Honestly, Hong Kong wasn't my first choice in cities to visit. All I knew about it was that it was big and full of skyscrapers. In fact, it is the city with the most skyscrapers in the world (meaning buildings that are over 45 stories tall). It's a big city, full of hustle and bustle, but it's still worth spending three days there to experience the highlights and check out the culture. Here was our itinerary, the highs and the lows.

We arrived late in the evening on what I would call "Day Zero" so we just grabbed some dinner and went to bed. We opted to stay in the JW Marriott, which is located just east of Soho on Hong Kong Island. Honestly, I booked this hotel because I got an incredible half-off deal on hotels.com. There are tons of other smaller hotels in the area which would serve you well if you're on a budget and don't come across quite the steal that I did.

The true adventure started on Day One.

DAY ONE

My favorite way to take in a new city is to "get high." So, we took the funicular up to Victoria Peak. Though you can't see much while riding in the funicular (or sometimes referred to as Peak Tram), once you are at the top, the views out over the city are amazing! We took a walk around the Circular Trail to get a view over the other parts of Hong Kong, which was well worth the approximately 1 hour walk. You can also head up some smaller trails up to the very top of "The Peak" to reach the city's highest natural point at 552 meters. There are plenty of little cafes and restaurants around the top of the funicular, so reward yourself with a frozen cocktail after you complete the walk. You deserve it (I know I did).

Tips: Get to the funicular early to avoid the line. Also, there are bunches of salesmen around trying to sell the "Hop On, Hop Off Bus" - ignore them. Hong Kong is very easy (and relatively cheap) to get around by subway, cab, or even good-ole fashioned walking.

At the base of the funicular is Hong Kong Park, which is worth a stroll through. It's full of a variety of paths, fountains, and even has a small cafe.

Next, head to the waterfront to take in a view of the harbor up close. It's about a 30 minute walk from the base of the funicular to the Central Pier. This is also where the Start Ferry departs to either travel across the Harbor to Kowloon, or you an take an approximately 1 hour cruise around Victoria Harbor.

Tips: The Start Ferry only accepts cash. Try to have bills in small denominations to better use the machines for ticket purchasing. One hours cruises around the harbor are only offered in the afternoons.

Clean yourself up a bit and head over to Soho for dinner. We'd heard great reviews from a friend of a friend about Ho Lee Fook. The funny name itself was enough of a reason alone to try it. We arrived at the restaurant at a respectful hour of 7pm, and found ourselves with a 2 hour wait. But we weren't starving, so thought, why not?

During our wait, we headed a few doors down to NOM - Not Only Meatballs. We had a few drinks and an appetizer of a few different types of balls. This one didn't blow my tastebuds out of the water or anything, but did tide us over until dinner.

Okay, back to Ho Lee Fook - the food was amazing and worth the wait. Not to mention the mojitos were out of this world. Most of the dishes are served family style (which I love purely for food sampling), we split a platter of spicy mussels, grilled calamari, half a chicken, and sautéed asparagus and broccoli. The vegetables were so good that they melted in my mouth and it was my first time trying mussels - I have to say that I was blown away! Plus, to end the meal, they gave us complimentary shots of Sake. What more can you ask for?

Tips: Make a reservation if you want to eat at Ho Lee Fook (especially if it happens to fall on a Saturday... oops). And get a t-shirt because who can forget that name?

If you're still feeling energetic, head over to Lan Kwai Fung. It's a few blocks that are overrun by semi-western style bars and restaurants, and only a short walk from Soho. We hit up quite a few different bars, which honestly I don't remember the names of. The bars are fairly open-air, with music blasting out the doors, and dance parties waiting inside. I hope you brought your dancing shoes, because you're going to need them!

DAY TWO

Sleep in a bit, you deserve it after a night out like a local (and adjusting to the time change... ewww, jet lag).

