Kowloon Park

Kowloon Park is 13.3 hectares of green laid over the old Whitfield Barracks, right beside the busiest stretch of Nathan Road. Walk in from Haiphong Road or Austin Road and the noise of Tsim Sha Tsui's shopping strip drops away within a few steps. In its place come banyan-shaded paths, lawns and open space that feels unlikely this close to the harbour. Admission is free for almost everything inside the gates. The aviary is the headline attraction. It is a netted walk-through enclosure with a boardwalk that loops among the perches, and parrots and macaws sit at eye level as you pass. There is no separate ticket. A few minutes away, Bird Lake holds the park's other showpiece: greater and lesser flamingos wading in a landscaped pond alongside coscoroba swans. It is a striking sight for a city park you can walk into off the street. The Sculpture Walk threads bronze and stone pieces along a garden path. Every Sunday afternoon it becomes the stage for Kung Fu Corner, a free public martial-arts demonstration that draws a ring of onlookers. The Chinese Garden, first laid out when the park opened in 1970, adds pavilions and still water. The Maze Garden near the playground keeps children busy while adults sit in the shade. One thing to know before you go: the indoor Kowloon Park Swimming Pool complex and the Sports Centre both charge admission. Everything outdoors, including the aviary, Bird Lake, the gardens and the Sculpture Walk, costs nothing. Come early on a weekday to have the aviary boardwalk mostly to yourself, or plan a Sunday visit around the kung fu show. Either way it makes a full, unhurried outdoor circuit, and a good place to rest your feet between the shops and the harbourfront.