Visitors at last!

"I can't get over the greenery" - words my mom said multiple times during her recent visit to Hong Kong. Not exactly words you expect to hear when describing a city like HK. While Hong Kong conjures up images of tall skyscrapers, crowds and a densely populated city, in reality 2/3 of HK is actually green. After years of being isolated, HK has finally opened up, allowing our parents to visit and giving us the chance to show them HK is far more than just skyscrappers.

Once you have children you often get so caught up in daily life that you forget to do what you love most. For me, that has always been travel and exploring new places. While I once could put a backpack and walk around for hours, doing the same with 3 kids is not quite as easy. But two extra pair of hands means for once, we are not outnumbered by the kids :)

That being said, thanks to the initial years of travel and moving globally, my kids are no strangers to being exposed to different places and cultures. In fact V is the first to run out of the door and put his shoes on when you say go out. He has only been too happy to have so much outings over the last few months.

If you google things to see in HK the first thing that will pop up on most sites is Victoria Peak. After years of being closed the famous Peak tram finally re-opened in November and that was our first stop. The tram is quite an amazing feat - it a funicular system with two trams in operation at the same time going in opposite directions balancing each other on a single cable. The views as you climb up passing the skyscrapers you were just staring at from below, is stunning. Once you reach the top there is a mall, but the highlight is the circular walk around Luggard Road - offering beautiful views of the city - the green, and the not so green. While standing above the city you get a true birds eye view of all the green mountains that surround the city.

Apart from pictures of the stunning skyline filled with skyscrappers, HK's other famous image is the Big Buddha. To get there you take a cable car from a town called Tung Chung. There you enjoy a 25 minute ride offering stunning views over the green side of HK. On a clear day you can even see the bridge going to Macau, which looks like something out of a James Bond movie. Now that HK is open, hopefully we will be able to visit Macau this year!

The big buddha is majestic, not only because of the sheer size of the figure, but by the fact that it is surrounded by mountains, adding to the serenity. Unlike most places in HK, as a vegetarian food is never a highlight, big buddha has a monestary which whips up some delightful vegetarian treats, our favourite undoubtedly being the sesame buns. After satisfying our tummies, my mom and I did the long hike back from the big buddha to Tung Chung - over 5 km following the cable car path up above. The hike is challenging in parts because of the ups and downs, but the stunning views are no doubt worth it.

Ofcourse no trip to HK is complete without a visit to the happiest place on earth, no matter the age!

Stay tuned for our off the beaten path adventures!