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Ap Lei Chau
On the southern side of the harbour is Ap Lei Chau (Duck's Tongue Island), one of the most densely populated places in the world. It used to be a centre for building junks, but now it's covered with housing estates, including a huge one called South Horizons. There's not much to see there, but a walk across the bridge to the island affords good views. From Aberdeen Promenade you can get a boat across to Ap Lei Chau.
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Cheung Chau Typhoon Shelter
A great way to see the harbour and soak up the fishing village atmosphere is to charter a sampan for half an hour (expect to pay around HK$50 to around HK$80 depending on the day, the season and the demand). Most sampans congregate around the cargo pier, but virtually any small boat you see in the harbour can be hired as a water taxi. Just wave and two or three will come forward. Be sure to agree on the fare first.
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Cheung Chau Village
The island's main settlement lies along the narrow strip of land connecting the headlands to the north and the south. The waterfront is a bustling place and the maze of streets and alleyways that make up the village are filled with old Chinese-style houses and tumble-down shops selling everything from plastic buckets to hell money. The streets close to the waterfront are pungent with the smell of incense and fish hung out to dry in the sun.
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Cheung Po Tsai Cave
This cave, on the southwestern peninsula of the island, is said to have been the favourite hiding place of the notorious pirate Cheung Po Tsai, who once commanded a flotilla of 600 junks and had a private army of 4000 men. He surrendered to the Qing government in 1810 and became an official himself, but his treasure is said to remain hidden here.
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Chi Ma Wan
Chi Ma Wan, the large peninsula south of Mui Wo that can be reached via the inter-island ferry, is a relatively remote part of Lantau and an excellent area for hiking; just be sure to get a map as the trails are not always clearly defined or well marked.
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Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park
A rewarding 6km walk in the area starts from the village of Hoi Ha (literally 'Under the Sea'), on the coast of Hoi Ha Bay, now part of the Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, a 260-hectare protected area blocked off by concrete booms from the Tolo Channel and closed to fishing vessels. It's one of the few places in Hong Kong waters where coral still grows in abundance and is a favourite with divers.
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Hong Kong Park
Hong Kong Park is one of the most unusual parks in the world, emphasising artificial creations such as its fountain plaza, conservatory, artificial waterfall, indoor games hall, playground, t'ai chi garden, viewing tower, museum and arts centre. For all its artifice, the 8-hectare park is beautiful in its own weird way and, with a wall of skyscrapers on one side and mountains on the other, makes for some dramatic photographs.
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Hong Kong Wetland Park
The space and serenity of this 60-hectare ecological park make it a wonderful place to while away half a day. Its nature trails, bird hides and viewing platforms are windows on the wetland ecosystems and biodiversity of the northwest New Territories. The futuristic grass covered headquarters houses interesting galleries including one on tropical swamps, a film theatre, a large café and a viewing gallery.
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Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens
Established in 1871 as the Botanic Garden, these gardens are a pleasant collection of fountains, sculptures, greenhouses, a playground, a zoo and aviaries. Along with exotic trees, plants and shrubs, some 160 species of bird are in residence here. The zoo is surprisingly comprehensive, and is also one of the world's leading centres for the captive breeding of endangered species, 16 different species of endangered animal being bred here.
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Lions Nature Education Centre
This 34-hectare attraction, 2km northwest of Hebe Haven and just off Hiram's Hwy, is Hong Kong's first nature education centre and comprises everything from an arboretum, a medicinal plants garden and an insectarium to a mineral and rocks corner and a shell house. We love the Dragonfly Pond, which attracts up to a quarter of the more than 100 dragonfly species found in Hong Kong. You can reach the centre on bus 92 from Diamond Hill MTR and Choi Hung, bus 96R on Sunday and holidays from Diamond Hill to Wong Shek Pier and green minibus 1A from Choi Hung.
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Mai Po Nature Reserve
The 270-hectare nature reserve includes the Mai Po Visitor Centre (2471 8272) at the northeastern end, where you must register; the Mai Po Education Centre (2471 6306) to the south, with displays on the history and ecology of the wetland and Deep Bay; floating boardwalks and trails through the mangroves and mud flats; and a dozen hides where you can watch birds without being observed. Disconcertingly, the cityscape of Shenzhen looms to the north.
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Mui Wo
Mui Wo (Plum Nest), Lantau's main settlement 'capital', is on Silvermine Bay, so named for the silver mines that were once worked to the northwest along the Silver River. In fact, many foreign residents refer to Mui Wo as Silvermine Bay.
About a third of Lantau's population lives in the township of Mui Wo and its surrounding hamlets. There are several decent places to stay here and though the options for eating and drinking are few, they are fine.
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Ng Tung Chai Waterfall & Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden
The area around the Ng Tung Chai Waterfall is scenic and worth a detour. It is near the village of Ng Tung Chai, which is several kilometres north of Tai Mo Shan and just south of Lam Kam Rd. There is actually a series of falls and streams here reached by taking the path leading to Ng Tung Chai and the Lam Kam Rd from the radio station on the summit of Tai Mo Shan.
Read more about Ng Tung Chai Waterfall & Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden
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Pat Sin Leng Nature Trail
This excellent (and easy) 4.4km-long trail, which should take from two to 2½ hours, leads from the Plover Cove Country Park Visitor Centre at Tai Mei Tuk and heads northeast for 4km to Bride's Pool; there are signboards numbered 1 to 22 so there is little danger of getting lost. The elevation gain is only 300m, the scenery is excellent and the two waterfalls at Bride's Pool are delightful, but the place gets packed at the weekend.
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Sha Tin Racecourse
Northeast of Sha Tin town centre is Hong Kong's second racecourse, which opened in 1978 and can accommodate up to 80,000 punters. In general, races are held on Saturday afternoon - and sometimes on Sunday and public holidays - from September to June; a list of race meetings is available from the HKTB or the racecourse website.
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Tai O
A century ago this mostly Tanka village on the west coast of Lantau was an important trading and fishing port, exporting salt and fish to China. As recently as the 1980s it traded in IIs (illegal immigrants) brought from China under cover of darkness by 'snakeheads' (smugglers in human cargo) in long narrow boats, sending back contraband such as refrigerators, radios and televisions to the mainland.
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Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade
One of the best city skylines in the world has to be that of Hong Kong Island, and the promenade here is one of the best ways to get an uninterrupted view of it. It's a lovely place to stroll during the day but comes into its own at night, during the nightly Symphony of the Stars, a spectacular sound-and-light show involving 20 buildings on the Hong Kong Island skyline from to .
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Tung Chung
In recent years change has come to Tung Chung, on Lantau's northern coast, at a pace that can only happen in Hong Kong. This previously all-but-inaccessible farming region, with the small village of Tung Chung at its centre, has seen Chek Lap Kok, the mountain across Tung Chung Bay, flattened to build Hong Kong's international airport and a New Town served by the MTR rise up.
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Yung Shue Wan
Though it's the larger of the island's two main villages, Yung Shue Wan (Banyan Tree Bay) remains a small place, with little more than a main street following the curve of the bay. Plastic was the big industry here at one time, but now restaurants, bars and other tourism-related businesses are the main employers. There is a small Tin Hau temple dating from the late 19th century at the southern end of Yung Shue Wan.
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Showing 1-19 of 19 results
