Staycation with Infant at Mui wo's Silvermine Beach Resort (3 Mins Read)

As we got promoted from being couple to Family :)

Hello All,

After really long long time! Hold on! I have a valid reason for being away! I am not only globetrotter now but a MomGlobetrotter. Mother of sweetheart Kiaan who is going to be 10Months already! 

Thanks to many readers for their wishes in advance :) 

 Being son of globetrotter isn't easy but definitely fun, Kiaan says :p   

Our first journey with him began when he was 65 Days old only! That experience we shall keep for sometime else. For now, as Hong Kong relaxes its Draconian lock down measures, we decided to go on well deserved vacation even if it meant for 2 Days!

We love Staycations, as known from my earlier blog : https://globetrotterandbeyond.blogspot.com/2020/09/blog-post.html . This time around, we did our 2Days staycation at Silvermine Beach Resort, Mui wo in Lantau Island.

Beautiful scenic area near corridor rof resort

Mui Wo is located in southeast of Lantau island. It is ideal location with scenic hill and seashores around. There are plenty of cycling and hiking trails at Mui Wo. Its most beautiful highlight being Silvermine Beach with its fine sand and clear water is perfect for swim and sunbath. Silvermine beach resort which is just across the street of beach is perfect base to explore Mui Wo and enjoy its fun. Especially with infant it was convenient to be located at one place and explore many activities around just in two days!

With Kiaan who was just 9 month old then was our priority, our priorities and activities did change! So his priorities are our command :) 

Before we head towards all the fun part of this resort and Mui Wo, would like to mention about traveling with infant - what to do and why and how and blahh :)

How did we decide for staycation with infant?

Well, one fine beautiful evening we decided to go to beach with Kiaan and we realized that he loves to play in sand and beach toys are his favorite toys suddenly. So the bored 'Us' decided to try on staycation. (It was our first vacation after September 2019!) Hence why i call it well deserved one!

Beach Loving Baby - Discovered his love for sand at Upper Chueng sha beach!

P.s. Once you plan or staycation, its best to keep describing them about hotels and beaches and gardens. I have noticed they do remain calm when we keep saying things vs just giving them surprise.

How did we select location?

Since we knew now that our boy loves sand, we decided to try staycation near beach area. Also since we stay in Tung Chung, the proximity to Mui wo was ideal. We had kept in account that if he is not going to like the place then we may have to return home and hence the hotel should be not too far away from home.   

P.s. To begin with always be around their comfort level. If you have explored beach earlier then just go for beach vacation.

Activities to do with Infant at staycation?

There are plenty of things to do when you are near beach resorts. To begin with Mui Wo has lot of activities to do. Will list them at the end of blog. Specifically for children 

1. There is small but very very beautiful garden with couple of car toys, see saws and cycles.

2. Cycling: So  there is concept of family cycle! Though Kiaan didnt really enjoy too much as we think he was getting squeezed between both of us :p But when he was alone on family cycle, he did seem to enjoy a lot!

3. Swimming: We haven't explored this enough but we did try to introduce Kiaan to water at Beach and bath tubs and he seems to be enjoying. So soon in our upcoming staycation we will ensure to have lot of Swim time considering from May 5th, 22 all the pools would be open.

4. Beach Time: As mentioned, Kiaan loves his Sand time and this is top rated activity to do with infant. Buy a beautiful beach set, grab your mats, take few balls, ensure to keep some of their finger foods along and you are set to spend good hour or even two by the sea.

5. Walk by the local areas: We just took a small walk around the Mui wo area and he seemed to be really enjoy that time

P.s. I feel kids tend to be greatest observers, as much as we enjo new things, they do it too. Just dont be embarrassed if they are cranky at first. They need time to settle but once they like it, they are all set to party hard!

Summarising our Staycation experience!

How to travel with infant?

We tend to give Kiaan overall experience of traveling. So we prefer combination of Bus and Cab. Kiaan at 10 Months have experienced Flight, Train, Bus, and Cab experience. Infants are quite adaptive. They will explore with you best only if their certain schedules are honored well. One is food schedule and other most important is sleep schedule. 

P.s. I had read somewhere, all you want to try, try before they turn 1! So we always believe in this principle and don't give him only cab option.

