Hong Kong is the pearl of the south. It’s a fully integrated match of China and Europe, with all the best features of both. This is a modern, cosmopolitan city with a lot to see in a small space though you can literally explore it on a shoestring budget, without wearing out your shoes. Travel insurance and economy trips are easy to find. You can do all your business and bookings online, too.

Hong Kong- China’s southern showpiece

Hong Kong was a fishing island that was turned into one of the great cities of Asia. It soon became one of the great trading ports in the world, and everyone owned something “Made in Hong Kong” by the mid 20th century. The city contains a mix of modern Western and Chinese values, with a very strong streak of the southern Chinese culture throughout.

Hong Kong is also a match for the booming Chinese culture of today. It’s a financial and trade centre, and it’s a very beautiful place, even as the “Shanghai Effect” becomes noticeable. The city’s skyscrapers stand like a stone forest, big, modern and impressive, but they also match the Chinese coast, which in this part of the world is an interesting mix of mountains, islands, and a lot of green space in the parks in the New Territories around Kowloon.

So much in one place

Hong Kong Island and its surrounding islands are like several different worlds. The island includes its own big park on Victoria Peak, a Trappist Monastery, colonial museums, a bewildering supply of local markets, a zoological park, Disneyland, and a lot of temples, and that’s practically next door when you’re staying there.

It’s no wonder so many writers were so fascinated, and so many movies have been made there. Junks and sampans still ply the harbor, next to huge bulk carriers and luxury cruise liners. It’s a mystical place by nature, as much as by design.

The coast and hills, tourist heaven

For tourists, Hong Kong has always been and remains a great place to go. It’s quite cheap, by world standards.

Anyone who’s ever seen the South China Sea coast at its best will appreciate the comfort, the modern luxuries and the deep Chinese character. Like the rest of China, the only real risk to your budget is the desire to buy all the beautiful things you can find. Hong Kong is one of the major distributors of the fabulous Chinese art, cultural items and furniture around the world, and Hong Kong shopping for Sinophiles is positively addictive. The trick to a cheap trip there is to pay all your travel insurance, accommodation and fares front, and make sure you’ve got enough in your budget to shop carefree. You can buy everything else when you come back, anyway.