More than a rugby tournament. A four-day party.

Mid-end March each year.

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The Chinese Arts and Crafts Shop in the China Resources building on Harbour Road in Wan Chai is a fantastic place for antique Chinese silk dresses, high quality authentic antiques and artefacts. They also stock a huge range of Chinese medicines. For ease - it's worth making this your first port of call for gifts.

www.crcretail.com/cac.asp?Lang=E

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For dining, Caprice is a sure-fire winner. The chef here is Vincent Thierry who used to run the famous Le Cinq in Paris and the food is always excellent. You also have pretty harbour views. It’s quite formal so is a good place to go with clients, but if you want somewhere a bit more laid-back, then try Di Vino on Wyndham Street, which also has an excellent wine list.

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Forget the stuffy Mandarin Oriental and instead request its hip little sister – The Landmark Mandarin Oriental. It’s within walking distance of Central’s important commercial buildings and the hotel concierge will meet you at the airport. It also boasts the largest hotel rooms in Hong Kong and has all the facilities you’d expect; plus it has a superb spa if you get the time to use it!

www.mandarinoriental.com/landmark/

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Mobile phone coverage is very good in Hong Kong. You can even use your mobile on the underground – the hugely efficient Mass Transit Railway. If you are going to be making lots of local calls it may be worth buying a pre-paid sim card from 3G or SmarTone Vodafone, as this will save you a fortune in the long-run.

www.smartone-vodafone.com.hk

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Taxis are cheap and plentiful but getting to an exact address can be difficult unless your Cantonese is up to scratch. Use the underground (MTR) instead.

Each MTR station has lettered exits. There is always a map in the station and using this can help you find the correct exit. Or just ask the office you are visiting for the exit number. If you are revisiting, write the exit number on any business card you get - but not while you are in the meeting. It's a bit of an insult to write on a business card.

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There is a bar and restaurant called Weinstube. I found it accidentally and was surprisingly welcomed after listening to the craic going on at the bar by some local expat regulars, while having some really good schnitzel!

Staff are not over-friendly and if you need to know anything they just want to help you, from shopping to directions, or other places to eat or drink! I travel regularly to HK and pop in every time I'm there as it’s like a home away from home for me...hope it’s the same for you!

Weinstube: First floor, Ashley Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui (TST), Kowloon (opposite the Gaylord restaurant).

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Hong Kong's first boutique hotel, Jia offers a hip and stylish equivalent and breathes new life into the city's oh-so-familiar hotel scene. All of the Philippe Starck designed rooms have a kitchenette, sound system and mini home cinema.

Tip - happy hour in the uber-hip lounge means free unlimited wine for two hours! The hotel is located in the trendy Causeway Bay area, and it's restaurant, Opia, won Wallpaper's award for the best restaurant of the year (hotel guests receive a discount). The hotel's excellent concierge will get you into anywhere in town!

www.jiahongkong.com/

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If you want a break from the chain hotels, why not try a boutique hotel whilst in Hong Kong. Having stayed here previously, I found it a fantastic oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet, as it's located in Causeway Bay, you are in the heart of the action when you step out.

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
www.lansonplace.com

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Would you like to avoid lugging your suitcase all the way to the airport? All you need to do is make use of Hong Kong's airport express train. Direct to Hong Kong Island/Airport in 25 minutes, you can also check in before departure at the train station. This becomes ideal when you have to check out of your hotel by 12 but you don't have a flight until the evening.

www.mtr.com.hk/eng/airport_express/intro_index.html

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Dim sum is to Hong Kong as fish and chips (or perhaps a chicken korma) is to the UK. However, with countless restaurants in Hong Kong, where you do start? My recommendation would be at the dim sum restaurant (Lung King Heen) at the Four Seasons, Hong Kong. The dim sum served is of a different standard, each with its own twist on traditional classics. This delicous food is complimented with outstanding views of the harbour and impeccable service.

Situated on the first floor of the Four Seasons hotel. Make a reservation beforehand. Ask for a window view.
www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining/lung_king_heen.html

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Those who are familiar with Hong Kong will know that the city is split across two key areas. Kowloon is attached to the mainland and whilst it benefits from all the colour and charm that Hong Kong has to offer, it isn't as convenient for business as Hong Kong Island. When you are in Hong Kong for business, it's best to stay on Hong Kong Island and you will be close to the business district. Taxis are easy to come by but you may find yourself commuting more quickly by MTR, tram or even walking.

Hong Kong Island

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If you've got time in your schedule, you've just got to take the star ferry across Hong Kong harbour - Hong Kong Island to Kowloon or vice versa.This Hong Kong institution is iconic of Hong Kong's colonial past and deep heritage. The fare can paid by your octopus card and is just pennies. The view is fantastic and leaves from TST terminal and goes straight into the Central business district. The journey takes around 15 minutes so slower than other forms of travel but there is nothing that can beat it for value and experience.

TST terminal and Central ferry terminal

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What it is: Hong Kong's Octopus card - a prepaid travel card that can also be used to pay for items at convenience stores as well as travel.

