A new bridge linking Hong Kong and Macau should make a two-centre trip combining these former British and Portuguese colonies a reality. The project, linking the cities' colonial charm and cosmopolitan buzz, is due to be completed in 2016. We take a closer look at both destinations.

Hong Kong

The British have always had a soft spot for Hong Kong and, nearly 20 years after the handover, the place is attracting a new generation of visitors with its trendy cultural centres, galleries and chic restaurants.

"You could eat in three different restaurants a day for 10 years and still not visit them all," my dining companion in Hong Kong tells me. And they're not wrong. There are 11,000 of them.

From the old-school appeal of Duddell's, serving Cantonese cuisine and displaying fine art to a sophisticated crowd, to the vibrant buzz of Cé la Vi, a new diner and penthouse bar, Hong Kong is heaven for Chinese foodies.

Getting there

Package: Virgin Atlantic (0844 2092770) flies daily to Hong Kong from London Heathrow, from £533 per person, including taxes.
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For the real deal, however, take a food trail through Sham Shui Po, one of Hong Kong's old Kowloon districts, which has shops and cafés serving the type of Chinese food you won't find at your local takeaway - century-old egg, snake soup and squid with porridge.

A new district with museums, galleries and restaurants is being built, and from one of the many high viewing platforms in Hong Kong you can see the new cruise terminal.

In the centre you find PMQ (it stands for Police Married Quarters) a former barracks that has been transformed into a creative space housing more than 100 boutiques, exhibitions and pop-ups. Colourful and vibrant, it epitomises the new Hong Kong energy.

The vintage trams (they call them "Ding Dongs"), unchanged since 1904, are a creaky but pleasant way to explore the city like a local. But the iconic skyline is best viewed from a traditional junk, like the Aqua Luna, which takes a leisurely cruise around the shore as you relax with a drink.

The Symphony of Lights show happens every evening at 8pm, lighting up the sky with an explosion of colour from 40 buildings that straddle the harbour.

The city is a shopper's delight and sometimes there are bargains to be had. Apple products, for instance, sell at about 20 per cent less than in the UK, while fashionistas can indulge at the many designer malls and head to Fayuan Street (also known as Sneaker Street) which is famous for its trendy footwear.

A visit to the Jade market and Hollywood Road reveals a plethora of antiques - but for a shot of real atmosphere, head to Temple Street night market to haggle over trinkets and bric-a-brac.

Hop to Macau

At present the easiest way to access Macau is by turbo-jet ferry from Hong Kong, though there's much anticipation about the bridge due to open that will connect Macau with Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge will actually be a series of bridges and tunnels that will connect Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai, the three major cities on the Pearl River Delta in China.

It might be called the "Vegas of Asia", but away from the casinos Macau has a period charm to be found in its historic squares, sleepy outlying islands and friendly Portuguese restaurants

The ruined St Paul's church, a leading Macau landmark, is close to Chinese temples, and its restored façade includes Chinese dragons as well as Christian saints.

The historic centre, a Unesco World Heritage site, is said to be the most complete range of European architecture standing on Chinese soil.

The A-Ma temple, where people hang offerings, is dedicated to the goddess of sea farers from which the name Macau is derived.

At the Macau peninsula, you will find the main squares and the frantic entertainment and casinos, but also the quiet islands of Taipa and Coloane.

Isolated from the mainland, sleepy Coloane is home to the tiny church of St Francis, painted canary yellow, and said to house the world's only painting of the Madonna and Child to be depicted with Chinese features.

Down the road the Macau Giant Panda Pavilion is home to Kai Kai and Xin Xin who recently moved there from mainland China.

In Taipa old village, in front of a field of lotus flowers, a row of five distinctive, green colonial-style residences that were once home to Portuguese officials now house small museums explaining the history of Macau, and its 400 years at the crossroads of eastern and western cultures.

At Antonio's Portuguese restaurant, owner-chef Antonio Coelho serves flavoursome Portuguese dishes and wines to both Chinese and European diners.

Macau Tower, one of Asia's tallest buildings, has the world's highest bungee jump, at 338 metres; from the top you can view the resorts and 24-hour casinos. There is no shortage of top hotels around here, with the Ritz Carlton's only all-suite resort in the world based in the Galaxy complex, which also houses the world's largest sky-top wave pool.

Entertainment includes full-scale productions such as the House of Dancing Water, a multimillion-dollar, water–based show that includes dramatic special effects, holograms and motor-bike stunts.

There is also boxing, theatre and cinemas. Macau is surprisingly child-friendly, offering theme parks, shows and children's clubs in most hotels.