Visiting Hong Kong with 1 year old

[Phillymom]

Hi!
I am so glad I found this forum. I am hoping to pick the brains of moms in Hong Kong as I will be traveling from the US to Hong Kong with a 1 year old to visit family for 2 weeks.

Although I have been back to HK numerous times, this will be the first with a baby. So here are some of the questions I have:

1. In general, are the streets in HK stroller friendly? We are debating whether to bring a carseat/stroller frame combination (i.e. Snap N Go), or just a light umbrella stroller (and not bring a carseat with us)

2. Are car seats required in cars and taxis in HK? I think we will be in cars/taxis a lot, and not sure if we want to bring a car seat along with us...

3. How stroller friendly is the MTR? Are there elevators to get to the platform?

4. Has anyone flown Cathay Pacific where they don't allow a car seat? What was your experience? I am thinking of getting a CARE harness, but would love to hear some feedback from those who have flown with a baby on CX.

5. What kind of baby food do they have in supermarkets? Do they have jarred organic foods?

I think that's all I have for now. I really appreciate your response!

Thanks!

 

[carang]

1. In general, are the streets in HK stroller friendly? We are debating whether to bring a carseat/stroller frame combination (i.e. Snap N Go), or just a light umbrella stroller (and not bring a carseat with us) I would bring the lightest thing possible. Streets are navigable, but barely and there are lots of stairs (not too bad if you live here, you figure out where the ramps/elevators are, but for a visitor, can be a nightmare.

2. Are car seats required in cars and taxis in HK? I think we will be in cars/taxis a lot, and not sure if we want to bring a car seat along with us... nope, not manditory, most hkers don't even bother with seatbelts for their little ones (don't even get me started on this)...

3. How stroller friendly is the MTR? Are there elevators to get to the platform? AFAIK most stations have an elevator, all have escalators. if you bring a big stroller, though, it may not fit through the turnstiles and you'll have to walk to the larger ones....

4. Has anyone flown Cathay Pacific where they don't allow a car seat? What was your experience? I am thinking of getting a CARE harness, but would love to hear some feedback from those who have flown with a baby on CX.
i've not flown CX, but i have flown to canada/us 3 or 4 times with my (now) 2 kids. for the first trip, i bought a "joeysafe" and HATED IT! used it for about 5 minutes then removed it and it sat in my cupboard for the next 3 years until i gave it away. i didn't like it because the baby faced away from me. i just found it easier to hold the baby.
5. What kind of baby food do they have in supermarkets? Do they have jarred organic foods?
i believe that most supermarkets have heinz or gerber. they also carry some more expensive brands.(don't know if htey are organic or not as i've never really been caught up in that). there are places that you can get the expensive, organic ones, but they are not readily available. the selection at the supermarket is quite limited. remember, though that a 1 year old can eat everything that you can. there's no reason why you can't order rice and fish fillets with corn & egg sauce (unless allergic to eggs) or noodles, or rice and chicken breast(my in-laws order the whole chicken and i take the breasts and rip it into manageable strips/bite-sized pieces. we were always able to find stuff that our little ones could eat when we were out with in-laws.