We took our twins for an adventure in Vietnam in February 2018. On the way back home to New York, we stopped to visit family in Hong Kong for a few days. Here’s what we did in Hong Kong with kids.
Star Ferry
- Every blog about Hong Kong says a ride on this boat is a must, so we HAD to have a go.
- We took a Kowloon-bound ride on our first evening in town.
- It was cool to see the skyline of the city in lights!
- The laser show that everyone raves about wasn’t all that…we rated it meh.
Harbour City Mall
- This mall has CRAZY expensive stores like Baby Louis Vuitton.
- Window shopping was jaw dropping here.
- We ate at a pizza / pasta place which was not so yummy.
- While waiting for our food, we had fun in an arcade across the hall from the restaurant
Stanley Market
- My father-in-law suggested that we take a double decker bus to this famous spot.
- It was a great way to take an informal tour of this bustling, colorful city.
- The bus headed down a steep mountain and passed Repulse Bay.
- We had beautiful views!
- The market is lined on both sides with small stands cluttered with fun things to purchase.
- We had a blast haggling for bargains like magnetic beads to play with, silk pajama sets, and some small electronics.
- TIP: Go early in the day to beat the crowds.
Victoria Peak
- First stop at The Peak was the Galleria Mall
- We enjoyed tasting the treats and checking out the Hong Kong version of a gumball machine.
- We found our way to the peak.
- Although the weather wasn’t great, we still got the gist: amazing views (see the cover photo for a city view).
- There is also a 4D movie theatre, but apparently its scary for kids, so we skipped it.
- We took the Peak Tram down the mountain.
- It is a super steep trip and sitting backward made it extra fun!
Hong Kong Park
- This park is right near our hotel
- We loved looking at the beautiful fountains, trees, sculptures, gardens, and cool New Year’s decorations!
- I highly recommend a visit here…its great for a break in your day.
Temple Street Night Market
- There was a really cool night market in Vietnam that had unique crafts, so I was really excited to shop again!
- Although we had a good time, shopping at this market turned out to be pretty disappointing for me.
- Most of the stalls sold junky souvenirs and knock-off designer bags.
Ngong Ping Village and Tian Tan
getting there
- We decided to take the subway to get to Lantau Island.
- We New Yorkers were amazed at how clean the train was!
- We got a glass bottom cable car which was a great experience!
- Nina and Alex had a blast!
- It was worth the extra money and the extra wait time.
- FYI: The cable car trip is 4 miles long
- Wow! To be rewarded with a sight like the photo above made the long morning of travel totally worth it!
the village
- When we finally arrived at Ngong Ping Village, we were surprised to be greeted by free-roaming bulls!
- We visited several places of worship in the village.
- You can also shop for pinwheels, lawn ornaments, incense and fireworks…
- …and enjoy a yummy dim sum lunch!
The Main Attraction
- Alex counted 570 steps round trip.
- Despite my aching knees, it was totally worth the climb to the top
- My Father-In-Law (who spends several weeks in Hong Kong every year) has never been to see the Big Buddha, but this was honestly the high point of our HK visit.
- It’s a long trip, but there’s so much to see and do
- I HIGHLY recommend traveling to Ngong Ping Village!
Where we stayed – Hong Kong Shangri-La
- This huge, super busy hotel is centrally located
- We had two connecting rooms on a high floor and an incredible view!
- Shangri La also had a gigantic buffet available for all meals.
- There are so many choices but my favorite part was (of course!) the candy