Summer in the City
What would a summer in Hong Kong be without needing to think of lots of things to keep you and the kids busy and active (whilst trying to avoid some of the heat as well!)? We've come up with ten ideas of some less well known activities and wanted to share them with you too (and thrown in a bonus resource for you as well!). Some are places we love to visit, others are activities you can do together as a family and some ideas where kids can learn something new.
Hong Kong Birds - lots of fun resources
You know we love Hong Kong birds here, so we were delighted to find that the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) have put together some beautiful posters and resources. We think you and your kids will love learning all about our feathered friends so we couldn't wait to share! Download this leaflet to get lots of tips on how to bird spot around Hong Kong and, if you would like a poster with some of the birds, you might see here is a link for that too.
And finally, the Wild Bird singers from the Hong Kong Birdwatching Society has QR codes so that you can hear the calls of the most common and distinctive birds here. So cool! Enjoy twitching ☺️🦅
Wilderness Explorers HK
A brilliant chance to be an intrepid outdoor explorer around Hong Kong with Wilderness Explorers HK! Choose to take part in some great outdoor activities like rock climbing, abseiling, ziplining, kayaking, coasteering, and canyoning. We had a fantastic day on Tung Lung Chau with Ben- grab another family and get out there!
Geocaching in Hong Kong
Geocaching: you may have heard of this weird word before, but what is it exactly? Geocaching is like the world’s largest treasure hunt. It combines hiking and real outdoor adventure on the search for items and treasures left by other fellow geocachers. Geocaching has become a worldwide phenomenon, with an estimated 1,000 participants in the 852 and almost 3,000 caches up for grabs! All you need to join in is a smartphone with GPS signal and the geocaching app. With the app you can see where the geocaches are located and can then use the app and map to find the hidden treasures! The items found can be literally anything, though usually nothing lavish, so don’t set your hopes too high! Once you find the item(s), you record your name in the log that is provided within the geocache box, and then you can leave your own items in the same hiding spot and report back to the app. What’s inside the caches isn’t really important, it’s the adventure of finding it! Super fun for all the fam!
Spotting wild creatures in Hong Kong!
Robert Ferguson's nature guidebooks (Wild Creatures in Hong Kong Volume I and Volume II) help children and hikers identify Hong Kong’s diverse wildlife ... designed to be taken outdoors, these are lovely photographic guides to take with you on hikes with your family to help identify the creatures you spot! These guides are available from LRP and Volume I is also available in Chinese. I (Claire!) help Rob with the editing, so it's awesome to see how popular they've been. Watch this space for upcoming Hong Kong Bugs available at the end of the summer which we are working on now!
Zoom Rib
Whether you're here for a day or two, or have lived here all your life, Zoom Ribs can take you to places in the 852 you have never been before! You will see a completely different Hong Kong, and enjoy the thrill of a speed boat ride in the process! Choose from some of the more popular trips or get in touch and speak to Kevin who can put a bespoke trip together for you as well! We did a full day with 2 families (8 people) where we got picked up from Aberdeen, sped to Ninepins, swan around and through the rock formations at Geopark, stopped at Yau Ley for a seafood lunch, and then spent a blissful hour or so at the pristine Tai Long Wan before heading back to Aberdeen! Epic!
Children's Discovery Museum
Hong Kong Children's Discovery Museum is the city's first museum dedicated to child-led learning through play.
HKCDM Pop Up has hands-on, interactive exhibits that uniquely reflect the city’s people and culture. Exhibits were developed with an educational goal and designed for children 10 years old and under for their different developmental and physical stages. Incorporating content in the areas of language and literacy, S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), culture, and environmental awareness/stewardship, everyone from 0 to 100 years old are encouraged to join in the play! Perfect especially for a rainy summer day.
Ewa Wilkinson Nature Photography classes
Professional nature and wildlife photographer Ewa Wilkinson runs photography classes for young people as part of the Lamma Art Collective. This summer she is running a 5 session course starting on 19th July. My son has been begging me to do this course, because it combines two of his interests- nature and photography!
Contact her at ewa.wilkinson@gmail.com to discuss
Hong Kong Wetland Park
Check out Hong Kong’s very own world-class ecotourism park with its impressive cast of birds, butterflies, reptiles, mammals and fish! The outdoor reserve recreates the wetland habitat, with a butterfly garden, a boardwalk and three bird hides to discover. There’s also a Wetland Interactive World, with themed exhibition galleries, a theatre, resource centre and a ‘Swamp Adventure’ indoor learning and play area for some escape from the sun. Here is a link to their latest newsletter sharing lots of the activities that will be going on this summer. My kids are crazy about their HUGE slide and seeing the mudskippers and fiddler crabs on the mudflats from the boardwalk.
Visit Kadoorie Farm
Kadoorie Farm spans 148 acres of land and is only a short bus or taxi ride from Tai Po Market MTR. The farm features various nature trails, animal spotting, picnic spots, vegetable patches… and a waterfall running through the entire stretch of land (which is very helpful for orientating yourself)! You can do a lovely hike up to the Kadoorie Brothers’ Memorial Pavilion lookout point and passed plenty of beautiful distractions on your way including The Butterfly Garden, The Orchid House, The Fruit Forest, Parrot Sanctuary and Raptor Roost. The views from the top are breathtaking and well worth the trek! Down on the lower levels, you can find plenty of peace and quiet exploring the Kwun Yum Garden, spotting crocs in the Reptile Lookout or sampling some of the farm’s delicious produce from their farm shop or café. Highly recommend the omelettes from their resident chickens!!
Hong Kong Quest
In collaboration with HK Greeters, Hong Kong "Creeped Out in Wan Chai" is a really fun idea for something a bit different to do with your family if you've got a couple of hours in your schedule. The latest Hong Kong Quest will take you on a tour around one of the most famous supernatural hotspots of the city, taking in many of the area's most quirky streets, following the clues to solve the spooky mystery which you can do at YOUR OWN PACE with NO GUIDE required. There is also the original HK Quest taking you around Central to find out who robbed the diamonds from the bank, which is just as fun! Perfect for a spare morning or afternoon... and especially fun with friends. Best ages are 6-10 years old, but everyone can enjoy it with plenty of opportunities for snacks, drinks and ice creams en route!
Family Soap Recycling
And finally, a chance to give something back and volunteer with a charity. Help prepare soap (donated by hotels) for recycling and distibrution to underprivileged families in school and in disadvantaged communities around the world, particularly in Asia. Your help in the recycling of soaps from hotels in HK also promotes environmental protection. Volunteers help with sorting, carving and recycling soap guided by the Soap Cycling staff. Children need to be at least 10 years old and if under 12 years must have a parent with them. Get in touch with Hands On Hong Kong to volunteer for this project- it really is great!
