The New Territories of Hong Kong

Our view of Hong Kong is oddly skewed from most visitors by the way that most of our visits involve staying with family deep in the New Territories, close to the Chinese border and well away from the tourist spots of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. It remains incredible to me that many people visiting Hong Kong, and even many ex-pats living there, are completely unaware of the chaotic cities and rural wilderness a few minutes away. The city of Yuen Long for instance is utterly bewildering to westerners. White faces are rare, the few we see are confused foreign spouses like me, their Eurasian children galloping into the vast throngs of people with their local cousins - enthralling for them but terrifying for me.

Despite our lack of a common language, I am aware from certain facial expressions that my mother-in-law has concerns over the freshness of the fish on British markets. The fish market in Yuen Long provides an explanation for this - the fish are still alive. She nudges the boys urgently to draw their attention to a bowl of very agitated prawns randomly jumping out of the bowl and regularly landing in the bag of the old man standing by it chatting away completely oblivious. My daughter meanwhile gazes curiously at a densely populated tank of eels, struggling to connect which head follows which slithery body through the throng of other eels to which tail.

A bus ride out of Yuen Long, and the unfolding countryside varies immensely. In parts there are poorly maintained concrete roads with scrapyards dotted across former swampy farmland. Elsewhere there are new developments of 2 and 3 storey houses with pillars either side of the door and gleaming Mercedes' under tarpaulin sunshades outside. Into this mix, the ancient walled village of Kam Tin was once one of the larger settlements when the area was covered in farmland, and has parallels with remote Italian villages with its quiet narrow shady streets, children playing and old ladies sitting outside. This is also a good place to head for traditional Cantonese eating, particularly dim sum. The extraordinary range of tastes and textures of the food is matched by the deafening racket of the dozens of people chatting loudly to each other and their phones, half a dozen TVs playing different shows, the clattering of chopsticks and the staff yelling instructions to one another. But don't ask what exactly it is on the plate. Sometimes it's biologically obvious, sometimes ignorance is comforting.

Bus route 51 over the top of Hong Kong's highest mountain, Ta Mo Shan, is one not to be missed. Round each hairpin bend the views extend further, before disappearing completely as the road climbs through dense forest. A military airport appears in a previously unseen valley, a vast People's Liberation Army camp occupies a distinctive former British military base on the slopes. On and on upwards and the views across the Chinese city of Shenzhen appear, seemingly expanding more with each trip up. As the road steepens, the pained labours of the bus become more apparent, with the occasional super toned cyclist struggling past us. And then we're at the top, and begin the terrifying descent into Tsuen Wan, where the children again vanish with cousins into some vast neon-lit arcade to execute some more zombies.

A more peaceful time can be enjoyed around the Plovers Cove reservoir, a short bus ride from Sha Tin. Numerous bike hire venues surround the estuary and the reservoir itself, with off-road cycle routes populated by all kinds of pedal powered vehicles, both fun and more serious. The boys select a nice dual pedalled model with a comfy armchair type attachment for Grandma, I am quite surprised by their generosity. As we pedal out across the dam the views of the mountains open up again, the steep green mountains like a tropical version of the Scottish Highlands. In the distance we see an enormous statue of Buddha's mother, which apparently marks the site of a nunnery funded by Li Ka Shing, Hong Kong's richest man. When the apocalypse arrives - he will be protected in his secret bunker there.

Hong Kong is marvellously exciting wherever you go. There is so much to see and experience that its hard to narrow it down to a shortlist. However, I think a few days in the New Territories as part of your trip will show you what makes Hong Kong Different.

Hong Kong, extreme energy, extreme towers, extreme shopping

The spectacular island of Hong Kong is perhaps the most energetic place in the world where it seems no-one needs to sleep. Whatever it chooses to do, it takes to a mad excess, particularly when it comes to extreme shopping and extreme construction. The resulting skyline of 40 to 110 floor tightly clustered skyscrapers crawling up the steep mountainside from the harbour creates views that are imitated but never remotely equalled. Whilst the views of the Island from the opposite shore in Kowloon are impressive, there is plenty of fun to be had taking children up some of the towers to look out from amongst the throng of buildings.

