DK Travel : Hong Kong

“A dream of Manhattan, arising from the South China Sea.” For succinctness, modern travel writer Pico Iyer’s description of Hong Kong has yet to be bettered. From opium port to Cold War enclave to frenetic financial capital, Hong Kong has never been boring. This is the hedonistic engine room of cultural fusion: East meets West in high style, and the results astonish and delight. Prepare to experience one of the most dramatic urban environments ever conceived.

Ma On Shan

The plateaus and grassy slopes of the 702-m ((2,302-ft) high Ma On Shan (“Saddle Mountain”) allow wide-screen views of mountainous country, without the insidious intrusion of city skyline in the distance. The effect is truly majestic.
Macau Grand Prix

Formula 3 action on the former Portuguese enclave.
Macau Jazz Club

Bigger but not so atmospheric as the smoky, back-street hole-in-the-wall it replaced. Nearby, the tall gold Goddess of Mercy statue smiles sadly down at groovers with incipient hangovers. Live music after 9pm.
Macau Jockey Club

A bit more down-at-heel than its high-tech, cashed-up Hong Kong counterpart.
Macau Museum

Good displays on history and architecture.
Macau Tower

Locals have dubbed it “Dr Ho’s erection” in honour of casino mogul Dr Stanley Ho. At 338 m (1,107 ft), it pips Paris’s Eiffel Tower and is the centrepiece of a planned theme park and restaurant complex. The glass floor revolving restaurant is not for the faint of heart.
Mai Po Marsh

The marsh on the western edge of the New Territories is a bird sanctuary (see Mai Po Marsh).
Mai Po Marsh

Declared a Ramsar site (that is, a wetland of international importance) in 1995, Mai Po is one of China’s most important bird sanctuaries, with hundreds of resident and migratory species recorded, including many endangered ones. Other wildlife includes otters, civet cats, bats and numerous amphibians.
Man Mo Temple

The gloomy red and gold interior of the Man Mo Temple, dating back to the 1840s, is always thick with sandlewood smoke from the giant incense spirals hanging overhead, which take a couple of weeks to burn through. The temple is dedicated to two deities, Man (the god of literature) and Mo (the god of war). Some of the scenes from the film version of Richard Mason’s The World of Suzy Wong were filmed here.

Man Mo Temple
Mandarin Oriental Casino

The more genteel side of gambling. Well-dressed, urbane punters sip martinis.