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.

Shamrock

The rather severe lobby opens directly onto Nathan Road, and the dishevelled lifts lead up to some big rooms with satellite TV, a/c and telephone.
Shanghai Street

The whole area around Shanghai and Reclamation streets is a traditional Chinese neighbourhood, if somewhat less vibrant and seedier than it was a few years ago. Interesting nooks and shops include funeral parlours, herbalists, health tea shops, paper kite shops and, at 21 Ning Po Street, a shop selling pickled snakes.

Kitchen utensils shop, Shanghai Street
Shanghai Tang

Local entrepreneur David Tang is the brains behind this smart twist on traditional Chinese clothes and ornaments. Jackets and kitsch Mao watches are staples.
Shangri-La Hotel Shenzhen

Close to the main shopping areas and railway station, the Shangri-la makes a great escape from Shenzhen’s seething retail madness. The rooftop pool (with gym, sauna and steam room nearby) makes a good place to relax.
Shek O

Remote and undeveloped, the village of Shek O is worth the relatively lengthy train and bus ride necessary to reach it. The serenity is upset only at weekends by droves of sun worshippers heading for its lovely beach. A short walk to the small headland leads to striking rock formations, pounding waves and cooling South China Sea breezes. Surfing and body boarding are often viable on Big Wave Bay, a short walk or taxi ride north. Head to the Black Sheep (see The Black Sheep), a lovely bar and Mediterranean-style restaurant, for a post-ramble beer and a bite to eat.

House by the sea, Shek O
Sheung Shui

Home to another of the main local clans, the Lius. From here, it’s a quick cab ride to Lok Ma Chau, one of the border crossings, where the architects-on-acid skyline of Shenzhen looms through the pall. Another ancestral hall.
Sheung Wan and Western

The older, more traditional Chinese areas of town, just west of Central’s sleek corporate headquarters and the smart shops, are worth exploring by foot. The reward is a fascinating array of shops, mostly wholesalers, selling dried seafood (the pervading smell here), ginseng, edible swallows’ nests, snakes, arcane herbal ingredients and paper offerings for the dead. Try the streets around Bonham Strand.
Shing Hin Chinese Restaurant

Students get a 15 per cent discount on staples such as dim sum and congee in a no-frills but clean setting.
Shui Hu Ju (水滸居)

They serve Beijing style dishes in a small-medium restaurant setting with great ambiance. You can see fishies swimming right under you whilst you eat! Not sure if they still have those tables... but it's definitely worth a visit.
Signal Café

Best of the pack on the new Dynasty Plaza waterfront reclamation area. Stark and stylish décor, fairyland harbour views and a mix of local and Hong Kong DJs playing commercial and underground sounds.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal) and extra charges.
- under HK$100
- HK$100-250
- HK$250-450
- HK$450-600
- over HK$600
Hotel price categories

For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
- under HK$500
- HK$500-$1,000
- HK$1,000-$2000
- HK$2000-$2,500
- over HK$2,500