This post is sponsored by Nuffnang and Hong Kong Disneyland.
After our wonderful stay at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, we headed to Kowloon to see some more of Hong Kong. Forever grateful to Shea at Little Steps Hong Kong for recommending Langham Place Hotel. Not only was it a great location in relation to Hong Kong Disneyland and the airport, but is it situated in a part of Hong Kong which gives you a feel for the real heart of the place too and it was amazing!!
Langham Place Hotel
From the minute we were greeted at the entrance from our taxis until the moment we left, the staff were all so friendly and helpful. Many of them going beyond their normal roles to help our large family have the best experience possible.
The kids received their goodies as part of the Little People Package, to help keep them entertained and protected.
As a family of 7, we can never have only one room. But the two rooms we had at the Langham were fabulous. Each room for had a double bed and two singles. Even with these beds we still had two chairs, a table, a small desk and ample space to walk around the room.
Our rooms were on the 31st floor; the view for us non seasoned travellers of Hong Kong was amazing.
The Langham has a stunning roof top pool.
The best part for us was it was open until 11pm. We had a busy day touring, so didn’t get to the pool until 8.30pm. The kids loved swimming at night and as it was heated, they would have stayed until 11pm if I had let them. The gym is open 24 hours = perfect for gym junkies like myself, so you can get a session in without disturbing family plans.
Public transport – MTR
1. MTR, 2. MTR Langham Place, 3. MTR Hong Kong, 4. Mong Kok Station
I love taking public transport when I am overseas. You really get a feel for the city that you are in. The train system in Hong Kong, the MTR was so easy to use. The trains were on time, cheap, clean and fast. The kids got to chat with the locals – a family as big as ours and the curly hair drew many people to chat to us.
Supermarket!
A little odd I know to write about a supermarket, but when you have five kids food is always in demand. As well as being close to public transport, there is a supermarket across the road (down a few escalators) from Langham Place Hotel. This was fabulous for us.
I was apple to buy apples (actually from New Zealand) and bananas (from Philippines) cheaper than what I had been buying them for in Australia! It also meant I could stock up on my addiction – diet coke or as it is known in Hong Kong (and most parts of Asia) as Coca Cola Light.
Hong Kong Park
On our way to The Peak we walked through the gorgeous Hong Kong Park. It made a lovely change from the hustle and bustle of the city. You could spend a whole afternoon there, playing in the Children’s playground, walking through the aviary and exploring the conservatory. The hit for my kids though was this fountain you could enter. They all got pretty wet, but didn’t mind a bit.
The Peak
We had to wait for a lengthy time to make our way on to The Peak tram, but it was worth it. Our wait was longer due to the time of day we chose to go, late afternoon, which is apparently the best time to go. The Peak or Victoria Peak is a mountain in Hong Kong which has spectacular views over central Hong Kong, Victoria Harbour, and the surrounding islands.
To get to the top of The Peak we took a tram:
One of the world’s oldest and most famous funicular railways, the tram rises to 396 metres (about 1,300 feet) above sea level. It is so steep that the buildings you pass look like they are leaning a gradient of between 4 to 27 degrees!
It was remarkable how the buildings looked on an angle as we passed them. The tram was so packed, it was standing room only. Holding tightly onto the toddler didn’t enable me to take photos, but is a sight I will always remember. We then went onto the Sky Terrace which is the viewing platform at the top of the peak. Although very full of people it was still easy to take in the stunning views.
Hong Kong Museum of History
We caught a train and then walked to make our way to the Hong Kong Museum of History. There was two exhibitions on, the permanent exhibition Hong Kong Story and a special exhibition Centenary of China’s 1911 Revolution. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the Hong Kong Story exhibition – it was interactive, appealed to the senses with sounds, touch and video.
While my eldest child and the adults enjoyed the Centenary of China’s 1911 Revolution, the little ones found it tough going. I went to take a photo as I had done in the other exhibition, but was quickly reprimanded. The kids at one stage went to sit on the floor while I was reading some information and that wasn’t allowed either. The two things the younger ones did like, were actually both out the front of the exhibition, the quiz and the place to take your photo!
Ladies Market
Hong Kong is famous for its many markets, but we only spent a very small amount of time shopping. The Ladies Market was only a short walk from the Langham Place Hotel we were staying at. This was a great experience for the kids in learning to check out prices at other stalls first before buying and not to always buy at the first price which is offered.
Time to go
1. Goodbye Hong Kong, it’s been fun., 2. Hello Rainy Old Melbourne!
For a first overseas trip for the whole family, Hong Kong was an excellent experience. Hong Kong Disneyland was certainly the stand out event and the kids have so many fantastic memories. The trip to Hong Kong has made me realise it is do-able for us to travel overseas as a family and enjoy it. There was still much more for us to see in Hong Kong and I would love to go back with the kids!
What else would you recommend seeing in Hong Kong with the kids?