Some of the more popular but quite different viewing sites close to the Star Ferry are Observation Wheel (a little like the London Eye), and the Bank of China Building Observation Deck. However my personal recommendation is the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Information Centre way up on the 55th floor of the International Financial Centre, or IFC 2. Not only are the contents exciting for an economist like myself, but the general entrance is great with kids, passing through a smart lift lobby, getting photo ID, and into the gleaming office lifts. Your children may recognise the building as being the one that Batman leapt from in “The Dark Knight”, but even if they miss this subtle reference, emerging from the lift is like stepping into the cloud layer. The height is breathtaking, but the humidity and apparent smog are also evident. The combination of IFC and IFC2 offer both extreme construction and extreme shopping. Fortunately there is a satisfactory set of food options across the two centres, including a McDonalds. As much as travelling with children opens their minds to different styles of cooking (see the blog on the New Territories), McDonalds does cheer everyone up.

A different kind of view emerges by taking the Peak Tram from Central, through the mid-levels, to Victoria Peak. Although a rather crowded tourist hot-spot, it’s a cheap and effective way to get a good idea of the overall layout of the Central Hong Kong, The extremes of construction are much clearer here, where the mountainside appears to be too steep to build on, yet 40, 50, 60 storey apartment blocks are impaled into the slopes. Eventually the tram rises above the building line to give another magnificent harbour view. Whilst most of the Victoria Peak Terminus building is rather touristy and tacky, the views from the rooftop are worth paying the premium on the tram fare to see.

On another Tram, horizontal this time, the Hong Kong Tramways has been running the same route along the waterfront for over a century.  It’s one of the very few areas where the business-like intensity of Hong Kong has been sentimental enough to allow some kind of nod to its heritage. The mechanics and controls of the tram are as cutting edge as one would expect from Hong Kong’s impeccably reliable public transport system, but the outside appearance is little changed since double deckers were introduced in 1912. Get off at Admiralty for some more luxury shopping – a particularly useful spot for buying a handbag that you will no longer have any money to carry in it.

 The best thing for me about Admiralty is the bus station underneath it, taking you well away from any of the shops. The 629 bus to Ocean Park is the one trip that should be mandatory for a family holiday to Hong Kong. A phenomenal theme park alternative to the Disneyland on Lantau, Ocean Park combines wildlife and heritage with rides for all ages and of course more views. This is the only place in Hong Kong where you can see Pandas, cared for in a large enclosure which is surprisingly uncrowded and educational. There is also a substantial aquarium boasting performing dolphins, again with an emphasis on education and ecology. Passing through the steeper parts of the site is made easier by a vast outdoor escalator – in this case only the second longest in the world. The rides are suitable for a good range of ages and fear levels, and feature plenty of cooling water splashes. A cablecar links the 2 sites on either side of the mountain, which itself presents more views of the bays of Southern Hong Kong, and the queues of container ships carrying China’s produce to the world.

Across this side of the island are the pleasant areas of Aberdeen, Repulse Bay and Stanley. Hong Kong lacks anywhere that could be remotely be described as “undiscovered”, but the tall blocks of flats surrounding these attractive bays look less out of place than they would in more rural island locations. The beaches are pleasant and extremely safe – even young children wander the towns and take taxis independent of parental supervision. The market in Stanley is pleasant for a wander and to pick up souvenirs, and the shopping generally is much less intensely glitzy than most of Hong Kong.

