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Further along the coast on the Southside of Lantau, you’ll fnd Palm Beach Tee Pee Village and Palm Beach Watersport Centre , which both offer interesting, active outdoor options for your celebration. Learn more at www.palmbeach.com.hk. Or, try Long Coast Sea Sports (or www.longcoast.hk) for similar outdoor and water sports fun. The new Beach Bar on Lower Cheung Sha beach hires out the entire restaurant space for parties and provides food, right on the beach, that will appeal to kids of all ages. Call 2980 2233 for details.

Just outside the gates at Disneyland is Inspiration Lake Recreation Centre . Open from 9am to 7pm daily, the centre offers free entry and cheaper parking than at the resort itself. You can pack a picnic or buy supplies at the General Store, and there are plenty of scenic spots around the lake to set up a party. There is a playground for younger children, a water fountain for splashing about in, real grass that you can actually walk on, a jogging/ cycling track, and paddleboats and bikes for hire. If you’re still there after dark, you can watch the water jets on the lake light up.

On the island, Hong Kong Park (Cotton Tree Drive, Central) has a huge outdoor play area, with six different platforms catering for children aged two to 12 years, and makes an ideal spot for an outdoor party right in the centre of the city.

For older children looking for a special day out, try horse riding at the Tuen Mun Public Riding School . They can help you organise an event for a small group and will provide barbecue supplies. Call 2461 3338 for details. The YMCA King’s Park , in Yau Ma Tei, is the site of Hong Kong’s highest outdoor rock-climbing wall. They also have an in-line skating rink, basketball and tennis

courts, and the city’s only professional skate park, making this a great venue for the boys. For parties, they provide barbecues, an indoor function room, marquees, tables and chairs, as well as access to one or more of the activities. Visit www.kpcchk.org. Noah’s Ark on Park Island has a number of different options for a day of action and adventure. The rope courses at Noah’s Adventureland would entertain the bigger kids for hours, while the Ark Garden is ideal for the little ones. Click www.noahsark.com.hk.

In the New Territories, Tai Tong Lychee Village is a lovely spot to take a small group of children for a

birthday excursion. The village offers strawberry-picking, a petting zoo and much more, and the $20 admission fee makes this a very affordable option. For a birthday outing with an educational twist, spend a day at Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden , located in Tai Po. You can wander around the garden and visit the farm’s animals, or book one of their family activities, including fower pressing and face painting. Visit www.kf bg.org.hk, or call 2483 7200.

How about taking advantage of Hong Kong’s location on one of the world’s greatest harbours? Book a catered junk and spend the day sailing around some of our most beautiful bays. Strictly for children over the age of seven and their parents, try

Jaspa’s Junk for a birthday party they’ll never forget. Click www.casteloconcepts.com. Or, charter a boat to watch the pink dolphins play off the coast of Tung Chung or Tai O with Hong Kong Dolphin Watch . Click www.hkdolphinwatch.com.

Hong Kong’s party scene is thriving, with no shortage of venues, both indoor and out, for young and old, big and small. Your only problem will be choosing.

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