“….magnificent, heavenly touch…… “….magnificent, heavenly touch…… filled with poetic and profound with and profound emotion” emotion”
Consulate
Il Giornale di Vicenza Il Giornale di Vicenza
Photo Credit: Lam He-man
Photo Credit: Lam He-man
BISTRO
Meet poet, journalist and ceramicist Ilaria Maria Sala: she’s making a difference, by doing her own thing
Discover Tong Fuk: a hidden gem whether you’re after a lazy day at the beach or an extended summer staycation
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Brought by Airport Dimensions, SSP and Travel Food Services, Kyra Lounge opened off Terminal 1’s central concourse on July 2, and the first thing you need to know is that it’s beautiful. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with light, and offer panoramic views of aircraft and mountains, the calming colour scheme moves from warm beige through to dark green helping travellers relax and recharge, and the lighting is simply sublime.
“Kyra, in its purest translation, means beam of light,” opens Lauren Burrill, Global Marketing Director at Airport Dimensions. “We talked a lot about the daily cycle of the sun with our Hong Kong-based design partners at Studio 5. In the dining area, where you come to refresh and refuel, the lighting replicates the morning sun as it breaks through the clouds. As you move to the centre of the space, to the bar, we tried to capture the idea of the bright midday sun – this is where you’ll always find a buzz. In the relaxation zone, meanwhile, you’ll notice the light changes; you head into a kind of evening – dusk, where it’s super-cosy and warm.”
Prioritising a calming pre-flight experience, the lounge combines a dedicated relaxation area with productivity zones, including a soundproof booth. The F&B component is equally diverse. “In catering to a wide audience, we’ve set out to bring locality, as well as recognisable international dishes,” Lauren says. Passengers can take their pick from a wide range of local dishes – classic congee, Cantonese dim sum and Hong Kong street food – or enjoy Western favourites, including a hearty baked macaroni cheese and a light couscous salad. At the well-stocked bar, delicious mocktails and cocktails (try botanical-infused Fragrant Harbour) have been designed specifically for Kyra Lounge.
Spanning 744 square metres with space for 150 passengers, Krya Lounge is included as part of the Priority Pass and LoungeKey networks. It’s also open to all Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) travellers through the purchase of entry online or at the lounge – expect to pay HK$600 for three hours. To find out more, visit www.airportdimensions.com.
[PHOTOS BY Kayli Liebenberg.]
SOLAR FUTURE MAINTENANCE SERVICE
Solar Future has been installing Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems across Hong Kong since 2020, and the team also provides an annual maintenance service ensuring both structural and electrical safety. Why is annual servicing important? Firstly, it is an offence punishable by fine or even imprisonment to have a solar system that is unsafe. Secondly, if you want your solar system to work optimally, annual maintenance is a must.
Prioritising efficiency and affordability, Solar Future services installations by area, and this is where you come in. If you have friends or neighbours in your area, who are looking for an annual service provider, ask them to contact Solar Future and quote your name to receive a discount on your maintenance for this year. Hong Kong is experiencing a record number of typhoons this year, so now’s the time to get your system checked out. To find out more, visit www.solarfuture.hk. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Solar Future.]
SMART SECURITY SCREENING AT HKIA
In a bid to enhance passenger experience and improve operational efficiency, the Airport Authority Hong Kong is launching the world’s first smart security screening system at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Fifty channels and 32 full-body scanners will be rolled out gradually across the entire airport: phase 1 was launched at the South and North Departure halls in Terminal 1 in July.
Thanks to 3D and 360-degree CT-based X-ray scanning technology, passengers will not be required to take out their electronic devices, liquids, aerosols, or gels from their carry-on luggage when passing through immigration. The smart security screening system also includes auto tray recirculation, in-built tray sterilisation and automatic alerts for uncollected items on the tray. Meanwhile, passengers who fail to clear the metal detector will be directed to a new full-body scanner which can accurately locate any prohibited items, while reducing the need for physical searches. The upgrades are expected to increase operational performance by 20%. To find out more, visit www.hongkongairport.com. [PHOTO COURTESY OF HKIA.]
