Hong Kong Holidays

Hong Kong, with its remnants of the colonial era plus its Chinese heritage, is a fascinating, lively city with multiple personalities. The development of Hong Kong really began with the British traders arrival, the Opium Wars and the signing of Nanking Treaty, which gave Hong Kong to the British in 1842. The Sino-British Joint Declaration paved the way for Britain to hand back sovereignty of the territory including Kowloon, in return for Hong Kong maintaining its existing economic system for fifty years. The handover proved to be smooth and the city today is alive, booming economically and great for shopping.

Hong Kong is much more than a harbour city with and surprisingly the territory is mostly a rural landscape with cloudy moutains and rocky islands. Southern Hong Kong island is good for beaches with a quieter pace and warmer climate whilst the northern part houses the busy financial and commercial centres.

Kowloon, a 4 kilometre stretch of land on the mainland, is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, not only full of people, but also shops, hotels and restaurants. Kowloon escaped some of the British colonial influences that characterise Hong Kong Island and is generally considered to be more Chinese in character.

Night markets, temples, 260 islands that offer a tranquil respite from the hustle and bustle of downtown Hong Kong, museums, horse-racing and the views from Victoria Peak all make Hong Kong an exciting and dynamic destination.