It’s a firecracker destination at any time of the year, whether you’re wanting a quick-fire stopover or extended stayover.  I recently stopped over in Hong Kong for 24 hours, to break up the rigours of long-hauling it home from Europe. And it’s remarkable how flavourful and fulfilling a quick swing through Hong Kong can be. Whisking myself to Hong Kong Central, via the whip-smart efficiency of their airport metro train, I flung myself into the cauldron of the heady street tempo, in hot pursuit of some hidden treats and lip-smacking temptations.

My favourite street for stroll is one of Hong Kong’s oldest, the evocative Hollywood Road.  You’ll still find some of the city’s finest alfresco markets here, touting all manner of trinkets from opulent Ming vases to kitsch Chairman Mao statues. You’ll chance upon amazing street scenes like the 80 year old Chinese barber, who’s been cutting hair from his roadside stall for sixty years. If you want an aromatic overview of the foodie scene, join a Hong Kong Foodie Tour, where you’ll munch your way through an abundance of dishes, including stops for wonton noodles, spring rolls, barbequed pork rice, preserved fruits, shrimp dumpling, egg tarts, and sugar cane juice.

A great spot to sample the latter is Kung Lee’s juice shop which he opened in 1948 and still enjoys a fiendishly popular following. Old-timers in the city swear by the medicinal benefits of eating preserved fruit. Wong Wing’s dried fruit shop is a glorious little specimen, with over a century of trade under its belt, and a photo proudly hangs from the wall of the Wongs greeting Prince Charles. Try the salted sour plums, sugared ginger, aged tangerine peel and cheery leather – all good for digestion. Cashew nuts are perennially popular, packed with essential minerals like zinc and copper, while ginger is a trusty rapid responder to tackle upset stomachs and headaches.

By tour’s end, I felt bigger than one of Hong Kong’s fabled double-decker buses! But I consoled myself by thinking about how many kilojoules I had fitfully burned off, walking between grazing stops. Another quintessential city experience is the traditional market scene. A lovely hotel staff member at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental showed me the way to one of Hong Kong’s fabled wet markets, strung along narrow old lanes.

They are sadly disappearing from the streetscape, given the eye-watering real estate values the markets have occupied. The wet market, just off Hollywood Road, which entails a steep climb, is lined with raucous fish sellers and old-school butchers, where the meat is hung out on tidy rows of bamboo poles. The vegetable sellers sprawl across the lane with voluminous quantities of colourful and fresh produce.

Another great little lane to trawl through is Li Yuen Street East, which is studded with traditional little stalls, where the vendors offer a myriad of services from shoe repairs to key cutting and printing services. It’s like a Mister Minit convention, al-fresco-style. Head to 35 Aberdeen Street, for an enchanting dose of repurposed heritage and artisanal prowess. Central’s PMQ, the former Police Married Quarters for young officers and their families is now a dynamic creative hub. The pint-sized apartments which were built 60 years ago to attract young locals into the police ranks now plays host to over 100 designers and artists, with eye-catching studios and boutiques.

I couldn’t imagine visiting Hong Kong without surrendering to Victoria Harbour to size up the city from an iconic green and white, timber-decked Star Ferry, which is still as cheap as chips to board. It’s a celestial spot from which to soak up the techni-coloured, choreographed extravagance of the nightly Symphony of Lights show which spangles Hong Kong’s serrated skyline in an explosion of joyful colour.

Fancy a cheeky nightcap or two? Hong Kong’s most successful molecular bar, where cocktails are crafted with daring creativity is The Woods, which you’ll find at 17 Hollywood Road. Another highly innovative player is the Little Lab, where unique local ingredients like Pak Chun vinegar are deployed into libation service, is located at 50 Staunton St, in Central.  If you’re feeling peckish and want to experience a fresh take on Hong Kong’s roast goose, Kam’s Roost Goose has just gained a Michelin star and is located at 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai. www.hktb.com

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s Travel Correspondent on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame. 11.20am