off the beaten path – Family World Travel

In Asia with kids

Hong Kong with Kids: Get off the Tourist Track!

February 8, 2018 No Comments

Spice up your family trip to Hong Kong with these off-the-beaten-path activities!

Frenetic, fast-paced and full of hills… Hong Kong isn’t usually the first destination that springs to mind when planning a family trip, but this bustling modern city actually has a whole lot of kid-pleasing sights and activities to offer. And while the kids will undoubtedly owe you a debt of gratitude if you take them to Hong Kong Disneyland, there’s a lot more to family holidays in Hong Kong than rollercoasters and water parks. Sightseeing with kids in Hong Kong can be a challenge due to the terrain, the jam-packed sidewalks (this is not a stroller-friendly place) and the summer humidity, but it’s easy to escape the city swelter. Nearby lie beaches and inviting trails, while the sheer number of museums and galleries in the city itself mean there’s always a chance to give the kids a good dose of culture. The obvious kid-pleasers (there are several theme parks here in addition to Disneyland) are unlikely to thrill parents looking for an off-the-beaten-path experience, but it’s more than possible to spice up your family trip to Hong Kong with some lesser-known sites and activities that should linger long in the memory banks.

Hike the Dragon’s Back at Dawn

Set the alarm early to get the trails to yourself, and put those little legs to the test on this manageable hike! This trek combines scrambly hills and trickling streams with glorious views of the South China Sea before winding up on a beach. This jaunt will take around 2 hours (add more time for a short-legged members of the party, who can be strapped into a sling or baby backpack) and pack a picnic to make it feel like a fun adventure rather than a test of physical strength. Lots of hikers head here at weekends, but active families in Hong Kong can beat the crowds by making the trek mid-week, and by setting off early. If the kids are up for early-morning adventuring, grab a coffee and go before sunrise, for some incredible photo opportunities as the sun comes up. Drive or take a cab to Shek O Road, some 20 minutes from downtown and the starting point for this hike. With almost 40 percent of the land surrounding Hong Kong classified as Country Park, this is just one of the treks that families can embark on, and it’s arguably the one with most appeal to kids. The promise of ending up at the aptly-named Big Wave Bay should be an incentive, and the mere mention of dragons makes it sound exciting to younger travelers. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water!

Find Pristine Beaches at Lantau Island

The largest of Hong Kong’s islands, Lantau is a popular destination for daytrippers, but while there are big beach crowds on the sandy strands at Silverline Bay, visitors looking for more elbow room on the beach can find blissful solitude at the farther-flung Cheung Sha Beaches, which stretch for miles against a mountainous backdrop. To get here, families disembarking the ferry from Central Pier 5 to Mui Wo can jump on a local bus (numbers 1-4 run out to Cheung Sha), leaving the hordes behind.

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Explore Waterfalls at Tai Long Wan

The skyscrapers and rushing commuters of Hong Kong island will feel a world away as you clamber over rocks to cooling pools and crashing waterfalls before topping up your vitamin D levels on a near-deserted beach. Located on the eastern coast of the Sai Kung Peninsula, it’s no breeze to reach, but a manageable day trip for adventurous families in Hong Kong, and one which more than merits the effort. A combination of buses and/or taxis (budget-pleasingly affordable in Hong Kong) will take you to Sai Wan Lan Pavilion, the starting point for well-marked trails to the first of several beaches. Bring tons of water and wear comfy shoes to navigate the beaches and, after chilling on the sands for a while, continue the trail for another 15 minutes or so to reach hidden rock pools and waterfalls. Brave souls can dive in from a number of natural platforms! Some of the beaches at Tai Long Wan are windswept spots popular with surfers, and others offer tame waters that are ideal for young swimmers. A couple of small restaurants offer fuel for watery adventures (and the return trip home!).

Eat This: Character Dim Sum

Oh yes. Dim sum with cartoon faces on them, or fashioned into cute animal shapes. If there’s a better way to convince little ones to try the local cuisine, I don’t know what it is! Cute character dim sum is very much a thing in Hong Kong, with several family-friendly spots on the island offering these goodies that look (almost) too good to eat. The most famous place to indulge is Dim Sum Icon, where diners can chow down on Spongebob Squarepants’ bright yellow face, should they so choose, but a more palatable option for grown up diners is Yum Cha (branches in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui), a very family friendly space that prides itself on its signature piggy-shaped dumplings as well as its no-MSG policy.

