Adventure Weekend: A guide to exciting staycations for the family

Most people in Hong Kong have been hunkering down and staying home since January this year —for obvious reasons. With overseas travelling out of the picture, staycations have been trending. Although, relishing in the comforts of a five-star hotel is often enticing, it may not appeal to families with active lifestyles and adventurous spirits. But worry not —Hong Kong has plenty of green lands and open seas to revel in that could equate to a holiday in Thailand or the Philippines. Here are some ideas for planning an exciting staycation for the adventurous family:

exciting family staycation in hong kong sai yuen monkey climbing abseiling teepee tent geodesic domes camping day and oivernight gafencu — Image from saiyuen.com

Saiyuen Camping & Adventure Park
With four different camping grounds that offer the accommodations in the form of safari tents and teepees. The children will have their fun in the outdoors tree-climbing and abseiling provided with the campsite facilities. You can also take up the chance to star-gaze within their geodesic domes.

exciting family staycation in hong kong jkclub caravan camping day and overnight gafencu — Image from jkclub.com.hk

JK Club
Parked in its own private drive, this campsite offers a well-equipped caravan experience for the family that misses bunking in a mobile home on long roads. Although you won’t be able to drive in these caravans, you will however have plenty of hiking trails and waterfalls to visit around Lantau Island and a BBQ feast to enjoy afterwards.

exciting family staycation in hong kong Asiamarine yacht day and overnight gafencu — Image from asiamarine.com/hkg

Asiamarine
If you prefer a more luxurious stay but still want to breathe in the open air, enjoy the sun on deck, wakeboard against the waves, and spend the night at sea on a yacht. Asiamarine provides an array of sails of different sizes for both half-day charters or overnight trips. Equipped with Bose sound systems, a BBQ grill, and accommodations that vary between two to four cabins, you can enjoy the luxury of quality and space away from the city.

2-Day Eco Adventure Sail
Another option for taking the kids out to sea is through hellohongkong.com, where they offer a two-day Eco Adventure trip around Hong Kong’s protected Geoparks and a visit to the pristine sandy white beaches of Tai Long Wan. Inclusive with an overnight accommodation in their 56-feet fully-equipped cruising sloop with two double cabins that can sleep four to six people comfortably.

Whether under a tent or out at sea, these staycations will be an experience for the family to remember and an exciting story for the kids to tell. However, in these challenging times, although we try to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information, we do advice our readers to enquire with the above establishments directly for updated news.

Tent Tech: Cinch! offers well-pampered, uncramped camping…

Cramped quarters, shared body odours and long, dark treks to the nearest chemical toilet are just the headline unpleasantries that are seen as the true hallmarks of any camping holiday. All that, though, may be about to be consigned to the past thanks to a new line of innovative smart tents all rolled out under the reassuring Cinch! branding.

Originally launched back in 2009 by Jake Jackson, a UK-based outdoor enthusiast, the line has proved a runaway success. With his initial concept now having undergone four substantial upgrades, each more tech-savvy than the last, this latest generation is said to make good on his promise that camping doesn’t necessarily require you to forsake all of your technological home comforts.

In line with this, each Cinch! tent – when fully-equipped with all the recommended accessories – sees life under canvas given a truly 21st century makeover. LED ceiling lights? Check. Climate control? Check. USB charging capabilities? Check. Better yet, all this electro-connectiveness is powered by the hyper-efficient solar panels lining the tent roof, with 13,000mAh portable battery pack available as a handy back-up.

Given that these tents can ‘pop-up’ and be dismantled in mere seconds, all of those truly opposed to getting back to nature are going to have to work far harder on their excuses in future.

8 Hong Kong farms to check out for all your green needs

Are lunar new year resolutions even a thing? If so, and yours include “going green” this Year of the Dog, we’ve put together a few grassroots movements in Hong Kong that you can check out for a more wholesome 2018. From glamping to organic shopping, these farms will get you on the right track the fun, interactive (and delicious!) way.

GrowingSmart.HK – Permaculture-based programs, workshops and volunteer activities www.growingsmart.hk

Evergreens Republic – Order locally grown organic produce (harvested and delivered within 24 hours) from the largest and only USDA certified organic commercial Aquaponics farm to operate in Southeast Asia www.evergreensrepublic.com

Nature’s Harvest – a natural environment connecting visitors with their local and natural food system whilst escaping to a rural retreat in Clearwater Bay www.naturesharvest.com.hk www.veggies.hk

HK Farm – An organisation of Hong Kong farmers, artists and designers who grow local food, curate exhibitions and design products / services relating to urban agriculture www.hkfarm.org

Eat Fresh – An organic e-Greengrocery delivery where you can get packaged organic products like gluten-free brownies, baby & toddler fresh seasonal produce subscriptions or coconut body milk www.eatfresh.com.hk

Homegrown Foods – an e-grocery delivering premium, sustainable clean food to most anywhere in Hong Kong, 7 days a week www.homegrownfoods.com.hk

Go Green – An organic pineapple park and BBQ / camping / events venue in Yuen Long www.gogreenlife.com.hk

Sai Yuen Farm – One of several farm staycations have also sprung up. This one in Cheung Chau features glamping; you can check into Stargazing Geodesic domes, Transparent igloos set on a higher elevation offering breathtaking views of sea and sky. At night, the see-through ceilings yield unobstructed visions of twinkling stars from the comfort of your bed. At HK$3,300 a pop on weekends, prices are comparable to hotels in the city. www.saiyuenfarm.com

Words: Julienne C. Raboca