Hong Kong's parks and gardens are a great place to relax and people-watch and are generally free.

The Yuen Po Street Bird Market is probably something you won’t see back home, a unique area with a garden set aside for songbird owners who come to give their birds some fresh air and for vendors selling everything necessary for these precious pets. On the other side of the harbor, the Zoological and Botanical Gardens are filled with more than 1,000 plants and trees as well as various species of birds, monkeys and other animals. It's also a popular spot for older Chinese practicing tai chi.

Parks, too, offer lots of room to roam, including Kowloon Park with its playgrounds, hedge maze, aviary, fitness trail, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and other diversions (including free kung fu and other performances Sunday afternoons). Across the harbor, Hong Kong Park also offers a playground, aviary, greenhouse and more.