They host “New Taste of Hong Kong”, a new three-episode series showcasing classic movie locations in Central and Sham Shui Po, which premieres tomorrow (Tuesday, November 27 ) at 8:05pm on TLC Channel on TrueVisions Channel 566.

Tsang, the daughter of actor Eric Tsang and Ko, son of stuntman/actor Blackie Ko, have recently revisited places in Hong Kong where their fathers began their movie careers.

Starting from Old Town Central, they take viewers to iconic movie locations to relive the scenes and, with the help of local expert guides, head out to new spots where the next big movie may be shot.

As an actress and TV presenter, Tsang has travelled the globe and tasted cultural delights all over the world. Now, she’s revisiting the places she grew up with a brand-new perspective.

“I remembered Hong Kong as a small place. But as we were shooting the show, I realised that there are still a lot of spots worth visiting. Old Town Central has been given new life in recent years and the hidden zone in Sheung Wan/ Central has been transformed into a new hip area nicknamed Poho. You can find small shops, bookstores, galleries or even a tea house.”

Also moved by the local hospitality, Tsang says, “whenever I was back in town in the past, I would just go to the shopping malls and didn’t really get to chat and connect with the locals. But visiting food stalls and Hong Kong style cafes, plus the old and new shops in Sham Shui Po, I am rediscovering the genuine hospitality of Hong Kongers. Everyone is loving and contributing to Hong Kong in their own unique way.”

As a child, Ko would follow his dad around the various movie locations in Hong Kong. When asked about his impression of Hong Kong, he answers: “My impression of Hong Kong has always been it’s a place of happiness. It’s a city where the east and the west meet, and the two cultures not only coexist but flourish.”

His favourite is western-style Chinese food.

“There is no other place that can make a better egg and ham sandwich!”

During the shooting process, the pair revisited Tai Ping Koon Restaurant, an iconic time-honoured restaurant serving Hong Kong-style western food—also a place of childhood memories for the two hosts.

Ko was pleasantly surprised when the restaurant owner took out an autograph of his late father, and a senior staff member recalled the favourite dish of Tsang’s grandfather. They shared childhood memories whether it was about the chicken wings in Swiss sauce, roast pigeon or its giant soufflé. Tsang shared her must-have heavenly-delicious French toast in her gourmet trip in Sham Shui Po, saying “This is hands down the best I’ve had in 40 years!”

The pair visited the Mid-Levels Escalator from the Hong Kong classic “Chungking Express”, enjoyed sharing childhood memories at Tai Kwun (former Central Police Station), which inspired the story of “Police Story”.

WITH AN eye to making the most of its natural attractions, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has joined with National Geographic to promote its 10th annual “Great Outdoors” campaign, featuring 13 of the city’s most stunning landscapes. The campaign will include an authoritative guidebook, “Your Guide to Hiking & Cycling in Hong Kong”, a photo gallery as well as collaborative content with insights from National Geographic photographers and trail experts.

Visitors to Hong Kong can now discover some of the SAR’s most picturesque nature trails through the contrasting lenses of the “One Place, Two Perspectives” narrative. The stories present Hong Kong as a jaw-dropping, breathtaking visual dichotomy with contrasting city views and verdant mountains, traditional villages with natural flora and fauna, and beautiful landscapes and seascapes.

The MacLehose Trail showcases sea caves, sea stacks and hexagonal rock columns. (Photo by Matthieu Paley)

“We are delighted to be working with National Geographic, which has a huge number of followers, who enjoy travelling and adventures,” says Anthony Lau, executive director of HKTB.

“In this fresh attempt to showcase Hong Kong’s natural beauty through stunning photography and inspiring stories by some of the world’s top photographers, we hope to encourage visitors to discover another side of cosmopolitan Hong Kong during the hiking season, which runs from November to March.”

“One Place, Two Perspectives” will be presented by a team, that includes French photographer Matthieu Paley, a contributing photographer to the respected magazine, whose assignments have taken him to far-flung corners of the globe. Paley has lived in Hong Kong for nine years and is intimately acquainted with the city’s natural landscapes. He will capture Hong Kong Unesco Global Geopark’s majestic volcanic rock columns on land before diving into the park’s mesmerising aqua waters.

Hike on the country trail toward Shek Pik Reservoir to see the Big Buddha and Wisdom Path from a distance. (photo by Tugo Cheng)

National Geographic award-winning photographer and Hong Konger Tugo Cheng, whose background in architecture gives his work a unique aesthetic, will dish up an inside scoop on the beauty of Hong Kong’s natural landscape. He’ll be taking his camera to historical Sam A Village to explore the indigenous culture, and then onwards to the exotic plants and wildlife that thrive in Plover Cove Country Park.

