Daily Archives: 15/04/2024

A swim in the pool isn’t just good for you, it’s also a great way to cool off, relax and take in Hong Kong’s picturesque cityscape. The best part is, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your hotel room to enjoy a dip – many of our hotels boast their own pools, meaning you can indulge in all the creature comforts and stunning views of the cityscape without even having to step outside!

While hk pools are perfect for cooling off in the summer, they’re not the most ideal swimming locations, as they tend to be quite crowded. If you’re looking for a little bit of peace and quiet whilst still enjoying your tipple and a refreshing swim, then check out our list of Hong Kong’s top rooftop pools!

For a pool experience with a view, head to Kowloon Park’s public swimming pool. Here you’ll find three outdoor leisure pools complete with waterfalls, rocks and a footbridge, as well as four indoor pools including the main pool, a training and diving pool and more. Plus, the pools are heated during winter, so you can go for a dip even when the weather isn’t so hot!

Located in the heart of Kwun Tong, this fun pool for kids has small slides, water guns and animals to climb on. Closed on Mondays.

If you want to take your swimming game to the next level, you should definitely check out this indoor pool in Tin Shui Wai. The pool is a great size for a decent swim and has two large pools for adults, a kids’ pool and a diving pool. You can even grab a bite to eat or some drinks at the on-site bar while you’re there.

While you’re here, why not try out one of the many fitness classes the pool has to offer? It’s a great way to keep your body in shape, as well as to meet new people. There are plenty of different classes to choose from, so you can find the one that suits your mood and abilities.

Last Thursday, the government announced that it would allow more public swimming pools to open as a phase-two easing of social distancing rules, but a miscommunication meant some remained closed for another week due to the lifeguard shortage. The Hong Kong Recreation and Sports Professionals General Union (HKRSPGU) has warned that around 20 of the city’s 45 public and 1,371 licensed private swimming pools may only partially open this month.

If you’re thinking of getting a pool installed in your backyard, we recommend you speak with a few independent contractors to get an idea of what the costs will be. You’ll likely have to choose between a base package and an upgraded or turnkey option, so it’s important to know what you’re aiming for before you start searching for the perfect pool installer. The price of your project will depend on a lot of factors, but if you’re aiming for that luxury pool and backyard vision, be prepared to spend the extra cash.

A new translation category for Singapore literature has been reopened and another prize has been expanded. The Singapore Book Prize (SBP) has reopened for submissions, and has added a translation category to its existing categories for fiction and non-fiction. In addition, the Singapore Literature Prize (SLP) has reopened to recognise work in English by debut authors, and now carries an additional cash prize.

The SBP has also renamed its Readers’ Favourite award to reflect the increased importance of translation in its judging criteria, and has moved to recognise works in Chinese and Malay alongside English. It has also reopened the Epigram Books Fiction Prize (EBFP) to recognise unpublished fiction manuscripts in all languages, including translations, as well as giving the genre of comics and graphic novels its own category.

Britain’s Prince William joined celebrities on the green carpet for this year’s Earthshot Awards ceremony in Singapore, which saw five winners ranging from solar-powered dryers to combat food waste to making electric car batteries cleaner announced. The Prince of Wales, who is patron for the event, said all the finalists showed that “hope does remain” as the planet faces environmental threats such as climate change. He was speaking at the first ceremony to be held in Asia, which was hosted by actors Hannah Waddingham and Sterling K Brown.

Archaeologist John Miksic won this year’s SBP for his book, ‘Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800’. The four-member jury, led by NUS history department head Wang Gungwu, picked the book over 29 other entries to be the winner. It was described as a fundamental reinterpretation of Singapore’s history, which challenges some of the ideas popularised by earlier historians, such as the idea that Singapore began in 1819 as a trading post for China.

Miksic is a specialist in Southeast Asian archaeology and has been involved in excavation projects in Singapore, such as those at Fort Canning. He was honoured for his work in raising the public awareness of Singapore’s heritage, which is a part of its identity as a city-state.

This year’s other prizes were awarded to companies for their branding efforts, and to a not-for-profit agency to help prevent suicides. The Special Merit award for the best private-sector branding effort went to fashion label Ola, while the Public Sector Branding award was given to suicide-prevention agency Samaritans of Singapore.

Among the 15 Earthshot finalists that were recognised for their solutions to climate change, two were from the UK – Norwich-based Colorfix, which makes natural fabric dyes, and London-based Enzo, which produces tyres for electric cars.

NUS Asia Research Institute distinguished fellow Kishore Mahbubani, who mooted the Earthshot prize in a Straits Times opinion column, said there may be plans to expand the range of categories that can qualify for the prizes. He used the example of the movie 12 Years a Slave to say that nations are ‘imagined communities’, and that a shared imagination, in particular through history, is a critical glue holding societies together.