Packed Peak Princesses Pique

So most people that go to HK end up doing the Peak.  First time, we didn't, but did it a couple of times the second trip there in 2013.

And as this is a "how do you stay sane as a parent with kids in HK" blog, among other things, I'll pass on my tips for coping with this with kids.

From our Night Time trip, waiting in line.  If you're here and in line, you have a long wait ahead

Once you're past the ticketing booth and waiting for the Tram, there is a long display of the Peak Tram's history right back to Early Colonial Times

The old ticketing office.

We went twice.  Night time is great for taking those photos of the lighted HK skyline, but a pain to do with the larger crowds on the tram.  If you want to do the night time, better off taking the bus up there.  The bus (up or down) has the advantage of going past all the opulent houses of the uber rich of HK, and their 4 European Cars parked in the driveway, if you want to be a voyeur.

Or going before sunset, take some daytime photos,sit down for a coffee and cake and go again at night. Drinks for kids (fizzy and shakes) are cheap enough to warrant a sit down for a while.  It'll give you some personal space and time for them to de-stress. 

Even if you do that, the crowds are massive, keep your kids close by.

View from the Tram on the way up - Day Time

In the distance are the uber expensive houses of the uber rich

This is what greets you when you jump off the train and turn the corner - typical shops designed to alleviate finances from the tourist wallet.  But at least you can breathe.

A look toward the walk around the Peak Country Park that we didn't bother doing, but it looks really nice.  Probably okay for kids.

A part of the viewing area.  I didn't mean to get photos of the girls in front, people just kept photobombing me and these were the better looking photobombers.

 Okay.  Other tips?

Octopus card - you listened to me and got one.  This allows you to jump the queue waiting for purchasing tickets because you can swipe and go.

If the line is snaking down the street - it's not going to be fun.  If you can, find something else to do for a while, there are plenty of malls, the Ding Ding (tram $2.30 HK, great, cheap sightseeing tour) or something to eat.

The area between
the viewing area and the shops

If there are tons of Mainland tourists - it's not going to be fun.  They push in.  They queue jump.  They will shove.  They will hurt your kids if you're not careful.  They won't stand up for a lady with kids, a pregnant woman or anyone else.  Entering the tram is the worst part, but lining up with them is a close 2nd.  The problem is, as a single or couple westerner - you're likely big enough to do them some damage if you shove back or prevent them from pushing.  Kids aren't that fortunate and being separated from them at the time you enter the tram is a real possibility. They don't realise they're rude, they just think "I want to go here, ASAP".

Same goes for the shops or the fact that they move around en-masse as a group with scant regard for their surroundings.

The trinket shops aren't cheap, but they aren't too bad for a tourist tatt area.  The Pacific Coffee Company does a passable coffee and is relatively cheap.  The restaurants are expensive.

Madame Tussauds is worth a miss.  Unless you really like that sort of thing.

Grab some snacks and take them with you for the kids.  The shops are inadequate for eating on the go.

Don't count on the ATMs that normally take your foreign card being available.  Visa/Mastercard is a hit and miss affair, the shoe shops excepted.  Get cash out in town and top up your octopus card for the bus.

Not a bad place to have a cawfee, methinks

Take comfortable shoes or you'll be paying (though not too badly) for a new pair of sports loafers or flip flops at the Adidas shop up top.

View of Victoria Harbour at night

Unless you feel compelled for some reason to go down via the tram, take a bus or a taxi. Taxi is best - to Central station.  The bus shelter is poorly laid out and confusing (though at least it's big and has personal space.  But no toilets, so be careful of little miss' bladder situation before you go down there).

Kowloon in the distance over the water, HK Skyline in Front

I sound like I'm talking it down, but I'm not.  The views are awesome, the tram is fantastic fun - these are the reasons you go, not wax museums or shopping or restaurants.  I grew up in a tourist area and generally have no time for touristy things (theme parks being the obvious exception), but this is one tourist trap worth going to.

You just need to take some care, especially if you have kids.

Panorama of the Skyline at night without the camera adjusting for light.  The Coffee shop is what you're seeing to the left.

Hopefully this helps you with the kiddlies to enjoy this awesome spot.

