Peng Chau is a 40 minute ferry from Central, a tiny Hakka fishing island with seafood villages, Cantonese tofu pudding shops and a Saturday market that draws Hong Kong day trippers from the harbour.
Tip: Take an early morning ferry; the Hakka snack shops sell out by mid afternoon and the last ferry runs late.
Tai O fishing village on Lantau Island is a 400 year old shrimp paste centre with stilt houses on tidal flats, the boardwalks lined with drying trays of shrimp and dried seafood.
Tip: Tai O Lookout restaurant uses the village's shrimp paste in its fried rice; the boat tour is the way to see stilt houses.
Cheung Chau Island is a 55 minute fast ferry south west of Central, with car free lanes lined with seafood stalls, fish ball carts and the bakeries that make the festival's ping on buns.
Tip: Pak Tai Temple and the bun towers are the festival site; mango mochi from the island's bakeries is the year round move.
Lamma Island's Sok Kwu Wan pier is lined with Cantonese seafood restaurants serving steamed clams, salt and pepper crab and razor clams pulled from the tanks at the waterfront.
Tip: Walk the trail from Yung Shue Wan to Sok Kwu Wan (90 minutes) to earn dinner; book Rainbow Seafood ahead.
Sai Kung Seafood Street in the New Territories is lined with tanks of live fish and crustaceans you can pick and have cooked at the restaurant across the water from Sai Kung's town pier.
Tip: Chuen Kee and Loaf On are the popular options; agree the price by weight before you pick.
Macau is an hour by ferry from Sheung Wan, with Lord Stow's Bakery in Coloane Village baking the Portuguese style pastel de nata egg tart that became Asia's standard for the form.
Tip: Bring your passport, day return is doable. Take the bus from the ferry terminal to Coloane Village.