Top Mobile Apps to download before traveling to Hong Kong

Traveling to Hong Kong? Make sure you are prepared and download these top apps to your phone before leaving.

 My Hong Kong Guide An all-in-one app for visiting Hong Kong. It provides you with all the information you’ll need while visiting. If you’re going to download only one city guide app, download this one.

Hong Kong Insider’s Guide The app gives attraction recommendations from locals and information about off-the-beaten-path places. Find information about local neighborhoods to explore.

XE Currency This offline currency calculator will put you at ease as there is no need to memorize currency exchange rates.

Google Translate Download and save the languages you plan on using before you leave and you’ll be able to use this translation tool even without Wi-Fi.  The app allows you to take a picture of the unknown text for instant translation.

TripAdvisor When planning a trip, it is useful to read reviews from fellow travelers. Download the TripAdvisor app, and then search for Hong Kong in the “Destination Guides” section. You’ll be able to download all the information to your phone before you leave. 

TouchNote Use this app to send photo postcards. It's a personal way to send a postcard and so much easier than tracking down postcards and stamps while traveling. Simply upload the picture to TouchNote app, select the recipients, add a note and click send.

Top 5 things to do in Hong Kong with Kids

Thinking of where to go on your next family trip? It’s time to take the leap and explore Asia. We recently took our 1 ½ year old and 3 ½ year old on a trip to Hong Kong. The city offers many exciting toddler-friendly things to do.

Peak Tram

The Peak Tram is a must-do when visiting Hong Kong. All ages will enjoy it. My children couldn’t stop giggling as the tram climbed almost vertically up to the top of the Peak. Once we arrived at the Peak, the view was spectacular. I felt as though I was suspended in the sky, viewing the city from above. It is easy to spend a few hours at the top. There is a walking path to explore, shopping, and many kid-friendly options of places to eat.

What to know: Get in line for the tram before dusk to reach the top as the sun goes down and stay to enjoy the breathtaking views of the city lights. The lines may be long to get back down from the Peak, anticipate this and get in line before your children reach their meltdown point.  

The Hong Kong Observation Wheel

The Hong Kong Observation Wheel, opened in 2014, is 60 meters-high is situated right next to the harbor. I have to admit it looks small compared to the surrounding buildings however, my children loved every second. They could have spent hours in the large glass gondola going around and around. My kids excitedly pointed out the boats going in and out of Victoria Harbour.

What to know:  A ride on the Observation Wheel is feasible during the day or at night. We went midday and there was no wait to board a gondola. I think that I’d prefer the nighttime city views, however I’d recommend it during the day for families. In the daylight, my kids were easily able to grasp the hustle and bustle below.  

Lantau Island & Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car

A visit to Lantau Island consists of visiting Ngong Ping Village, taking the aerial tramway (Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car), and climbing up the steps to the Tian Tan Buddha (also known as the Big Buddha). Visitors take the metro to Tung Chung, which is on the north coast of Lantau, and then board the cable car to Ngong Ping Village.

While the walk up the 268 steps to the Big Buddha looks imposing, it is a fun adventure to hike to the top with kids.  We found it to be a great challenge for our kids where they were rewarded with beautiful panoramic views of the islands and sea below once they made it to the top!

What to know: Purchase tickets for the glass-bottom Crystal Cabin. My kids loved laying on the floor as they soared over the forest below.  The ride lasts about 25 minutes, and the views are spectacular.  

The line was over an hour long to take the Cable Car to Ngong Ping Village (Big Buddha). We decided to hire a taxi to take us there and took the Ngong Ping Cable Car back to Tung Chung. There was no line to board the cable car.

Please note that according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the “Ngong Ping Cable Car service will be suspended from January to June 2017 for a rope replacement project.” If you are visiting during this time, check the Ngong Ping 360 website for the exact dates of the closure. 

Star Ferry from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon

The Star Ferry boats take passengers from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon and back. The 10 minute inexpensive ride across Victoria Harbor is attention-grabbing for children as you pass other boats and see the big buildings of Kowloon getting closer and closer. 

We ferried from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon. Upon our arrival, we walked around Kowloon before taking it back to Hong Kong Island. A ferry leaves every few minutes which makes it an extremely easy activity to do with kids.

What to know: The ferry terminal and Observation Wheel are located right next to each other, plan to do both while in the area.

Hong Kong Tramways

The iconic double decker trams are fun to ride as they “ding ding” through the streets. The tramway has been in service for over 110 years, running westbound and eastbound along Hong Kong Island. It is one of the most inexpensive modes of transportation in Hong Kong. Your children will be delighted to sit in the upper deck and watch all the excitement of the city below.

What to know: Take the trams during non-commuting hours or on a weekend in order to have fewer crowds and increase your chances of getting a seat. The trams are small, plan ahead and leave your stroller at the hotel. Enter the tram from the back and exit at the front. You pay as you exit the tram and must have exact change.

Top family travel ideas to capture and save memories

Taking a family vacation this summer? Check out these fun ideas to capture and save memories.

Summer vacation is here and it’s time to take off on a family vacation. This summer try to resist the urge to video and photograph every second. Of course, I want to capture every cute and crazy moment including my son’s little tantrums when he doesn’t get to press the hotel elevator button.

However, being present in the moment is so much more important. Follow these easy to do ideas for preserving a vacation keepsake while having fun.

Quotes & Moments

Keep an e-mail draft of the funny quotes, new words or memories from the trip. It is a way to remember the trip that pictures can’t. If you do a photo book of the trip, add a page and entitle it “Memorable quotes and moments”. Paste the text to it. You never know what is going to come out of your children’s mouths, which is fun and exciting. For instance, in Hawaii my son said things like, “I want to float away.” “We have a problem” and he got mad at his grandma because she went down the slide faster than him. It’s easy to forget. Once the kids are all tucked in, take a second to write it down.

