Tsim Sha Tsui could be said to be 'tourist central' for Hong Kong. It has more hotels than any other district, half of the city’s museums and some of its most eclectic and best-known restaurants. Add to that its world-class shopping centres, some of the city's most interesting history and fantastic views back across to Hong Kong Island, and you have plenty of reasons why tourists make Tsim Sha Tsui – or TST – their base.

TST actually forms the southernmost point of Kowloon, jutting out into Victoria Harbour, and has only existed for a century. It was reclaimed from the sea after the British took over, in 1860, when it was known as Heung Po Tau – or 'the fragrant quay' – because of the incense grown and exported from here. When a ferry service started, and then a major railway station was built, trade flourished and TST developed into a major hub for the city.

Now it is one of the most affluent areas in Hong Kong, home to luxury hotels, fine restaurants and expensive apartment towers. It's also one of the more diverse districts, where Korean, Gujarati and Punjabi are as likely to be heard as English or Cantonese.

Shopping is probably the biggest draw, at modern centres like the iSQUARE or the K11. A more authentic experience can be had in the many smaller shops lining Nathan Road – the so-called Golden Mile. This was the historic centre of Tsim Sha Tsui, and still has some of the oldest buildings in the city.

One of the central landmarks of TST is the red and pink Clock Tower, a 44-metre tall remnant of the old Kowloon Station. Close by, along the southern waterfront, is the museum complex of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. From here you can get one of the best views in Hong Kong – back across to the iconic neon-lit skyline of the Central District.