HONG KONG is like a young child: If you stay away for a few months, you’ll find it changes so much that it becomes nearly unrecognizable. With almost constant construction, reclamation land sprouting up from the sea like a phoenix rising, and a dizzying array of new shops, hotels, restaurants and bars, selecting where to go is a true test of a traveler’s will. Certainly the ease of getting everywhere, whether by train, tram, escalator or ferry, keeps it enjoyable and easy.

Arriving early in the morning following a trans-Pacific flight, my travel partner George and I checked into the Mira Moon Hotel, an incredibly hip and trendy boutique hotel situated between Causeway Bay and Wanchai on Hong Kong island, the same area made famous by the novel and film “The World of Suzie Wong.”

Armed with a Samsung phone providing free maps and international calls, which Mira Moon gives to all guests during their stay, we caught a double-decker tram a block away to the midlevel escalators. These escalators provide a ride up the steep hillside to high-rise buildings where many in the financial sector reside. Passing Soho and the old, turquoise-gated Jamia Mosque, we arrived at Old Peak Road.

Often in Hong Kong the temperature is only slightly cooler than the inside of a pizza oven. But this day was gloriously windy, so we decided to trek to the top of Victoria Peak. It was steep, leaving us panting. Once at the top, however, we were rewarded with a spectacular view of Hong Kong and Kowloon in the distance. (Normal people take the 120-year-old funicular to the top.) At Peak Tower, on Pacific Coffee Co.’s balcony, acrophobia rules the roost, but still I enjoyed the best view that roasted java can buy.

Descending to Hollywood Road, alternatively called Antique Street, we leisurely strolled into several galleries and shops until we arrived at the Man Mo Temple compound. Built between 1847 and 1862 by wealthy Chinese merchants to worship the gods of literature and martial arts, it’s a colorful example of traditional Chinese vernacular architecture.

Heading through the Central District, Statue Square and the neoclassic Legislative Council building, formerly the Supreme Court and now housing Hong Kong’s parliament, we hopped on the old and beloved Star Ferry for the short ride to Kowloon.

Because George worships religiously at the church of retail, we walked up Nathan Road toward Mong Kok. Along the way, we lost count of how many times George was asked by hawkers if he wanted a suit made. They had no way of knowing that George hadn’t actually worn a suit since President Jimmy Carter inhabited the Oval Office.

At about 6 we veered into a foot-massage storefront in Yau Ma Tei, and I slid into a reclining chair from which I never wanted to rise. Sixty minutes and a subtitled Chinese soap opera later, refreshed like magic, we were starving, and headed to what is hailed as the world’s first Hello Kitty-themed Chinese restaurant.

Expecting throngs of adolescents, we were surprised to see that nearly all patrons were millennials and older. Consuming themed har gao, chow fun and kitty-shaped sticky rice too pretty to eat, we meandered a few blocks to Temple Street Night Market, where George bought a Mao poster and Hello Kitty luggage tags for his niece. Exhausted beyond measure, at Tsim Sha Tsui we jumped onto the MTR, Hong Kong’s spotlessly efficient subway, for a quick ride back to Wanchai.

The next morning we hopped on the MTR again, this time exiting at Tung Chung on Lantau Island to Ngong Ping Village and a 4-mile cable car ride providing sweeping views from the South China Sea to Po Lin Monastery, home to Tian Tan, the world’s largest seated Buddha image. Facing north toward mainland China, Po Lin Buddha is 112 feet tall and made from 202 cast bronze pieces. Climbing up 268 steps to Buddha’s feet, we were compensated with another great vista.

Following some scrumptious vegetarian snacks made at the monastery, we walked through the main temple, which houses smaller, seated Buddha gold images and magnificently bold painted ceilings. Boarding a bus, we had a fairly hair-raising, 40-minute ride with a heavy-pedaled driver along a very narrow mountain road to City Gate Outlet Mall. There, George shopped while I made myself extremely useful at a delicious sushi counter, then went to a French bakery.

Heading back to Central, we stopped at Cochrane’s Bar for happy hour, where we had to choose from 84 kinds of beer from Germany, the U.S., the U.K., Belgium and France. But choose successfully we did while watching throngs of employees leave their offices.

A short walk to the Soho district brought us to Monogamous, a chic yet intimate restaurant with oversized collages of Mao, red lanterns and modern black-white-and-red paintings by local artists. Chef Shizh Hoi Ping prepared several inspired Sichuan dishes. My favorites were the shrimp with candied walnuts in chili sauce and the lotus, mushroom and kale saute. However, the piece de resistance was the dessert of fried egg whites with a vanilla ice cream center. We barely squeezed into the double-decker tram for our short ride back to our hotel.

On our final day in Hong Kong, we hopped onto a double-decker bus from Central for the beautifully scenic ride to Stanley, on the southern side of the island. While only a 40-minute ride from Central’s hustle and bustle, the tall greenery, meandering mountain road and beautiful beaches along the way belie the busy city nearby.

Originally a sleepy fishing town and one of the earliest main areas of settlement on the island, Stanley was named after Lord Stanley, the British secretary of state for the colonies at the time of Hong Kong’s cession in 1841 to Britain. Thankfully, it has still maintained its charm, and also has some great walking paths, good restaurants and a good market.

Walking the promenade along the water, we came to Mang Ha Park and up to the tiny Pak Tai Temple, built in 1805 by Chiu Chow fisherman to worship the Taoist god Pak Tai — God of the North. Continuing our stroll up for some great views, we then descended to the nearby Murray House, an 1843 neoclassical vestige housing a Maritime Museum, several upscale restaurants and retail stores.

After enjoying the panorama from one of the seaside pubs, we entered the market where, once more, George buttressed the local economy by purchasing a large, multimedia acrylic painting. This was paid for, rolled up and placed into a plastic travel tube faster that one could say “hmm goi sai” — “thank you.”

Getting back to Wanchai before our flight, we had just enough time for an early dinner at Northern Dumpling Yuan, where, in a tiny restaurant with another Chinese soap opera blaring overhead, we ate some of the best hot and spicy soup and handmade dumplings ever. No small wonder this little place won the Wanchai favorite-restaurant award three years running.

The ease and simplicity of Hong Kong’s various modes of transportation make covering a lot of ground in a short period a breeze. The fascinating history, rich culture, great food and excellent shopping make Hong Kong a place you want to return to. Though, just like a young child, it might look a bit different the next time you visit, even if you’re away just a few months.

Julie L. Kessler is a travel writer and legal columnist based in Los Angeles and author of the award-winning book “Fifty-Fifty: The Clarity of Hindsight.”