SUMMER FUN IN DISCOVERY BAY
DB Summer Splashtopia is yours to enjoy until September 1. Open daily from 10am to 1.30pm and 2.30pm to 6pm on Tai Pak Wan, it’s co-organised by Kiztopia and billed as Hong Kong’s biggest inflatable beach carnival. Expect nine game zones packed with giant inflatables, including a 10-metre slide. There are special discounts for group bookings: Buddy Bundle (1 adult, 1 child) HK$258 weekdays, HK$328 weekends; Family Bundle (2 adults, 1 child or 1 adult, 2 children) HK$318 weekdays, HK$388 weekends. Register at Klook.
While in DB, fans of Shenzhen-based graffiti artist Ceet Fouad can pick up limited-edition gifts emblazoned with his signature “Chicanos” through September 1 at the Concierge in DB Plaza. All you need is proof of same-day electronic spending (a maximum of two receipts from different DB merchants). Spend HK$600 to redeem a tote bag, or HK$1,000 for a folding umbrella. Fouad’s vibrant murals can be found in cities across the globe and also, of course, in DB. [PHOTO BY Sarin Ale.]
SOLAR PV SYSTEMS ON HEADLAND DRIVE, DB
Back to School!
SILVERMINE BAY SCHOOL FOCUSED ON WELLBEING
In the 2024/25 school year, the team at Silvermine Bay School (SBS) will be addressing the AI era with a distinctive approach – by focusing on wellbeing. “While technological proficiency is important, our focus is on cultivating the irreplaceable human qualities,” opens School Principal and Owner Will Tong. “Our unique method? Character Strengths! Each day commences with teachers emphasising students’ strengths, and concludes with pupils sharing the admirable qualities they have observed in one another. This fosters a marvellous culture of mutual appreciation and self-awareness.
“Although AI can enhance learning, it cannot instil values instantaneously,” Will adds. “We are guiding children to develop emotional intelligence alongside academic skills. Our approach will resonate with parents who value growth mindset, character building and positive reinforcement. We are not merely preparing children for examinations, but for a fulfilling life in this AI-driven world.” For more on SBS, visit www.silverminebayschool.edu.hk. [PHOTO COURTESY OF SBS.]
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF ESF BELINDA GREER
OUTSTANDING IB RESULTS AT ESF
ESF students across Hong Kong achieved an average score of 36.4 in the IB exams - significantly above the global average of 30.2 achieved by students in 2023. An incredible 17 students, including Caitlin Alexandra Wong of Discovery College, attained the maximum possible score of 45 points, 43 students scored 44 points and 47 students 43 points. Overall, 821 ESF students gained their IB Diploma – at a 97.6% achievement rate. Additionally, 49 ESF students who followed the IB Careers Related Programme (IB CP) received the IB CP award.
On results’ day, July 6, Chief Executive Officer of ESF Belinda Greer said: “When a family entrusts their child’s education to ESF, we make a very simple promise to them: that we will do everything we can to help their child be the best that they can be. These incredible results show that ESF is keeping true to its promise. Congratulations to each and every one of our students.” [PHOTO COURTESY OF ESF.]
ANGELS FC MERGER WITH TEKKERZ
With the huge success of last years’ Women’s World Cup, girls’ football is one of the fastest growing sports around the world. The positive for players in Lantau is the merging of Tekkerz and DB Angels FC.
The Tekkerz Angels programme is committed to providing the same opportunities for girls-only teams as boys. Girls get to train up to twice a week, join training sessions with boys if interested, and have access to the Tekkerz Player Development app to practice skills outside of class and get feedback from coaches. All this will ensure the girls will be ready to participate in the HK Junior Football League, HKFA invitational tournaments, the SCB 7’s and community-invite friendly matches. Classes are running in Term 1 on Fridays at DB North Community Pitch from 4pm to 5.30pm, and on Sundays at Discovery Bay International School from 9am to 11am. To find out more, visit www.tekkerzfootball.com or www.prosportsasia.com. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Tekkerz Angels.]
CHARACTER STRENGTHS CIRCLE AT SBS
Out & About!
WHAT YOU’VE BEEN UP TO!
AT THE TAI O DEITIES PARADE
In the early morning of June 30, deity statues from four local temples were towed by dragon boat in a parade through the waterways of Tai O, as part of a century-old religious ritual held annually to pacify the water ghosts. After the parade, three local fishermen associations held a friendly dragon boat race, with residents and visitors alike lining the waterways of Tai O to enjoy the action. [PHOTOS BY Sarin Ale.]
