Richard and I inserted our $2.20 (about 20p) into the slot on the turnstile and boarded the Star Ferry for a 9 minute journey to Hong Kong Island from Kowloon.

After arriving at the Central port we made our way through the labyrinth of walkways that run above the busy roads and weaved our way through a shopping centre, then headed up the hilly Garden Road and caught the tram to the highest part of the island, Victoria Peak.

We opted for the Sky Pass ticket which allowed us to view the city from the Peak Tower Sky Terrace, which is at a higher level to the normal viewing area. Through the smog haze the views spanned across Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, taking in all the skyscrapers and ports.

After having a nice pint of Hoegarden and lunch we took the tram back down to Tram Peak and walked into Soho. I was pleasantly surprised by the area, much my kinda place. Proper bars serving an array of classy beers and bitters, a variety of restaurants - Indian, Tapas, Greek etc. Sandwich shops, a mix of nationalities, and generally the sorts of places you expect from any city. Going up Shelley Street is apparently the longest covered escalator in the world. I think that claim is a bit of a cheat because it isn't a continuous escalator, it's a series of small ones allowing you to hop off into one of the many bars and restaurants. As our feet were a little sore we did this and had a lovely pint of Erdinger and watched the world go by for an hour.

Our travel tip for anyone going to Victoria Peak, is not to bother with the Sky Pass ticket, unless it's an exceptionally clear day, as the view from the normal viewing area is very good, and there's a lovely walk through the trees you can do. We'd also suggest not eating at the expensive restaurants up at the Peak. Instead head back down in the tram, walk along Lower Albert Road into Soho and have lunch there.

As we loved Soho so much we plan to go there for our last evening and hopefully dine at an Indian restaurant we spotted. The menu appeared to have a range of vegetable dishes, much to my delight having struggled with the lack of vegetarian choice in Kowloon.

Katy