What to do for their Food?

As Jain Vegetarians so we do not get much of option but we do manage and manage well thanks to existence of Rice Cooker! For Kiaan however, we carried simple food like Ragi Porridge Mix, Blueberries (His favorite), Kiwis, Vegetable soup and offcourse there is always backup of Milk until they turn 1. And for Day 2, we carried Cereals and fruits. It was very very simple to make cereals in rice cooker and thankfully he loves his cerelac (Home made) and Oats porridge. So his lunch schedule has always been my top priority especially while traveling. And it does keep them calm and less cranky.   

P.s. Food is their most comfort part.  no experiments here at all. If he likes blueberries and kiwis for snacks. Just stick to it!

Where do Kid's sleep?

Most of the hotels do provide Baby Crib/Cot. But again we do combination of Co-sleep and cot depending on Kiaan's mood.  

P.s. Kiaan has big time strangers anxiety, so for someone like him at very new place we let him co-sleep. Remember, Sleep and food schedule are their basic comfort not to be compromised at all! Overall, Kids would be really supportive and enjoy at their best if we are considerate about their little comforts.

Finally about :-

Silvermine Beach Resort:

Silvermine beach resort is sitting right on lap of nature. One can embrace the beautiful sea view in one side and mountain view on other. There are plenty of activities for couples and families alike of all genre. From Their beautiful Garden with Photo stops to SPA and playrooms and beach just by the side where one can explore kayaking, surfing and island hopping , this resort gives complete package of fun and frolic staycation. It has big restaurant but i cant comment much as we could not try anything here.

Food at resort: The rooms provide with black tea and ready to drink Nescafe packets but they do not have milk tea options! So if you are one who enjoys milk tea please carry for yourself tea, sugar and milk. Also the bottled water has to be bought by yourself or you can get empty bottles and there are water fountains on each floor from where you have to fill the water. 

For Food, there is a restaurant within resort ,but it does not have many vegetarian options. There is beautiful french cafe named Pause cafe just nearby which has few salad options one can try!

Activities Near Reosrt: There are many activities to do near Resort and especially in Mui. Many hikes, cycling tracks, kayaking, boating, Island hoping, just to name few. More detailed list is as below:

Place of interest near resort

 

Cycling and Jogging Tracks around resort

Hiking routes around the resort

 Best way to book resort: We are VIP members of Agoda so we got some good deals there. But if you prefer to book resort with breakfast option then its best to book from their website online. 

p.s. we are loyal to one booking website as much as possible. So, we get good deals on those websites.

Location of resort:

D.D.2 Lot 648, Silvermine Bay, Mui Wo, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, Mui Wo Lantau Island 

Other ways to reach resort are: 

By Bus: Local buses are available to take you to and from Silvermine Beach Resort, Mui Wo. Between Tung Chung and Mui Wo: Bus Route 3M and take off at the stop Mui Wo Market. Duration is around 30 minutes.

By Lantau Taxi (Blue Cab): You can take Lantau Taxi from Hong Kong International Airport, AsiaWorld Expo, Hong Kong Disneyland and Tung Chung to our resort. Duration is around 25 – 30 minutes.

By Ferry: You could also take a ferry to reach Mui Wo easily from Central Piers no. 6 and enjoy an amazing voyage on the sea. Video of the routes: http://bit.ly/2DrEzmE

Ferry and Bus Schedule: http://bit.ly/2RG4109 

(Source: https://www.silvermineresort.com)

Overall, Silvermine beach resort is a beautiful place but its pretty old and one should not expect luxury here. Its bit outdated in terms of its room decor and feel. Please note, there are no elevators so if you are going with infants or old family member please call before hand and ensure that you get lower floor rooms. 

Towards the tail end, Lantau Island is blessed with vast green land and beautiful beaches. There are endless things to explore around Lantau. Just a synopsis of famous things are mapped in here by resort which is easy to reckon. 

 

 

Nan Lian Garden & Chi Lin Nunnery - Jewel in Heart of HongKong! (2 Mins Read)

 

A collage of Chi Lin Nuunery and Nan Lian Garden!

