Leafy and deserted in a slightly dystopian way, Mt Davis is one of the last remaining adventures on Hong Kong Island's busy northern belt. In the early 20th century it was home to the Mount Davis Battery, tasked with defending the western end of Hong Kong Island, and the eery abandoned military ruins of barracks and gun battalions are here for all to see, along with unmanicured harbour views, butterflies and unmarked trails. Take bus 1 to the Mt Davis Path stop and walk up.
The battery received heavy damage during the WWII Japanese occupation in 1941 and was abandoned to the wild shortly after. With the whistling breeze and deafening silence, it's not hard to buy into the urban myths that this peak is haunted. Locals sometimes visit on weekends, but you'll likely have it to yourself midweek.
The Mt Davis path is a 10-minute bus journey on the number 1 from Kennedy Town MTR, or a HK$40 taxi if you'd prefer to drive up and walk back down (the path is a road, albeit a very quiet one). There are also helter-skelter steps leading through the Jurassic foliage, but they are not maintained and you may find them obstructed. Expect the walk to take about 45 minutes up and 30 minutes back down.
