I’d strongly recommend three shopping malls to you, two in Kowloon and one on Hong Kong Island. All three have a wide variety of retailers in a comfortable, stylish, and air-conditioned environment.

The Ocean Centre covers a massive area and is helpfully divided into specialty shopping areas – the only problem is finding the goods you want, but once located, it’s really easy to check out the competition. I’d certainly recommend this mall for photographic equipment, as within a few yards, there are half a dozen camera shops (including Broadway), all reputable and all willing to negotiate prices to beat their competitors. Price up individual items and don’t rush into securing your goods until absolutely sure you’ve been given the best price. I tried the old trick of shrugging my shoulders, expressing my horror at the high price, and then walking off. I was called back twice with a much better offer before parting with my Visa card. Anything you want you can find here, and there’s a very efficient HSBC Bank on the premises if you need to access some cash.

Architecturally, Langham Place is supreme, and although we didn’t buy here, the viewing experience made the trip worthwhile. At night it looks sensational, with the massive office tower at its side dwarfing the other shops in the vicinity. Head for the Ozone up the escalator and watch for the views. We’d spotted the artificial sky from a distance, and now we’d take on the whole magical effect. As we proceeded up the escalator, it began to dawn on us that Langham Place had been designed to create a restful atmosphere conducive to "taking your time" and enjoying the shopping experience (which the local inhabitants seem to do). Not only is the view inside this shopping centre spectacular, but it also offers some great glimpses of Hong Kong cityscape.

On the 13 levels, you’ll find all types of shops retail items: jewellery, electronics, beauty care, shoes, casual wear, and high fashion. There are toy shops, gift shops, and department stores, and you’ll find specialty food stores, coffee shops and restaurants, cinemas, and bars. In short, it’s a shopping town on its own!

On Hong Kong Island, near the ferry terminal for Lama Island, we found the exclusive shopping mall IFC. However, its floor space is such that when we exited, we discovered that it was only a 5-minute walk away from the Star Ferry terminal. It’s a light, roomy building with numerous designer labels retailing from here, including Stella McCartney. The design of the centre is modern and inventive, with sky views through the skyline of the airy atrium. In total, there are over 200 shops in the centre, and if you fancy it, you can view the whole of the city from the 88th floor. Periodically, there are live music performances within the mall. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, but the ones we spotted seemed a little overpriced.

This was a gorgeous, centrally located park. There were loads of people there just enjoying hanging out in the January sun. There are many different birds there: flamingos, parrots, etc. There is a sort of hedge maze and a statue park. Warning: the queue for the toilets was immensely long all the time!

Imagine old England -- a time when afternoon tea consisted of sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, a mini orchestra playing somewhere in the background . . . Imagine!

You won't need to use your imagination if you go here. I consider it to be one of the last pieces of Englishness in an increasingly Chinese-dominated Hong Kong.

Expensive it may be (not as much as the Ritz in London), but most definitely worth it.

One of the most frustrating things about Asian cities is the thick air pollution. Thankfully Hong Kong has a number of parks that offer a respite from the haze as well as the constant buzz of car horns and Cantonese pop music.

Kowloon Park is a fairly large tract of land that houses zoological exhibits, a few gardens, fountains, art displays and playground areas for children. All of the attractions are free and open during the park's operational hours. The aviary exhibits were noteworthy, and climbing up the hill near the northen edge of the park afforded me pleasant views of the surounding area. When I stopped by in the early morning the place was overrun by older folks practicing their early morning movement exercises and a number of black and white colored birds that had an exotic sounding call.