At the edge of Victoria Park, near the harbour and the highway, lies a little known but huge open-air swimming pool complex, with kiddies' pool, diving boards, licensed bar and restaurant. Certainly helps you cool off in the HK humidity, if your hotel is the run-of-the-mill shoebox without a pool. Entrance is about HK$19 for adults. There is also a public pool at Sai Ying Poon, aka Western district or Kennedy Town, but it's far less exotic and much less central, although it's just as cheap.
Hing Fat Street, Causeway Bay; tel: 2570 4682; nearest station: Tin Hau MTR; open: late March to November (it's too cold otherwise, apparently)
There are periodical 'hygiene' issues with public pools in HK. There is a type of worm which has infested a number of public pools in the time I've lived here (6 years), and it's quite common to encounter ... errrr ... "Winston Churchill fish" or "Blind Mullet" (poos) in public pools here, despite public awareness campaigns.Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
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