I've been a regular visitor to HKG for well over 30 years now and the must do's here is eating and…read moreshopping. One of the most fun shopping is done at any of their street markets throughout the city. Li Yuen has been around for as long as I can recall and during my last visit, it was bustling with shoppers and activities. On this visit as I made the familiar turn off Queens road, most of what you could see was dark and shuttered shops. A few small shops still remained open but it was nowhere like the past. All the shops that still remains open was virtually empty with their owners sitting and seemed to be waiting for the customers that come few and far between. This is pretty much the same in many retail around the city as I was informed by locals that new shopping mecca is located just across the border in Shenzhen where prices and selections are much better. Sadly, it doesn't look like things here will improve with the signs of the world economy.

REVIEW #2 Hong Kong…read moreis made of varies different markets that offer an array of different items! Li Yuen Street Market is located in Central area and is a hidden little lane market. Its split between two small markets: Li Yuen Street East and Li Yuen Street West. Li Yuen Street East is a cute little hidden Market on the side of Seed Heritage store. These markets are packed with vendors that sell multiple products from purses, clothing, great souvenirs, shoes, and slippers. Sometimes these markets are shortened by the name of "The Lanes of Central". Also in this Lane you will also find a Gong Cha boba spot. Most of the vendors take only cash but there's a vending machine at the end of the market. You can easily miss this Market if you're not paying attention. Just look for the sign that says Li Yuen Street East. HOW TO GET THERE: MTR Central Station, Exit C. Walk along Des Voeux Road Central towards Sheung Wan REVIEWER 200/196

As an ABC I really appreciate this store as they modernize and update traditional Chinese style…read more clothes and "hipsterize" traditional Chinese prints/items. For those that are familiar with HK pop culture they generally have some hidden gems. I try to get something from here anytime I'm in HK. They have a store at HKG also for those that are just doing a layover.

My husband read about this place while searching for locally manufactured gifts to bring home after…read moreour trip to Hong Kong. The store is beautiful and offers a wide array of different items, from clothing to arts and crafts and jewelry. Everything is made in Hong Kong and we loved the idea of buying something that is not mass-produced. I got some hair tube wraps, a t-shirt and some jewelry: prices are on the expensive end but I got very quality, unique items that I did not see anywhere else during my stay so all in all, it was a good trade.

Log-On is a great store to kill time in. They call themselves a lifestyle store with trendy…read moreproducts that includes stationery, gadgets, photography accessories, fashion, travel accessories, beauty and wellness products. Currently there are 13 LOG-ON stores in Hong Kong and this location is conveniently located inside the iSquare building in Tsim Sha Tsui. The store is clean and organized and there are plenty of employees around but do not pressure you to buy. I came into the store to just browse, but walked out with some beauty products that I think are slightly cheaper than what you might find at Sasa. It's a great store to find small gift items and greeting cards, they even offer snacks and drinks from around the world.

Cutest store EVARRR. I'm so sad we don't have one of these in America. There were so many wonderful…read moreand useful things, it was hard to choose what I needed to make room for in my bags. Also, be aware that not all Log-On stores are the same. Like any chain store, some have more loot than others. We went to one and thought it couldn't get any better, then went to another one and were even more wowed. This location was WOW number one. Aside from having things like pens, backpacks, phone cases and cameras, it also has somewhat of a drug store. They even have supplies for work/lunches for adults and children. My friend likened it to a smaller, cuter, better Target. Just GO!

I'm in the US, and I searched hard to find a jeweler in Hong Kong that could design a men's gold…read morering that matched one that had been purchased in HK several years ago but had been lost. The store where it had been purchased was not really helpful, as they were not providing pictures of what I was seeking. Plus there were communication difficulties as well. However, Ellis was terrific in every way!!! They took the few pictures I was able to provide and designed a ring that looked almost exactly like the one that had been lost. They provided a reasonable price estimate, and then, after the ring was finished, actually charged me less than the full estimate, as it weighed a little less than they had expected--i.e., they went above and beyond to be completely honest. They waited to ship, per my instructions, and then the ring was shipped promptly and arrived quickly, after some customs paperwork. The ring is gorgeous, exactly what was wanted! This company was helpful, talented, and honest--should be at the top of everyone's list!!! I wouldn't hesitate to buy there again, and I hope to get to the store sometime too as I'm sure it would be a great place to shop in person.