Trail runner Wyan Chow Pui-yan, who was the first local female to win the Vibram Hong Kong 100 and who placed 17th in the Ultra Trail World Tour, will lead the team into Tai Mo Shan Country Park — and the city’s tallest mountain, at 900 meters above sea level. Chow and her godmother, who runs a popular kiosk in the park, will share their insights on hiking and trail-running along Tai Mo Shan, as well as their love for the magnificent sunset views the highest peak in Hong Kong offers.

“As a community of bold explorers with an insatiable curiosity, there’s nothing we like more than showing people new perspectives on the world around them,” says Con Apostolopoulos of National Geographic.

“Partnering with the tourist board is a fantastic opportunity to transform the way people think about Hong Kong; showing off its contrasting urban and rural beauty in a new light through the lens of talented photographers and explorers.”

IF YOU GO

Find out more about the Great Outdoors Hong Kong at /www.DiscoverHongKong.com/ eng/see-do/great-outdoors/index.jsp

An e-version of “Your Guide to Hiking & Cycling in Hong Kong” can be downloaded from the same website.

Tugo Cheng’s “Experience Nature and Culture in Plover Cove Country Park” can be viewed at https://youtu.be/MZq8NScpPTs.

Matthieu Paley’s “Hong Kong: Land and Sea” video is at https://youtu.be/eQ7C19pJ3-A

DUBBED THE Little Paris, the hilly town of Da Lat in southern Vietnam is blessed by year-round cool breezes and constantly bathed in a sea of mist, making it a popular holiday escape both for locals and visitors from overseas.

Discovered by French bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin in 1893 and developed by the French in the early 1900s, it boasts colonial architecture that draws on both French and Swiss designs, giving the resort an Alpine feel.

Luxury chateau-style hotels and boutique accommodation take visitors back to the first decade of the 1900s and Da Lat’s heyday as a classy resort town for the elite.

The Hydrangea Garden is the hottest photo spot for the locals and Thai tourists. 

Standing at 1,500 meters above sea level, it’s now home to massive verdant fields of artichokes, strawberries, persimmons, potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, asparagus, lavender and hydrangeas, all of which love the climate and temperatures that range from 9 to 28 degrees Celsius.

“The French army occupied Saigon but the Europeans had problems coping with the hot and humid weather and the mosquitoes. So, the French went into the rural areas of this southern region and turned Da Lat into a place where they could enjoy a terrific climate the whole year. We have two seasons here – blue skies and occasional light rain during the day and chilly nights,” says local guide Thai Mac Vi Tien, who invites us to call her Cat, her nickname.

“The city’s name means river of the Lat tribe and it has been home to several hill tribes for centuries. Vietnam was under French colonial rule until 1954 and divided into northern and southern Vietnam during the American War. Plenty of Vietnamese left their homes and fled to Thailand, while some of the residents from the central region relocated to Da Lat. Today, the town has about 5,000 residents.”

Surrounded by dense jungle, Datanla Waterfall is a gateway to Da Lat and draws both Vietnamese families and foreigners with such fun attractions as a free jump, rafting and a zip line through the trees.

For an adrenaline high, ride a roller coaster to Datanla Waterfall.

There are several ways to reach this 100-metre high waterfall. Visitors can spend 15 to 20 minutes trekking along the trail or board the cable car for a five-minute ride. We choose to ride the self-controlled, two-seat roller coaster, a system unique to Da Lat.

Safely strapped in, we learn how to use the hand pedal to adjust speed and stop before zooming off on a breathtaking ride that sees us take the curves taken at 40 kilometres per hour. Visitors can pay VND 35,000 (Bt50) for a one-way ride and VND 45,000 for a return trip.

Back in the town, meanwhile, we observe group after group of Vietnamese youngsters dressed in South Korean-style overcoats posing for photographs in front of Da Lat Railway Station – fashion shoots, our guide tells us.

Erected in 1932 and opened for operation in 1938, this art deco-style building is the collective brainchild of French architects Moncet and Reveron and is inspired by the native Cao Ngyuen communal houses of ethnic minorities from Vietnam’s Central Highlands.

The station was abandoned during Vietnam War and returned to service in 1990s to promote tourism. With its stunning multicoloured glass windows and three roofs resembling the three peaks of Lang Biang Mountain, it was named a national historical monument in 2001.

