Hong Kong is an intense, bright, booming territory, with seven million people packed tight into 10% of the available land. Nightlife is ultra-chic in a distinctly Chinese way, and food is available everywhere, from street-hawkers with steaming trolleys to intricate and delicate dining in zen-like surroundings. The noise, smog and sheer volume of people in the city give travellers a buzz like no other, whilst the countryside surrounding the city is an unexpectedly peaceful area of great beauty.

Hong Kong is a mish-mash of old and new, reminding a traveller of the speed at which it has developed. In the same trip, you could check out the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery, filled with thousands of minature Buddhas, or the Che Kung Temple, and then skip over to Cat Street, where the market and antique shops sell all kinds of knickknacks and tourist tat. The enormous Bank of China buildings, both the old and new, provide a sudden slap of modernity and business. Outside the city centre, the Ng Tung Waterfall provides classic scenery, whilst Ocean Park is for the big kids among us, offering rollercoasters and a marine park. As you would expect from one of the world’s greatest cities, Hong Kong has a vibrant gay scene with a variety of venues for both gay men and lesbians. Loft Bar, Temptation and No.2 are all well-known lesbian bars, and Volume is used by both men and women. Volume also holds out-of-towner nights every Wednesday with free alcoholic drinks before 10.30pm, so if you are on a budget, this could be a good place to start. Tony’s Bar is also a favourite hang-out for gay overseas visitors to Hong Kong. For a less touristy night out, Indulge is a popular late night gay club, and Desire offers karaoke until 5am, if you can stomach it that long. Gay guest houses, hotels and apartments are everywhere, as are luxury gay saunas; a quick internet search will pull together way too many to list here.

Gay equality in Hong Kong is reasonable, but behind some other destinations. Homosexuality was decriminalised in 1991, and the age of consent for gays and straights has been 16 since 2006. The government refuses to “promote” or broadcast any information on homosexuality, and the Chinese Catholic Church regularly campaigns against gay rights. So, discretion is advised, but Hong Kong is mostly a safe space for gay and lesbian travellers.

Flights to Hong Kong involve changing planes in mainland China, normally at Beijing or Shanghai. You can also reach Hong Kong by train from all over China, and by boat from Fuyong, Shekou, Zhuhai and Chu Kong.