The Langham, Hong Kong

Although it’s just half an hour from Hong Kong’s hectic heart, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the gods have hit the slo-mo button when you step off the ferry. From a traditional Chinese fishing village to a laid-back multicultural community, Lamma’s blend of Western and Chinese island life creates an atmosphere that has proved irresistible for Hong Kong’s busy residents. Many come here as day-trippers; some stay for good. Photo credit: Hong Kong Tourism Board

Ngong Ping 360 is the ideal springboard to exploring Lantau Island. Your journey begins with a 25-minute cable car ride from Tung Chung. Give the amazing Crystal Cabin a try. Its glass bottom offers an astonishing bird’s eye view of the magical deep blue sea and lush green mountainside underneath your feet. As you step out of the cable car, you will be greeted by the culturally themed 1.5-hectare Ngong Ping Village, where a wide array of shops and eateries in Ngong Ping Village offer a delightful shopping and dining experience. Don’t miss the Walking with Buddha multimedia presentation and the educational animated fable Monkey’s Tale Theatre.The renowned Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, Ngong Ping Piazza and Wisdom Path are only a five-minute walk from Ngong Ping Village. Photo credit: Hong Kong Tourism Board

Hong Kong Wetland Park is a world-class ecotourism park that's a fantastic spot for people to enjoy some of Hong Kong’s unique flora and fauna. But it also plays an even more important role, working to help conserve a vital ecosystem as well as educate the public about environmental protection and wetland conservation. The park is home to an impressive cast of wildlife, including birds, butterflies and dragonflies, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and fish! Visitors' understanding and enjoyment of this ecosystem is helped by a Visitor Centre - Wetland Interactive World and a 60-hectare Wetland Reserve that showcases the diversity of Hong Kong’s wetland ecosystem. Photo credit: Hong Kong Tourism Board

With over 100 incredibly life-like wax figures, Madame Tussauds Hong Kong delivers a fun and interactive celebrity experience in which everyone can either become a star, or just compare themselves to the real thing. Guests can gawk at some of the world’s most famous faces in six themed areas: Hong Kong Glamour, Historical and National Heroes, World Premiere, SCREAM, The Champions, and Music Icons. They can learn martial arts from Bruce Lee, pose with Barack Obama, hang out with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, shoot hoops with Yao Ming, dance with Lady Gaga, perform some fancy footwork with David Beckham, feel Andy Lau’s heartbeat and meet McDull and Madame Mak, a popular Hong Kong cartoon character. Photo credit: Hong Kong Tourism Board

Every winter, more than two million migratory birds take refuge in the marshes and mudflats of the internationally acclaimed Mai Po Nature Reserve. Of the 380 species of birds that inhabit the reserve, 35 are of global conservation concern including the Saunders’s Gull and the Black-faced Spoonbill. Other critters such as otters, fiddler crabs and mudskippers also call the area home. The best time for bird-watching is in the spring and autumn, when birds come to forage in the vicinity of Mai Po and the Inner Deep Bay wetlands, feeding on fish, shrimps and crabs among the mangroves. Photo credit: www.wwf.org.hk

Lantau Island features an outdoor seated Giant bronze Buddha, along with the Po Lin Monastery and Ngong Ping Piazza, Tai O village on stilts, Ngong Ping 360 and Hong Kong Disneyland. The majestic figure of the seated Buddha was cast in China and took 12 years to complete. It was unveiled in December 1993 amid deeply religious ceremonies. Visitors can climb more than 200 steps to reach the platform where the Buddha is seated. The Ngong Ping 360 experience starts with a 25 minute cable car ride from Tung Chung to a culturally themed village high atop a mountain plateau on Lantau Island. Photo credit: Hong Kong Tourism Board

It really is like gazing upon the ark itself, which is why the world's only full-size replica of Noah's Ark is popular with both international and local visitors. Located at Ma Wan Park, the distinctive ark on the waterfront overlooks the Rambler Channel and Tsing Ma Bridge. The attraction also has activities and exhibits that explore the unique history and culture of Ma Wan, making it a great destination for families. Noah’s Ark is a wonderful place for parents and children to bond in a comfortable, natural environment, where entertainment and education are combined in diverse activities that promote life, family, the earth and positive values. Noah's Resort on the top floor has both double and twin rooms, as well as dorms for groups of four to eight. Photo credit:noahsark.com.hk

Opened in 1977, Ocean Park Hong Kong is a world class marine life theme park featuring animal exhibits, thrill rides and shows that offer guests an experience that blends entertainment with education and conservation. It is located on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, covering more than 870,000 square metres. The Waterfront and The Summit area are connected by cable car and Ocean Express train. Photo credit: Hong Kong Tourism Board