May 2019

2019 Certificate of Excellence Trip Advisor Hall of Fame for Hong Kong Greeters

Posted on 28 May 2019 by greetings

Hong Kong Greeters awarded Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2019. That makes 6 consecutive years of excellence and entry to the Hall of Fame for the second year running! Thank you to all those near and far who have helped us with this achievement. We love our guests and continue to learn from each and every one of them.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

How did Hong Kong Greeters reach the Trip Advisor Hall of Fame?

The only way to achieve the Certificate of Excellence enough times to both enter and remain in the Trip Advisor Hall of fame is by working hard. We consistently strive to provide you with customised, professional and friendly tours of Hong Kong. We organise private tours, which can be on foot or by car depending on your preference and time constraints. Additionally we are able to cater for larger groups. We are a team of native English speaking guides who can’t wait to share this great city with you! Tours in other languages may be available on request. Book your very own Hong Kong Private Tour, please get in touch today at info@hkgreeters.com.

Quirky Hong Kong

In addition to all the big ticket draws, there are plenty of quieter, more unique experiences that can be woven into your itinerary. For example, the working class neighbourhood of Mongkok has selection of eclectic markets, all within close proximity to one another. Should you have an interest in birds, there are various options dotted around the city. Perhaps you’d like to discover how some of Hong Kong’s former police headquarters and other premises have been converted in to shops, museum and galleries.

Mr Wong Wing-Pong’s A Sky Full of Gods and Buddhas

Posted on 22 May 2019 by greetings

There are various spots in Hong Kong where you will encounter clusters of battered, bruised and once loved, but then discarded religious statues. If you would like to see one, we recommend that you visit A Sky Full of Gods and Buddhas. It is the most famous and well populated cache in Hong Kong. We visited because we wanted to get the lowdown on what we have subtitled Wong Wing-Pong’s Quirky Retirement Home for Abandoned Deities. We investigated the who, what, why, where and when on your behalf. Read on to find out more about this intriguing spot.

Sky full of gods and buddhas in Waterfall Bay Hong Kong — Happy Buddha

Where to Find It

You must head to Wah Fu Estate’s Waterfall Bay. You won’t be able to see much of the waterfall. It’s much diminished since the days when passing trade ships and pirates stopped there for water supplies in bygone years. Nevertheless, here, tucked away, you will find the quirky A Sky Full of Gods and Buddhas.

Look at a map of Hong Kong Island. Find the West side of the Island and locate Pokfulam and Aberdeen. You will see that A Sky Full of Gods and Buddhas and Waterfall Bay are somewhere in between.

What to Expect

You’ll encounter what could easily border on the kitsch, but is in fact quite a magical spectacle. You’ll meet a colourful and rather jolly gathering of Gods and Buddhas. We are pleased to report that all denominations are welcome. You might notice that the small statues are cemented to the rocks and look out to sea.

Why Does it Exist

Traditionally in Hong Kong, we believe that any sort of religious figurine should never be thrown away. We consider it bad luck. Instead if we damage or break them, we often abandon them by the side of the road. Over time one abandoned figurine may be joined by others creating small impromptu places of worship. You never quite know where you will see them.

Sky Full of Gods and Buddhas Hong Kong — What a colourful and jolly gathering!

Who and How?

According to urban legend, a gentleman name Mr Wong Wing-Pong started to collect any statues he came across. If he could he would fix them up. He added them to what was a modest pre-existing cache of figurines.

Over time the number of statues has grown. Mr Wong Wing-Pong started to tend the site keeping it neat and burning incense. It continues to grow and now people bring unneeded and unwanted statues here directly. Correspondingly, more and more people are coming to visit. Maybe you have a damaged statue you’d like to add to the collection?

Based on second hand information, we believe that Mr Wong Wing-Pong was still maintaining the site in 2016. If he is still active, he will now be in his late 80’s. It’s unclear to us who currently maintains the site. Regardless, we are thrilled that this unusual, rather charming and Instagram friendly legacy continues for you to enjoy. Please let us know if you happen to meet Mr Wong Wing-Pong or the current curators and we can update our information.

