We said goodbye to mainland China and arrived in Hong Kong at the end of June in time for the weekend, ready for some big city fun and catching up with friends we knew living there. After the tranquility and countryside of Yangshuo, arriving in to Hong Kong Central was a bit of a sharp contrast, but we quickly adapted to our new surroundings, very much aided by the upgrade - a suite, no less - which we received on checking in to our hotel (Simon's 'we're on our honeymoon' trick, not strictly a complete fib)...the hotel itself already being a bit of a treat as we normally stay in simple guesthouses or hostels, the latter actually being very good in China and cheap enough to enable us not to have to use dormitories but have our own room…our excuse also being that we are too old for dorms these days!

Both Simon and I had been to HK before: Simon a few years ago on a side trip from Mumbai, whereas my own visit was many years before on a family trip we made to visit our close friends, the Van den Broucques, when I was 10 or 11, and remember the city fondly and vividly, particularly as it was the first time I had ever travelled east of Europe. If Hong Kong's impressive skyline towered over my childhood self about 22 years ago, it was no less imposing at 33 - and I think the term 'concrete jungle' must have been invented in Hong Kong, but for some reason that doesn't make it an ugly city, and I was as in awe as before as to the close of proximity of each building to its neighbour, all on top of eachother, Hong Kong's hilly main island looking like a crowded, upside-down pin cushion.

We spent the first couple of days we had to ourselves exploring various corners of Hong Kong on foot and by tram, and enjoying the more unusual forms of getting around this great city: the famous Star ferry, and the Central to Mid-Levels outdoor escalator, the latter forming a useful means of bar hopping and making the most of happy hour while en route from one level of the city to another. It felt strange seeing so many Western faces, having become so used to being surrounded by a sea of Chinese people, and the proliferation of designer names and shops makes London's Sloane Street look like the poorer cousin. But turn a few corners and we found some more familiar (Chinese) sights: tiny side streets, quirky markets, fish guts spilling onto the pavement, and shops selling every single weird and wonderful item of traditional Chinese medicine.

Between Simon and I, we knew three friends living in Hong Kong, all whom happened to be called Chris, so the highlight of our weekend was catching up with Messers Smailes, Keene and Spelman, and seeing a different side of HK to what I am sure we would have seen otherwise. Friday night was rooftop drinks and then a delicious meal in Kowloon - with an even better view of Hong Kong by night - with Chris and Gaelle, and more cocktails in one night than we had probably had on our entire trip so far. A boat trip the next day out to a beautiful part of HK - Tai Long Wan - was the perfect antidote for sore heads, and in the evening we had the best Peking crispy duck we have had so far, at the Hong Kong Cricket Club. The one downside of all this night time fun in posh establishments being the 'no flip flops' policy for men, and poor Simon having to wear his only other shoes - his walking shoes - in the still hot evenings, but maybe a small price to pay for the slice of the high life?! Sunday was another great day with Chris, Karen and little Jacob and friends, on Lantau Island, once again seeing a different slice of life in Hong Kong, with a day at the beach drinking sangria….leaving behind the humdity of the city was a huge relief. We rounded off our weekend with Sunday evening beers with Chris no 3, a friend of Simon's he met in Mumbai, the best bit knowing that even if Sunday drinks leads to Monday morning hangover, it doesn't really matter for us.

We left HK without too much of a hangover, but just a burning hole in our wallet, and so in Singapore we threw ourselves back in to budget-mode: our window-less room (the type where you don't want to remove your shoes) which was only slightly bigger than the bed, in the backpackers' hostel, was testament to that. If you insist on ultra-budget then you get what you pay for!

With our experience of Asian cities so far, Singapore seemed at first very alien: everything is just so clean, and organized, and the streets were empty in comparison - we thought maybe we had arrived on a public holiday, as there just didn't seem to be anyone about, and the hustle and bustle we had got used to seemed to be somewhat absent here. But while we know some find Singapore too clinical, we actually found it a refreshing contrast at that point, and even the air felt so much cleaner - luckily the recent smog and smoke fumes which had come over from Indonesia seemed to have dispersed. The city's well-manicured parks, colonial buildings, and quays make it very attractive, and it all certainly feels very civilised…. though with China's rapid development of first- rate infrastructure, Singapore is not as slick as it once was, in Simon's eyes.

We had two days exploring some of the city's different neighbourhoods, mostly Little India (like a clean version of India, so maybe not that authentic?!) China Town, and Kampong Glam - the Muslim Quarter, full of streets called Afghan Road and Baghdad Road, and shisha cafes. We decided against the traditional box tick of having a Singapore Sling at the famous Raffles Hotel - effectively drinking down another $25 each - but admired the beautiful building - and many other impressive, more modern ones - with a humble street side view. Probably no more rooftop terrace drinks for us for a while now, even though it is a great way (or excuse) to truly admire Asia's major cities and their impressive skylines.

Next stop, Indonesia…..!