Say Cheese!

Mark your child or children’s growth by taking a picture of them on the hotel room bed every vacation. We started this when my son was 3 months old. It was his first time staying in a hotel room. We placed him on the bed and took a picture. It reminds me of that moment that you just plop yourself on the bed after a long day of travel and your vacation has truly started.  We now do this with both children on the bed and it’s a cute way to show their growth from trip to trip.

Scrapbook it, the easy way

Bring home the used tickets and hotel room keys from the trip. I have a scrapbook for each child. The scrapbook has self-adhesive pages, which means it has a sticky backing. I simply peel back the transparent overlay, place the tickets, smooth it and I’m done. The keepsake is a special reminder of the places we have visited. It does not require a time commitment like other types of scrapbooking.

Ask questions

It is magical to watch your children’s expressions as you visit new places.  When you have downtime, either driving or at the airport ask your children questions about the trip. The questions are fun and you may be surprised by some of their responses. My nephew would answer yes to every question.

After a trip together, I asked him yes or no questions. It marks that moment in time perfectly, as you guessed it, his answer was “yes” every time. You can also add these to the photo book or save as a memory.  

Vacations can be packed with non-stop stimulation. It is important to take a moment and revisit the trip for them.

Diary: Our first cruise with children

It was a big moment in our parenting journey. We introduced our children to the joys of cruising. We took our one-year-old and three-year-old on a 3-day cruise leaving out of Long Beach on the Carnival Inspiration. The ship departed on Friday evening and returned early Monday morning.  The itinerary included one day at sea and a port of call in Ensenada, Mexico.  My husband and I have taken over 10 cruises before having children. Cruising with kids opened up a whole new world to us. We loved it.

My husband and I like to explore the entire ship upon embarkation. As we entered the Carnival Inspiration, we set off to discover all the fun places on the ship. At one point my son stopped and looked down at the Lido deck at all the people sun bathing, eating, and drinking. He was memorized. It was a moment I will never forget.  I was viewing everything through his eyes. I realized that it is important to slow down and take it all in.  My husband and I tend to rush from one place or activity to the next.  

Pre-children, we would rush to arrive at the buffet or dining room before breakfast was over. On this cruise, we were the first people to arrive at the dining room for breakfast. We got there at 7:20am. We were all dressed and ready to go but found out it was too early for breakfast.  After a quick wait, we had a nice quiet breakfast together. There’s a magical feeling of having the cruise ship to yourself in the early morning.

Soft serve yogurt for breakfast? Sure.

Pushing the bed to the wall so the kids could stand on it to look out the window? Of course.

Riding in the glass elevators to glaze at the people in the atrium? Every time.  

Bedtime? Bedtime was when we were partied out. One night we followed the show’s dancers to the after party in the atrium. My son and I danced to Tina Turner’s Proud Mary while my daughter fell asleep in my husband’s arms. Another night my son was completely exhausted and begged to go to bed during our 5:30pm dinner.

We weren’t even off the ship and were already discussing when we could go again. My kids tried new foods, heard a wide spectrum of music, watched in awe during the nightly shows, and learned cruise terminology (port, starboard, cabin, lido deck, aft, forward). Before having children, we would be extremely relaxed and well rested as we disembarked at the end of a cruise. This time, we were exhausted. It was 100% worth it.

Tips for Legoland California with a Toddler

My family recently spent 3 days at Legoland California. When we told people about our long weekend, the response was, “3 Days?!?” We did and we had fun. We found new places to explore. We ran to our favorite attractions to ride again and again. We didn’t rush to do everything in one day. Legoland California, which is located in Carlsbad, is for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. My son is three years old and my daughter just turned one. My son is a thrill seeker. He wanted to go on every ride. My daughter was too short for many of the rides but there was still plenty that she could go on. She enjoyed people-watching, being outside and the rides she did go on.

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Must follow packing tips for traveling with children

Vacation is approaching and you begin to wonder how you will pack your belongings but also pack for your children. Take a deep breath. Thinking about packing is worse than actually doing it. I am constantly in a state of packing and unpacking as we travel so frequently with our two children. Here are useful tips to help you on your way and to give you the confidence to get the packing done.

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FreshCruiser quoted in article, “57 Life-Changing Travel Tips from the Best Family Travel Bloggers”

FreshCruiser.com was recently quoted and included as the #1 Travel Tip for family travel in 2016 in an article from Vacatia.com Family Vacation Blog. Here's an excerpt from the Vacatia story, "57 Life-Changing Travel Tips from the Best Family Travel Bloggers."

It's not always easy traveling with kids. You've got your routine, a budget, and maybe a little voice in your head that says “you’ll have to wait until the last kid moves out of the house to really start traveling?”So, we asked some of the best family travel bloggers to see how they make vacations a priority.

Read the full article by Vacatia, which includes motivating travel tips to give you the push you need to start packing your bags in 2016.

Tips for visiting London with a Toddler

My family recently spent five nights in London. We flew non-stop from Los Angeles with our toddler son. The flight left in the evening and we were fortunate to get a good amount of sleep. If you’re thinking about visiting London with your toddler are a few tips to help plan your visit. Vacation Expectations My husband and I often need a vacation from our vacation. We want to see everything a city has to offer and ‘go,go,go.’ On this trip, we knew we’d have to adapt our normal schedule for a toddler. Taking a break in a park to see the ducks, running around historic gardens, and stopping for a snack were not part of our old sightseeing days. However, we enjoyed the city just as much if not more.

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