If you’ve always associated Hong Kong with ideas of mouthwatering dimsum, budget shopping and crazy nightlife, well, you wouldn’t really be wrong. But did you know that the metropolitan city is also surrounded by tons of scenic trails, just a stone’s throw away from all the brick, stone and mortar?
Stay away from the hordes of human beings and theme your trip a different way this year - you can’t say you’ve really seen all there is of Hong Kong till you’ve meandered through the following 4 trails.
Lantau Peak
Everyone knows about the famous Dragon’s Back trail, and probably you’ve passed that first test already and are waiting for more. If you’re game for a little challenge, the second-highest summit of Hong Kong, Lantau Peak, awaits. Lantau Peak is only a 2.5-hour trail, but its impressive altitude (934 metres high) means those 150 minutes won’t exactly come easy for the inexperienced hiker. Few places in Hong Kong afford better views of an unobstructed sunrise or sunset, however, so if you’re hardcore enough you could start your hike at 4am to be at the peak at around 6am for to-die-for mountain views tinged with the pink of sunrise.
Plan your trip for winter (December and February) so fewer pesky clouds ruin your hard-earned scenic view.
Ling Kok Shan
After going so far up, up and away, take a breather closer to sea level with an easy little hill: the Ling Kok Shan trail at Lamma Island. This 2.5-hour long trail is much less steep; instead of huffing and puffing your way uphill you’d be winding around the hill and going through pretty old villages and hidden, isolated little beaches, with clean sands you can lay on alone whilst gazing across to islands far off in the horizon.
Tung Ping Chau
Loving the whole secluded island, remote beach idea? Go one step further and venture out to Tung Ping Chau, Hong Kong’s furthest eastern island, for a tranquil, self-reflective walk amidst nature. This is one of the few places you can actually encounter clean, unpolluted beaches, with sea water so clear you can see right down to the rocks below. Also found here are lots and lots of stratified shale beds, intricate rock formations, sea cliffs, sea stacks, and a distinct lack of anything related to modern civilization. And the best part? This island is flat, so no uphill walks are required of you.
The Maclehose Trail
If you think you can handle all that easily, then the Maclehose Trail is waiting for you. The longest trek you can find in Hong Kong, the entire Maclehose Trail is 100 kilometres long, but you can pick and choose sections of it to attempt, if you aren’t all that hardcore and haven’t got a point to prove.
But if you’re up for the challenge, strap on your best walking boots, pack lots of water and give the trail a shot - many find the experience of walking solitary for hours on end cathartic and almost spiritual, so you might just find yourself leaving the experience a changed person. The entire trail starts from Pak Tam Chung and ends at Tuen Mun, and winds through the Sai Kung Peninsula, Kowloon Hills and 8 of Hong Kong’s country parks. You’d pass mountains, beaches, valleys, reservoirs, and more, and perhaps find some much-needed inner peace out of the hustle and bustle of the city.
