Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden
November 21, 2010 Leave a comment
We decided to hike up north at the New Territories today. Felicia recommended a new place for us to explore – “Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden”. This park is located on the northern slope of Hong Kong’s tallest mountain – the Tai Mo Shan. The entry fee for adult is only HKD10 and child under 12 is free. There are 2 ways to explore this big park. You can either take a shuttle bus up the hill or you can walk up the steep forested paths. We chose walking and our hike took us exactly 1:47 hour to cover 3.5km (220m up and down) around the valley. (See: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=890327)
Unlike a typical farm, the park houses several animals like the leopard cat, wild boars, monkeys, birds (owl, eagle), insects and reptiles. Most of the animal enclosures are found at the base of the park. There are also many green houses and small plots of farms at different levels of the valley. There is also a “Butterfly Garden” and a “Bee Farm”. The park owners have done quite a lot of landscaping to make this place neat and scenic. However, some areas (like the mini waterfall and the lotus pond) were overdone and they looked pretty artificial and “concrete” (losing the charm).
Perhaps we came here at the wrong season, there wasn’t much to see at the farm. I don’t know, this place seems lacking (and small) in all aspects of what it is trying to achieve. I was expecting the usual farm tour where you see real farmers at work (and selling their harvest). I am a little disappointed as there isn’t much activities inside here. I was hoping for more “see, hear, touch and taste” farm experience here. Maybe they should hire a guide at key attraction/station to engage with the visitors. Nevertheless, it is still a nice place to explore on a relaxing weekend.
12 years away from home - Singapore. Writing my stories here for my lovely mum & dad, friends and most importantly, for my wife & son back home. A self-confessed gadget freak, a spontaneous prankster on the outside and a warm loving heart inside. Enjoying a happy life with loving families, friends plus a dream job. Realising mum’s motto – “Exceed Yourself Every Day”. Always believing that “Simplicity is Beauty”.
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