There was a four-day weekend in Hong Kong recently because of the Mid-Autumn Festival and China National Day, and some people had asked me what I’d be doing since I wasn’t going away. Some people seem to have been at a loss as to what to do with themselves like one guy I had met who complained that the break was too long as he had nothing to do! Gosh, I don’t think I’d ever find myself saying that. Anyway, my default activity is always hiking, and I hiked three days in a row. Friends who come to visit always ask me for suggestions on things to do apart from shopping. Here are my top five picks if you only have three to four days in Hong Kong:

1. For an easy and short hike, go to Dragon’s Back which was toted by Time magazine as Asia’s Best Urban Hike. See stunning views of Hong Kong island’s south side and watch out for paragliders as you walk along the ridge!

2. Go to Lamma Island and experience a Hong Kong that is more laid-back with a village feel. I love eating at Bookworm Cafe whenever I go there as it serves delicious organic vegetarian food – try the vegetarian lasagne and shepherdess pie. If it’s hot enough, you might want to go for a dip at Hung Shing Yeh Beach. Also, take a leisurely walk along the 6-km Lamma Island Family Trail that takes you from Yung Shue Wan jetty to Sok Kwu Wan jetty where you can take a ferry back to Central. Along the trail, you’ll get to see nice views of the island and beaches.

3. Visit Tai O village in Lantau Island instead of the Big Buddha. Frankly I think the Big Buddha is overrated. OK, the cable car ride up to Ngong Ping may offer some scenic views but that’s about it. The Big Buddha doesn’t impress me, and I much prefer Tai O Village with its stilt houses and its narrow bustling streets lined with shops selling preserved seafood like salted fish, shrimp paste and fish maw. Usually people take bus 11 from Tung Chung bus terminal to get there, but coming back, if you happen to be in time to catch the ferry service that runs every two hours, I’d suggest taking that back to Tung Chung. It’s a nice 30-min boat ride compared to the 45-min bus ride that weaves slowly round the hills.

4. Hop on a boat tour of the Sai Kung islands to admire the beautiful geological features like sea caves, sea arches, basalt columns formed by volcanic action millions of years ago. After the tour, have dinner at one of the restaurants at the Sai Kung town centre and have some fun looking at the floating seafood market at the pier. I love seeing all the live seafood that the fishermen bring to sell in their small sampans.

5. Macau is a haven for those who are into casino games. But if you’re not into that, there are some nice Portuguese architecture to look at too. And of course, there are the almond biscuits, Portuguese egg tarts and baked rice dishes that I love. Definitely worth a day trip from Hong Kong.