Why I recommend it: One of the headaches of travelling to a new place is dealing with all of the change and new currency. A big headache can be removed by getting an Octopus card (which can be bought from the Airport Express counter). You can purchase an Octopus card at any MTR station or at the airport that can be charged up with a return Airport Express journey (or single) and 3 days unlimited travel on the MTR. Buy one card and you can also use it for paying for chewing gum, water or whatever at your local 7-11 store as well. A guide on how to use it can be found online.

Airport Express One Free Single Journey + 3 days unlimited travel on MTR + $50 deposit + Stored value $20 = Price HK$220.

Airport Express Two Free Single Journeys (valid for 180 days) + 3 days unlimited travel on MTR + $50 deposit + Stored value $20 = Price HK$300.

You can also get a card which excludes the Airport Express transfer if you don't need it. Also remember that there is a refundable deposit on the card too.

www.hong-kong-travel.org/Octopus.asp

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If you're in Hong Kong and you can take two days (or more) off, then travel agents on Nathan Road (Kowloon) can arrange a trip to Beijing (flights, hotel and visa) with 24 hours' notice. It's not so expensive and well worth the effort. Just one or two nights in Beijing are very rewarding.

Bottom of Nathan Road (ferry end) on Kowloon. There are many travel agents.

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Hong Kong's banking industry is dominated by HSBC. As such, you can get some great discounts at stores in Hong Kong if you have an HSBC credit card. The stores don't usually care which country it's issued in, just keep an eye out for the discount sign at the cashier desk.

Stores across Hong Kong
www.hsbc.com.hk

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How can waving your handbag over a sensor gain you entry to the underground railway network? They must have an Octopus card in there somewhere. A must-buy as soon as you arrive in HK. The best thing to use when paying for public transport (except taxis). You simply pay a HK$50 deposit (which is refunded on its return, or you can keep as a souvenir) and add as much value as you think you need. We charged ours up with HK$100 which lasted us comfortably for 3 days travel. Simply wave your card over the reader to gain entry to the MTR and then wave it again to exit. Your fare is calculated and deducted. Dead easy to use. Not only that but the MTR is the most efficient way to get around Hong Kong. My wife summed it up best when she mused that the MTR is the best underground railway she had even been on. When asked why she simply replied "it's so clean and I feel tall".

Valid though these reasons may be, what impressed me was the speed and the efficiency of the service which moves 2.4 million people every weekday through its 51 stations over 83.7km. Simple touches like a map showing you where on the line your train is and lights showing which side of the train the door will open on made the journeys more enjoyable.

Unlike older underground networks, like London, you can also get a mobile phone signal on the MTR, making sure you don't miss that vital call. It is also cheap with the maximum fare around HK$13 for a single journey (unless you venture out to Chung Tung which will set you back HK$20 – around £1.20). Of course there is the inconvenience of packed carriages at times and the confusion about which exit to take in the larger stations but the attractions are all well signposted. But we agreed that safe is the keyword for the MTR. We always felt safe, unlike in London, Rome, Paris and Barcelona, which is possibly due to the clean, modern look of the stations and the trains.

The only problem is that it is largely underground! Whilst the MTR is the way to get around Hong Kong, the Star Ferry is the only way to get from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon (or vice-versa). By taking the ferry you can get a view of the Hong Kong skyline like no other. And how much do you pay for this view? Something in the region of £1 - £2 for the 10 minute crossing, and photo opportunities aplenty. You can also use the Octopus card to make purchases from 7-Eleven stores (where you can also charge them up, as well as at MTR stations), McDonalds, KFC etc.

www.octopuscards.com/consumer/products/en/index.jsphttp://www.mtr.com.hk/

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If staying on Kowloon and arriving later in the evening, or feeling a bit thrown by jet lag and fancy something to do late at night, a walk around Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, the commercial heart of Kowloon is an absoloute must! An amazingly vibrant neon street spectacle as people shop and socialise amongst street stalls and sprawling maze-like malls. Although it is bustling and chaotic it never feels claustrophobic due to the polite and leisurely pace - people stroll around soaking up the atmosphere. The area remains busy sometimes until 2am so it's a must see for any traveller.

Nathan Road - TsimShaTsui, Kowloon
Take the MTR to TsimShaTsui Station - take the Nathan Road exit

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The Sogo department stores are a one stop shopping experience. With stores in Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui, they may not be as full of bargains as the markets, but they still allow big savings on prices back home on goods which do seem to be good quality. The stores have a Japanese style, but include top fashion brands from around the world, and in classic department store style have floors devoted to particular types of products, including the bargain basement - which is at the top of the shop!

555 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, HK
TEL: 2833 8338
www.sogo.com.hk/en/

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I lived in Hong Kong for four years and by far the most impressive view of Hong Kong island is from 'Aqua', a bar/restaurant at the 29th floor of 1 Peking Rd, Tsim Tsa Tsui on the Kowloon side. On the floor above Aqua there is a Chinese Restaurant called 'Hutong' that is also very impressive and with dimmed lighting to enhance the view even more.

1 Peking Rd, Tsim Tsa Tsui. www.aqua.com.hk/

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