Playtimes HK Magazine October 2017 Issue | Page 58

But do I have
the right buggy?
There’s no holy grail per se on which buggy
is best for hiking, you just have to buy one
that suits your needs best.
Here’s a few tips to keep you on the right
trail:
• Keep it lightweight and manoeuvrable
to handle uneven and varied terrain – make
sure you can lift it over the odd step or two
that you are likely to encounter.
• A decent suspension is a must,
otherwise poor little bubs will be bouncing
around no end – it won’t be a great push
for you either.
BLACKS LINK
If you are looking for a cardio blast then
this is the hike for you. Start at either the
bottom of Black’s Link, just off Wong Nai
Chung Gap Road, or a bit further up if you
want to skip a bit of the hill. The paved trail
takes you up on a slow burn, but provides
distractions with some fantastic views of
Happy Valley and over to Ocean Park,
before bringing you back down. At a mere
3.5km you could easily hike back and
enjoy the views from the other perspective!
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MA ON SHAN
WATERFRONT WALK
Another one for the whole family and
easy for older siblings to bring along
scooters and trikes. Fully paved, the
4.5 km walk features playgrounds and
picnic spots along the way as well as a
cycle track for bike enthusiasts. There
is also a great public swimming pool,
with waterslides and play area if you
want to make a whole day of it.
• Make sure your stroller has a 5-point
safety harness. Standard.
• Is there enough storage space? With
the Hong Kong climate, you’ll need space
to store water bottles, snacks, rain cover
and all the other baby essentials.
• Reliable brakes – any decent trail will
feature a number of hills so make sure your
stroller can be locked securely, particularly
on an incline, and make sure it won’t tip
over once it’s all stocked up!
Besides these basics, you need to work
out what’s going to be best for you as a
stroller used for trail hikes will not present
the same ease of use as an ‘urban’ stroller.
All in all be sensible - don’t consider a trail
stroller if you are not already a committed
trail enthusiast – chances are you will not
take up a new hobby as the parent of a
very young child; in fact the exact opposite
is more likely.
For further information on these hikes
and others in the region, check out:
Strollinthekong.com
Hiking.gov.hk
Itishk.com