Catch a train from Da Lat Railway Station for the scenic sevenkilometre ride to Trai Mat. 

Last year, it introduced a daily seven-kilometre service –the Da Lat Plateau Rail Road – between the town and the village of Trai Mat, treating visitors to the sight of row after row of vegetable gardens, small hamlets and historical sites all along the route.

It’s also home to a vintage coffee house adapted from old bogies where while waiting for the train visitors can buy handmade keepsakes and self-portraits quickly sketched by a local artist.

The temperature drops to 17 degrees Celsius when the sun sets, perfect for a shopping trip to Da Lat Night Bazaar. Spread all along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, the market is populated by hundreds of local vendors selling cheap winter clothes and accessories mixed in with stalls offering a variety of tasty treats. We sample an interesting crispy Vietnamese pizza with a variety of toppings, soymilk paired with home-made French pastries and some coconut candy known as keo chi dua.

Woken very early by the sound of several horns being honked the next morning, I cover the short distance from the historical Du Parc Hotel Da Lat where I am staying for two nights, to the iconic Da Lat Cathedral in no time. Constructed between 1931 and 1942, it’s also known as the Rooster Church thanks to a large rooster statue installed on top of its bell tower. The peaceful interior boasts 70 stained glass panels brought over from France and has a statue of the Virgin Mary at the gate.

Da Lat Cathedral stands at the very heart of the town.

Walking back to the hotel once the morning rush hour has started, I get stuck in the middle of the road with horn-blowing motorcycles coming at me from every direction. Crossing the street seems to be impossible even in small Vietnamese towns but a friend takes hold of my hand and urges me to keep walking and learn to trust Vietnamese motorcyclists. Apparently they are good at reading the minds of pedestrians and measuring walking speed but hate using their brakes. I’m not sure I believe this but make it to the other side without being knocked over.

I feel considerably safer during the 20-minute drive to the suburb of Lac Duong and my harrowing memories fade completely once we arrive at the Hydrangea Garden that stretches as far as the eyes can see. It’s like a wonderland, where tourists can dive into a sea of giant purple hydrangeas and find the best spot for taking selfie.

“Hydrangeas are blooming the whole year thanks to Da Lat’s cool weather. When it first opened, there was free access to the garden and many of the blossoms were damaged by tourists. The owner decided to set up a photo shoot zone for which visitors pay VND15,000 to enter,” Cat says.

“Apart from hydrangeas, this month is also the season for Mexican sunflowers and persimmons. Da Lat is famous for artichoke tea that’s good for cleansing the liver and relaxing the mind.”

The Hydrangea Garden is the hottest photo spot for the locals and Thai tourists. 

Two kilometres away from the hydrangea garden is the highly revered Linh Phuoc Pagoda, another delight for the eyes with its fine colourful mosaic murals. Built between 1949 and 1952, it greets visitors with a 49-metre-long dragon’s head made from 12,000 glass bottles.

The main hall is adorned with cobblestone mosaics and bas-reliefs that depict the story of the Lotus Sutras and of Shakyamuni. Another attraction is the seven-floor bell tower housing an 18-metre-high golden statue of Guanyin fitted out with 600,000 paper flowers. Pilgrims write their wishes on yellow paper and ring the bell three times to pay homage to Buddha.

That afternoon, back in downtown Da Lat, we drop by the Domaine de Marie Church. Built in the 1940s, its design is reminiscent of Normandy’s 17th-century cathedrals.

Featuring pink limestone walls, stained glass windows and a three-metre-tall statue of the Virgin Mary, the church is home to the Roman Catholic nuns of the Mission of Charity.

Our sightseeing tour ends at Doha Cafe, a new landmark opposite Xuan Huong Lake. Made from green glass, this coffee house is designed to resemble an artichoke flower and serves a selection of western snacks along with coffee and smoothies.

The writer travelled courtesy of KTC World Travel Service.

IF YOU GO

>> Thai Vietjet operates flights between Bangkok and Da Lat on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

>> For reservations, go to http://www.bookvietjetair.com.

At the Ocean Terminal, visitors can walk through the world’s largest video kaleidoscope and view dynamic Christmas themed scenery such as snowflakes, Christmas tree, stars and rainbow tunnel which are refracted through the triangular mirror and LED screen walls. Admission is HK$50 (Bt210) and the proceeds will go to Hong Kong Blood Cancer Foundation.

