Families: 'Is Hong Kong any fun for children?'

Q. We are flying to New Zealand in September and will be breaking the journey in Hong Kong. Although my husband and I have both visited, our four-year-old daughter has not. Is there anything we should look out for or visit while we are there? J Parker, via email

A. Hong Kong can at first seem a very adult-oriented city, but is accessible and enjoyable for families, even those with very young children. Its compact size also lends itself well to a short stopover. September is a good month to visit with a young child, since humidity starts to ease off after the summer, yet you should still enjoy warm, sunny weather.

No doubt much will have changed since your last visit, not least the arrival of Mickey Mouse and his cohorts. Hong Kong Disneyland (00 852 1 830 830; park.hongkongdisneyland.com), opened two-and-a-half years ago on Lantau Island. Aside from the rides and attractions, there are firework displays, shows and parades of Disney characters.

Should you decide to venture over to Lantau then you could also ride the Ngong Ping 360 cable car (00 852 2109 9898; www.np360.com.hk) over the grassy slopes of North Lantau Country Park. On a clear day, the 25-minute journey affords spectacular views of Hong Kong and the South China Sea, depositing you at the bronze Tian Tan Buddha statue at Ngong Ping village.

Hong Kong Park (00 852 2521 5041; www.lcsd.gov.hk), near Victoria Harbour in Central, often hosts free children's events. Otherwise its grassy knolls are interspersed with a lake, a giant aviary and a children's play area. A short stroll from the park are the Zoological and Botanical Gardens (www.lcsd.gov.hk), home to orangutan, macaque, lemurs, deer and flamingos. Marine life is best viewed at Ocean Park (00 852 2552 0291; www.oceanpark.com.hk), which has aquariums galore, rides and also four resident giant pandas.

If you'd rather see animals in their natural habitat, then take to the water. Pink dolphin-viewing boat tours are offered just off Lantau (00 852 2984 1414; www.hkdolphinwatch.com). Another classic waterborne trip is on the Star Ferry (00 852 2367 7065; www.starferry.com.hk) across Victoria Harbour from Central to Kowloon. For more of the west stuff, head to the south coast of the island to Repulse Bay beach.

Getting to and from all these places needn't be stressful and you could weave in trips on the world's largest double-decker tram fleet (00 852 2548 7102; www.hktramways.com) to get from A to B. Another exhilarating journey is on the Peak Tram, which makes a steep ascent to the summit of Victoria Peak.

For more information visit www.discoverhongkong.com or call 020-7533 7100

Interesting? Click here to explore further