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.

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.

There are not many countryside spots good for family activities in Hong Kong. So it was a pleasant surprise when I found this place: Kam Tin Country Club in Yuen Long.

This place is huge, occupying an expanse of open space, with grasslands, ponds, a ground for children electronic cars, a place for BBQ, farmlands, a children playground, etc.

The electronic cars are children’s favorite activity. You can also rent a bike for HK$15 one hour, or buy a kite (for HK$30) to fly on the grassland.

There are rabbits, squirrels, and goats raised on the land. The club’s website says there are over 100 rabbits. But it was disappointing to see only a few there when I made the visit last week.

There are some organic farms there. You can buy organic vegetables directly from an old couple farmers.

Beware that some local tours visit the club during the weekend. They usually arrive during the lunch time. So it is advisable that you arrive well before them to avoid the crowd.

No admission fee for entering the club.

How to get there:

Get off at MTR West Rail Line’s Kam Shueng Road station, take a taxi from the taxi stand outside the station. It costs only HK$17 and takes five minutes to get to the club.

When you leave the club, ask for a taxi call number from the staff, so that you can book a taxi to take you back to the MTR station, or wherever you want.

Website:  http://yl.com.hk/ktcc/index.htm (only in Chinese, but the pictures on the website give you an overall view of the environment there)

Union of man and nature (天人合一) is a traditional Chinese philosophy concept about the harmony between man and nature. To experience what it is like, you can go visit the New Asia College in The Chinese University of Hong Kong in New Territories. It has a “Pavilion of Harmony”, which is a beautiful embodiment of the concept.

The College is situated atop a mountain, and so is the Pavilion. Visitors can see the Tolo Harbour from the pavilion and the pond in front shows the reflection of the sky and sea in the same colour. The whole set up makes you feel like being an integral part of the nature. “The Theory of the Union of Man and Nature” by Dr. Ch’ien Mu, the founder of the College, also a prominent philosopher of contemporary China, is inscribed on the wall.

Among all the colleges in Chinese University, a reputed university in Hong Kong, New Asia College is famous for its education in Chinese philosophy and Chinese culture. The existence of such a pavilion to represent the spirit of the college is not a coincidence. Because the effect created is so harmonious and special, the Pavilion has gained fame in the local community and is becoming a tourist attraction. It has been drawing visitors, particularly during the weekend.

Anyway, Chinese University, surrounded by Tolo Harbour, has the most beautiful university campus in Hong Kong. It is worth a visit.

How to get there:

Take the MTR East Rail line, and get off at University Station.

Outside the station, you will see queues for shuttle buses bringing you uphill.  Or you can visit the Chung Ki College, which is at the bottom of the mountain, before boarding the shuttle bus. All the restaurants on campus are open to visitors. If you are brave enough, just walk up. It would be a 15-20 minute uphill walk before you can reach the Central Campus, and another 1o minute walk before you reach New Asia College.

Here’s the schedule for shuttle bus:

http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/transport_unit/

Here’s the map of the University:

http://mmlab.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/CMT/CM.aspx?lang=e