After a week in Hong Kong, there is one thing I can vouch for beyond a shadow of a doubt; Hong Kong is not a cheap destination. Yes, there are ways to eat and travel on a budget, but to enjoy some of Hong Kong's more popular restaurants and bars you'd better make sure your credit card is properly charged up.

A main course in an average restaurant will set you back around HK$150 (R130), while a bowl of delicacies such as Shark's Fin or Bird's Nest Soup is likely to be three or four times that. Taxes and duty means drinking doesn’t come cheap either, with a glass of wine going for around HK$80 (about R70) per glass. Yes, you read correctly, per glass. Beer is better at about HK$50, but at those prices a few drinks over dinner could put a serious dent in your travel budget.

While eating and drinking could cause you to lose our appetite and switch to water (bottled, of course) fairly quickly, the good news is that sight-seeing in Hong Kong is fairly affordable and, best of all, is often free. If you're travelling on a budget, or want to save your dollars for a bowl of premium bird's nest soup, there are loads of ways to get a taste of authentic Hong Kong culture on the cheap.

If you're a museum buff, or want to learn more about Chinese art, culture, history and science, Hong Kong's excellent museums offer world-class exhibitions for a bargain price. Most of the major museums charge HK$10 per person, but the best way to see them all is to purchase a 'Museum Pass' for HK$30. This gives you unlimited entry for a week to the Hong Kong Museum of History, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Space Museum. You can pick up a pass at any of the participating museums or at any Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) Information Centre.

Balancing body and mind

Feeling a bit stressed from the hectic buzz of the 'Golden Mile' and the night markets? Tai chi is a centuries old form of martial art used to balance your ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ energies and harmonise body and mind.

For a taste — and expert tuition — of this ancient Chinese art, head down to the Avenue of Stars and join Mr. Ng, one of Hong Kong's most experience tai chi masters, for a free lesson and a chance to experience Hong Kong like the locals. Lessons take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8-9am, and no reservations are necessary.

Like tai chi, feng shui is an integral part of everyday life in Hong Kong, and many locals employ the services of a feng shui master every year or two to ensure that their furniture and rooms are properly arranged to bring them wealth, health and happiness.

Far from being as simple as moving a mirror or putting up blinds, feng shui — literally meaning ‘wind and water’ — is a complex art involving navigational points, Chinese lunar years and harnessing cosmological forces to enhance your life.

Alex Yu, an experienced practitioner of feng shui (which is also known as geomancy), offers free introductory courses every Thursday from 10.30 — 11.30am, which introduces visitors to the ancient concepts of feng shui and how it continues to impact everyday life in Hong Kong. Reservations for the class can be made at any Hong Kong Tourism information centre in the city.

Taoist temples and soaring skyscrapers

From ornate wooden temples and historic colonial buildings to some of the world's most impressive skyscrapers, Hong Kong boasts an exciting blend of architectural styles. Architects like the acclaimed Norman Foster have helped to craft Hong Kong's distinctive skyline into one of the world's most recognisable cityscapes.

Hong Kong Tourism offers a free guided architectural tour through Hong Kong Island's Central district, which offers an interesting insight into the evolution of the city from ancient trading port to global financial centre. The tour each Saturday morning is free, but bookings (through HKTB centres, which require a refundable HK$100 deposit) are essential.

Culture and construction aside, Hong Kong is famous for perhaps one thing above all else; shopping!

While you might think that shopping is going to set you back a bundle, you can shop for hours in Hong Kong for next to nothing, and see a different side to the city while you’re at it. If you’re on a budget you’ll want to avoid the pricey malls like Times Square and Harbour City and hit the streets.

The Temple Street and Ladies Market are a good bet if you want to pick up souvenirs and cut-price clothing, but for a real taste of Hong Kong culture the goldfish and flower markets in Mongkok are a great way to spend a few hours. As you leave the scent of lotus-flowers behind, the shrieking and trilling that pierces the air makes the Yuen Po Street bird market hard to ignore. With over 50 stalls selling everything from finches to songbirds, it’s a fascinating, if noisy, market to explore.

Top-notch songbirds might set you back up to a thousand dollars, but for cash-strapped tourists a wander through the Yuen Po market is just one of many great ways to experience the sights and sounds of Hong Kong for free.