Hong Kong Police Tales and Tiger Tails

Posted on 22 May 2019 by greetings

As Hong Kong’s population has expanded, many of the Hong Kong’s original police buildings became too small to meet the city’s growing needs. In recent years, some of the old buildings have given a new lease of life. Subsequently, many have undergone revitalisation. Such projects have seen these buildings becoming museums, creative hubs or supermarkets. Here are our top Hong Kong Police attractions for you to visit.

Continue reading “Hong Kong Police Tales and Tiger Tails”

Family Friendly Hong Kong Restaurants

Posted on 21 May 2019 by greetings

Hong Kong is a dining Mecca, offering every conceivable cuisine with something to suit all tastes and all pockets. However, finding truly family friendly restaurants is not always a straightforward task. As parents we know that hungry children do not make for a good day our, so together a list of fun and family friendly Hong Kong restaurants in town to make your time here go smoothly.

Family Friendly Restaurants Hong Kong Island

Zuma

Not to be confused with either the Spanish word for juice or the former South African president, this Zuma offers Japanese food. The best time to go is for Sunday brunch. There’s a soft play area and kids under 10 eat free.

Zuma, Landmark Level 5 &6, 15 Queen’s Road, Central +852 3657 6388

The Flying Pan

Hong Kong’s The Flying Pan has two locations. Hearty all day breakfasts and generous portions are their calling card. You kids will go bananas for their pancakes and quirky retro decor. Grown-ups, you’ll surely appreciate their bottomless coffee to get you through a day of wrangling your kids whilst exploring Hong Kong.

Find them at:

G/F 9 Old Bailey Street, Central or 1F/L David House, 27-39 Lockhart Road, (Enter on Fenwick), Wan Chai

Dan Ryan’s Chicago Grill

This one’s a crowd-pleaser, with American style dining and three locations across Hong Kong. High chairs and balloons are readily available. The Kowloon Tong branch at Festival Walk has a train track, and buffalo on the wall, easily missed by adults but always spotted by the kids!

Locations include: Tsim Tsa Shui, Kowloon Tong and Hong Kong Island.

Dragon Noodles Academy

Watch your dragon noodles being hand pulled in the open kitchen. Quite literally a feast for the eyes. The kung-fu decor is eye catching and families are welcome.

Des Voeux Road Central, Central

Izumi

Although this is a chain of Japanese curry restaurants, you’ll find the food at Izumi is not too spicy. Kids will love the anime themed decor and the generous portion sizes should fill the hollowest of legs.

Crystal Jade

Hong Kong and dim sum are intimately connected. Dim sum is Cantonese for ‘touch the heart’ offering small portions of delicious treats. Traditionally, eating dim sum is a family affair here in Hong Kong and is often a leisurely group dining experience washed down with plenty of tea. Crystal Jade is a popular dim sum chain operating in a number of locations throughout Hong Kong. Check out their restaurant locator to find your nearest branch.

Bubba Gump

Famous for shrimp and award winning baby back ribs, these guys have got surf and turf down pat. With 44 locations world wide and loosely themed on the Forest Gump movie, it’s not going to be an authentic Hong Kong experience. However, the big draw has to be the location. Perched on the Peak, be sure to book early to bag a window seat with panoramic views over Victoria Harbour. There is a dedicated kids menu, but you’ll find the adult menu will appeal to older kids with bigger appetites.

Bubba Gump, Shop 304 & 305, Level 3, The Peak Tower, The Peak, Hong Kong

Family Friendly Restaurants Kowloon

We’ve already detailed Izumi, Crystal Jade and Dan Ryan’s in the Hong Kong Island section, but all have outlets in Kowloon.

Yum Cha

There are various locations across Hong Kong, with two restaurants in Kowloon. This restaurant is famous for their iconic buns with facial features which are just a small selection of the novelty dim sum available at Yum Cha,. Kids will also devour the pineapple pastries shaped like birds and served in bird cages, piggy shaped char siu buns and hot dogs, as well as a delicious a la carte menu. For added fun, guests can put on giant “bao” heads for optimal photo taking opportunities!

