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My father in law lives in Hong Kong. We have never visited him there. We have visited the family in Shanghai and toured China before we had a child. Well, my father in law has generously offered to pay airfare for us to come visit him at Christmas time. My daughter will be turning 3 during the trip. Right now we are debating whether or not to take him up on this offer.
Would a 3 year old have fun in Hong Kong for a week? What activities should we do? Are we completely crazy to even consider this?
The problem with waiting until she is older is that I want to try for another kid starting next spring so hopefully I will be pregnant by Christmas 2010. And my father in law probably will not stay in Hong Kong until like 2015. Otherwise, we would either hang out in Texas, go visit my parents (and Bin's cousin who is the same age) in Phx or for a super snowy time, visit my sister in Toronto.
Posts: 2223 | Registered: Mar 2008
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posted
I think it should be reasonable. The first time I went to Hong Kong was actually when I was Grade 3, Christmas time (older obviously). There was certainly no shortage of stuff to do and things to eat.
In terms of crime, you'll probably be safer in Hong Kong than most cities in North America. Specifically, it is even safer than Toronto.
These days you might want to check out Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park for the kids.
But I'm not very familiar with what kids do/like at age 3. How do kids function and behave at that age? What do you normally do when you bring them along on vacation?
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
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Its a long flight, but you've been to other Far Eastern locations, so if they didn't cry and scream to the point of passenger mutiny before, they should be fine this time.
Posts: 1941 | Registered: Feb 2003
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The problem with the long flight is she is getting worse and worse behaved every trip. So, who knows how awful she will be in 3 months. Of course, she might be better because she is able to understand more and do more (like coloring books).
Ocean Park is the only thing we have on our for sure list. My father in law is into making the most of every minute, so our comment about adding in afternoons at the park instead of a touristy spot baffled him. He also keeps listing shopping locals as must sees. My view on shopping is a great deal is nice, but if you don't value what you buy, it is just a waste of money. And I don't really want/need material possessions right now.
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I dunno, I can kind of see where he's coming from. Shopping in Hong Kong is so much better than here and there is so much more variety. Even I (normally very against shopping) spent a couple hundred on legal DVDs (in a small somewhat karmic re-balancing). Even if you don't buy anything, it is worth browsing the various pet and flower markets (or even just people-watching).
Oh, or looking through the antiques stores and art galleries. Its not always about the buying (and I'd recommend against the buying actually since it is very difficult to verify authenticity).
But how do kids work? Do they need more sleep? If that is the case, you can get some of the same experience if you hit the night markets after the kids go to bed (if you can get someone to watch over them?).
That said, there is plenty else to do. If you want a slower day, it might be worth the trip to Lantau Island, something like Tai O.
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
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I'll second Mucus' suggestion, that you indulge in shopping while you are there. Hong Kong is a fantastic place to get things, if you have a decent knowledge of where to go.
Ocean Park is loads of fun, and you can always hit Disney Land if all else fails. I of course am pretty biased towards Hong Kong, I love the place, so any chance you can find to go visit I say take it.
The flight there will probably be a nightmare, no getting passed that, jet lag isn't ever fun, again no getting passed that. Having said that, you can still have an unforgettable time.
Do you have any particular items you'd like to shop for while you are in Hong Kong? I've got a pretty good memory of where to get things, but my parent also just moved back to Hong Kong so they can confirm if things have changed.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Sadly, one thing I want is fabric. I sew and I would love some embroidered brocade or silks. My father in law said he knows nothing of those things, except that people sell crap and claim it is high quality, so he would not feel comfortable trying to find that.
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If you manage to venture up into Shen Zhen there is a significant tailoring industry up there, I'm sure you could buy fabric, I know my mom has purchased that sort of thing before, I'll ask her what she thinks.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I think one day would be reasonable. If you do go to Shenzhen, you might not want to bring a child though. It may be worthwhile checking out the food though if you're especially adventurous.
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
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quote:Originally posted by scholarette: Sadly, one thing I want is fabric. I sew and I would love some embroidered brocade or silks. My father in law said he knows nothing of those things, except that people sell crap and claim it is high quality, so he would not feel comfortable trying to find that.
If you do manage to go anywhere and are on the lookout for fabric, bring a lighter and do a burn test . A friend of mine went with a professional couture seamstress to the fabric district of New York city and said the woman wouldn't balk at all at lighting a swatch of fabric right there in the store. You could just ask for a swatch and find a nearby ashtray or the like. You can get really lucky if you know what to look for.
Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I may add that I personally wish I could head back to Hong Kong in December for the premier of Bodyguards & Assassins. In a typically Chinese fashion (for film in the moment), it looks like they sunk a lot of money into building a swath of 1905 Hong Kong at 1:1 scale. (Hefty cast too, although few here would recognize them)
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So, who knows how awful she will be in 3 months. Of course, she might be better because she is able to understand more and do more (like coloring books). 