ROLE MODEL FOR CHANGE
MUI WO JOURNALIST, POET AND CERAMICIST ILARIA MARIA SALA WANTS US TO LIVE OUR BEST LIVES, AND SHE LEADS BY EXAMPLE. ELIZABETH KERR REPORTS
Ilaria Maria Sala is on her way to White Cube in Central to see the latest exhibition by Korean artist Lee Jin-woo. She looks suitably summery walking through ifc Mall in a multi-coloured dress she made herself and a straw hat. As is the case in Hong Kong these days the weather has turned and the hat is now useless: it’s bucketing down. “I can get to the gallery but how I’m going to cycle home from Mui Wo ferry is a mystery,” she says with a chuckle.
Though she won’t share any dates, Ilaria has been living in Hong Kong for a good long stretch. Born in Bologna, she studied Mandarin and religion, which took her to Beijing for four years. She followed that with another four in Tokyo. “I studied Japanese, but it was Japanese for students of Chinese. That’s a weird type of Japanese where you’re capable of reading an academic paper but not ordering coffee,” she laughs again. Eventually she made her way to Hong Kong and settled here as a journalist. “I’ve lived in Asia for far longer than I lived in Italy,” she says.
Initially Ilaria used the SAR as a home base for work and travel, feeling neither like a temporary resident or one in it for the long haul. “However, Hong Kong was always the place I felt I could come back to, and be at ease and be stimulated by,” she says. “When I lived in Tokyo, I absolutely loved it; it’s the kind of city where you get obsessed about Japan, which is of course fine, but I find Hong Kong still gives you a much broader view, a more international view, of the world.”
ON THE PATH
Ilaria is one of the most pleasantly opinionated people you’ll ever meet. As a writer for Zolima, Artomity, occasionally in Italian, and as a contributor to the literary journal Cha, South China Morning Post, The New York Times and The Guardian, she covers art, architecture and her personal favourite, food. “I’m a very strong advocate of a more ecological way to feed ourselves,” she says. Ilaria is vegan, and baffles at the
vitriol her lifestyle choice can spark. “It’s a word that really turns people off. You should see the amount of abuse I get online if I say something as simple as ‘Being vegan diminishes your impact on the planet by 70%’. It’s weird.”
Though they traditionally go hand-in-hand, Ilaria doesn’t write travel. “I refuse to,” she states flatly. “I think tourism is one of the most destructive industries out there.” She’s a huge fan of discovering the world, but not of commodifying people’s living spaces to cater to tourists and their Instagram posts. “Attempting to do so changes the fabric of a city,” she says. “In general, there's a greater fragility in social networks, which can be damaged by tourism. Hong Kong, like many other places, now has certain areas where no one in their right mind would go.
“If you look at what tourism brings in terms of what kind of economy it sustains, and what it takes away in terms of the liveability of the city, I'm not sure that that equation stands,” she adds.
Ilaria’s got some strong opinions about the fashion industry too, and has been making her own clothes for 15 years. “I like fashion to look at; I can see the art in it, but I hate what it does to women,” she says. Making her own clothes is liberating, it frees her from life’s ‘we only have this in size zero’ moments, and, most importantly, it’s less damaging to the environment. “I’m surprised how few people realise how impactful fashion is and how exploitative of the environment and people.” Not convinced? Do an image search for Atacama Desert clothing dump.
ROOM TO WRITE – AND POT
Ilaria made the move to Mui Wo to escape the city bustle a decade ago and she’s never looked back. “I love living so close to nature,” she says. “Even on days when I do not have a lot of time to spend outside, I can just take a mini walk along the beach, or around the
PHOTOS BY Sarin Ale
“My style changes according to how I feel or what I am trying out – in terms of colour, of course, but also form or texture. I make mostly functional pieces, and vases – which can be functional or decorative according to how one uses them
– Ilaria Maria Sala
villages, and hear so many birds, see so many trees, saturate my eyes with green leaves. It is always so refreshing, no matter what.”
The amount of living space Ilaria can get for her buck in South Lantau also appeals. “I do so much stuff with my hands. Here I have space for a sewing machine, block printing and so on.” The ‘so on’ being her ceramic work, which she describes as a constant process of learning and experimenting.
