chinese New Year celebration.

From traditional flower markets and the spectacular fireworks display to the fast-paced horseracing events and the grand Night Parade with performers from all around the world, all of Hong Kong’s will celebration the arrival of the Year of the Ox.

Next year the Chinese New Year celebrations fall from January 26th to 29th.

Finally the Hong Kong Arts Festival, will take place between February 6th and March 8th 2009.

The line up for next year’s Festival has recently been announced and includes the UK productions of the critically-acclaimed Pygmalion and the English National Ballet’s Alice in Wonderland.

Launched in 1973, the annual Hong Kong Arts Festival is Asia's premier must-attend performing arts event. Committed to presenting works of the highest artistic standards, it features about 100 performances by international, regional and local artists in music, theatre and dance in February and March each year.

Where to Stay

Ideally located in the heart of Hong Kong Island, the prestigious five-star Harbour Grand Hong Kong will open its doors in spring 2009.

The newly developed 41-storey hotel will enjoy unobstructed views of world-renowned Victoria Harbour, the Kowloon Peninsula skyline and Central district of Hong Kong. It also boasts a total of 828 elegantly designed guest rooms and suites, 12,685 square feet of meeting and banqueting facilities, and five restaurants and bars.

All are meticulously fashioned to provide refined accommodation, facilities and amenities for the most elite of both business and leisure travellers.

Also for those looking for luxury, the Hotel Miramar Hong Kong has recently started a massive (£28 million) renovation of the entire property and will become the Mira Hong Kong.

A world where urban luxury meets cutting-edge design, the hotel will feature an intriguing and eclectic new lobby, brand new guest rooms and suites, (showcasing a unique combination of rich colours, organic materials and ambient lighting); a Lounge and Bar with sexy drinks and seductive sounds; a contemporary designer spa; and CoCo, a stylish café-patisserie.

More Information

For more information on visiting the wonders of Hong Kong head over to the official tourism website at Discover Hong Kong.

Chris O'Toole