Journey to Nowhere

This is a newly constructed harbourfront promenade, stretching between Deep Water Bay and Repulse Bay. It’s a 20-30 minute walk, with enchanting view of the bay area.

It is more advisable that you start the walk from Deep Water Bay and have some relaxing time at Repulse Bay, as there is more to do and enjoy here.

At Repulse Bay, you can find a expatriates-oriented supermarket Market Place tucked away in the boutique shopping mall Repulse Bay Arcade, and some restaurants like Pizza Hut along the beach. At the eastern end of the beach is Kwun Yam Shrine, with prominent statues of goddesses Kwun Yum and Tin Hau, which often attracts tour groups after tour groups from mainland China. The sunset looking out from the Shrine area is breadth breaking. 

How to get there:

Take bus No 6, 6A or 260 from Central’s Exchange Square bus terminal. Or, if you come from the Eastern part of the Hong Kong island, take bus No. 65.

You may have heard of Hong Kong style milk tea, which uses evaporated milk to give the tea a very smooth and creamy taste. But you may not know that the evaporated milk used here is mostly imported from Holland. According to a report, 70% of the local restaurants use Black & White evaporated milk, a brand from Holland.  

As a daily drink for many of the Hong Kong people, the tea is offered in almost all the Hong Kong restaurants.

Kam Fung restaurant, at No. 41, Spring Garden Road, Wanchai, is one of the local restaurants that are famous for making top quality Hong Kong style milk tea. Both hot milk tea and cold milk tea are reputedly delicious. Their chicken pies and egg tarts, the restaurant’s signature snacks, are also popular. So the best time to visit is afternoon, for afternoon tea.

Kam Fung is a typical local restaurant so be prepared to be seated at a table with others in a packed and small place. And be warned that the restaurant does not have a good reputation for service.

There is raving review about this small restaurant in North Point on Hong Kong Island. It specializes in food like marinated goose meat, noodle, chicken feet, etc. They sound very local right? I dare you to try. But not to worry what to order because the restaurant is full of posters advertising the interviews they gave to the media. Just point to the dishes on the poster and you will not be disappointed.

Since the restaurant was recently rated one star by Michelin, it has been packed all the time. There are also complaints of bad service from customers.  So do expect queues and not comfortable seating and probably not very good service.

Address:
Hung’s Delicacies
Shop 4, G/F, Ng Fai Building, 89-94 Wharf Road

You can view photos and comments (mostly in Chinese) of the restaurant here.

This time I recommend another hiking route in Hong Kong, a  walk from Ng Fai Tin (五塊田) to Tai Miu （大廟），called High Junk Peak (釣魚翁山）country trail.

high junk peak trail

Clear Water Bay

It takes about 3 hours to finish the walk. There is a bus stop at the entrance to the trail and for a start, you will have to climb some stairs.  After a short walk, you will find Tseung Kwan O development area with buildings after buildings at the right, and Clear Water Bay at the left. The view of Clear Water Bay is spectacular. And at some point, you will see the High Junk Peak, among Hong Kong’s most pointed peaks. People with stamina and strength will try to climb up, but not me.

After reaching Tai Miu (meaning big temple in Chinese), you can walk to Po Toi O Village Road and from there to reach Po Toi O village, which is famous for seafood. The village is actually small and there are only two restaurants, Seafood Island and Fat Kee. Personally I like the food in Fat Kee, but the seating is more comfortable in Seafood Island. You can take No.6 minibus to Po Lam Station from the village.

Po Toi O fishing village

How to get there:

Take the 103M minibus from Tsueng Kwan O Station, or the No. 6 minibus from Po Lam Station, and get off at Ng Fai Tin. Ask the bus driver to alert you if you don’t know where to get off.

This route is not very fitting for hiking in summer as there is little shade along the way. But it is perfect for now, when it is getting cool.

Here’s a small tip for those arriving in Hong Kong through the airport.

In the big hall of Hong Kong International Airport where you collect your luggage after the immigration passport check, there are a few phone stands where you can make local calls free of charge.

The stand says “courtesy call”. So you won’t miss it. It comes in handy for those arriving in Hong Kong without a local phone card for their handset.

This is a short but very pleasant hiking route – from Pak Sha O (白沙澳）, Sai Kung to Lai Chi Chong（荔枝莊）, to the south of Tolo Channel.

Pak Sha O village

Pak Sha O, a one-time hakka village, is now populated with western families. You will pass a very beautiful private garden with vibrant colors, and some nicely restored old houses. Colorful butterflies are seen in scores in the area, and pink wild flowers in their prime.

All the way from Pak Sha O to Lai Chi Chong, you are accompanied by the sound of river flowing and bird singing, not to mention the greens that meet your eyes.

It takes only 45 minutes to walk to Lai Chi Chong, whose picturesque scenery makes the place a popular site for camping.

Private garden at Pak Sha O

wild flower field at Pak Sha O

The beach has rock formations dating back to 150 million years ago when the volcano erupted. As a result, Lai Chi Chong is among Hong Kong’s most important places for geology study and rock formation observation.

cows and meadow at Lai Chi Chong

Lai Chi Chong

rock formation at Lai Chi Chong

Lai Chi Chong pier

How to get there and get back:

Take minibus No.7 from Sai Kung town centre towards the direction of Hoi Ha (海下）； get off at Pak Sha O. (If you don’t know where to get off, ask the driver to alert you.)

Ma Liu Shui pier

There is a daily ferry departing from Lai Chi Chong at 11:40am and 6pm for Ma Liu Shui (MTR University Station). On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, an additional ferry at 2:15pm is in operation. Ferry time is about 40-50 minutes.

Please check the schedule of the ferry here. Each adult ticket is HK$28 during the weekends.

Note that after you arrive at Ma Liu Shui pier, you have to follow the road signs to walk at least 10 minutes before you can arrive at MTR University station.