Hong Kong is land full of surprises. Be it nature and its galore or be it being among top Financial hub or even following diversity of religions. Hong Kong has over One Million Buddhism following population (i.e. almost 28% of total population) as per Wikipedia. There are many monasteries in Hong Kong, but Four main ones which are famous are  - 

1) Po Lin Monastery at Lantau Island where beautiful tallest ever outside Sitting Tian Tan Buddha is situated, it is also famously called - The Big Buddha which is very renowned tourist destination and must visit for travelers to HK.

2) Tsz Shan Monastery - This is very unique monastery with limited guests allowed per slot and you have to make at least 1 month advance booking to  visit this beautiful place. It is located at Tai Po. (More information on upcoming blog)

3)Ten Thousands Buddha Monastery - Its located near Sha tin and boasts beautiful ambience and lovely monastery. and

4) Chi Lin Nunnery (志蓮淨苑) at Diamond Hill area in Kowloon is not so famous but one must must must visit location for its serenity, simplicity, calmness, that feel of life coming to standstill and mind stopping the swing between past and future right there in midst of 3.5 hectare full of nature surprise. This is our personal favorite place that we go to when just want to be in eternal peace. No visitors visiting us, can leave without visiting this place :p but trust me they love it. This is made in Japanese pagoda style and boasts a beautiful Nan Lian Garden in surrounding. More details with pictures to justify every word comes here -

Who should visit Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden?    

Literally everyone, no matter if you are religious or atheist but at some point everyone loves to attain that peace of mind and here it is! right in middle of hustle bustle and famous malls of Hong Kong, lies this place which is extra -ordinaire and closest to my heart personally.

How to visit Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden?    

The address for Chi Lin Nunnery is - 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon. There are couple of ways to reach the place as follows:

1. By MTR - This is the most easiest and convenient way we always follow. Just take Exit C2 of the Diamond Hill MTR Station and turn your left and cross the road -- There you are!
   


2. By Bus:
   3B, 10, 11, 11C, 38, 42C, 61X, 62X, 70X, 74A, 74X, 75X, 80, 82X, 84M, 85C, 85M, 89, 89B, 89C, 91, 91M, 92, 258D, 259D, 286M, 671, 796B, 906R, E22, E22A


3. By Public Light Bus:
   19, 19M, 70, 72

P.S. As soon as you enter the gate, don't forget to take small pamphlet about the place and information.

What are the timings and how much is this entrance?    

The Nan Lian Garden opens at 7.00 AM and closes till 7.00 PM. But the Main nunnery which is located in same premises upstairs is open only between 9.00 AM to 4.30 PM. 

So one must plan to visit accordingly. The nunnery which is made in pagoda style are uniquely designed beautiful premises and boasts lotus garden. 

The Admission to both nunnery and garden are absolutely free.

P.S. given the current situation please check their website or call and confirm its timings. Details at the end.

What is the there to do in this place and how much time will i need to plan?    

So there are two unique places to visit under in one area. First is The Chin Nunnery and then secondly you can follow circular one way that will lead to picturesque Nan Lian Garden. One can spend good 2 to 3 hours in both the nunnery and the garden. However if you wish to go with children then you can also spend time having lunch and going around and enjoying fish ponds and falls at ease which can also take good 4-5 hours. But if you are tight on time as tourist and just by visitor then even an hour is enough.

The Chi Lin Nunnery:  This was built in 1930's under Tang dynasty but re-built in 1998 and the uniqueness of this place is that it was built without single nail. It was re-built as such to show harmony between people and environment.The Chinese belief is that if houses are built from wood, the life of the trees is much longer. The sections of wood are locked together in the same manner as a jigsaw puzzle. Three different gates, each with its own representation, are at the entrance of the complex. The first gate represents compassion, the second wisdom, and the third, the skills of people. (source: hongkongnet) 

On nunnery grounds are a lotus pond, sculpted bushes and bonsai, and statues of the goddess of mercy, god of medicine, and others (The pictures of God /Godess is prohibited and hence not part of this blog) 

Nan Lian Garden: One of striking feature I love about this place is the architecture of  Tang Dynasty style. Every piece of land, rocks, trees and water is placed according to rules of Tang style. This garden is made in a way that one completes the circle by following the route.Many details are on the map and much more beautifully explained by pictures.

