HONG KONG

It may be best known for its skyscrapers and shopping, but Hong Kong offers untold outdoor activities, from coastal kayaking and mountain hikes to quiet bike rides and unusual food tours

- DUNCAN CRAIG

Corralled by mountain, sea and great swathes of protected countryside, Hong Kong can appear as incongruous as it is remarkable.

Around 600 skyscrapers face off across the narrow glint of Victoria Harbour - roughly a third more than Manhattan's tally. Like densely packed trees fighting for light, this forest of glass and steel strains ever-skywards: urban sprawl on a vertical plane. Through the canyons and warrens created far below flows a palpable energy: one born of nearly eight million people -drawn from every corner of the globe -living, and decompressing, in close proximity.

This is where most adventures begin -perhaps with an urban safari showcasing the cosmopolitan flair of Hong Kongese food or street art. But fail to extract yourself from the dense metropolitan core to explore the layers of green and turquoise beyond-to paddle to pristine beaches, pedal across throwback islands or tackle some of Asia's most invigorating hiking trails - and you'll have seen only one side of Hong Kong.

There's no excuse not to: a splendidly efficient metro, tram and ferry network makes moving around a cinch, while capable, passionate guides are only too eager to demonstrate that this is an urban jungle in more than just metaphor.

SHIFT DOWN A GEAR

Andy Choi likes to arrive on Cheung Chau in the early morning, when life is getting into what passes here for full swing. Laughter and the clattering of mahjong tiles emanate from alleyways. Stalls selling food and trinkets are set out with care. And the fishermen, around whom life on this car-free island still revolves, unload catches or swap gossip. The cityscape of downtown Hong Kong may be just six miles away, but it feels a century apart.

Andy's cycle tours of Cheung Chau, which depart by ferry from Central and are undertaken on bikes built for comfort rather than speed, trace the perimeter of the island.