Hong Kong Christmas Special: Unique Christmas Gifts
Sick of stuffing your tiny flat with throwaway products? Erica Obersi and Grace Tsoi have rounded up some unique ways to show you care.
Regular presents can be returned (bitch!), scorned (sob!) or—worst of all—tossed aside and never, ever used. This year, consider purchasing something more special for a loved one. Gifts with meaning are what make memories, folks, not some over-the-top doohickey all dolled up with a big bow that gets relegated to the back of some bathroom shelf… so why don’t you give one this year? We’ve rounded up some cool experience gifts, as well as a sweet selection of presents from social enterprises and small business owners participating in the “Go Beyond the Mall” movement (see below), which aims to get Hongkongers supporting independent stores this Christmas season.
Don’t Just Fill Your Closet—Do Stuff!
Materialistic culture got you down? This Christmas, try gifting a unique experience instead.
Cool Chopper
Admire Hong Kong from above courtesy of The Peninsula, which offers 15-minute helicopter tours of Victoria Harbour and its surroundings followed by lunch or dinner at any of its restaurants for up to five people. The journey begins at the China Clipper lounge, a venue that’s jam-packed with historic photos and aviation-related knickknacks, for a quick safety debriefing. Then climb the stairs to the helipad and get whisked up into the air to take in the city’s iconic skyscrapers and lush mountaintops. Your pilot will offer commentary on areas being viewed, so you won’t miss a spot during the fast-paced journey.
Prices start at $7,200. Call 2696-6691 or email [email protected] for more information.
Panda Whisperer
Perfect for animal lovers, Ocean Park’s animal encounters are a more than suitable gift. The Honorary Panda Keeper program involves a behind-the-scenes tour of a caretaker’s life, which includes preparing meals, monitoring the pandas’ behavior and decorating their habitat. Meanwhile, the Penguin Encounter program allows guests to climb into the theme park’s arctic zone and feed three different species by hand.
Prices start at $1,160. Both programs include a day pass to Ocean Park. Participants must be pre-approved, so we recommend filling out the paperwork on their website www.oceanpark.com at least a day in advance.
Setting Sail
It doesn’t get much classier than when you’re sipping on boutique wines while cruising out on the South China Sea. Every Saturday afternoon, one of Hong Kong Yachting’s high-performance racing vessels sails out of Stanley for a two-hour-long jaunt on the water. Passengers are encouraged to assist the crew and learn some nautical skills, or to just sit back and enjoy the scenery around them. The boat’s trajectory depends on the wind, but popular routes include the island and fishing village of Po Toi or the rocky, rugged Lema archipelago in Zhuhai. Bring suitable clothes and be prepared for some wind.
Prices start at $600 per person until December 31, but go up to $750 per person after that. Call 2526-0151 or visit www.hongkongyachting.com to book.
Under the Sea
Scuba diving in Hong Kong? Yup, in fact, the waters off of Sai Kung, Clearwater Bay and Sharp Island offer a distinctive array of marine wildlife. Splash Hong Kong offers shore dives at Clearwater Bay or boat dives that depart from Sai Kung. Equipment rental is also available, and instructors can be super hands-on for those certified divers with less experience. Be prepared, though: visibility on a good day may not exceed 30 feet. On the other hand, sea horses, shrimps, clown fish, groupers, goatfish, crabs and many more creatures are indigenous to our waters, so there is much to encounter.
1/F, Ko Fu House, 58-72 Fuk Man Rd., Sai Kung, 9047-9603. Find out more at www.splashhk.com.