Pavillion outside Chi Lin Nunnery!

Lotus Bloom in Lotus Pond

Beautifully carved water fountains in Lotus Pond

Water Lillies at its best!

Another Lotus Ponds bloom

Lamps on the Chi Lin Nunnery pavillion.

Photo Courtesy: Urvi Kothari

Very lovely architecture imprint of Tang Dynasty!

Loved this piece on the pavilions!

Nan Lian Garden - Map (P.S. Do not forget to pick it map from Entrance)

This is our must have pic in this backdrop with Familia!

Beautiful street to walk with wonderful landscape

Getting merged with this beauty!

The 180 Deg Panoramic view of this beautiful place

Trying Photography skills!

The Golden Pavilion

Shops for souvenirs and small snack place. there is also a wonderful Chinese vegetarian restaurant just behind the waterfall. It has Buffet Lunch and has few options for Jain food.

Flowing with noise in the ears but calmness in Heart!

One of the Monk place

Posing with the Golden Pavilion!

Key Points to note:   

1) This place is stroller and Wheelchair friendly.

2) They can be contacted at : +852 2354 1888 / +852 3658 9366 

3) Visit their website for more information : http://www.chilin.org/

 4) Its a beautiful scenic landscape, please do not litter and do not sit anywhere and eat. There are guards across the garden to keep a check. One can use the Snacks shop and Restaurant.

5) Please be considerate and respectful towards monks, who will be present especially in nunnery. Don't make noise and observe silence

6) Please do not click pictures where it is explicitly mentioned : Photography Prohibited.

Red Leaves - Sweet Gum woods - Must Visit in Tai Lam Country Park (3 Mins Read)

Captured but Jimit Mehta! P.s. These photos are of January 2019!

…time to say goodbyes

to the summer hues and fiery cries 

for knocking my door

is the autumn delights...

 yeh mausam ka jadoo hai mitwa, na aab dil pe kabu hai mitwa. - From Hum Aapke hai kaun movie

Officially, the heat of summers are behind us and fresh breeze of mild winters have approached. This season is not only romantic but also beautiful. For the ones in Canada, States, Europe or Japan and Northern India (Kashmir and HP) are enjoying this season's colors in the name of Autumn or Falls.Where the green leaves falls and fades away giving way to dazzling, eye catching, mood enlightening and totally romantic bronze, orange, golden and red  or even dark yellow  leaves on the trees. It certainly is the view to behold in eyes for a whole year!

For Bollywood lovers again, who have seen Mohabbatein movie back in 2000 would remember that one red colored maple leave which was important part of whole movie. This is when my fascination for that red colored leaves began! And studying from London only gave me thankful exposure to those dream land where I could witness that magic. Magic of normal life turning into dream site to live in day in and day out. 

But its sad, that this phenomenon does not occur in tropical weather. And I never ever thought that after what I witnessed in Europe, I will ever see in Hong Kong.  However, Hong Kong has truly surprised me always. Known for its vibrant and dazzling city light and its view of skyline with humongous sized buildings, one can never imagine other part of Hong Kong which is absolutely close to nature. And Hong Kong gave me this opportunity to live Mohabbatein moments this time with Hubby Dear right in middle of city chaos. (Also Check where to see sunflowers in Hong Kong - HERE)

Aha! I am sure you want to know more details... Yes, Hong Kong may not see literal falls or autumn season like other famous countries but there is this one particular place which has Sweet gum woods plants and it throws us the magic of experiencing and seeing Red and golden Leaves in a good 1-2 km stretch. Now you cannot compare it with other countries which sees autumn in its full bloom. But eh, something is better than nothing!

Where can one head to see this Red Leaves?

In Tai Tong Country Park. On Maclehose Trail Stage 10 and in Tai Lam Country Park (大欖郊野公園), it is the best place to see "Red Leaves" as people in Hong Kong usually refer to Sweet Gum Woods Leaves in autumn.

When is the ideal time to visit this place?

The ideal time is when the leaves turn red in color. This phenomenon is purely nature driven and may vary from year to year. Generally they say it begins from November and remains till February. Best is to follow some Instagram pages and look for sweet gum woods red leaves, tai tong park, etc and see photos of others, if they appear like the one you wish to visit than that is ideal time :).

