Hong Kong

Hong Kong ... wow, what a great city! We were impressed from start to finish during a 3 day stopover en-route from London to Sydney. In fact it is difficult to pin-point a single flaw with the place.

At the top of the list are the local people - so friendly and helpful. Our first bizarre encounter was with our cab driver who noticed Gill coughing, so he stopped in a busy main road, put the hazard warning lights on and sprinted into a shop to bring back some Chrysanthemum tea?!? We were naturally suspicious at first, but in the end it turned out to be a genuine kind gesture. I tried to give him a tip on the final taxi fare as a token of thanks but he flat out refused!<

We made the most of the reasonable hotel rates at the luxury Harbour Plaza in Hung Hom, Kowloon. A very good hotel and we were well looked after. Public transport is about as good as it gets and we had no problems zipping around at low cost on metros, trains, buses and cabs.

The city is a shopper's paradise, so if you're looking for the latest gear or knock-off goods then you'll be in materialistic heaven. Eating was a bit of a roller-coaster journey with the higher priced restaurants serving some delectable dishes, but the lower end of the market just downright bizarre! We would strongly discourage buying a breakfast for under 1 pound unless you have a penchant for instant noodles, a rubber egg and luncheon meat.