The Ocean terminal forecourt is home to the largest-ever 20-metres high Christmas tree and the 40-metre-long Christmas Love Lock bridge adorned with nearly 200,000 LED lights that create spectacular lighting effects. Visitors can choose their favourite colour Love Lock representing different wishes and lock it on the bridge fence to make a wish by donating HK$20. A festive special Post Office “Xmas Post” and “Santa Studio” are also under the bridge with a large post box and plenty of unique postcards.

With original music arrangement matching with the different colours of romantic scenery, this multimedia show has set the harbour ablaze and will showcase the vibrancy and glamorous night vista of Harbour City.

British designer duo Miller Goodman has transformed the Gateway Arcade II and Ocean Terminal lobby into a wonderland, inspired by classic fantasy “The Nutcracker”.

The event continues through January 1.

The airport recommends that tourists board the Iga Ninja Liner bus service that runs between Nagoya and the village of Iga Ueno in Mie Prefecture. The trip takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes and there are 8 rounds per day.

Iga Ninja Liner tickets will be available on January 12 as a special package that can be used as a Nagoya Express Bus ride ticket, the ticket to the ninja village Iga Ueno, admission to the Ninja Museum of Igayu and to the ninja’s weapon “Shuriken” practice activity.

Chubu district in the central Japan is the birthplace of three samurai heroes – Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu – and has many interesting places to visit, such as the castle surrounded by stone and various mechanical techniques used by samurai and ninja in the olden days.

The Ninja village Iga Ueno, said to be the origin of the ninja in Japan, is home to the Ninja Museum of Igaryu that gathers knowledge and interest about ninjas in one place and is also a popular tourist spot. Visitors can experience the culture and way of life of the ninja and benefit from a real-life ninja guide.

The Karakuri Yashiki Ninja Residence is filled with fun traps and home to the ninja show “Ashura”.

Chubu Centrair International Airport is located just 28 minutes from downtown Nagoya. Thai Airways, Japan Airlines and AirAsia X operate direct flights.

Cowan who has famously dressed the likes of Beyonce, Cardi B and Lady Gaga, is renowned for bringing fun to the fashion world with copious amounts of colour, glitz and glamour.

“My designs typically feature a bit of cheeky humour mixed with a youthful take on how modern day women can dress, transforming them into something truly head-turning. Inspiration for House of Sparkle came from my latest collection featuring shimmer, drama and of course, glamour” says the designer. “I’ve had so much fun collaborating with Booking.com on the townhouse design. This is the first time I’ve channelled my vision into an amazing place to stay.”

Everything from floor to ceiling, including the bedroom, bathroom, closet, dining and lounge area in the four storey, custom-designed townhouse will celebrate all that sparkles. The accommodation embraces ebullience, opulence and shimmer – all said to be emergent fashion trends this season – with a gold glittery frontage, black-and-white checkerboard glitter entrance hall and twisted glittery rainbow stairwell.

The 100-kg of sustainable glitter used in curating the townhouse and 36,000 gold sequins were used to cover the exterior of the property. Approximately two kilometres in length of metallic streamers adorn the interior walls and 52,000 mirror ball facets dazzle in the disco party bedroom.

 Available for booking on Booking.com and accommodating up to two guests, those lucky enough to book a stay for the night will be immersed in a sparkle experience. Guests will be able to relax in a lounge dipped in pink glitter or shower in a bathroom amongst blue glittery clouds with giant silver sequin rain installations. A curtain of metallic streamers leads guests into the master bedroom, to a party sparkly world of metallic pinata textures, disco balls and mirror details.

A welcome hamper will be provided full of delicious drinks and snacks plus some sparkly games to get guests in the festive spirit. A selection of Christian Cowan clothes will be available to try on and a makeover station full of the latest shimmery products ensures guests will be given the full glitter experience.

“Who doesn’t want a bit more sparkle in their lives? The House of Sparkle is just one lavish example of the many unforgettable travel experiences customers can enjoy in the more than 5.7 million reported listings in vacation, homes, apartments and other unique places to stay on Booking.com. Surrounded by an extraordinary array of gleam and glimmer, we are excited to offer our customers a stay at the House of Sparkle, which is sure to be an unforgettable experience this holiday season,” adds Pepijn Rijvers, chief marketing officer at Booking.com.

Priced at 99 pounds per night (approximately Bt4,200), this overnight experience is available for just three nights (two people per night) on December 7 to 9.

The House of Sparkle will open bookings for its December 7 stay tomorrow (November 22) at 10am GMT, with the stays for December 8 and 9 availability being released at 10am GMT on November 27 and December 3 respectively.

For more information, visit https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/house-of-sparkle.html