Situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta on the south-western coast of China, Hong Kong is an amalgam of East and West, a unique mix on many fronts. On the one hand, it is modern, sleek and businesslike, with an impressive reputation for international trade, transacting its affairs in English and drawing tourists from the Chinese mainland and across the world.

On the other hand, it is fiercely traditional, with many of its seven million people deeply and conventionally Chinese, albeit in a peculiarly Hong Kong style.

The handover by the British in 1997 may have seen Hong Kong revert to Chinese control to become a Special Administrative Region of China, but this arrangement lasts for 50 years, guaranteeing the region its own political, social and economic systems and creating the unique mix of cultures that so appeals to visitors.

Hong Kong is the perfect destination for Westerners planning to gain their first impression of the East – a halfway house between Western society and the communism of neighboring China and other areas of Southeast Asia. Seek and you will soon discover a capitalist world of teeming streets with traditional markets, temples, and Chinese herbal medicine shops.

However, Hong Kong is not simply a commercial jungle. Remarkably, almost 40 percent of Hong Territory is a designated nature reserve or country park, with mountains, secluded small islands, pristine beaches, and isolated walking trails. The country consists of four sections: Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, the New Territories, and the Outlying Islands. But it is Hong Kong Island where the population is squeezed, cajoled, and squashed into just 1,110sq km of the concrete jungle. It’s hectic, hot and irresistible.

So much confronts the visitor that an initial visit will keep anyone busy, whether sightseeing, shopping, eating out or escaping to the countryside. To see the island stretched before them most people take the Peak Tram to the tower at the top of Victoria Hill. And to get under the city’s skin many visit a temple, such as Man Mo, and check out old colonial buildings, a vestige of the British presence, such as Government House or Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware in Hong Kong Park. For more great views they head for Central Plaza’s Sky Lobby or 2 IFC, Hong Kong’s highest building. Other places that fascinate are Mong Kok –  arguably the world’s most densely populated urban area – with its markets and bird garden, and nunneries, monasteries, pagodas, and the world’s longest outdoor escalator.

Popular out of the city is Ngong Ping 360 cable car, which carries visitors to the Giant Buddha on Lantau Island, and the old Star Ferry to Kowloon. And for a really peaceful experience, everyone finds there is nothing better than a trip to Lamma Island.

Of course, other highlights include superb shopping – for everything from designer labels and watches (both real and fake) to Chinese herbs – at high-class malls, the buzzing Western Market, and traditional shops. To top it all there is a myriad of eateries to try.

Hong Kong’s currency is the Hong Kong dollar. It is advisable to take traveler’s cheques in pounds sterling, US dollars or Euros. All major credit cards are widely accepted and ATMs can be easily found throughout Hong Kong Island.