Hong Kong has a lot of jewellery stores. Like Jessie J, we love the bling bling over here. However,…read moreif you want to get away from the chain store monstrosities selling solid gold sculptures of winged horses riding waves, but don't want to go as contemporary cool as platinum "art" stones the size of tennis balls, you can get your jewellery custom made. And for that, I can recommend only one place - Ellis in Wan Chai. Ellis Jewellery, named after the owner Ellis - quite possibly the nicest man in HK, sells a great number of standard pieces, from engagement rings, chains and necklaces, charms, cufflinks, you get the idea! However, Ellis' real talent comes in custom crafting jewellery from your ideas. What I mean by this is, you can take Ellis a sketch for a piece of jewellery, and he will translate your cigarette packet doodle into a practical, long lasting pice of art. He will also do all of this for a very reasonable cost compared to the big boys. Where on Earth can one get a one off custom piece for less than the production models that come in 20,000 piece runs? Ellis, that's where! I find buying from Ellis very refreshing, especially his very honest and trustworthy approach. A lot of businesses will try to up-sell, but not Ellis. I wanted to buy an item in platinum, but was actually told to have the piece made in silver as the more malleable metal would have given the item a longer life. The silver was about one tenth of the cost of the platinum, and though he lost out on a huge payday, Ellis' advice was completely right. He is also completely upfront with timescales. If your design takes four days to make, it will take four days to make. Not two days then "so sorry, come back in two more days". This makes him a hit with the tourists who are passing through, as well as those of us who leave shopping for an anniversary just that little bit too late! So if you are thinking of getting down on one knee, or wanting to to get something for a loved one, I thoroughly recommend Ellis. Committing your design ideas to reality is hard enough, but with Ellis guiding you, you will not be disappointed. And nor will that special someone!

This is another stop I had to make every time I am in HK. This place used to be caulk full of…read morevendors and little stores fill with anything video games. Since my last visit here 4 years ago, much of the stores have been closed. Many of the stores now have been taken over by phone, computers or even food stalls. I even saw one of stores were now an adult toy store, which is a very weird place to be. There are still plenty of choices to chose from, there were many businesses that have switch over to toys as well. I am both a toy and video game geek, so I was very happy. Unlike some of the other specialize areas of shopping in HK, like the computer shopping area has buildings and blocks having the same stuff. The Oriental 188 is very isolated, they do have one building fill with games and stuff, but nothing surrounding it. So if you are looking for a game hunting adventure that would last ALL day, you may be slightly disappointed. If not, fantastic place to go to.

BEWARE OF SCAM PHONE REPAIR HERE: IMPRESSION DIGITAL…read more They stole my phone! I dropped off a $1,000 Note 8 phone and they kept it! I went to get it the next day as they were to fix the glass and they were closed. They stayed closed for 2 days until they knew I was leaving Hong Kong. They STILL have my phone TWO months later and refuse to mail it to me, they laughed and said I should fly back to Hong Kong to get it as they were not spending money to ship phones. I even gave them my credit card number so I would pay for it -- and they have every excuse not to send it. Lamp Pui is the owner and she is impossible to deal with. She plays games, like blocking me from WhatsApp, not answering her phone or playing games on email. I just got the police involved and hope she gets arrested. DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING TO IMPRESSION DIGITAL AND LAMP PUI. (BTW: They didn't even fix the glass as the owner LAMP PUI claimed she "didn't know how to fix it.") BEWARE!

One of my absolute FAVORITE clothing stores in the world for "stylish disposable" wear at…read moreaffordable prices. I can always find fabulous outfits in either the womens or mens section. The designers for Zara know what they doing with keeping it's customers fashion forward. The stores are perfectly designed for easy access to view and try on clothing. I recommend Zara if you are looking for quality goods that are stylish and reasonably priced.

When shopping in Pacific Place, Zara is a must. In fact, the only fashion store where I've ever…read morebought anything in this shopping mall. As opposed to the rest of them Zara is not a designer store, neither a high end brand. It's a medium quality, good design clothing and accessories' store. We all know Zara. It may be argued that it does not match in this location but I think it's great that it's there. Today I wanted to buy a bag and it was almost an emergency...I had kept an old one for way too long. As Topshop in Queensway doesn't have many bags (if any at all) I headed to Zara. None of the other stores crossed my mind. What's more: I knew I could find what I was after - a big black bag, rather simple. This season is plagued with those, with a good range of qualities and prices. I finally got Trafaluc one and I love it, it does its job and it's nicely designed. They also have some pretty brown leather bags in this collection. I did have a look at the clothes too; Zara HK is different to Europe's stores (the ones I know) in many ways...not only the design is more minimalistic and the lines simpler but it is also more expensive and it's positioning differs from Europe's. I found the current collection a little boring but still, great to have a Zara just 2 minutes away from my office!