An eight-hour stopover in Hong Kong

You could get the Airport Express train to the city and safely spend four hours there, allowing time for clearing immigration and customs on the way in and getting back to the airport in time for your connecting flight.

Leave the train at Central Station, just over 20 minutes from the airport. Walk to the Peak Tram Lower Terminus in Garden Road and take the tram to the city's highest viewpoint, Victoria Peak. Purchase a Peak Tram Sky Pass which gives you access to the Sky Terrace, with incredible panoramic views over the city, the harbour and outlying islands.

Back at the lower terminus, take a taxi to the Star Ferry Terminal and sit on the upper deck for the crossing to Kowloon. When you disembark you're in the Tsim Sha Tsui area. Walk around the promenade and the Avenue of Stars for the harbour view, maybe have a bite to eat, either in one of the many Chinese restaurants or even in the swanky Peninsula Hotel, then take another taxi to Kowloon Station for the trip back to the airport.

If you decide to stay in the airport, the Plaza Premium Lounge  gets mixed reviews. If it happens to be quiet on the day you're there the lounge is a reasonable choice but if it's busy the wait for a shower can be hours.