P.S We visited in mid January when trees where shedding red leaves but still we could catch glimpse of some beautiful sights. Its most beautiful by mid December till end or very early January. Alternatively, the best is to follow this site and check the Status For Red Leaves Index.

How can one reach this place?

One can look for Google Maps : Tai Tong Sweet Gum Woods  and find your ideal travel way. 

P.S. One can reach till Tai Tong Shan road and from here its a little hilly walk of approx 2.7 to 3 kms to reach till Sweet Gum Woods Trees. Do not forget to check timings for return bus due to current situation.

By MTR & Bus: 

The Best way we found to visit here was: Traveling by MTR till Long Ping MTR (On Dark Pink West Rail Line) and just 2 mins walk from Long Ping MTR exit B2 there is bus stop for K66 bus which heads to Tai Tong. You will find signs on black board along the sky-way which will direct you towards bus stop. One has to get down at Tai Tong Shan Road bus stop (which is second last stop) The bus takes approx 30 mins to travel from MTR till beginning of trail. 

The K66 bus schedule, stops, fare and other information can be found on MOOVITAPP.COM

Source:DroneDSLR

By Taxi from Yuen Long station:

You can take taxi from Yuen Long station which will cost approx 70 HKD. 

By Red Bus:

there is red bus from Yuen Long station - Hung Min Court (I have personally not used this way and found the Bus from Long Ping station easily accessible).

Is it a difficult trail ?

Well from the Bus stop till the sweet gum woods, the walk is little less than 3.5 kms. It is stroller friendly so you can go with kids with strollers and also wheelchair friendly as it is just a normal trail but slightly hilly which is surely manageable for a fit person. 

Source: https://www.natureintouch.gov.hk

How much time can one spend here?

There are barbecue options on the way towards sweet gum woods, so one can arrive there in morning spend some time over barbecue and  head towards sweet gum woods in afternoon and overall spend whole day around here. Or,

Just do the trail, arrive at the sweet gum woods, experience the magic, capture it, and leave which may take around 4-5 hours depending on your walk and stop speed. (The only option for rest rooms and buying water or drinks is near barbecue area)

Also, just at the beginning of trail you will see there are other parks on right hand side like lychee park and tai tong organic park, etc. I do not have much information on it but I have heard from friends that it is average place to visit with kids.   

You can see there are two routes to reach sweet gum woods. One route is via all Eco park, Lychee vallye,etc and other is the one whose details have been shared here in detail.

Are there good food / drink options around?

There is only small Kiosk selling water and few drinks and chips near barbecue area. We could not find any other option so its best to carry your own food and drinks as you like. For Jain Food option, definitely carry your own snacks and bites.

Pro Tip: The Best photo capturing place and Instagram worthy shots can be captured near the Sweet gum woods Stand, which you will arrive at almost towards the end of road that you walk past red leaves trees and little bit ahead as well. 

The enthusiastic Little Hiker!

Beginning of the road!

Thoroughly overjoyed walking past street covered on either sides with Red Leaves!

The Spot with Maximum Red Leaves near the Stand.

And that moment with Hubby Dear!

yeh hasin vaadiyan, yeh khula aasman moment!

Happified We!

Cannot really capture the beauty in lens as eyes was able to witness!

Yeah! We love to pose!

while i was busy praising the glory of nature....

well, you cannot avoid crowd, in HK, in hot spots!

Some interesting facts about Red leaves in Hong Kong

Totally singing in awe of nature and mesmerized with the views but definitely bit tired, we click final picture before we leave this place!

P.S. there is no other way but to walk back 3.5 kms till the bus stop and take same route as you did while coming here.

Points to Note while visiting country park: 

1) Share the use of forest track. Safety comes first. Watch out for vehicles/bicycles.

2) Share the natural scenery, refrain from stepping on or picking plants or taking off the leaves.

3) Keep country parks clean. Sweet Gum Woods is a bin-free trail. Please take your litter home.

4) Avoid one-off disposables. Let's go plastic free.

 5) Pack light, and wear comfortable shoes for long trail.

6) Do not liter the park or the barbecue area especially.