Locations include: Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok, Central and Causeway Bay.

Hutong

Hutong is renown for excellent views and great food. If you’re looking for family friendly dining, their weekend Feng Wei brunches are a great option. In addition to delicious Chinese food, Hutong offers brunchtime activities that will keep the kids occupied. The activities vary from week to week and could include anything from dim sum making to calligraphy or from fan painting to puppetry. Although this is best suited to families with older children, it’s worth noting that under 12’s dine free.

28/F, One Peking, Tsim Sha Tsui +852 3428 8342

Dockyard

The beauty of dockyard is that it’s cashless and there is something for everyone. Download the app and then select what you want from the various food kiosks. Kids want burgers? No problem. You want Thai food? No problem. Your friend wants a salad? Easy. Everything will be delivered to your table, basically it’s an upmarket version of a food court with table service. If you don’t want the hassle of working out how to split the bill with other families, you order independently from your app and it’s all done automatically. Highchairs are available. If there is live music, choose seats away from the stage so that you can still enjoy conversation. After you’ve had a bite, catch the nightly light show from the Hung Hom promenade outside.

Dockyard, Level 1, 38 Hung Luen Road, Hung Hom Bay, Kowloon +852 2252 5228.

Family Friendly Dining New Territories

Zak’s, Discovery Bay, Lantau

This family friendly restaurant offers sea views and plenty of space for growing legs to run around. Additional bonus is that you can redeem a free ferry ride back to Hong Kong Island. If you’re there at the right time, you should be able to see the Disneyland fireworks.

Zak’s, Shop G04, Block A, Discovery Bay Plaza, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island +852 3018 0189.

Sai Kung Square, Sai Kung

Hong Kong’s seaside town of Sai Kung has a small central square dotted with restaurants. Older children can dip in and out of eating and play in the square. There will always be someone to play with, a new friend to make, leaving parents to enjoy a more leisurely dining experience.

TikiTiki Bowling Sai Kung

With a range of dining and drinking options combined with family-friendly bowling, you’ll be bowled over by this fun option. Probably unsuitable for small babies due to noise levels. For further information on the myriad options available, visit TikiTiki’s website.

Meraviglia, Science Park

Hidden away in Science Park, Meraviglia offers Italian food. It’s on the pricey side, but does have a nice play areas (both indoor and outdoor). Small children will need to be supervised as the play area adjoins an artificial lake. The restaurant is close to the cycle path that runs between Shatin and Tai Po, there is also a lovely wide promenade to take a stroll after lunch. Look out for the Guan Yin statue across the harbour.

Meraviglia, S040 G/F Lakeside 2, No. 10 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Phase 2, Pak Shek Kok, Shatin, New Territories +852 2210 7168.

The Salted Pig, Shatin

Hidden away on the top floor of New Town Plaza, the Salted pig serves up generous portions and family friendly sharing platters. With a couple of quirky plastic pig murals on the wall and silly porcine themed plates, the one that states “I like pig butts and i cannot lie” is sure to raise a titter from older kids.

Opposite the restaurant is a rooftop garden. It’s closed during bad weather, but otherwise it’s a handy option for kids to let off some steam while their waiting for their food. We even spotted a rooftop miniature golf course, but we think you’d need to bring your own clubs and balls.

After lunch take a stroll through Sha Tin park, head to the Heritage museum or if you have tots, drop by Snoopy World, a small and free theme park just outside New Town Plaza mall.

In addition to the Sha Tin location, you can find The Salted Pig at Tsim Sha Tsui, Soho East and Lai Chi Kok.

Food Tours and Family Tours of Hong Kong

Did you know that here at Hong Kong Greeters we offer some great foodie tours. We’d love for you to get in touch and find out more. We offer street food tours to small intimate groups and also a Vegetarian Food and Culture tour which can accommodate more guests. We also run walking and car tours of Hong Kong. Our tours are primarily family friendly and the majority of our tour guides are all parents and know what it’s like to travel with young kids. Even better – under 16’s go free on our walking tours. Let us introduce you to family-friendly Hong Kong.