As the oldest colonized part of Hong Kong, its administrative and business centre, and site of some of the most expensive real estate in the world, Hong Kong Island is naturally the heart of the whole territory. Despite its tiny size, just 15km from east to west and 11km from north to south at the widest points, and despite the phenomenal density of development on its northern shore, the island offers a surprising range of mountain walks and attractive beaches as well as all the attractions of a great city.

 

On the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, overlooking Victoria Harbour and Kowloon on the mainland opposite, are the major financial and commercial quarters of Central and Wanchai , which in the last two decades have sprouted several of Asia's tallest and most interesting skyscrapers. To the east is Causeway Bay , a shopping and entertainment area, while to the west is Kennedy Town , one of the most traditionally Chinese parts of the city, where streets are lined with shops selling dried fish and ancient Chinese medicines. A cliche it certainly is, but whether it be a smoky temple squatting among skyscrapers, or Chanel -dressed shoppers jammed into a smelly fish market, the built-up areas of Hong Kong are a fascinating blend of East and West.

The southern shore of the island, on the other hand, is more notable for its beaches, greenery and small towns, among them Aberdeen , in whose harbour you'll still see the traditional barrel-shaped fishing boats (junks) and the smaller sampans, as well as Hong Kong's famous floating restaurants. Meanwhile, the centre of the island rises steeply to a series of wooded peaks. Of these, the most famous, Victoria Peak , immediately south of Central district and accessible on the one-hundred-year-old Peak Tram , commands superb views of the city and the harbour below.