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Camp places are still available for bookings at Lady MacLehose Holiday Village at Pak Tam in Sai Kung.

A spokesman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said the holiday village at Pak Tam resumed its normal camping services on July 14 following the return of the campsite from the Government after the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak.

"Although most of the camp places have been booked, a number of places for residential camps, day camps and evening camps at the holiday village are still available in August, September and October this year," the spokesman added.

Interested parties are advised to act quickly to book places through the department's Leisure Link outlets in district leisure offices or sports centres located in all 18 districts.

"Registered users of Leisure Link can also make use of the telephone booking service and all the unfilled camp places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis," the spokesman said.

The Lady MacLehose Holiday Village offers a variety of recreational and sports facilities for campers. They include an archery range, a rope course, sport climbing facilities, a swimming pool, tennis courts, an astronomical observation terrace, a children's playground, badminton courts, squash courts, an American pool room, a table tennis room, an arts and crafts centre, a chess room, a reading room, a Karaoke room and a multi-purpose room.

To ensure a clean environment, the department has instructed its cleaning contractors to carry out thorough cleansing and disinfection of all indoor and outdoor facilities at the camp in strict accordance with the guidelines issued by the Department of Health.

All dormitories and hostel rooms are cleaned and disinfected at least once a day and four times a day for toilet and bathing facilities and common areas.

New mattresses, bed sheets, quilts, blankets, pillows and pillowcases were bought to replace those that were used during the time when the camp served as an isolation centre during the SARS outbreak.

"We will take every step necessary to maintain cleanliness at our holiday camps to provide a safe and comfortable leisure environment for the enjoyment of the campers," the spokesman said.

The public can now send in their applications for advance bookings of camp places for November.

Applicants can send or fax completed booking forms to the office of the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village and places will be allocated by ballot if the number of applications exceeds the quota.

The application form can be obtained from district leisure offices or downloaded from www.lcsd.gov.hk/forms/index.html.

For enquiries, call 2792 6430.

End/Thursday, July 24, 2003

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