Although not on Hong Kong island itself,  no trilogy of a Hong Kong family tour would be complete without mention of the Big Buddha on Lantau. Built in the closing years of British Rule, with a distinct look towards the future (the Buddha faces towards Peking), this largest seated Buddha in the World is an engineering marvel even more incredible than the skyscrapers seen earlier. An exhibition inside the statue tells something of its construction, but the overall effect is incredible. Despite the usual parade of tourist memorabilia stalls here, the monastery to which the Buddha is attached still offers a wholesome vegetarian meal to travellers. Parts of the monastery are open to quiet visitors, and this is a good place to learn something about the Buddhist culture. Our pictures here are of the same boy in the same place with 13 years between the picture on his first, and most recent visit; just to show its worth coming back to. Not only does the climb up the steps to the Buddha offer amazing views over the mountains and sea, but the journey by cable-car, some with glass floors for added fear, give spectacular views of the airport, the countryside, the emerging Bridge to Macau, and eventually to the majestic Buddha statue itself.

Hong Kong island is glitzy and glamorous, which can mean expensive. But the most incredible experiences of this incredible island are the views, and they cost nothing. Don’t forget the rest of Hong Kong; Kowloon and the New Territories should be explored, but it’s the vertical sights of the island and the views from and over them that amaze children the most.

New York, now that is exciting

New York, New York, no other city on earth has a buzz like it! The vertical architecture, the smells of hot dogs and pretzels, the stifling heat and bitter dry cold, the theatres and shops, the restaurants and bars….. but why on earth would one take children to ruin your fun? The answer is that New York always serves up something new, and with children you will see an entirely different city to what you saw before.

New York has such a wealth of attractions and diversions that its never the same between different people and different visits. The broad range of restaurants caters for all from down and outs to glamorous and trendy; from very old to very… young.  As ever in America, finding food that children eat is not difficult.  One deservedly well-rated venue we headed to on our first night was the Ellen Stardust Diner, famous for its waiters cum dancers putting on regular singing and dancing routines throughout the evening. As cheesy as it sounds, the America-style enthusiasm for this even encouraged the cynical boys in our corner to release a smile.

And talking of cynical boys – the comic book shops of New York are where the tables were turned. The various branches of mid-town comics dragged us straight into scenes from the Big Bang Theory! The boys were delighted, here was nerd heaven on a massive scale. Staff could assist with the most abstract and specific questions, delightedly running round the shop servicing their various requests.

New York, or Manhattan at least, is compact enough to walk around, with the occasional jump onto a bus or subway when little legs get too tired. But the buzz of the streets and the new sights on every block can keep the energy levels high, topped up with the occasional sugar-fuelled diner stop. It takes a couple of hours at child pace to walk from Central Park at one end, via the High-Line, to Battery Park at the other, before getting the Staten Island ferry for the best and cheapest views of the Statue of Liberty and the skyscrapers of lower Manhattan. The option is there to join the queue for the Statue of Liberty itself, however this didn’t seem to be a great way to experience the city, so we skirted it.

The highlight of our trip for the boys (we had an extra one in tow) was a visit to the incredible USS Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum. A vast aircraft carrier moored on the Hudson river. Intrepid suffered major Kamikaze damage during the second world war, events which are vividly demonstrated on the impacted decks through lighting effects and film footage from the time. Numerous real life exhibits bring reality to war stories – lying in a bed in the cramped sleeping quarters was particularly graphic was me.  The information boards were informative and more honest about the reasons for going to various wars, including Vietnam, than I was expecting. And its not just the aircraft carrier itself, the museum includes a submarine, the Space Shuttle “Enterprise”, a Concorde, a collection of aircraft. This is the one unmissable venue to let kids lead you around.

A more poignant experience comes from the World Trade Centre site. By the time we visited, the new buildings were largely complete, demonstrating the pragmatism and optimism demonstrated by New Yorkers. However the impact of the memorial to the events of 9/11 was moving for all 3 of our children. The foundations of the twin towers have been excavated into a pair of vast empty square holes, with water running down the walls of each one. The names of those killed are all carved in the stone surrounds. Its an immensely calming experience after the hectic buzz of the city. As the children read through some of the names, the enormity of the events that had occurred 15 years earlier came through to them.  

