Hong Kong is simply breathtaking. Whether it’s the towering skyline, the frenzied pace or the pervasive smog, it’ll leave you gasping for air.

On my trip last year, the city’s vibe gripped me. Everything in Hong Kong seemed to move faster. This time around, I still enjoyed the lively scene but I also noticed just how compact the island actually is and how repetitive it can be.

On Saturday, I spent the afternoon in Central around Soho (South of Hollywood Rd) and Lan Kwai Fong, the entertainment hub of Hong Kong, looking for a pay phone (couldn’t get reception with my Orange mobile) and keeping an eye out for cool places. I was able to do every street seemingly twice in only 45 minutes. With time to spare, I chilled at a café combing the net and Juice, Hong Kong’s new urban culture magazine, for things to do.

Bar hoppers will revel at Hong Kong’s nightlife. Pubs, bars and clubs are stacked one next to the other, from Lan Kwai Fong to Soho, paving way for a seamless chain of expat punters beefing their arms and gut with pint-size weights.

Since the prices in LKF are as expensive as in any other big cities, the locals who go there are mainly Westerners (80-20 split), work in the business district and are more mature, maybe not by their behaviour but certainly by their age.

My nightly excursions in HK were fairly relaxed. My friends treated me for drinks at Solas, a new laid-back bar, and Azuro (sp?) at the hip Hotel LKF. A wilder weekend in Hong Kong will have to wait until next time when, I hope, Flatmate or Business Partner will join me. At 3bph (bars per hour), I wonder if we can hit all the bars and clubs in Central.

Hong Kong Listings
BC Magazine (weekly): hk.bcmagazine.net
HK Clubbing Guide: www.hkclubbing.com
Juice Magazine (monthly): www.juiceonline.com.hk