Plans are Afoot for exciting tours during Hong Kong's Wine and Dine Festival

Hong Kong is known as the ‘Culinary Capital of Asia' … a description it proudly proves every day of every year. But food and wine lovers agree: the upcoming Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), will truly be something special and unique.

The ten-day Festival, due to take place 30 October - 8 November, will be the culmination of Hong Kong's Year of Food and Wine Festival, a time when celebrity chefs, wine experts, famous food critics and food-loving visitors have been flocking to Hong Kong.

The excitement will be raised several notches, however, during the ten days of the Festival itself. There will be street carnivals, food-district promotions, the Sai Kung Seafood Festival, a hotel dine-around programme, an International Wine & Spirits Fair, wine appreciation classes and 'walks' and cooking demonstrations by renowned Hong Kong chefs. There will also be live entertainment: jazz, dance and rock music; mime artists, clowns and jugglers, as well as a multi-media sound and light show. Roads will be closed, streets will be decorated and performers will mingle with the crowds while delicious food will be available from a wide variety of booths and restaurants.

The Festival will not be confined to the downtown area. There will also be Victoria Harbour Pre-dinner Sunset Cocktail Cruises, a Hong Kong Island Tour with a special dim sum lunch, seafood and wine buffets on Lamma Island and special menus high atop Wan Chai's Revolving 66 Retaurant … the only revolving restaurant in town.

Two Canadian tour operators have Hong Kong's outstanding food and wine in their plans. Vancouver-based Silkway Travel is offering a five-night Hong Kong: Best Place, Best Taste trip at prices from Cdn.$1,160 which include Cathay Pacific air (from Vancouver) and hotel package as well as participation in Hong Kong’s Cultural Kaleidoscope programme and, of course, there will be plenty of time to enjoy Hong Kong's culinary delights. Jade Tours will also be offering a five-night Culinary Tour, at prices from Cdn.$999 from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal via United Airlines. Their tours include a half-day Hong Kong Island tour, a night harbour cruise with dinner at Lei Yue Mun Seafood Village, a Museum of History visit and - from 31 October to 8 November - a Wine Appreciation Class at the Hong Kong Food and Wine Festival.

Throughout the Festival, the HKTB has produced guidebooks for visitors who like to go off-the-beaten-path to discover local eateries and the city's bustling food districts. In addition, Hong Kong has recently been awarded its very own Michelin Guide, a toast to the region's rich gastronomic heritage and the culinary experiences to be discovered today. And the HKTB Food and Wine Year website - www.hkfoodandwineyear.com - in addition to a great deal of information, has an on-line interactive dining planner whereby visitors can state their number of days in Hong Kong, their favourite regions and even their favourite dishes and have the website plan their culinary experiences.

There's no better time than during the Hong Kong Food and Wine Year to visit the ‘Culinary Capital of Asia', and during the fall Wine & Dine Festival events will be even more spectacular for visitors with gastronomic delights in their sights.