Despite my dismissal of queueing for the Statue of Liberty (and the same goes for the Empire State Building), a trip to New York should include taking in a view somehow. An exciting but costly and brief way to do this is by helicopter, but any tall building will do. We went to the “Top of the Rock” in the Rockefeller centre. The views across Central Park one way, and the mid-town to lower Manhattan the other were incredible. As we stood there (in April – this was an Easter break) snow began to fall, it was jolly romantic – and the children were jumping with excitement!

And excitement, after all, is what New York is about, and what travelling is about, and what children are about. New York will always be exciting, and with the infectious excitement of children it becomes even more so!

Malta, Sunshine, History and Seaside on a budget

Most families travel on a budget, and sometimes that budget is tight with the demands of all the family. Our mission for summer 2015 was to book a week for the 5 of us in 5-star hotel with guaranteed sunshine for under £2,000 including all travel and most of the food. With the help of Ryannair’s route map, we rediscovered Malta. We had stopped off there in the days before children, vowing to return after an all too brief run around a tiny part of its amazing history.

And this history is visible history on a monumental scale – with bloodthirsty tales through the crusades, and pretty much every War affecting Europe and North Africa since. As the home of the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet since 1800, it was besieged by the Nazi’s and Italians until 1942, and became the most bombed place in the world, ever. The destruction of the the stunning capital city of Valletta (since entirely rebuilt) and fortitude of its citizens earned Malta the George Cross, an honour of which the island remains very proud. This piece of history is excellently recounted in the Lascaris War Rooms under parapets of Valletta. We were shown round the welcomingly cool subterranean corridors by a guide who never wavered from his view that Britain really is the greatest country on earth (apart from Malta). The reality of Europe of War is brought alive in this network of rooms, where Eisenhower and Montgomery planned the invasion of Sicily, and where hundreds of military planners lived and worked throughout the war.

Moving further back in time, Malta’s place in the British empire from 1800 is re-enacted daily by a superb group of enthusiastic historians in Fort Rinella. Dressed in Victorian military costumes, they provide genuinely interactive demonstrations of signalling, weaponry, and cavalry attacks which all our children were encouraged to actively participate in. There can be few opportunities in the EU today for 10 year-olds to don a pith helmet and fire a Victorian Musket, but this is one of them. Being about half an hour bus ride from Valletta, and therefore slightly off the beaten track, Fort Rinella feels like a hidden gem, right from getting off the bus and being unable to see it concealed in the hillside; to being one of only three family groups there during our visit.

And so the history goes back, through the Maritime History, the Knights of St John, the great siege of Malta, Normans, Arabs, St Paul, Phoenicians, and even further to Stone-Age settlements. But this is a holiday rather than a history tour, the rest will wait for another visit.

Back to the original specification. There was sunshine, lots of it. This is the Southern Mediterranean. Malta has a few beaches, but we didn’t head to them as we could jump into a clear blue sea from a series of little platforms and steps from the hotel. The hotel pool was welcomingly cool, good enough to spend a few relaxing days there without venturing beyond its borders. I had the impression that most of the guests never left the hotel complex at all, which seems a tremendous loss.

We slightly exceeded the £2,000. Ryannair flights were just under £200 each, but by upgrading to a suite big enough for the 5 of us, the cost on a B&B basis stretched above £1,000. However eating out was cheap and plentiful. Our hotel was close enough to stroll for 10 minutes into St Julian’s, which (beyond the more obvious drunk British teenagers on the seafront) provided plenty of excellent family friendly restaurants. There is a strong Italian influence on the food, with numerous “proper” pizza restaurants and a range of gelato bars. We also wandered along the beach one evening to a local bar which seemed to be full of families, where we ate a delicious meal of seafood for around EUR 5 – 10 each.

So sunshine, yes; £2K budget – nearly.  Extras for interest – completely exceeded. Malta is definitely a place to come back to, both to see the rest of it, and to see it again through the eyes of the children as their ages and interests change.