Lamma Lamma Duck (or maybe Cheung Chau)

Hong Kong is a full on place.  We all know that.  Most of the time, it suits kids (or my kids, who are full on, pretty well all the time).

Occasionally, though you need a break from the densely populated areas and the shoebox apartments.

Ferry Terminal HKI

Happily enough, Hongkies will deal with that for you.  For you see, despite the Hong Kong we all know (HK Island, Kowloon) being massively populated, most of the territory is classified as country park.

Turn around to see the Harbour

For us, fresh (ish) air and a slower pace beckoned us to Lamma Island.  Having said that, Cheung Chau (which we missed :( ), Peng Chau (same) or any of the country areas in the New Territories such as Sai Kung are all great places to get away from it all.  

From the ferry at Kowloon toward Western HKI

Inside the Ferry

Southern Side of HKI is okay for the not-adventurous, but honestly, I didn't rate it that much.  Stanley is sterile, Aberdeen is nice enough, but more for shopping and Repulse Bay is okay, so long as Mainland tourists aren't there is droves (that's another story).  Plus, the ferry is generally cheaper that trying to grab a bus to Southern HKI, even more so for a taxi (though, as I might have mentioned, taxis are still uber cheap in HK).

Okay, sorry for waffling.

Grabbing the ferry from Central Piers is worth the fare alone.  A nice, scenic view of the harbour, which then gives way to the more rural, treecovered islands that dot the South China Sea.  

View from the Ferry at Yung Shue Wan

Leaving from the ferry terminal at Central, you arrive at Yung Shue Wan (Wan is beach in Cantonese) or Sok Kwu Wan.  We went to Yung Shue Wan (the main village on Lamma), and jumped off.

Fishing people and stilt houses after the ferry

Apparently, there are a number of Westerners who live here, but unlike Disco Bay, they don't want the sterile environment of a Gweilo-village, but have in fact preserved Lamma's 'realness'.

South China See from Yung Shue Wan

Jumping off the ferry, the toilets are off to the left, just past the island map.  Every parent needs to know where the next toilet is.

Inside the village at Yung Shue Wan

Yung Shue Wan village

The temporary permanent shelters so famous in Hong Kong

A boat, on the main street area.

I like to photograph signs

In the village of Yung Shue wan there are a number of (not-very-cheap) restaurants, mainly seafood.  Anthony Bourdain gorged himself on sea crustaceans at one of them.  There's also lots of little odds and sods style shops and convenience shops that aren't Circle K or 7-Eleven.  Grab a drink for you and the kids, maybe an icecream.  I grabbed a nice beer and wandered off.

Tai Yuen Village is on the walk to Hung Shing Ye Wan

Now there are a few walks and no cars, just these golf-style buggy things.  One is called the family walk and goes a fair distance.  It is fairly flat, but if you have small kids, might be a bit much.  We did the short (around 20 minutes) walk to Hung Shing Ye Beach, going past Lamma Winds.  The walk is short and not ever boring, and great for small children.  It isn't always clean on the side, which kind of puts a dampener on it a little, but not enough to make it too sad.  

Ramshackle Bush Views from the Walk

The pathway leading to Hung Shing Ye Wan

Hung Shing Ye Wan

And the beach at Hung Shing Ye Wan is fantastic.  Flat, shallow, nets for all the sea-nasties are there, and the water is beautiful.  Around the beach are lifeguards and shops that sell your typical sea tatt like buckets, spades, flip-flops (jandals, thongs, whatever other names we have in the Antipodes) and more drinks.  Park benches, showers and toilets.  So all the good stuff.

My kids loved it and typically for a gweilo family with a couple of blonde children, plenty of photo opps - for others.  Never ceases to amaze me that we provide more amusement than the natural surroundings.

Seafood Restaurant

You're probably paying for the view from the Restaurant

Sunset from Yung Shue Wan over the South China Sea, ferry terminal to the right

After your nice swim a gentle wander back, more ice-creams and if you're like us, a gorgeous sunset.  You could probably grab a bite to eat anywhere (there was a well rated American-style western restaurant called Lamma Grill about halfway through our journey in another village), but we just headed back and grabbed a local bite near our apartment.

View to Kowloon from HKI Ferry Terminal at night

Cheung Chau and Peng Chau are highly rated as day trip places too.  Next time we're in HK, we'll be doing that too.