Hong Kong - Part 4
Hong Kong has been a second home to me since childhood, as I’ve visited my family here regularly. While the nostalgia and familiarity of this city comfort me, I’m equally excited to explore it as a tourist, given the endless array of options available.
While it’s impossible to capture everything this busling city has to offer in a single list, these recommendations can provide valuable inspiration for your travels.
In this blog post, I’ll share some of my personal favorites from our family trip to Hong Kong โ24. As a new parent, I’ve also included a section highlighting kid-friendly activities and destinations.
No matter your interests, there’s something fun to discover in this vibrant, ever-evolving city. I hope these suggestions help you plan an unforgettable Hong Kong adventure. Enjoy!
What to eat
This is my favorite part of Asia: FOOD! Lots of local experience and some other yummy restaurants I tried. For most of the local food I had some help of @ilikefishballs who gave me a yummy and fun food tour from Mong Kok to Sham Shui Po (see Instagram reel).ย
- Oi Man Sang – Traditional โDai Pai Dongโ, an open-air food stall (mostly family runned). Not a lot of them are left in Hong Kong due to restrictions. This is one of Hong Kongโs oldest Dai Pai Dong. Customers eat at simple tables covered in plastic sheets, right on the street. Though always busy, these stalls have an efficient waiting system. The best way to enjoy a Dai Pai Dong is to go with a group of locals so you can share a variety of authentic, homestyle dishes. It’s a perfect way to experience traditional Hong Kong culture and cuisine.ย
- Bไป (there are multiple locations) –There is always room for dessert. And here Iโm talking about comfort desserts I grew up eating with family. For a classic option you can order ็ณๆฐด (tong sui) means literally sugar water in Chinese, adding some sweet glutinous rice balls and youโre good to go. Or go for their mango sago with grass jelly. Either way, their are plenty of options you can order until a very late hour (2.30AM).ย
- Good Hope Noodles – Good Hope is one of the long-established go-to addresses in the local wanton noodle scene. You can see how the noodles are freshly prepared in front of the shop. The combination of the tasty broth, fresh perfect noodles and juicy wontons makes my mouth water again writing this.ย
- Kam Wah Cafe – A Hong Kong bakery with local favourites from pineapple buns to egg tarts. A must try for sure!
- Wing Hap Lungย – Wing Hap Lung is one of the few Hong Kong shops that still uses charcoal to barbecue their roast pork and duck specialties. You see plenty of these restaurants in Hong Kong for a tasty and affordable meal.
- Hop Yik Tai – This Michelin-recommended spot is a beloved destination for Cheung fan (rice noodle rolls), a simple yet delightfully comforting and affordable local street food snack.
- Genki Sushi – Genki Sushi is a chain with lots of restaurants spread over Hong Kong. Their fun element is the train that serves your food. Super fun for kids!
- Tian tian Hainanese chicken rice – Originally from Singapore, you can now enjoy Hainanese chicken from a Michelin-listed stall in Hong Kong now too.
- Match box – This retro diner in the Hong Kong 80โs vibe serves all the โcha chaan tengโ flavours where you can order all the classics like French toast, sizzling steaks and much more.
Coffee places
- Between coffee – This modern Japanese-style coffee shop is located in an intriguing old prison area, making it an interesting destination to explore.
- Half way coffee – Love the the aestetics of this place, serving their drinks in old school Chinese porcelain. The coffee is delicious and highly “Instagrammable.”
- Curator Creative Cafรฉ at M+ – When visiting M+ museum, you might as well get a photo of you printed on your coffee!
- Elephant Grounds (K11 Mall): This location features a pleasant outdoor terrace, making it an ideal spot to take a break while strolling through the mall.
- The Shack Cafe (Tai Wai) – Tucked away in a small village, this charming cafe is home to a beloved big, fluffy white dog named Polar Bear.
- Gwee Coffee & More (Sheung Wan): This cafe offers a rotating selection of adorable seasonal coffee specials, plus a great lunch menu. It’s located in one of my favorite neighborhoods.
What to do
Tourist or not, these are places for a fun day out!ย
- Lamma island – Escape the buzzing concrete Hong Kong with just a 30 minutes ferry ride to Lamma Island.
Here you find a different pace of lifestyle exploring nature scenery hikes, quiet beaches and learn about Hong Kong fishing history in a fun way. A very family friendly day trip, as we did everything with a toddler in the stroller. Thank you @hongkong_greeters guiding us around this special island. Check out the Reel to see our fun day out here.ย
Food tour – Hong Kong’s food scene is brimming with hidden gems, this might making it challenging to know where to begin. To discover the local culinary treasures, we joined a food tour by Virginia from @ilovefishballs, an expert on the city’s best eateries. Check out the Reel to see all the spots we visited.
M+ Museum – M+ Museum – A Modern art museum worth visiting! The Collections are from Hong Kong, as well as other locations in Asia and around the world. We also went to the extra exhibition of Madame Song.
- The Peak; Lugard road – A highly touristy place I tend to go every time, because the view is just stunning. To avoid the busy observation tower, we instead opt for a 15-minute hike along the Lugard Road, which offers an equally breathtaking perspective of Hong Kong.
Kids Friendly
It was the first time that I brought my daughter to Hong Kong, I found myself reliving cherished childhood memories while also discovering plenty of fantastic, kid-friendly paradises. There is plenty to keep the little ones entertained.
- Disneyland – Every child delights in the enchanting magic of Disneyland. Moreover, did you know that Hong Kong is home to the largest Frozen-themed land in the world?
- Ocean Park – The combination of the animal habitats, shows and attraction makes Ocean Park a place to be for young and old!
- The explorers – It is located on the ground floor of The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong. The Explorers is an indoor play zone designed exclusively for children aged 1 to 10. The play area features 7 unique, padded activity zones tailored to engage and entertain little guests.
- Child Like – In the 2 years since my daughter was born, I’ve visited numerous indoor play playground. Of all of them, Child Like stands out as a true paradise for kids. Featuring MR interactive experience zones and a river rafting ride to a sand pit, maze, bouncy trampolines, and dress-up stages – this playground offers endless opportunities for imaginative play and exploration.
- Dino park – Explore the 35,000-square-foot Dino Park, an impressive playground open to children of all ages. And did I mention that itโs free?! Conveniently located in the New Town Plaza so a visit to the park can be combined with shopping or food with lots of restaurant options.ย
- Snoopyโs world – In the same Sha Tin mall as above, you can also visit a Snoopy themed outdoor playpark. Itโs also a free admission playground.ย
- Kowloon Park – Kowloon Park has a rich historical background, but it has made place to be a large public park. There are many facilities within this park like a swimming pool, bird lake with different birdies including flamingos, big playground for kids, Chinese garden and much more.ย
- Hong Kong Park – We didnโt have much time to explore Hong Kong Park, yet it was clear the park had much to offer, like Kowloon Park. We spent some time at the lake with many fishes, but next time we definitely would like to see the rest as well.
- Discovery Park mall – This mall was the most kid-friendly I’ve ever visited, offering a wide variety of activities for children of all ages – from climbing walls and cart courses to restaurants with dedicated kid-friendly entertainment. While our primary reason for being there was to visit Child Like, we could have easily spent the entire day exploring the mall’s family-oriented attractions had we not had other plans.
*Proudly worked with two dream partners for this trip:
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