Escape the screens for some Easter fun about and about in Hong Kong. Here's our round-up of tip-top activities for kids this school break.
Easter egg hunt
Hop along to The Great Egg Hunt at K11 MUSEA in Tsim Sha Tsui. Lend the Easter bunny a hand with hints from ‘smart robots’ on where to find the more than 25 eggs hidden across ten floors of the K11 MUSEA cultural and retail destination.
Local artists Graphic Airlines, ZOIE LAM and toballki have also each created a hand-painted egg in the Bohemian Garden - head up for a festive photo moment and K11 MUSEA will make a donation to local charity Make-A-Wish Foundation for every social post featuring the eggs.
The event runs from April 2 to 11 and throughout the month there will be further kids’ activities including the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Easter Holiday Package and The Donut Playhouse Easter Egg Hunt Adventure Package. There's also an Easter workshop and egg hunt at the venue’s Nature Discovery Park.
'Cycle the New Territories
There’s a new cycling track to explore in Hong Kong - all 60kms of it. The bikeway recently opened between Tuen Mun in the west of the New Territories and Ma On Shan in the east. It includes sections that were already in use as well as a newly opened 11km stretch that links Yuen Long with Sheung Shui.
Particularly good for littlies is the Tai Po waterfront section which starts at Sha Tin, winds its way along the Shing Mun River and then around the bay with glorious views of the surrounding mountains. The cycle track is wide, flat and easy to navigate and the round trip is approximately 20kms, with plenty of refreshment stops along the way. Pick up a bike from the hire shops at Sha Tin.
Pink Dolphin tours
Unlike us humans, Hong Kong’s famous ‘pink’ dolphins have been enjoying a better-than-normal year. In recent times, big construction projects have meant the dolphins, who like to hang in the waters off north Lantau, have been struggling for space in busy waters. But with the pandemic temporarily halting traffic, including the Macau-Hong Kong ferry route, the dolphins have been enjoying a much quieter patch of ocean.
Hong Kong DolphinWatch has been operating environmentally-friendly tours to see the dolphins since 1995. Its guides are passionate about the dolphins and offer visitors an opportunity to see and learn more about these super-cute animals. Scheduled tours take place on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with a bus pick-up service from Tsim Sha Tsui.
Quest adventures
Local tour group Hong Kong Greeters has teamed up with Hong Kong gift company, The Lion Rock Press, to launch a range of self-guided ‘Hong Kong Quests’ for kids.
The challenges are tailor-made for small groups and families looking for an alternative way to view the city.
The first quest to launch, ‘Hong Kong Heist in Central’, is a beautifully-illustrated trail-map that takes in many of the city’s most famous landmarks in a fact-packed, exciting challenge.
The quest is aimed at reading-age children and above and starts and ends at Central MTR station, snaking its way along a mostly flat route and has been designed with social-distancing in mind. Participants can follow the quest at their own pace and routes have been planned to allow for snack and coffee pit-stops along the way.
Sky high history tour
Visitors to Hong Kong’s Observation Wheel can plug into the territory’s rich history via an innovative app. Using Augmented Reality (AR) and gaming technology, the app immerses visitors in the rich history of Hong Kong from 1890 to the present day.
The Observation Wheel opened in 2017 and gently spins visitors up and around while they enjoy stunning views over Victoria Harbour.
The app is the first AR experience on a moving platform, where the movement of the wheel is reflected on the user’s device. The first segment of the app journey, 1890 to 1920, takes a look at the Peak Tram, Lion Rock and the first-generation Star Ferry Pier. In the 1960s to 1980s section, visitors are shown Hong Kong’s economic progress, as well as Kai Tak Airport and the squatter villages of Lion Rock. In the ‘Present Day’ chapter there are visualisations of the city’s landmarks and more recent developments around the harbour.
The app, Hong Kong Observation Wheel AR App, is free-of-charge and is available on IOS and Android in English and traditional and simplified Chinese.