Hong Kong with a 6 year old

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I have just taken my six-year-old daughter to Hong Kong. It was brilliant; thanks to her questions I saw a whole new side to this big, busy city. I stood enthralled as she had a chat with a shopkeeper about the few words of Cantonese she knows from friends here.

The adventure started with Virgin Atlantic, who started flying from Sydney to London via Hong Kong a few years ago. One definite selling point for those travelling with kids is the Online Check-in… not only can you select your own seats once you have your e-ticket, but you can actually check-in up to 24 hours before you fly. The benefit is that you jump the usual airport queue and go to a special bag-drop counter. You then go through much of the standard check-in procedure, but you have jumped the queue, so it is all worth it!

Virgin Atlantic is also a great choice because they have the individual seat back televisions, with a dedicated kid-friendly selection of cartoons, movies and games. Unfortunately the flight arrives into Hong Kong quite late, so I had to convince my daughter to get some sleep.

The airport in Hong Kong is fabulous. We caught a driverless train from the gate to Customs, which we were through in no time. Then we caught the Airport Express train, 23 minutes from the airport to Kowloon in air-conditioned comfort. At the other end there was a free shuttle bus to take us to our hotel. Very easy!

We chose to stay at the Holiday Inn Golden Mile, located on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon). The hotel is surrounded by a myriad of tailors, jewellers, electronics shops, 7-eleven’s and restaurants. It also has an entrance to the MTR (underground railway) at the doorstep. There is a rooftop swimming pool (with pool side bar) to cool off after a hard day’s sightseeing; this was definitely a plus for my daughter. We also took advantage of the breakfast buffet in the hotel each morning, and my daughter made friends with the staff who were all extremely friendly and efficient.

Our first expedition took us down the road to the Space Museum. This fascinating museum gives insight into space exploration and the science behind it. They also show IMAX documentary style movies. As it started raining while we were in there we headed for Ocean Terminal to look around the shops. Most of the time devoted to the massive Toys’R’Us. We also stood and watched a massive ocean liner (Star Cruises) berth at Ocean Terminal, the speed and efficiency of the process was amazing.

Then we headed for The Peak. This called for the shiny and efficient MTR underground train to take us two stations and under the harbour. We then walked about a kilometre to the Peak Tram, a famous Hong Kong attraction. The journey is not fast but the views are spectacular. The top terminal is full of souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants. It is also home to Madame Tussauds, the world famous wax figures of today's most recognised faces. The highlight is definitely the rooftop observation deck, which affords panoramic views over Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbour and Kowloon.

From The Peak we took a bus to Stanley, home of Stanley Markets and now also home to the Maritime Museum. There are heaps of exhibits including models ships from various ages, paintings and interactive games for both kids and adults. In the narrow streets of the markets there are plenty of toys, clothes, Chinese ceramics and so on. I picked up a pair of silk pyjamas for my wife for about AU$6.


Ocean Park is a great day out, with a mix of rides and animal displays and located on a headland overlooking the South China Sea. A 1.6km cable car ride takes you from one side of the park, over the headland to the rest of the park. Our first stop was the Seals and Sea Lions where we paid about AU$5 for my daughter to hand feed the Sea Lions. We then followed the pathway to the underwater viewing area to see the speed, strength and grace of these magnificent creatures. Next we visited the Reef Aquarium, which is a massive tank holding hundreds of fish, as well as a few stingrays and sharks. Again you start above the surface then proceed down below the waterline. Next stop was the Shark tank, home to about 50 sharks of various sizes. Last stop was the Sea Lions & Dolphin show, which was more entertainment than education, but my daughter was laughing the whole way through.


Getting around Hong Kong is a breeze. Everywhere you look there are air-conditioned double-decker buses, red taxis and the MTR that offers frequent fast services. The bus out to Stanley takes you past some famous sights, such as Repulse Bay and the towering apartment buildings. With large windows, they are a great way to sightsee.

On Hong Kong Island you will find the historic wooden double-decker trams, which are a wonderful novelty, and on the harbour there is the famous Star Ferries. Star Ferries offer a great way to see the city skyline from a different vantage point, and if the regular services don’t show you enough there is also a Harbour Cruise.

On our second last day the Typhoon (Tropical Cyclone) warning was raised and by the morning of our last day it was up to level 3 (Strong winds and heavy rain). So we headed out to the shops near the hotel for a few last purchases before heading back in to shower, change & pack before our 2pm checkout. We picked up a light snack at the airport (there is quite a bit on offer) before heading out to our plane. Despite the typhoon, the take-off was smooth and we were all asleep in no time.

Unfortunately we didn’t get to Hong Kong Disneyland this time. One reason is that my wife and son couldn’t join us on this holiday, so we decided to hold that off until next time when they can both be a part of it. I also wanted to make sure we didn’t cram too much into our short time, it was Morgan’s holiday too and I wanted her to have fun, not just to see everything in Hong Kong. There is so much more to see and do in Hong Kong and Morgan really wants to go back.

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