In 2003, Tanya and I embarked on a second worldtrip - this time taking in some of the places we had missed on our tour the previous year and adding New Zealand into the mix. This time our stopping off point on the way to the other side of the world was Hong Kong, and we wanted somewhere to stay which was close enough to the main islands to explore in the limited time we had available, and yet away from the bright lights of the city. Lamma seemed the perfect choice. Lamma Island is generally considered to be Hong Kong's hippy community - as you can tell just by looking at the community website (see below) which, at the time of writing, is covered in pictures of guys in local rock bands with long hair and guitars, adverts for new age stores, psychedelic photos of the locals and stories about the official court photographer! When I say that Lamma is a hippy community, I don't mean to suggest that it's just a bit laid back - this place is seriously stuck in the 70s and loving it. The website is one of the best community sites I've seen in a long time and really gives you a feel for Lamma - in fact the island is one of those places which is very hard to describe without photos, but looking at the community portal has brought so many memories back for me that I just want to get on the next plane! Connected to Central by ferry, Lamma is relatively untouched and criss-crossed by a handful of walking trails, and the only vehicles to be found are small motorised Tuk-Tuk style carts used to collect heavy sacks or luggage from the ferry. The main jetty is to be found at the small town of Yung Shue Wan, where visitors will immediately feel as though they've stepped into a strange mix of 70s community life and small town China. Leaving the jetty via a path which crosses a small metal bridge connected to the edge of a cliff, you enter Yung Shue Wan along a sea front dirt track littered with open fronted restaurants serving Thai, Japanese and Chinese food as well as stores with displays of recently caught and strong smelling fish in large boxes outside. There are also tanks in some of the restaurants, from which you are expected to select the catch of the day and watch while somebody hauls it out and slaps it onto a pan for you - this is not a place for the squeamish! Yung Shue Wan is also full of bars, and there's even an internet café and a cash machine - but don't think for one moment that this makes the town in any way modern, as the feeling here is very much of having gone back to a simpler time. Leaving the ferry with heavy backpacks strapped to us, Tanya and I made our way slowly into town and asked at the first bar for directions to our accommodation. The bar, like most of the stores in Yung Shue Wan, appeared to have no front and was nothing more than a couple of stools at a makeshift counter in the corner of a shack. The locals sitting outside at wobbly tables were all English, smoking and talking amongst themselves until they saw us coming at which point they stopped to watch the newcomers with interest. A friendly young man at the bar clicked his tongue and tutted when we told him where we needed to get to, and said that if we kept on the same path for about half an hour we would either get there or keel over from the weight of our packs. He wasn't joking. The path continued up the hill, the sea on one side and more bars and restaurants on the other. Peering between the buildings, small paths seemed to wind up to the doors of houses that looked as though they were about to fall down, or off into the forest where they probably connected with a beach or village somewhere. Dogs trotted up to sniff the strangers in town (although Lamma has its own animal rescue centre so there are a lot less strays than in other parts of China), and people looked up from their drinks or games of Mah-Jongg as we passed. After a couple of minutes we moved away from the sea and into the main town where the road forked and haphazard collections of shacks selling newspapers, vegetables and assorted groceries appeared on both sides. It was here that Tanya and I found a small pizza restaurant run by a local woman, and spent our evenings on Lamma sitting out the back at a rickety table enjoying the sunset. Restaurants here will happily serve you things you've never heard of before in your life, but places such as the Deli Lamma will manage to produce a full English breakfast on demand. This is also the place to come if you're looking for that authentic souvenir which you won't find elsewhere - melted and flattened coke bottle, anyone? We were staying at the Concerto Inn, which appears to be the only official holiday accommodation of any sort on the island. Situated at Hung Shing Yeh beach, it's not the cheapest hotel in the world - but considering we were staying right on the beach and had an ocean view we weren't complaining. The walk to the hotel, as I said earlier, was long and exhausting - but the staff at the hotel were very accommodating and took our luggage back to the ferry at the end of our stay on the back of their Tuk-Tuk. We still had to walk. Concerto Inn, of course, is the fantasy Island option of Lamma - if you really want to be a true hippy, there would probably be no shortage of locals willing to put you up in the middle of town in amongst the bars, shops and clouds of suspicious smelling smoke! If, on the other hand, you want to go and enjoy the hippy lifestyle by day and relax on your own beach a few yards from your own beach restaurant in the evening, then you can enjoy the best of both worlds from Hung Shing Yeh. Lamma is only 13 square Kilometres in size but still manages to be littered with small villages, most of which have a single village shop and a handful of people living there. On the path from Yung Shue Wan to the hotel, we came across what looked like a bus-stop on one side of the path - complete with upright sign and seats opposite. However, within the shelter were bars to which people had chained their bikes - so I'm guessing that this was some sort of Bike Park, and it explains how people get around over here. Lamma isn't a place to be if you're unfit as proper exploration requires a lot of walking, so I'm already exercising in preparation for my return. Unfortunately, we were only here for two days and spent most of that rushed to do everything we wanted on the mainland - and Lamma is a holiday in itself. The nightlife here consists of socialising and mingling at the local bars, but if this is your destination then you're probably not looking for the bright lights of the mainland. From what I've seen, you wouldn't be able to get back anyway - the ferries don't run all night, so any visit to a nightclub on Hong Kong Island would almost certainly end up with you finding yourself stranded!

You can read my complete travel journals at www.offexploring.com/globalwanderer and www.offexploring.com/globalwanderer2

Go to Lockhardt St. for all the clubs and entertainment. but beware, there are over 30 "buy-me-drink" bars. most of them are neighbors. and they post up outside and literally grab you to try and pull you in. but all is not lost. call them prostitutes and they have to leave you alone. they also have great american food. and good European Pubs on that street.

Tremendous network of trams and subway. You can check into the airport on the island (including bags) and take the train out to Chep Lap Kok (Hong Kong International Airport). Extremely modern and sophisticated. Go around to Stanley for some excellent shopping. You will save a lot of money over the shops in Central. Have lunch or dinner at one of the floating restaurants. Jumbo was great and the water taxi to the restaurant was fun.

IFC rooftop garden: best place in town to relax the whole afternoon in downtown Hong Kong. You are surrounded by skyscrapers, the Peak on one side and the harbour on the other side. You can go to Citysuper in the IFC mall to get food and also coffee from either Starbucks or Pacific Coffee. Then you can go up and hang out on the roof... it's a clean, fancy place where the guards don't try to get rid of you but actually look out for you...

try to eat as out of the way as possible. dont go for macdonalds when you can get fresh noodles. saves you money and tastes way better.

Famosos sus centros comerciales de artículos de informática. Cienbtos de locales en reducidos espacios, pero con la mayor cantidad y variedad de productos de úlitma tecnología a bajos precios. Para el que le gusta o está acostumnbrado a regatear será un paraíso en el que exponer sus más audaces habilidades. No hacerlo te ganará el desprecio de los mismos locales que te están vendiendo.

Go to the night markets of Mong Kok. Also, buy cheap perfumes always on sale at a beauty store called "Sasa".

You can get designer bags for cheap prices!

Lastly, try eating at Gindaco for snacks.

Shop in the open markets for the best deals...but watch for knock offs

Hong Kong is an awesome place! I rode the subway, and it was really neat!! Plus, its a great place to shop! You'll find everything you need there!!!!!!!

Hong Kong is a great place! You' ll find alot of interesting things there and people also. And plus, its a great place to shop! And the subway......its awesome! :)