24 hours in: Hong Kong
![Hong Kong has more neon than Las Vegas](http://manage.worldtravelguide.net/images/HongKongLightsThinkstock430_0.jpg)
Hong Kong has more neon than Las Vegas
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A thicket of skyscrapers hemmed in by towering peaks and lit up with more neon than Las Vegas, Hong Kong is not a city that does things by halves. Determinedly modern, the city still hasn’t lost sight of its roots, with junks chugging along Victoria Harbour and traditional temples peeping out between skyscrapers. It’s a whirlwind of a place that can just be done within 24 hours but deserves a whole lot more.
EARLY RISE
First Timers
![Congee](http://manage.worldtravelguide.net/images/CongeeThinkstock.jpg)
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Old Hands
The rest of Kowloon isn’t much quieter, not least the jam-packed Tsim Sha Tsui district, where red and cream taxis compete for space with shoppers and crooked neon signs seemingly on the verge of toppling into the street. All of which makes the peaceful greenery of Kowloon Park infinitely more appealing – not least because it’s also where you’ll find free t’ai chi classes first thing. Along with t’ai chi, the park also has a fitness trail that winds through the foliage with eight pit stops for press ups. After working out, head across the road to the Mira Hotel (118 Nathan Road) which does one of the city’s best healthy breakfasts, complete with plentiful dragon fruit and freshly-cooked omelettes.
MORNING
First Timers
![Wishes at Man Mo Temple](http://manage.worldtravelguide.net/images/WishesAtManMoTempleThinkstock200.jpg)
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Old Hands
Central may have the red and gold Man Mo Temple but it isn’t the only Hong Kong district to combine old and new. Kowloon keeps its traditions alive, not least in the Bird Market (Yuen Po Street) in Mong Kok where curious visitors mingle with locals on the hunt for a new pet. It doesn’t look much at first glance but once inside, the crowded rows of cages containing anything from parrots to sparrows will either horrify or delight. Further on, birds give way to equally colourful, if far less controversial, flowers, while around the corner on Prince Edward Road West, you’ll find rwb330 – a wonderful little shop that sells upcycled red white and blue plastic bags: the fruits of a collaboration between local designer Stanley Wong and a mental health charity.
AFTERNOON
First Timers
![Peak Tram](http://manage.worldtravelguide.net/images/PeakTramThinkstock200.jpg)
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Old Hands
Back in Mong Kok, kick off your afternoon with lunch at Tim Ho Wan (Olympian City 2, 18 Hoi Ting Road). Purportedly the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant, queues are usually appalling but the food – dim sum – is well worth the wait. Afterwards, hop on the tube and head across the harbour to Causeway Bay, where you’ll find local design galore in the boutiques of the Island Beverley Centre, Causeway Place and the Jardine's Crescent Street Market. Once you’ve had enough of the shops, try a sundowner with a view at the Hooray Bar, perched atop the nearby World Trade Centre (280 Gloucester Road).
EVENING
First Timers
Like taking the tram to the top of the Peak, spending an evening cruising around Victoria Harbour won’t get you many points with the off-the-beaten-track brigade but it will prove thoroughly entertaining. If it’s commentary and coffee you’re after, the Star Ferries Harbour Tour is great, but for a party atmosphere and plenty of wine, head to Central Pier 9 and hop on the Aqua Luna group’s red-sailed junk which looks a bit like an Oriental pirate ship and tours the harbour to the sound of thumping club beats. It’s also a great vantage point from which to enjoy Hong Kong’s ‘Symphony of Lights’ which illuminates 44 of the city’s towers every evening.
![Junk Boat on Victoria Harbour](http://manage.worldtravelguide.net/images/JunkBoatVictoriaHarbourThinkstock430.jpg)
Thinkstock / iStockphoto
Old Hands
East of the World Trade Centre, in the Mid-Levels district, you’ll find one of Hong Kong's best Sichuan restaurant. San Xi Lou (Coda Plaza, 51 Garden Road) is famed for its Chongqing spicy chicken and eye-wateringly fiery hot pots. Head north to Hong Kong’s SoHo area (in and around Elgin Street) afterwards for a cooling nightcap or take a taxi back to the humming Knutsford Terrace in Kowloon’s Tsim Sha Tsui.
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