Family Travel: Child-Friendly Hong Kong

Travel site Momaboard asks a new dad and transplanted New Yorker Saurav Das to tell us what it's like raising a new baby in Hong Kong. If you're looking to take a transcontinental trip soon, check out the following tips for where to stay as a family in Hong Kong, where to eat, places to visit, and much more.

Saurav and Caroline Das moved to Hong Kong from bustling NYC a couple of years ago and were joined by their beautiful baby girl soon after. Caroline being a native, and Saurav an import, this Dadaboard feature from Momaboard.com brings you the best of the local and tourism scene in exciting Hong Kong.

Saurav says:

Hong Kong is one of those "world" cities with which you enjoy a love-hate relationship. It has pretty much all that you want -- or that you are willing to pay for -- and provides the infrastructure to do what you need, so long as you don't mind doing it elbow-to-elbow with everyone else. 

Yes, the small confined places are a culture shock and pet-peeve even for those who move here from New York or Tokyo (like us). It's also a city of multiple worlds -- especially with the paradoxically large, but yet concentrated expat "gweilo" population juxtaposed alongside the locals. There is much to see and do, and here are some tips to enjoy the best that Hong Kong has to offer, while navigating the chaos that is everyday life here.

Where to Stay

Hotels in Central, Admiralty, or in TST (Kowloon) overlooking the Harbor. Personal favorites are the flagship Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, and the more recently opened W in TST.

Public Transportation

The Subway (MTR) connects the northern part of Hong Kong Island quite adequately, and most parts of Kowloon effectively. Cabs are easy enough to hail, though rush hour tends to be a challenge. Most cab drivers are intent on breaking their internal world-records for getting from point to point, so take the bare minimum precaution of buckling yourself up, in addition to the little one(s). Stay away from the mini-buses, which are extremely accident-prone. Car seats are generally not available on public transportation.

Stroller vs. Baby Carrier

Unless you are in a shopping mall (which are a dime a dozen) or on the harbor-front in HK or Tsim Sha Tsui (TST), using a stroller can be a headache because of the undulated topography on HK Island, especially in Central and the Mid-levels. Depending on the size of your baby, this may not be an option, but in general I would recommend using a baby carrier rather than a stroller to the largest extent possible.

Restaurants

Since space is at a premium, lots of restaurants will likely not have room for a stroller at the table. But this doesn't mean they don't have high chairs. Call ahead and make sure you reserve one. Restaurants in hotels and the higher-end ones tend to be more spacious and appropriate for kids (but there are a few that don't allow children under 12). The smaller, local dives or Dai Pai Dongs (DPDs) for noodle-soup, BBQ pork-rice, etc. are likely not suitable in the company of a child anyway. Once your baby can sit up, I would highly recommend the Totseat -- it's the most wonderful invention since sliced bread (and the baby carrier), and has proved beneficial to us all around the world.