Hong Kong

When I booked my Australia trip I thought I'd make the most of the fact I was travelling across the world by extending my stopover in Hong Kong by a couple of days to see the sites and visit friends and family. It really is an incredible place like nowhere else I've ever been to; an urban jungle where everything is built on top of each other so you're always moving about different levels through a contrasting mix of traditional markets and luxurious hotels. Meanwhile, outside of central the city is by no means all concrete skyscrapers, but a sea of greenery with gorgeous views of the surrounding bays.

I arrived late on Monday night and took a taxi to my cousin Mike's apartment in the beautiful Repulse Bay. His wife, Jane, took me out in Central the following day and was an excellent tour guide, taking me up Victoria Peak where there were amazing panoramic views (we were very lucky with the weather as it was a clear day for HK) and we took the tram back all the way down which was really steep - like taking a funicular in the mountains. She took me to a cute local restaurant for lunch then we had a very pampered afternoon with traditional massages and foot rubs before we picked the kids up from school and relaxed by the pool at the country club for the afternoon (it's a hard life).

Later I met up with my uni friend, Anthony, for cocktails at the famous Captain's Bar in the Mandarin Oriental, where we had a quick catch up before supper. Mike, Jane and my other cousins very generously took us out to The China Club, which had the most beautiful interiors and a very impressive art collection. We watched the daily Hong Kong light show from the rooftop then headed down for a delicious meal of Chinese delights: Peking duck and pancakes, spring rolls, dumplings, sizzling beef and of course fortune cookies. We definitely had the best table in the room, positioned right in front of the stage where all sorts of acts were performing throughout the evening, including a tea dancer and a noodle-making display!

Jane took me to Stanley Market the next morning to stock up on souvenirs and presents for everyone back home, then it was Anthony's turn to play tour guide and he was keen to show me the true local experience: lunch at Macau restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui for fried rice and China tea, a walk around the gorgeous tranquil spot Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill, fortunes read at the Won Tai Sin Temple (apparently I am going to meet a nice man in November at a party), ate famous 'cheese tarts' despite being so full from lunch (when in Hong Kong), took the Star Ferry to central for dinner at Joy Hing in Wanchai, arguably the best barbecued pork in Hong Kong. This place runs out every day is always packed. We were lucky to get probably the last two portions of the day!

Next was time to check out HK's vibrant nightlife. Anthony booked us a table at Scratch in Wanchai where a huge group of his friends joined us for a few games of stack cup, a game I'm definitely going to take back to uni with me! Afterwards we jumped on a tram to Lan Kwai Fong where we hit up a few clubs, Levels and Play, in an amazing multi-storey building. The 7/11 also pretty much turns into a bar at night, with everyone buying drinks and chatting in the streets. The atmosphere was absolutely buzzing and everyone was so friendly, was really gutted to be leaving having just met some wonderful people! HK, I'll be back!

After a flight that felt like forever I finally touched down in London Heathrow. It's good to be home, see friends and family and chill out back in my own bed (although I'm also secretly planning my next trip)!