This is where hundreds of Pakistani guys and Indonesian women hang out and flirt on their day off. It all seems very innocent and sweet until you sit and watch for at least an hour and notice some of the darker undertones.

Very, very interesting, quite sad and quite voyeurisitic. We felt like we were watching a fly-on-the-wall documentary.

Have a chat and make friends, everyone's very friendly.

The whole experience reminded us of the often miserable lives of immigrants, wherever they are.

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Right in the heart of HK is a lush haven that provides a welcome break from the crowded city. Go to Hong Kong Park before the shops open and walk around the beautiful Botanical Garden (which has a zoo) - don't forget the amazing walk-through aviary.

Clean, lush, well organised, uncrowded, quiet and fresh. All 100% free of charge!

www.lcsd.gov.hk/parks/hkp/en/index.php

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Within the concrete jungle of Central and away from the shopping malls, is a haven: beautiful gardens containing exotic shrubs, sculptures and fountains, a fantastic zoo housing shy orang-utans, noisy monkeys and pretty birds. And surprisingly, it is FREE.

Entrance is on Albany Road. Open daily.

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At the edge of Victoria Park, near the harbour and the highway, lies a little known but huge open-air swimming pool complex, with kiddies' pool, diving boards, licensed bar and restaurant. Certainly helps you cool off in the HK humidity, if your hotel is the run-of-the-mill shoebox without a pool. Entrance is about HK$19 for adults. There is also a public pool at Sai Ying Poon, aka Western district or Kennedy Town, but it's far less exotic and much less central, although it's just as cheap.

Hing Fat Street, Causeway Bay; tel: 2570 4682; nearest station: Tin Hau MTR; open: late March to November (it's too cold otherwise, apparently)

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