Hong Kong - The Heart of Asia

Journalist Jini Reddy discovers just how much you can pack into a few days in Hong Kong.

Don't believe anyone who tells you Hong Kong is only for travellers with deep pockets or expensive tastes - I should know. The first time I came to the territory, backpack and fifty quid to my name, I liked it so much, I scrabbled around for a job and stayed for two years.

Roll on a decade, and I'm back. My first thought, on exiting Chek Lap Kok Airport (less than 30 minutes from Hong Kong island via the Airport Express rail link) is: why, oh, why have I waited so long?

The territory, with its unique Chinese heritage and colonial history is as vibrant, colourful and addictive as ever. Whether you're five, the five-year-old's mum and dad, or a footloose Bridget Jones, a visit, even a whirlwind stopover, is an absolute must. (Take it from me, you can pack a lot into 48 hours; the locals certainly do.)

On my first morning, in a bid to knock jetlag on the head, I join an early-bird Tai Chi class on the Avenue of Stars (filled with celebrity handprints), overlooking Victoria Harbour. Practising the fluid, graceful movements of this ancient art, while feasting my eyes on the sci-fi skyscrapers across the water certainly does the trick. The class is free, like most of the activities you can try as part of the Hong Kong Tourism Board's brilliant Cultural Kaleidoscope programme.

That evening, I return to the Promenade in Tsim Tsa Tsui for the Symphony of Lights show. A cliché you may think, but I defy anyone to see Hong Kong's landmarks lit up in this dazzling, choreographed display, and not kindle a love affair with the city.

Next morning, I hop aboard a high-speed ferry to Lantau, one of the territory's many rugged and beautiful outlying islands. It is home to the new Disneyland, a hot ticket if you've kids in tow. I head for Tai-O, a fishing village where many of the homes are on stilts, and linger in the market. Nearby is the Po Lin Monastery, over which a giant bronze Buddha casts a munificent smile, visible for miles. I make a new discovery while I'm here: Ngong Ping Village, filled with (tasteful) shops, restaurants and attractions.

After a bit of arm-twisting, I'm persuaded to buy a ticket for 'Walk with Buddha' a multimedia journey that teaches you about the life of Siddhartha, the boy who became the Buddha. The kids present are rapt, and even I am completely won over. Later, I take the Skyrail (cable car) back down the mountain the views over the South China Sea are riveting.

All this sightseeing works up an appetite, and Hong Kong is foodie heaven. The choice is staggering, but for me a Dim Sum lunch is a must. I can't get enough of the steamed prawn dumplings and barbecued pork buns, green vegetables, beancurd skin rolls, custard tarts the list is endless, and happily, it's a cheap and tasty option.

One night, feeling brave, I try a bowl of warming snake soup, from a Dai Pai Dong food stall, near Temple Street night market in Kowloon - it tastes like shredded chicken. (Don't worry, the food peddlers are just as happy to sell you noodles, rice and seafood.)

After sunset Hong Kong's most famous market erupts in a blaze of neon. As Chinese pop and opera blare over the loudspeakers, bargain hunters jostle in the stalls. I'm no shopaholic, but in the space of ten minutes, I snap up four Chinese silk handbags and still have change from £20. On my last day, I take the MTR (super-fast subway) over to Hong Kong Park, a lush oasis in the heart of the city. The Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware is tucked away here, and I sit in on a fascinating (and again, free) tea appreciation class. This involves lots of sipping of rare blends the perfect 'pause' before a raucous night out in Lan Kwai Fong, where the expat crowd hang out.

Swapping gossip with old friends, and sipping cocktails in a heaving bar it is agony to tear myself away for the onward flight. Thankfully, I can think of a truckload of excuses to return: Chinese New Year, The Dragonboat Festival, Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration...

Jini Reddy is a London-based journalist, whose features have appeared in national press, including The Sunday Express, The Times, The Independent on Sunday.