Wetlands were destroyed when the Tin Shui Wai satellite town was built on the northeastern edge of the New Territories, so the 150-acre/61-hectare Hong Kong Wetland Park was created in 2006 to replace the lost habitat. In addition to harboring a variety of animals, it also serves as an important educational facility. This is a great place with or without kids.

A visitor center, which overlooks the wetland reserve, does a good job at explaining the importance of wetlands, the variety of wetlands from tundras to tropical swamps, and where wetlands are located around the world, with plenty of interactive displays and touch screens to engage kids.

Then it’s on to the wetlands themselves, where boardwalks and pathways thread through marshes, fish ponds, grasslands, mudflats and mangroves. They’re home to about 150 species of birds that live here or migrate through, including the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill that winters here (November-March is the prime bird-watching season), as well as fish, reptiles, mammals, dragonflies and butterflies.