“My style changes according to how I feel or what I am trying out – in terms of colour, of course, but also form or texture. I make mostly functional pieces, and vases – which can be functional or decorative according to how one uses them.” Sometimes Ilaria sells her pieces; sometimes she’s commissioned (find her on instagram: ilariamariasala).
But IIaria’s a writer first – aside from the journalism, she’s written four books in Italian and she’s a poet. “I very much like the Hong Kong approach to poetry which is often about what may seem like mundane objects, very local sights, moments, and so on,” she says. “My poetry can be about a pair of shoes that reminds me of someone, or about something I see on a wall, or the shape of a bend in one of Lantau’s many waterways... That is to say, I am one of the many people inspired by Leung Ping Kwan but I owe a lot to poet Tammy Ho LaiMing, too. I can’t say what I gain from the process, it is more of an urge than anything else.”
Journalling is another of Ilaria’s compulsions and, no surprise, she’s kept a diary since she was six years old. She points out that because journalling is seldom if ever taught, many of us feel “unqualified”
for it. And this is something she wants to change: she’s recently started to give journalling classes (email journalyingintobliss@gmail.com).
“Journalling is something that happens in very many different ways;” she says, “it need not be anything written at the level of the collected letters of Virginia Woolf. That’s just not the case. What’s written is between you and the page. There’s no need to show it to anyone. And actually, don’t. Trust me,” she laughs again, describing the horror of revisiting one of her six-year-old self’s diaries.
Journalling can be in the form of classic “Dear Diary” reflections, or something more outward looking. It can be a chronicle of something done for passion, such as a poet’s – or ceramicist’s – progress notes. It can be letters to oneself. For Ilaria, the most vital form of journalling, and the one that provides the most happiness, is a gratitude diary. She started one during COVID.
“That was a time where we all felt very scared and very destabilised in our normal life. To just write every morning that I was grateful for being healthy, that I was grateful for having friends I could still communicate with, for Skype, for the bulbuls singing… That’s a type of journalling that shifts your attention away from the things that are not going well. It’s a counterbalance.”
Whether she’s showing someone how best to express themselves, writing, making pots, or posting about being less harmful, Ilaria is living her best life. She’s a firm believer that individuals can make a difference. “We can have a big impact,” she concludes. “Believing otherwise dismisses our own power.”
SIZZLING SUMMER SPECIALS
WHERE TO EAT, DRINK AND TAKE TEA ACROSS LANTAU
With so many wonderful and varied restaurants across Lantau, we really are spoilt for choice when it comes to eating out. So the question is, what’s hot this summer? Where should you be spending your hard-earned dollar and what are the F&B promotions you need to know about? Let’s start with some South Lantau and Tung Chung offerings before heading over to Discovery Bay. Enjoy our top picks!
TREASURE ISLAND’S BEACH CLUB
One of our favourite places to hang out, with a prime position on Pui O Beach, Treasure Island’s Beach Club Restaurant, Sun Terrace and Bar is open Fridays (12pm to 10pm), Saturdays (10am to 10pm), and Sundays and public holidays (10am to 8pm). The menu has something for everyone including a wide selection of burgers, salads, beach snacks and sharing platters. There’s an impressive range of vegetarian and vegan dishes, and a dedicated kids’ menu. We love the Cosy Coastal Breakfast Buffet served up every Sunday, from 10am to 12pm, HK$138 per person.
Look out too for the Friday Night Specials – first Friday of each month: two hours All You Can Eat Wings & Free-flow Beer, HK$228 per person, and the last Friday of each month: two hours All You Can Eat Tacos and Free-flow Beer, HK$248 per person. The Burger of the Month and Wine of the Month specials always go down a treat, and there’s no place better to grab a sundowner and watch the amazing sunsets over the bay. To find out more or make a booking, call 5236 7013 or visit www.treasureislandhk.com.
SUMMER SPREAD AT TREASURE ISLAND’S BEACH CLUB
BASIC BISTRO
You are invited to embrace the spirit of joie de vivre, joyful living, at Basic Bistro which opened in January at Tbay. The chefs combine French techniques with innovative twists, and an enchanting mural by renowned French artist Eric Reno helps establish an authentic Parisian feel. The menu is big on crowdpleasing French classics, like Bouillabaisse, Beef Bourguignon and Crepe Suzette.
