Mandy Sue, Mother of Two

Perhaps going to Hong Kong while pregnant is not generally advised, nor is bringing your toddler along.  But, we made the best of it and had some wonderful moments.  Here are the highlights and some pointers from my experience.

Highlights of Hong Kong (from a pregnant woman, traveling with her toddler):

Repulse Bay:

After several days hauling my big belly up and down the staircase lined streets of Hong Kong, Repulse Bay was the much needed refuge from the hustle and bustle.  I took an Uber across to the other side of Hong Kong Island, which took about 20 minutes from Central and cost about $15.  Our helper recommended we have the driver take us to The Pulse, which is a small shopping center right along the boardwalk and beach.  There are playgrounds, restaurants, shopping and a beautiful sandy beach in a protected bay.  

I visited in January and it happened to be quite warm on the day I decided to visit Repulse Bay.  There were a few people in bathing suits, so I can imagine on hot days that there must be plenty of sunbathing. The water was warm and inviting with small waves.  My son was able to put his feet in the water without getting totally soaked.  It really felt like paradise.  

I had a relaxing meal at Amalfitana and then watched the sunset while sharing a gelato with my son.  The pizza was delicious, the wine was crisp, and the view was peaceful.  Our Hong Kong friends have told us that the most premium commodity in HK is personal space.  In Repulse Bay, I felt rich in personal space.  It was very calming and centering; I cannot recommend a trip to Repulse Bay enough.

Victoria Peak:

The views from Victoria Peak really give you a perspective on just how dense Hong Kong really is. You can see across the bay to Kowloon and basically high-rise buildings fill the entire landscape as far as the eye can see. There is a wonderful modern tram that goes up and down the hill from Central for a great view along the way.

Central Highlights:

A friend mentioned that the Four Seasons offers one of the best prenatal massages.  Obviously, I had to check it out.  The whole experience was top notch luxury, as expected with a brand like Four Seasons.  The treatment room had multi-million dollar views overlooking the famous Victoria Harbor.  And the massage honestly was one of the best massages I’ve ever had, prenatal or not.  

When I finished my massage and was relaxing in the provided relaxation room, the tantalizing smells of roast duck and barbecued pork started to creep in.  And when I tried to get a table at the coveted Lung King Keen, I realized my biggest mistake of the day was to not book a table in advance for one of the most refined dim sum locations in all of Hong Kong.  I’ll have to save that one for next time, as this was on my last day.

I ended up dining at Lei Garden in the IFC for dim sum that day and it was very good.  Continuing on my ultimate HK day, I visited the flagship Chanel store in the Landmark shopping district.  There are four levels in this location: shoes, jewelry, couture, handbags and other leather goods.  I ended up adding a black lambskin leather wallet on chain to my collection.

Next, I decided to take a trip across the bay to Kowloon on the historic and famous Star Ferry.  It was a short and enjoyable ride that my toddler loved.  Perfect to get a view of Hong Kong from the water and get some fresh air.  Even if you just go back and forth, I recommend it.

The last activity on this day was dinner at Victoria Harbor Supreme.  Here you can pick out your own live king crab from the tanks at the entrance to have the freshest crab you’ll ever taste.  The kiddo loved watching all the different creatures in the tanks.

Hire a helper:

Before you go you can easily hire, what they call in Hong Kong, a helper or an “auntie”.  This person is not just someone to watch over your child, but they can run errands and honestly show you around or help you navigate to where you want to go in HK.  I joined the Facebook group “Hong Kong Moms” and put a listing and got about 30 replies that same day.  I then weeded through who I thought put together the most professional responses (resumes, recommendations, etc.) and ended up choosing a woman who was currently between positions and waiting for her next family to return to Hong Kong.  I reached out to her previous employer who had nothing but positive things to say about her.  I cannot give enough praise to our helper, she was a lifesaver.

I paid our helper 90 HKD per hour, which is about $12 per hour.  They do not work on Sundays, all the “aunties” take that day off and socialize in certain parts of HK.  She was knowledgeable about places to purchase certain things: jelly stickers for our journey home, diapers, Chinese buns, etc.  She knew great places to take our little guy, different playgrounds and places to watch boats arriving and departing.  There is a ton of construction in HK and my son really enjoyed watching the real life version of his toys doing their work.  

More information about traveling to Hong Kong with a toddler:

Many people advise not to bring a stroller, but I did bring mine as this was one stop among five on this trip.  There were places where it was difficult but still mostly manageable, especially if there are two adults to move the stroller up or down a few stairs.  But, there are lots of escalators, raised walkways, pedestrian bridges and elevators that make getting around with a stroller more accessible than I thought it would be.  My son is almost two and can walk quite well, but we would have never made it without a stroller.  All in all, this location is not necessarily somewhere I’d chose as “toddler friendly”.  But we made it work.  Particularly with the help and visiting places like Repulse Bay, it was overall a pleasant experience.

We stayed in an apartment style hotel, called Madera Hollywood, which was great for us because of the extra space. There was a kitchenette equipped with a sink, dishwasher, microwave, mini-fridge and washing machine. My toddler really enjoyed looking out the window and watching nearby construction.