Hong Kong has so much to offer the resident, never mind the visitor. I’ve lived here for more than 20 years and there’s still so much to be discovered, experienced and tasted.

The Hong Kong Chamber Music Festival is a good opportunity for music lovers to get a glimpse of the kaleidoscopic range of cultural and culinary experiences available in this great city.

If you are to attend the festival, I can recommend two hotels close to City Hall Theatre, the festival venue. Mandarin Oriental is a two-minute stroll from City Hall and is located in Central, the business and finance district, with its upmarket shopping malls full of brand names and restaurants. Hotel LKF is just 10-15 minutes from City Hall, a small boutique hotel situated in Lan Kwai Fong, “the” entertainment and clubbing heart of Hong Kong.

During the day, stroll along Hollywood Road, where you can find art galleries and trendy restaurants, or ride the double-decker tram to Sheung Wan, where old Hong Kong can still be found: traditional Chinese medicine or dry food shops cheek-by-jowl with daipaidongs (open-air street food stalls).

One of my favourite restaurants in the neighbourhood is Sushi Kuu on Wellington Street, which serves creative Japanese cuisine with high quality, freshly imported ingredients. Isola, a waterfront Italian restaurant located in the IFC (International Finance Centre), has the best black truffle pizza I have ever had. For Chinese food, go to Lei Garden restaurant, also in IFC, where you can taste delicious dim sum or, Tsui Wah on Wellington Street, for typical local snacks.

And of course the “must” is the harbour, the most beautiful one in the world. The view should be experienced at different hours of the day and from different viewpoints, whether looking down from the lofty heights of The Peak, or across the water from the promenades of Kowloon, or just from the ferry as it threads its way across the harbour between the myriad craft jostling on the water. You’ll discover a multi-faceted city, one with a vibrant beauty and a unique grandeur.
 
Photo credits: hongkongnese.com