I knew that August could be rainy but I had not expected to arrive in the middle of a Typoon - luckily when we landed it had been downgraded to a "level one" but it was still a very hairy landing - well for adults anyway! The wind and rain soon cleared and we had 3 glorious days in Hong Kong.

We stayed at the Harbour Plaza Hotel - a 5 star business and tourist hotel and the service could not have been better. The hotel was on the Kowloon side so afforded fabulous views over to Hong Kong Island from both the rooms and from the roof top glass-sided swimming pool, which was great for a dip at the end of a busy day. The location worked well for us as it was a short walk to the Star Ferry and a shuttle bus ran every 30 minutes to and from the famous Nathan Road and the Peninsula Hotel - now that has a fabulous location and is well worth a visit to have a drink in the Felix Bar on the 28th floor if you cannot afford to stay in this luxurious hotel! A particularly good time to visit this hotel and area would be to see and hear the "Sound and Light" show that takes place at 8pm every evening on Hong Kong Island - music plays and lasers and coloured lights move in tune to the music over the famous skyline.

It was fun to take the little green and white Star Ferry over to Hong Kong Island - it pootles along and gives you the opportunity to take many a photo. On Hong Kong Island we ambled through the designer shops and malls and watched the frenzied activity of the locals and the expats going about their work - many travelling on the old green trams which have run across old Hong Kong since 1904. We had to try these old double decker trams but it was a tight squeeze. The best mode of transport according to my children were the series of Escalators which run through the steep districts of Central, Mid Levels and Soho - these are 792m long and are designed for commuters but they are great for tourists too! Almost at the top is a fantastic Italian restaurant - Fat Angelos - offering vast servings of pasta and homemade bread at great prices.

For spectacular views we took the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak - the tram takes under 10 minutes to reach Victoria Gap, pinning you into your seat as you are hauled up the sheer slope. A good range of restaurants and shops but it is the breathtaking views that you travel here for - you can look down over the tips of the skyscrapers and across the harbour towards mainland China.

To boost tourism to the area Disney opened a theme park in this area in 2005 - this is on nearby Lantau Island and very easily reached by Metro. Ocean Park also offers a similar experience for children but much to Jake's disgust (my 9 year old!) we decided to visit the giant bronze Tian Tan Budda on Lantau Island. Once on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car gazing at the 360 degree panorama and riding for 5.7km Jake soon cheered up! Fabulous views of Hong Kong airport, Lantau North Country Park and the Budda were enjoyed and we then walked up to and inside the amazing Buddha, visited the Po Lin Monatery and had lunch in one of the many restaurants and bars.

Back in Kowloon we visited Temple Street Night Market looking at an overwhelming array of cheap goods and designer fakes - a chance to visit a local fortune teller and haggle with the stall holders whilst eating a snack from one of the local Dai Pai Dong stalls. During the day we visited the Flower Market where exotic flowers particularly Orchids are on display the length of Flower Market Road and the Bird Garden where locals take their birds to sing and get some fresh air!

We could not leave Hong Kong - renowned for its food - without Sam (my eldest son) having Peking duck, but we could not believe it when a whole duck was served! We ate at a lovely Chinese restaurant - Mu Dan Ting - just off busy and bustling Nathan Road and bought our last few purchases before jetting off to relaxing sunny Phuket, Thailand!