Basic Bistro is open daily, from 9am to 11pm, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can make the most of the daily specials and sets or go à la carte. Our top pick? Sunday Roast and Brunch, 11.30am to 3pm, with soup or salad to start, priced at just HK$220. To find out more or make a booking, call 2305 5508 or visit www.basicbistrohk.com.
HANDI INDIAN RESTAURANT
Fans of Handi Indian Restaurant in Tung Chung can order online this month at https://shop.ichefpos. com/store/Lfr89qQw/ordering to enjoy a 10% discount (minimum spend HK$200) and cash in on loyalty points – accumulate 5,000 points to get HK$50 off. If you live in the airport area or Tung Chung, delivery is free for orders over HK$150.
Open seven days a week for lunch (11am to 3pm, last order 2.30pm) and dinner (5.15pm to 11pm, last order 10.30pm), Handi Indian Restaurant has an extensive and mouthwatering menu. Dishes are crafted with passion, precision and a deep-rooted love for Indian culinary traditions. Must-tries include the Butter Chicken, Lamb Rogan Josh and Yellow Dal. To make a booking or order a takeaway, call 2988 8675 or visit www.handi.com.hk.
AUBERGE DISCOVERY BAY HONG KONG
Over in Discovery Bay this month, the fun starts at Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong – at Café bord de Mer & Lounge. Be sure to treat yourself to Semi-Buffet Lunch, Sundays from 12pm to 3pm –there’s seafood on ice, cold cuts and desserts, with prices starting at HK$398 per person + 10% service charge. To complete the experience, you can opt to add a main course for an additional cost, starting at HK$168 per person + 10% service charge, and free-flow beverages for HK$268 per person + 10% service charge.
Our other top pick is the Twinings Tea Pairing at Café bord de Mer & Lounge (HK$428 for two + 10% service charge), served from 3pm to 5pm Friday to Sunday, and on public holidays. We love the Twinings Lemon and Ginger Tea Jelly with Vanilla Pannacotta, and the Twinings Earl Grey Tea Jelly with Scallops. You’ll find that Twinings Lady Grey Tea pairs perfectly with a classic British scone. To make a booking, call 2295 8299 or visit www.aubergediscoverybay.com.
DBRASSERIE
Launched in February this year, right opposite the bus station in DB Plaza, DBrasserie has already established itself as a go-to meeting point. It’s somewhere to relax with friends either indoors or on the rooftop terrace, while eating, drinking and taking in the stunning sea views. We head there for the live sport screenings, comedy nights and live music performances.
Open by 6.30am Monday to Friday, and by 7.30am on the weekend, DBrasserie closes at 10pm Sunday to Thursday, and as late as you like on Friday and Saturday. You can sample the eclectic Asian Fusion menu round the clock, drop in for a quick (Uncle Russ) coffee during the day, or head there for latenight drinks on your way home from work. The menu is extensive, neatly covering breakfasts, breads, snacks and salads, mains and graffiti bowls, burgers and grills, and desserts. To find out more or make a booking, call 9848 1101 or visit www.dbrasserie.com.
IL BEL PAESE GROUP
Dine at any Il Bel Paese Group restaurant this month (linktr.ee/ilbelpaesegroup) and you can enjoy 10% off purchases at any of the group’s delis or supermarkets, including Italian Express and European Touch in DB. What’s more, if you are a DB Summer Splashtopia ticket holder and/ or have a Hang Seng Bank credit card, you can enjoy 10% off food ordered from the à la carte menus at Il Bel Paese Ristorante Italiano, Pascucci and The Rink - Bar & Restaurant.
Our top pick for summer is the premium Italian Gelato at Il Bel Paese Ristorante Italiano available in either a cone or cup. There’s a wide selection of flavours from Vanilla to Crème Brûlée, plus real Italian classics like Tiramisu, Espresso and Stracciatella. Our favourite is the Campari Gelato (for adults only). To find out more or make a booking, call 2987 0202 or visit www.ilbelpaese.com.hk.
(CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT)
THE WILD WINDSWEPT BEACH SLATE-GREY SAND AND ROCKS
THE GALLERY TONG FUK BEACH STORE
TIME OUT IN TONG FUK
OFTEN OVERLOOKED IN FAVOUR OF CHEUNG SHA, ITS FLASHIER COUSIN A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE EAST, TONG FUK IS A HIDDEN GEM WHETHER YOU’RE AFTER A LAZY DAY AT THE BEACH OR AN EXTENDED STAYCATION
PHOTOS BY Kayli Liebenberg & Rachel Sadler
Hop off a bus at Tong Fuk and you’ll find there’s not much there, which is basically the point. People are drawn to this tiny village on Lantau’s southern coast because it’s sleepy and remote – firmly off the beaten track – but still an easy commute down the South Lantau Road to Tung Chung and beyond.