Try the famous Dim Sum Cuisine. Honestly, we weren't sure where to head to get "the best dim sum" because basically everyone claims they have it. We ended up playing it a little safe and just went to a restaurant in the mall below our hotel - Man Ho Chinese Restaurant at the JW Marriott/Pacific Place. They have a sampler platter for fried and steamed dim sum, which is what we did, so we had a mixture of mushroom, chicken, pork, and shrimp pieces. They were all wonderfully seasoned, served with a variety of sauces, and absolutely mouthwatering. My biggest challenge was using the chopsticks (someday I will master them)!

After lunch, we were well in need of a walk, so we headed east to explore the rest of the highlights of Hong Kong Island. We explored a few of the stores in Wan Chai, tried some of the local "waffles" in Hong Kong's Time's Square (it ain't got nothing on NYC's Times Square though), and ended in Victoria Park. Basically, there is a shopping haven for any type of item that you could ever imagine in this area, so bring your negotiating skills if you're in the mood to purchase!

After cleaning up a bit, we took the Star Ferry across to Kowloon. (For a measly 2 HKD each).

That evening, we had what I referred to as our "fancy dinner". I had heard great reviews about the Light Show over Victoria Harbour, saying that it is the largest permanently installed light show in the world, which occurs at 8pm every evening. Plus, the best spot in the house to watch the show is from Nobu, located within the Intercontinental. So naturally, we made a reservation for 7:30, were promptly seated with a table by the window, and were ready to have our eyes delighted. Unfortunately, this was my biggest disappointment of the trip - I didn't find the light show to be anything spectacular, but I can say that I throughly enjoying eating with a view overlooking the lighted up harbor. Plus the food at Nobu - oh my god, the food - just thinking about it again makes my mouth water. If you go, you have to (I mean HAVE to) try the Spicy Tuna and Crispy Rice appetizer. It was so good that I ordered a second one! For dinner, I had sushi - the Yellowtail and Jalapeño Roll and the Chef's Specialty Roll were both magnificent. I could seriously eat there everyday.

Tips: Dress to impress for Nobu (and if you continue on to the Ozone Bar, see below). The dress code for both is smart casual - men, that means pants, closed toed shoes, and a shirt with sleeves - ladies, a semi-casual dress will suit just fine. (I stuck with flat sandals).

Round off the night with a stop at the Ozone Bar atop the Ritz. It's located 118 stories above the ground, making it the highest bar manmade, and providing a breathtaking view over the entire city. Since we did Victoria Peak during the day, we thought going here at night would provide a nice contrast, and it did not disappoint.

Tips: Drinks are a bit pricey, as are they in the rest of Hong Kong, compared to midwestern USA standards. Still have one - I opted for a ginger bamboo drink, which was served in a piece of bamboo with rosemary that was heavenly. Also, there is a subway station located in the mall connected to the base of the Ritz, which made for an easy ride back to Hong Kong Island.

DAY THREE

We took the subway back over to Kowloon to hit the markets. Little did we know, that most of the markets don't get up and going until about 11am or noon. But, this did give us a chance to scope out a tiny bakery for a breakfast treat - it's called "The Baker A". We tried this delicious cheese filled bread-thing (similar to an Asiago Cheese Bagel, but with melty cheese in the middle) and a delightful green-tea, white chocolate muffin. Both were about $10 HKD ($1.25 USD) each. They were absolutely delicious - I almost turned around and went back for more!

Next, we took a walk down the Goldfish Street - which literally has hundreds and hundreds of goldfish for sale. It reminded of a fair where you can win a goldfish in a bag! Though we couldn't purchase any, it was fun to peek in all the shops.

Last, we took a walk through the Ladies Market - which isn't actually for ladies only. It had a mix of everything imaginable, clothing, painting, small electronics, purses - basically you name it, someone was selling it. Plus, it was a great place to pick up some souvenirs.

Tips: Be ready to haggle - the boys bought some paintings and the woman selling them was negotiated down to half of her original price.