36 hOURs IN
nightclub over a number of dance-offs that kept happening in the street. The bars and clubs seem to stay open for as long as you can stay upright, and we make it through to the later early hours before calling time on our first night in the city.
Glossing over the pain of rising early, breakfast in the hotel got us ready for a stroll with Bruce from Wan Chai Walking Tours. Bruce has led quite the colourful life, with his professions including bonesetter, pilot and martial arts expert, alongside the tour-guiding.
His half-day tour took in not just the celebrated tortoise but also sneaky spots where you can get a bird’s-eye view of the city; stories behind redeveloped streets containing just one or two traditionallooking buildings (blame WW2 shelling); and, of course, land reclamation.
This is where the seafront of Hong Kong has been extended out by the creation of new land, starting back in 1841. Look out for the tram lines that used to run along the coastline, but are now three or four streets inland.
At the tour’s end, we went for lunch at dim sum restaurant Yixin, on the same street as the hotel.
Jasmine tea and delicious steamed buns went some way towards easing the hangovers round the table, fortifying us for the next important stop: The Peak.
Victoria Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong island at 1,811ft, and is just a short taxi ride from Wan Chai.
There’s a funicular to take you to the top for the definitive view of the harbour and, while you’re up there, it’s worth taking
Hayes & Jarvis has three-night breaks to Hong Kong in 2017 starting from £899 per person, staying at the OZO Wesley Hong Kong hotel on a room only basis ( ozohotels.com wesleyhongkong a stroll across the road for a bite at the Peak Lookout, a restaurant in a 19th century building with lovely gardens and great views over the South China Sea. Views were the theme of our second and last evening in the city, as we took the Star Ferry (26p single fare!) over to Kowloon for dinner and drinks.
After a wonderful duck platter at the Peking Garden restaurant, we went to the waterfront to watch the nightly 8pm light show across Hong Kong island’s impressive skyline.
DISPLAY
Crowds gather to film and snap the lasers shooting into the sky, as pretty colours wash across the steel and glass facades of the skyscrapers.
Then we moved to the Aqua Bar, where the light display lit up the glass walls. Once we’d taken our photos at the windows, we turned our attention to the cocktail menu full of whimsical drinks, including one served in a glass shaped like a lightbulb.
Another option is the late-night shopping at various markets in Kowloon – the Ladies’ Market on on Tung Choi Street is particularly good for bags, cheongsams and slippers.
Then our 36-hour Hong Kong adventure was over. I can’t wait to return and see more of this continually-surprising city.
And its celebrity tortoises...