You won’t find a Wellcome or even a 7-Eleven in Tong Fuk but there are two basic mom-and-pop stores selling snacks and fizzy drinks. Tong Fuk Beach Store, meanwhile, is a bit of a social hub. Easy to spot on the South Lantau Road, and a minute’s walk from the beach, it has a covered outdoor seating area and is a great place to grab a cold beer or an ice lolly – in addition to all manner of rubber rings, water pistols and sun umbrellas.
If you’re in Tong Fuk to go to the beach, and let’s face it, you probably are, you’ll want to stock up at the beach store before heading out. People talk a lot about Lantau’s unspoilt beaches – and this one is the real deal – there are no beach bars, tuck shops or barbecuing facilities. There’s not even a campsite. Perhaps for this reason, it’s nearly always deserted. Even in the height of summer, when Hongkongers in the know head to Tong Fuk for a long weekend, you don’t have to fight for a space on the sand. Tourists tend to bypass Tong Fuk altogether, and most day-trippers stick to the flashier beaches at Pui O and Cheung Sha, which are closer to the ferry pier.
A path from the village (by a bus stop on the South Lantau Road) takes you through abandoned fields to the beach, which is wild, windswept and resolutely low key. The sand is slate grey, without a glimmer of gold. Just the way we like it.
There are basic changing rooms and lifeguards are on duty during summer but that’s about as “commercial” as Tong Fuk Beach gets. This beach is yours to enjoy in its
natural state; it’s raw and unspoilt. The water is clean, at least by Hong Kong standards. And that slate-grey sand? It’s fine and smooth, and soothing on bare feet as it slopes invitingly towards the shore.
Tong Fuk Beach provides expansive views across the South China Sea, and you can expect spectacular sunsets. The view inland encompasses densely wooded slopes and the Lantau hills above, and the trees that line the beach provide plenty of shade at midday.
VILLAGE LIFE
For the most part, the village homes local families, many of whom have lived there for decades, but over recent years, non-islanders have started to move in, drawn to the rural lifestyle and the possibility of living in a tightknit, old-style community.
There are two options for eats. The Gallery, bang opposite the track leading to the beach, is a Lantau landmark, best known for its steak, salad and pizza. Or you can hang with the locals at cheap and cheerful Tak Po Restaurant, also on the South Lantau Road. At both restaurants, you can choose to dine indoors or out.
The Hung Shing Temple in Tung Fuk is well worth a look. Built by the villagers in 1803 and renovated in 1965, it’s located south of Ma Po Ping Road at the eastern end of Tong Fuk Miu Wan (Tong Fuk Temple Bay). Hung Shing, was a government official in the Tang dynasty, who famously championed the study and application of astronomy, geography and mathematics, and established an observatory to record meteorological changes. He’s popular to this day with fishermen and sea traders. Two other deities, the King of Fish Head and the King of Crystal Palace are also enshrined.
Beside the temple is South Lantau Submarine Cable Station, where telecommunication cables link various destinations across the South China Sea. Tong Fuk is also known as the location of Tong Fuk Correctional Institution – a medium security prison for adult males, established in 1966. Lantau International School’s lower primary campus is located at the other end of the village next to the football pitch, and is said to have the best (beach) view of any school in Hong Kong.
Tong Fuk is also, of course, an agricultural hub surrounded by verdant arable land. There are incredible views of Lantau’s peaks, and several rivers run through the village, as does the Lantau Trail (Section 10). You’ll spot wild buffalo on the track to the beach.
BUCKET-AND-SPADE MINI-BREAK
Tong Fuk has long been an under-the-radar staycation spot for Hongkongers looking for a radical change of pace. If you’re ready to rough it a little, there’s the option to stay at The Cove Hostel, just two minutes’ walk from Tong Fuk Beach. Small and somewhat rundown, this hostel has no pretentions though the eight ensuite bedrooms all have free wi-fi, a kitchenette and a balcony. Guests are welcome to barbecue in the backyard.
