Giro del Norte
Anti-Clockwise
... or a bicycle ride exploring towns, villages, temples, farmland and woodlands of Hong Kong's northeastern New Territories.
Setting out from Tai Po Market railway station, we wind our way through a veritable maze of bicycle paths to reach the calm waters of Tolo
Harbour - a natural bay surrounded by tall mountains. We take in the views towards Ma On Shan but, shortly thereafter, we are forced to do a
detour through the industrial estate. However, soon we will be back on bicycle paths along the shoreline and beneath the Pat Sin Leng ridge.
Beyond Tai Mei Tuk, it is time to tackle the hilly road leading through the Plover Cove Country Park. We break the climb near the Bride's Pool
Falls just before the top of the hill and leave our bikes for the short walk through the woods to visit the impressive hidden Mirror Falls. Even in
the midst of winter, this waterfall never dries up.
While we might have needed all the many gears on our bikes for the climb to Sam Tam Lo, the ensuing free-wheeling descent is well worth
the effort. At the bottom of the hill, the hamlet of Luk Keng marks the turning point of our ride. Located on the mangrove clad shores of
Starling Inlet, it is also an ideal place for a lunch break. As we eat, we not only keep an eye out for wetland birds, but we are also able to peek
into China...
While not entirely flat, our route home is somewhat less challenging than the way out. Following the shore line past the egretry at A Chau, we
reach the rather photogenic village of Yim Tso Ha, nestled protectively behind a small hill and encircled by still farmed vegetable fields and old
fish ponds.
The contrast between the quiet narrow footpaths between the hamlets of Ha Wo Hang and Sheung Wo Hang and the very busy Sha Tau Kok
Road couldn't be bigger, but the former do require as much concentration on your behalf as the latter, as you really wouldn't want to dip into
the marshy old rice fields...
As a safety measure, we ride on the sidewalk for the stretch along Sha Tau Kok Road, but once we reach Tan Chuk Hang we are back on
village roads and narrow concrete footpaths. The old vegetable farms in this area has seen a revitalization in the past couple of years, so
there's plenty of interesting, fresh produce to look at as we head towards the secluded village of Hok Tau.
The last real physical challenge of the day is the climb up the hill that separates the Hok Tau valley from the Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail on
the outskirts of the dormitory town of Fan Ling. This trail visits a variety of historical sites such as old mansions, walled villages, ancestral
halls and a number of temples. The most famous of these would be the impressive 16th century Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall.
We won't actually enter Fan Ling, but stick to a route of concrete footpaths passing vegetable plots, orchards and low rise suburbs and a
shored-up river as we head back to where we started; the Tai Po Market Railway Station.
Anti-Clockwise
... or a bicycle ride exploring towns, villages, temples, farmland and woodlands of Hong Kong's northeastern New Territories.
Setting out from Tai Po Market railway station, we wind our way through a veritable maze of bicycle paths to reach the calm waters of Tolo
Harbour - a natural bay surrounded by tall mountains. We take in the views towards Ma On Shan but, shortly thereafter, we are forced to do a
detour through the industrial estate. However, soon we will be back on bicycle paths along the shoreline and beneath the Pat Sin Leng ridge.
Beyond Tai Mei Tuk, it is time to tackle the hilly road leading through the Plover Cove Country Park. We break the climb near the Bride's Pool
Falls just before the top of the hill and leave our bikes for the short walk through the woods to visit the impressive hidden Mirror Falls. Even in
the midst of winter, this waterfall never dries up.
While we might have needed all the many gears on our bikes for the climb to Sam Tam Lo, the ensuing free-wheeling descent is well worth
the effort. At the bottom of the hill, the hamlet of Luk Keng marks the turning point of our ride. Located on the mangrove clad shores of
Starling Inlet, it is also an ideal place for a lunch break. As we eat, we not only keep an eye out for wetland birds, but we are also able to peek
into China...
While not entirely flat, our route home is somewhat less challenging than the way out. Following the shore line past the egretry at A Chau, we
reach the rather photogenic village of Yim Tso Ha, nestled protectively behind a small hill and encircled by still farmed vegetable fields and old
fish ponds.
The contrast between the quiet narrow footpaths between the hamlets of Ha Wo Hang and Sheung Wo Hang and the very busy Sha Tau Kok
Road couldn't be bigger, but the former do require as much concentration on your behalf as the latter, as you really wouldn't want to dip into
the marshy old rice fields...
As a safety measure, we ride on the sidewalk for the stretch along Sha Tau Kok Road, but once we reach Tan Chuk Hang we are back on
village roads and narrow concrete footpaths. The old vegetable farms in this area has seen a revitalization in the past couple of years, so
there's plenty of interesting, fresh produce to look at as we head towards the secluded village of Hok Tau.
The last real physical challenge of the day is the climb up the hill that separates the Hok Tau valley from the Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail on
the outskirts of the dormitory town of Fan Ling. This trail visits a variety of historical sites such as old mansions, walled villages, ancestral
halls and a number of temples. The most famous of these would be the impressive 16th century Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall.
We won't actually enter Fan Ling, but stick to a route of concrete footpaths passing vegetable plots, orchards and low rise suburbs and a
shored-up river as we head back to where we started; the Tai Po Market Railway Station.
Download Reservation Form here or click here to request more information.
| ... exploring Hong Kong's other side... |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | |  | |  | |  |
|
 |
| |
 |
 |
| |
 |
|