Hong Kong with kids

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