The caravan camping ground near Tung Fuk Beach closed down before the pandemic but you can camp or rent a caravan at Welcome Beach, which is a mere 15-minute walk away.
Since places to stay are limited, those in the know rent a village house. This is easy enough to do either through word-of-mouth, Airbnb, or by contacting a local realtor like HomeSolutions or Findley Leung. The opportunity to stay in a traditional three-storey village house is, of course, appealing to many.
Arranged across three floors, each of 700 square feet, plus a 700-square-foot roof, one of the big draws of a village house is the living space it provides – 2,800 square feet and often a small garden for your exclusive use. Built to home extended families, village house interiors were originally broken into multiple small rooms but many have now been updated. Removing non-structural walls to maximise floor-plan potential and replacing existing windows and doors creates more space and improves the flow of light. What better place to head to after a long day’s sun worshipping. Happy days!
DENSELY WOODED SHORELINE THE COVE HOSTEL
DISCOVER MALACCA
MALAYSIA’S BEST-KEPT SECRET
COLONISED BY THE PORTUGUESE,
the Dutch and then the Brits, Malacca is awash with “European” landmarks. There’s Red Square, built by the Dutch, which houses Christ Church, the oldest Protestant church in the country; there’s the 500-yearold, Portuguese-built Santiago Gate; and there’s the ultra-British Queen Victoria’s Fountain.
AT THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE MALAY
Peninsula, Malacca is known for it rich history, UNESCO World Heritage status and inspiring colonial architecture. It’s also a great walking town. The riverside promenade is the place to start, where former spice warehouses, some covered with colourful graffiti, reflect in the calm water.
MALACCA BOTANICAL GARDEN
is the city’s beautiful green lung, part jungle and part landscaped park. There are paved trails along which you can walk, cycle or ride an electric buggy. The garden is also the base for the thrilling Skytrex Adventure, where you can zip-line, sky-bike, tree climb and bungee swing.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF Pexels
THE NIGHT MARKET ON JONKER STREET
is a great place to hang out on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. The centre of Chinatown, it used to be all about antique shops but now you find stalls selling everything from souvenirs and clothing, food and temporary tattoos, to art prints and Studio Ghibli merchandise.
EATING IS THE NATIONAL SPORT
in Malacca. Look out for specialities like assam pedas (spicy, slightly sour fish curry) and satay celup (skewers of pretty much anything cooked in a boiling vat of soupy satay sauce). Of course, the authentic Indian curries are wonderful, and the rich and spicy laksa proves totally addictive.
AT 153M, THE SHORE
SKY
TOWER
is Malacca’s highest viewpoint. From the 43rd floor, panoramic city views stretch 50 kilometres in every direction. The perimeter wall is made out of glass so as not to impede the view and, if you dare, you can walk out onto the vertigo-inducing glass-floored sky deck.
MALAY, CHINESE AND INDIAN cultures meet and mingle throughout the city. Jalan Tokong, aka Harmony Street, strings together the centres of worship of the three main faiths: Cheng Hoon Teng Buddhist temple, Sri Poyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Hindu temple and Kampung Kling Islamic mosque.
Recipe of the Month!
LEMONADE POPSICLES
Serves 10
2 lemons
100g granulated sugar
480ml water
Cut one lemon in half lengthwise, then squeeze out the juice (120ml) by hand or with a juicer. Add the sugar and half the water to a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon juice and remaining water to the saucepan and stir. Pour the liquid into a jug and set aside to cool completely.
Pour the lemonade into ice-lolly moulds. Cut the remaining lemon thinly and place one piece in each mould. Add the sticks and freeze for a minimum of 8 hours.
LOCAL NUMBERS
TUNG CHUNG
EMERGENCY SERVICES 999
Tung Chung Ambulance Depot 2988 8282
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Caribbean
Caribbean
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9277
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Silvermine Beach Resort 6810 0111
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Caffe Pascucci 2591 1426
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ÓNA 3619 0937
Pascucci
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Sunset Grill
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Wah Kee
SUDOKU
Basic Bistro
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SMART CHOICES FOR COOL KIDS
ADIDAS - Tiro 23
League Backpack
HK$349
THINKSPORT
Insulated Sports Bottle
HK$229
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ADIDAS
Kid‘s X-PLR Phase
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