Stopover guide: 48 hours in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a non-stop whirl of eating, shopping, sightseeing, partying. Natasha von Geldern finds out how much you can fit into a Hong Kong short break holiday stopover.

Without particularly planning the time of my short stopover visit to Hong Kong, I arrived in the middle of the month-long 37th Hong Kong Arts Festival, and on the weekend when Top Gear Live came to town.

Which meant that without even starting on the myriad attractions and pleasures of this incredible Asian city, or setting foot in a shopping centre, my options for entertainment were legion.

For me it was a stopover between home and elsewhere; two nights and two days to explore what this crowded scrap of land off the edge of China has to offer.

But I was ready to eat, shop and sightsee my way to a standstill as the express train sped from the airport on Lantau Island into the middle of a sea of highrise buildings waking up to the evening with their fancy dress of neon.

Staying in the heart of Tsim Tsam Tshui on Kowloon it was only a few minute's walk to the Star ferry that whisks travellers to Hong Kong Island in 10 minutes every 10 minutes. The iconic ferries are an experience in themselves and a ride still only costs pennies (HK $2.20 or £0.18).

The first priority had to be food. Eating experiences can make or break a holiday and Hong Kong is famed for its culinary delights so my expectations were high.

The rule for eating well in this city as anywhere is to follow the locals. There are lots of dim sum places for lunch at Causeway Bay (these are even cheaper before and after lunchtime). I also found plenty of good local eating places along Austin and Hillwood roads.

Delectable fresh mango juice, fresh coconut juice with red bean. I was soon in ecstasy over the exotic treats at The Sweet Dynasty on Canton Road, across from the huge Harbour City Gateway shopping centre. This stylish eating hall is popular with groups of young people stopping by for dessert on a night out.

It is famous for its range of Asian puddings - many sago and tofu based with brilliantly coloured tropical fruit - and for congee. They have a bewildering range of this unusual Asian porridge.

The Sweet Dynasty does more than just sweet stuff and I lapped up a delicious bowl of black mushroom and vegetable soup noodles for HK$23 (less than £2).

Base yourself in Tsim Tsam Tshui if you want international cuisine and drinking establishments on Kowloon. Or head to SoHo for international eating on Hong Kong Island. Lan Kwai Fong is another buzzing area of clubs, bars and restaurants.

The skinny, double-decker "Ding Ding" trams totter along the streets like super models wearing platform heels but they have been running on these streets for more than 100 years. The Hong Kong Tourism Board's online guide to catching the trams is a valuable resource for using the six main tram routes to explore Hong Kong Island.

Introduced in 1904, the Hong Kong system is one of only three in the world still operating double-decker trams (along with Blackpool and Alexandria in Egypt), and is in fact the only system operated exclusively using double-deckers.

The Ding Dings will take you through Hong Kong's hot spots, including Central - the classic "East meets West" part of the city. The fare is a tiny HK$2 (£0.18) for adults and HK$1 (£0.9) concessionary for senior citizens and children.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board has also helpfully produced a number of Hong Kong walking guides with routes that let you pick and choose what you want to see in Hong Kong.

We embarked on the Central and Western District walking tour and found a city of contrasts with Asian and western cultures jostling along side-by-side.

From the traditional dried seafood shops and ancient temples, to the financial heart of the city and the few remaining colonial structures, Hong Kong cherishes its history and its success.

Hong Kong remains firmly lodged in the British historical psyche, despite belonging to China since 1997, but surprisingly little remains of the colonial architecture. To find it take a stroll up the hill on Battery Path, which once led directly from the wharves.

Tall ships once moored in the deep waters of the harbour to unload their trade goods and crinolined ladies promenaded along the path.

These days the ladies gossiping and playing cards on the benches below St John's Cathedral and the former French Mission building are immigrant workers, many Filipinos, enjoying a day off.

Full of chic bars and restaurants, SoHo is divided and connected by the Mid-levels Escalator. On a working day this transports unimaginable numbers of busy commuters but in the weekend it is quite a relaxed affair.
The world's longest outdoor covered escalator system whisks you quickly up into bustling SoHo. The escalator ride takes 20 minutes if you stand still while you travel the 135 vertical metres.

Unlike the London and New York versions of this popular nickname, SoHo here refers to a geographical location: "south of Hollywood Road". This name in turn was derived from the holly shrubs growing here when it was built back in 1844.

Hollywood Road is also known as Antiques Street and if it's curios you want this is a good place to start.

Hong Kong has become synonymous with shopping - the Ladies Market for handbags, clothing and paintings, or the mile-long Temple Street Night Market for streetside food, watches, and craft stalls. Of course the city is full of unique little shops where you can buy mementos of Hong Kong such as Chinese antiques, exquisite tea sets and prints.

And for an even more unique souvenir. how about some dried starfish or scallops or a lump of ginseng, or some of the myriad other dried curiosities available in the shops lining little streets with romantic names like Ginseng and Bird's Nest Street, Herbal Medicine Street and Cat Street?

Stepping into the Man Mo Temple is a quick reminder of the ethereal in this success-driven city. The air is thick with burning incense and the high ceiling invisible behind hundreds of coils of smouldering and smoking combustible material carrying our prayers to the spirit world.

Young and old crowd the courtyard and vestibule, carrying bundles of burning sticks above their heads and bringing their offerings of fruit and flowers.

Once you've been on the big escalator, time your arrival at the Avenue of Stars waterfront of Tsim Sha Tsui around 8pm to enjoy the world's largest permanent light and sound show. The Symphony of Lights spectacle is played out across over 40 buildings, the lights and laser beams dancing to music across Victoria Harbour. Another way to see the show is by riding the Star Ferry in the evening.

I couldn't leave Hong Kong without seeing the city from above - from Victoria Peak. For around £2 the Peak Tram climbs 373m to a space station-like viewing station.

We took an old fashioned circular walk along Lugard Road where you can enjoy that stunning Hong Kong skyline, the lush green countryside and the misty, mountainous islands of the South China Sea.

Leaning over the iron railings, the vertiginous views of a reef of glass spires is a stark contrast to the sight and scent of the tropical forest that surrounds you. This popular 2.2-mile (3.5km) walk takes around 70 minutes along flat pathway.

Back down on Connaught Road there is no traffic but hundreds of female immigrant workers on their Sunday off, sitting in companionable groups on the roads and eating sticky rice, playing cards, gossiping. The air outside Prada and Hermes is loud with chat.

Outside the General Post Office the air is loud with the sound of sticky tape being ripped from rolls as the Filipino women package up large boxes of clothing and other goods to ship home. Hong Kong has always been about immigrant workers so it is good to see they're still making themselves at home among the shining glass towers.

I'd like to make myself at home but my stopover holiday in Hong Kong is nearly at an end. "Always leave something still to do for your return" is the traveller's rule. I've caught a glimpse of the past, the present and the future and eaten great Chinese food. Which has only left me hungry for more.

Where to stay in Hong Kong

With only limited time on a Hong Kong stopover holiday it is worth staying in a centrally-located hotel for your short break in Hong Kong.

It is surprisingly affordable to stay at a hotel like the Langham in the heart of Tsim Tsam Tshui - the sort of hotel with plush corridors, beautiful baths and staff for whom nothing is any trouble.

Langham runs three hotels in Hong Kong - The Langham, Langham Place and Eaton Hotel - and they are offering an all-inclusive Big Deal Package until the end of 2009.

Get accommodation, full breakfast, broadband internet and dinner at the Langham from £156, at Langham Place from £137 and at the Eaton Hotel from £101 per night.

Natasha von Geldern