Chances are that if you're visiting Hong Kong, you're thinking of big city pleasures. Understandably so, for throw a stone between the colourful skyscrapers of this glitzy city, and it's likely that you'll hit a mall or market. The restaurant scene is world class. The nightlife is pulsing. There are amusement parks with all the stops pulled out, to satisfy even the most demanding child. But while these experiences are immediately gratifying, there's a deeper, more introspective side of the city - available to the seeker of diversity.
POUND THE PAVEMENTS
There's a walking tour in Hong Kong to suit ever inclination. Think heritage, art, food, and nightlife. I take the Highlights Tour around Old Town Central. We start off at Possession Street, the birthplace of colonial Hong Kong. What's special, is the effortless blend of tradition and modernity, the highbrow and the popular, the east and the west, in most everything we see.
Here, the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences - that blends architectural elements of East and West. There, the 19th century Man Mo Temple, a fine example of Chinese vernacular architecture. Paying tribute as much to the God of War as to the God of Literature, it's easy to see why local students throng this temple at exam time! On Hollywood Road, upscale galleries rub shoulders with street art. Further on, traditional Cantonese and herbal teahouses sit cheekby-jowl with a litany of new-age restaurants. Everywhere a design store beckons, with upbeat local energy.
OPERA PERFORMANCE
You don't have to understand Cantonese, or be a die-hard fan of opera, to be entirely enthralled by an experience of this traditional art form. A plot summary is given out in English before the performance begins, and the occasional subtitling gives a broad overview of the opera unfolding on stage.
Themes of the operas, frequently involve patriotism and love. If you - like me, get bewildered by where the story's going, the music, singing, martial arts and acting - all characteristic of this eloquent form, will draw you back in. There's also a riot of other sensory input to be appreciated - the makeup and sets are extravagant. And the monumental training that's gone into every performance - from speech-delivery to the movement of specific body parts - hands, eyes, feet and even hair - to illustrate an idea, is quite discernable.
GET HIGH AT THE PEAK
For grand overviews of the city, there's little to beat an uphill ride on the Peak Tram - that's been around since 1885. You leave the financial heart of the city behind, for more verdant vistas, punctuated by the opulent homes of the fortunate few who manage to live above it all. There are several ways to make the most of the views at the top. You could head to the viewing platform of the Peak Tower, a building rife with dining and shopping options.
Or you could do as the locals do, and take a walk on the clearly-demarcated route - that is the Peak Circle Walk. En route you'll have time to appreciate, not just the abundance of tree life and the occasional waterfall that dots the path, but also to savour superlative views of Victoria Harbor.
LOCAL CULTURE AT TAI O
Still home to the Tanka people, a community of fisher folk - who built their homes on stilts above the tidal flats of Lantau Island, Tai O is a photographer's dream. With the influx of tourism, occupations of the community are in flux, but the restaurants continue to rule the roost, when it comes to serving delectable seafood. Post a sumptuous fish-heavy lunch, one saunters forth buying things that one didn't know were so desirable, until one got to the market here - dried seafood, salted fish, shrimp paste and sauce.
To work off some of the excesses eaten, take the 15-minute walk from the main market area to the Tai O Heritage hotel. With its colonial-styled exteriors, the building that used to be Tai O police station continues to ooze 19th century charm. Another historic site worth stopping at - is the nearby Tin Hau Temple. Built in 1772, the locals still gather here to pray for health and safety.
STAYING THERE
If you want to stay in an atmospheric boutique hotel, Lan Kwai Fong is the place you should definitely visit. It's also centrally located.