Need more ideas regarding how to travel on a budget with your family? Check out my eBook available for download on Amazon here!

In Asia with kids

Beijing with Kids: Get off the Tourist Track!

February 8, 2018 No Comments

Spice up your family trip to Beijing with these off-the-beaten-path activities!

Packed with parks, theaters, cute cafés and museums, China’s big, bright and bustling capital is a top destination for families with a taste for culture or an appetite for adventure. But while there’s no denying the fun factor at Beijing’s big ticket amusement parks or the thrill of scaling a section of the Great Wall, families in Beijing are likely to find themselves jostling for elbow room and spending a lot of time waiting in line at the city’s biggest kid-friendly attractions. For more intrepid families visiting the Chinese metropolis, there are still plenty of under-the-radar experiences just waiting to be discovered! You might need to brush up on your Chinese, as you’re unlikely to hear much English spoken at these off-the-tourist track spots.

Get the Lay of the Land by Taking a Peek at Beijing in Miniature

At the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, mere steps from the tourist-packed Tiananmen Square, is a crowd-free spot where visitors can check out a teeny version of Beijing. A true-to-scale model of the entire metropolitan area is a fun way for families to get their bearings and check out the lay of the land–kids can try to spot their hotel among the landmarks. Visitors can see the entire city, the surrounding countryside and the magnificent Great Wall, and it’s a great way to plan how to get around the city. As well as the vast model of the city, visitors can check out interactive displays and interesting videos about Beijing’s past, present and future. The air-conditioning makes it well worth it, just to escape the swelter of the streets on a hot day!

Ready, Set, Ski!

Yes, you can ski in Beijing–or at least in the surrounding area. Families visiting Beijing in the winter can find slopes just 30-minutes’ drive from the city proper at Nanshen Ski Village. It’s not really known among foreign visitors to the city, but is in fact one of the best-equipped and most modern ski resorts in China. The area hosts dozens of runs for all abilities, as well as a kids’ play area and a snowboard park. Do you have nature-loving kids in tow? Check out these tips for nature-loving families in China!

Find a Hidden Cat Café

Coffee, cakes, cocktails…and cats. Cats, cats, cats! Beijing has caught on on to the Taiwanese trend for cafés that allow a cat-loving clientele to cuddle new-found furry friends as they nibble and sip their way through the menu. Cat cafés are increasingly popular in the Chinese capital, and while many are busy spots where you’ll need to battle your way through crowds of tourists to get a seat, others are hidden away in unassuming hutong (narrow street or alley) neighborhoods. One such spot is Cats44, where feline-loving families can pet rescue kitties, and kids can sit at special child-sized tables. It’s easy to miss this somewhat hidden spot, tucked away on a rather down-at-heel courtyard, but families in Beijing will find it well-worth seeking out for the delicious cat-shaped cakes and other yummy treats.

Get Buzzing at a Bee Museum

Beijing’s Botanical Garden is firmly established on the city’s tourist trail, but few visitors take the time to visit the somewhat hidden Bee Museum, a sweet little spot that will satisfy little visitors with a hankering for honey. Most of the information is in Mandarin, but the working bee hives and exhibitions of bee keeping gear need little translation. Visitors can discover all about honeybee habits and habitats, and even pick up jars of the golden goop to take away.

Explore Old Beijing

While much of Beijing has been modernized and gentrified (find tips to see the new luxurious side of China here), the real spirit of the city is best explored in the traditional hutong neighborhoods. These maze-like networks of ramshackle alleyways and courtyards are home to cafés, curiosity shops and clothing stores, and visitors can even visit family homes to try their hand at dumpling-making. To find a cooking class, be sure to plan in advance–don’t just knock on a door and expect people to throw open their kitchens! Another fun hutong experience for families in Beijing is to try a calligraphy class: kids will learn how to write their names in Chinese characters.

Eat This: Scorpions on a Stick

Adventurous eaters in Beijing may thrill at the site of fried scorpions on a stick, at such foodie hotspots as the famous Wangfujing Street in central Beijing. All manner of crawling, slithering and flying beasties are available as crunchy, protein-packed snacks, and even those who haven’t got the stomach to eat a roasted giant centipede will likely relish the spectacle. Candied fruits and savory dumplings are among the more kiddie-friendly street snacks on offer. If you’re looking for even more adventurous fun for your family’s trip to China, find more ideas here!

Need more ideas regarding how to travel on a budget with your family? Check out my eBook available for download on Amazon here!

