Hong Kong with the Family in Tow - Part One

Here at Sedunia Travel we’ve been visiting Hong Kong with our families for years. We racked our brains in the office to give you the easiest and most interesting attractions for families with kids (that won’t cost you a fortune in the process).

The Star Ferry
Go back in time on one of the Star Ferries, which have been running since 1898. See Victoria Harbour from the water in a relaxed way, and avoid the often packed MTR. A feature the kids’ll love are the wooden bench-style seats, which you can change to face either forwards or backwards. To feel the wind in your hair, sit on the lower decks. Costs are probably the best value in town for sightseeing, at the grand total of upper deck tickets for adults HK$2.50 during the week and for children up to 12, HK$1.50.

The Peak
An unavoidable classic for the stunning views over Hong Kong Island and the harbour. Take the tram, climbing up 373m so steeply that the buildings look as though they were built at strange angles. The cheaper version is taking the bus from Hong Kong station up to the top, or you could always buy a single ticket to the top and take the bus or even walk back down. At the top, after the obligatory photo taking, the family can do the Peak Circle Walk, which takes around 40-60 minutes, whilst enjoying beautiful views.

Get there: take the Peak Tram from the Lower Peak Tram Terminus on Garden Road (walk to terminus from MTR Central Station exit J2). Adults: ~HK$40 and children ~HK$18.

Lantau island
Escape downtown Hong Kong for a more zen pace for the day, by visiting Lantau Island, one of Hong Kong’s outlying islands. Take the cable car, Ngong Ping 360, and visit the Giant Buddha at Po Lin Monastery, which is sure to wow the children (and you). Whilst there, you could visit the Ngong Ping Nature Centre, to understand Hong Kong’s environment and animals. Visit Tai O Fishing Village, called the ‘Venice of the East’ to see a traditional Chinese village built on stilts, where the walkways sometimes even pass through someone’s kitchen!

Get there: take the ferry service to Mui Wo and Discovery Bay from the Central Pier. Alternatively, take the MTR to Tung Chung. From Tung Chung, take the cable car or bus 23 to Ngong Ping Plateau, or for Tai O take the New Lantao Bus bus 11.

BBQ at Sai Kung
Do as the locals do, and use the BBQ areas around Tai Mong Tsai pier to have a picnic in Sai Kung, located on the coast in the east of the New Territories. Just don’t forget the food or the cooking implements! There are a few supermarkets in Sai Kung where you can buy all you need, so don’t worry about dragging it with you from the centre. In need of an adventure? This fishing village is also a great jumping off point for visiting some of the smaller islands off the coast, and you can hire boats that will take you to do just that.

Get there: Bus 92 from MTR Diamond Hill Station Exit C2.

Part two coming next week... Have you visited Hong Kong with your family? What was the best (and worst) attraction you visited?

Thanks to Mike Behnken for the header photo.