Travel in Hong Kong with your family - all that you need to know!

The new age Indians love to travel, especially beyond the borders of the country, exploring new shores. And when we Indians travel, we love to travel with our families. So what could be some of the destinations for travel, especially for families with young kids venturing out of the country for the first time. One of my picks would be a place I visited recently, Hong Kong.

The Peak at Hong Kong (photo credits: HK Tourism)

Why Hong Kong?

So why is Hong Kong such a great place to visit with your family right now? Well, this year, the city celebrates 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and there are numerous smart deals available from April 1. A coupon booklet with fabulous offers from 21 attractions, airlines and transportation will be ready for you to enjoy the best of Hong Kong.

Here are my top five things that families not to miss in Hong Kong!

1. Hong Kong Disneyland - the park started in 2005, and with a capacity of 34,000 visitors, it's almost a city by itself! Some of the popular things to do here include attending the daytime parade 'Flights of Fantasy', night time fireworks, visiting the toy story land, adventure land, grizzly Gulch and so on. This park has something for everyone!

Disney castle projection (photo credits © Disney)

2. Victoria Peak - one of the best views of the city is from one of the most famous peaks in the region - Victoria Peak, and the best way to explore the Peak is to go up there on the Peak Tram. Whether you go early in the morning, or late in the evening, the trip on the tram is always fun.

View from Victoria Peak

Here's a short video of my trip up to the peak :)



3. See Hong Kong from air - if you enjoyed looking at Hong Kong from the Peak, you will love to see it even more from the air! Do a helicopter tour of Victoria Harbour for an exceptional family experience: gazing down at ferries, container ships, coastal vessels and motor yachts is enormously exciting for young and old alike! You can combine your aerial tour with the option of a romantic dinner or relaxing massage package if you really want to indulge — perfect for honeymooning couples or those celebrating a wedding anniversary.

Hong Kong from top (photo credits: HK Tourism)

4. Explore the islands around Hong Kong - once you have enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city, it's worthwhile to also explore the surprisingly calm and welcoming islands around Hong Kong. They are easily accessible by highly affordable public ferries from the harbour. Whether it's the Tian Tan Buddha statue, or the old temples dedicated to sea gods and goddesses, or hiking or swimming in the ocean, there is something for everyone.

Tian Tan Buddha at Lantau Island (photo credits: HK Tourism)

5. Food - the visit to a new place isn't complete without enjoying the local food, and Hong Kong is no different. Even for a vegetarian like me (I do eat eggs), it was great fun walking the streets of Mong Kok and Temple street in the night and eating local delicacies. There are certainly more options for the non-vegetarians, but enough for us veggies too :)

Here are some recommendations - pineapple bun, egglets (very similar to waffle), dim sums, fish balls, and lots of sea food! There are also some quirky places, like the Hong Kong Dog Cafe, which are also fun to visit.

Check out this fun video to get an overview of all that you can do in Hong Kong!

Planning for a visit from India

Now that we know all about what to do in Hong Kong, here's some practice information as well to plan your trip there.

Have a doubt still? Feel free to ask in the comments below.

Visa for Hong Kong

There were recent reports about visa free arrival being withdrawn for Indians, but there is absolutely no truth in it. You need to do an online pre-arrival registration before you travel, and then get a notification slip online and print this with you before on boarding the flight. Simple.

Flights

I flew with Cathay Pacific, and I can easily recommend flying with them for your trip too. The airline is based out of Hong Kong and they know their country well. Plus they have been operating flights out of India for years, and know the Indian customers well.

Read more: Life well travelled when you fly with Cathay Pacific

Where to stay

There is absolutely no shortage of places to stay in Hong Kong, and it's possible to find places for all budgets. So while you look for booking hotels, do check out the numerous options available on Airbnb also. I stayed at an Airbnb accommodation, and though it was very basic, it was also highly affordable.

Another important consideration is the area where you pick your hotel. If you are budget conscious, Mong Kok is a good place to start exploring. It's always useful to take a hotel close by a metro station.

Travelling within Hong Kong

Public transportation is excellent and also very affordable in Hong Kong, and there is really no reason to ever take a taxi there. To avail all public transport you need to get something called an Octopus card. Buy it at the airport itself and then keep recharging it as per the needs. The recharge can be done across numerous utility stores across the city or at metro stations.

A tram in Hong Kong

The Octopus card works for trams, metro, bus and ferries. It also works for some basic shopping at utility stores.

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Disclaimer: this article is written in collaboration with the Hong Kong Tourism Board. All views are personal, and most are based on my personal experiences.