In Asia with kids

Singapore with Kids: Get off the Tourist Track!

January 25, 2018 No Comments

Spice up your family trip to Singapore with these off-the-beaten-path activities!

Slick, shiny, and stroller-friendly, Singapore is one of the most stress-free destinations for families visiting Asia. But while bringing the brood to this polished modern city is a lot less hassle than visiting other big Asian cities such as Kathmandu or Bangkok, the manicured lawns, shiny high-rise buildings and super-clean sidewalks can make it feel a little sterile and lacking in potential for real adventure. But look beyond the ice cream parlors (although don’t miss out on visiting a few–Singaporeans take their ice cream seriously, and it shows!) and the shopping malls, and it’s not hard to uncover family-friendly sights and activities that go beyond tame, tourist-oriented pursuits. Get off the beaten track with these under-the-radar exploits, for a more memorable family jaunt to Singapore.

Follow a Foodie Treasure Trail at Simpang Bedok

Most foodies will tell you that a trip to Lau Pa Sat Market is virtually mandatory for any culinarily curious families visiting Singapore. But while there’s certainly a lot of yummy fun to be had at this downtown gastronomic institution (and a few bargains to be picked up), it’s very much on the tourist trail, and the location in the business district further bumps up the prices. Instead, make like the locals and jump on a bus to Simpang Bedok, which has become the go-to neighborhood for in-the-know gourmands. Although the area’s been spruced up a bit through gentrification, and there are some very high-end places to eat here, it’s more fun (and budget-friendly) to check out the stalls at the Fengshan Market and Food Center, where families can try all manner of delicious local dishes, and kids can slurp down bowls of noodles for as little as $1 a pop. It’s open until late, so it’s worth bringing kiddos in a stroller in case they nod off as you make the rounds and soak up the lively vibe.

Escape to the Kranji Countryside

Leave the spick-and-span city behind and head off for fresh air and fun in the rural suburb of Kranji. The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) runs out here, some 20 kilometers from the city center, and it feels like a world away from the Singapore of the guidebooks. As well as some educational and informative farm visits, (try to find time to visit the wonderful Bollywood Veggies), Kranji is home to the Sunjei Buloh Wetland Reserve, where nature-loving families can stroll through 130 hectares of protected land, where mangrove swamps are inhabited by all manner of flying, swimming, jumping and crawling creatures. Nearby Chestnut Nature Park is a pleasant place for an afternoon’s cycling and a picnic, while a frog farm in the vicinity will appeal to youngsters with a fondness for the little hoppers.

Step back in time at Pulau Ubin

While vast numbers of locals and visitors alike head for family fun at the lively island resort of Sentosa, adventurous families in Singapore will find an entirely different island experience at Pulau Ubin. Just a 10-minute ferry ride from the city center, it feels like a wild ride back in time! Instead of sleek restaurants, white sandy beaches and glistening modern buildings, this island has traditional kampung houses on stilts, forested trails and some astonishing ecosystems. There are scarcely any cars on the island, making this a popular spot for trekking and cycling, and visitors can gawk at the abundant wildlife present in the mangrove swamps, sand and mud flats, coastal forest and unspoiled beaches. Don’t expect high rise hotels or chain restaurants here–the family can nosh on super-fresh fish and seafood from simple family-run restaurants by the jetty. To get here, take a bumboat from the ferry terminal at Changi Point (around $6 USD return, plus a little extra for a bike).

Did we mention the ice cream?

There’s nothing under-the-radar or hidden about the ice cream scene in Singapore! With ice cream and frozen yogurt spots on every corner and vendors selling ice cream sandwiches at every stretch of pavement in between, the city will thrill kids and sweet-toothed parents alike. It’s fun just to shop around until you find your favorite, but some good family options to start with are the self-serve Sogurt shops, where kids can load up their own cones and bowls, and chuck on their toppings of choice, while the cheekily-named Udders serves the scoops alongside yummy pancakes, and has ‘grown-up’ versions, made with boozy ingredients such as Baileys. Yum. If the kids needed any further convincing to come here, mention that there’s a special Star Wars-themed range, with flavors including a bright green ‘Yoda’ (actually matcha green tea with coconut caramel). Doubt the power of our Green Tea flavor, you do not! Enjoy the richness of our Kyoto Matcha ice cream, infused with the sweetness of coconut caramel. Embrace this delicious light flavor today!

Need more ideas regarding how to travel on a budget with your family? Check out my eBook available for download on Amazon here!