Discovery Bay

Lying on the northeastern coast of Lantau, what locals have dubbed ‘DB’ is very much a world of its own (with not a little similarity to the cult ’60s TV series The Prisoner ). A dormitory community for professionals who commute to Central, Discovery Bay (Yue Ging Wan in Cantonese) has a fine stretch of sandy beach ringed by high-rises and more luxurious condominiums clinging to the headland to the north – but there is no pressing need to visit except to ogle at residents in their converted golf carts, which cost $200,000 a pop. There is a handful of decent restaurants in Discovery Bay Plaza, just up from the ferry pier and the central plaza, and the 27-hole Discovery Bay Golf Club perched in the hills to the southwest. Buses make the run to and from Tung Chung and the airport at Chek Lap Kok via the Discovery Bay Tunnel and the North Lantau Hwy. A trail leading from the golf course will take you down to Silvermine Bay and the rest of Lantau in a couple of hours.