Staycations experience of a few LocaLHood volunteers
Let’s be honest, 2020 has not been the best year for traveling and dream vacations…but let's look at the silver lining in our cloud. It has taught us to look around us and find places of enjoyment or serenity, places that we would not have necessarily tried out if we had the possibility to fly away. We are getting this opportunity to get to know our Home Kong even better. Hence, the growing popularity of “staycations” (derived from "stay" and "vacation"). If you search "Staycation HK" on Google, you’ll see tons and tons of websites giving tips for best staycation ideas 😊. So in this article we will not give you another list of possible places to visit. Instead, our 3 volunteers – Pooja, Ania and Winnie - share with you their experiences from their Hong Kong staycations.
In case you like what you read and if you are in Hong Kong for the X-mas vacation like most of us, you might want to try them out. Just make sure you don't loose too much time as the best deals are taken very fast 😊.
Pooja:
Shangri-la, Central
I tried 2 staycations this past couple of months. The first one was a romantic one only with my hubby in Shangri-la, Central. We spent there for 2 days in September.
It was one of his birthday surprises. The deal I got was less than 2000 HKD per night which I thought was a pretty good deal. The best part though was the room…. Direct and full view on the bay was just awesome. The cherry on the cake - the breakfast had great variety. A lot of vegan options I noticed, for those interested. The smoked salmon (yes for breakfast and we loved it!!) just melted in the mouth.
Adding to the birthday surprises was a 1 hour facial for hubby…which was apparently great because he came out beaming😍 . Then, we soaked and continued our relaxation in the beautiful pool of the hotel. Our daughter joined us for a bit the next day (finally can’t stay away from our kids too long 😊).
Marriott Hotel, Ocean Park
The second staycation was a family one during the term break of the kids in October at the one and only Marriott Hotel in Ocean Park.
We were apprehensive about Marriott as these hotels are normally super packed especially during school holidays. Also we were not sure about the quality of service.
I have to say we were pleasantly surprised!! Yes, it is a family factory but it is also huge. You seem to feel less disturbed by the density. The best part is that it is a super kids friendly hotel. We ate at the hotel and the variety of dishes was enormous and the quality seemed decent for kids. They also have a big swimming pool and a lot of kid- centred-activities at the hotel for different ages. The proximity to Ocean Park and the nearby beach made everything quite convenient and enjoyable.
Will definitely go there again as a family!
Ania:
Warwick Hotel, Cheung Chau
I went for a 2-day-staycation with my family in September. We were looking for something on outlaying islands, a little escape from Hong Kong Island. Friends recommended a hotel on Cheung Chau Island called Warwick Hotel.
The offer was not the best we could imagine, it was 1600 HKD per night with breakfast included. The hotel itself is quite old and you could really see it and even feel it 😉. Our room was quite small and very, very humid. Breakfast was decent for someone who doesn’t have any food allergies. There were eggs, bacon and bread (only one option for everyone) and I can not eat any of those things 😊 but for my husband and daughter it was completely fine.
On the plus side, the view from the hotel and its location were fantastic. Our room had a big balcony and we could marvel at the beautiful view of the bay. There are two beaches next to the hotel – the big Tung Wan beach and the smaller, more secluded Kwun Yam Beach (which was our choice).
The hotel is situated only 5 minutes from the Cheung Chau ferry pier and it’s also very near all the restaurants. It is useful to know that there are no breakfast options when you want to eat outside the hotel since cafes and restaurants open around lunch time. For lunch and dinner, there are plenty of options (Asian, western, seafood).
We recommend renting a bicycle and going for a tour around Cheung Chau. The island is very charming and one could really feel like on vacation, away from home. All in all, it was a very nice stay but more thanks to the lovely laid-back atmosphere of Cheung Chau than the hotel itself.
Winnie:
Ani-Com Park, Convention Centre
Is it possible to have fun with kids on a low budget in Hong Kong? Definitely, if you know where to look. We went on a leisurely no-spend stroll from Sheung Wan to Wanchai along the Central Promenade and checked out the miniatures displays. An NGO called On Tai Mini Workshop in Hong Kong installed some miniatures depicting Hong Kong.
Miniatures displays along the harbourfront
At the end of our harbourfront journey, we arrived at the comic park called Ani-Com Park by the seaside. This park is dedicated to the comic artists and writers in Hong Kong through the ages and well-loved comics like Old Master Q (老夫子) and kung fu comics were shown as comic statues. Would be even more interesting if you came dressed up as one of those cosplay characters you see at the annual comic festival at the Convention Centre.
This half day stroll with funny pics for memories was our low-budget staycation. You can end it with an all-you-can-eat dim sum feast at The Atrium Chinese restaurant in the Convention Centre, HK$198 +10% for adults, free for kids 6 and younger.