Hansen's Hikes
The Peaks and Beaches of Lantau Island
From the ferry pier in Mui Wo, we warm up by slowly making our way through a maze of concrete footpaths to reach the
country park boundary. This is then followed by a gentle climb along an old village path up to Nam Shan, where our
challenge starts in earnest...
Ascending Sunset Peak involves tackling quite a few stone steps, but the higher we get, the more the path levels out, and
the views, first over Silvermine Bay and then over Pui O beach, are simply magnificent.
Just below the summit, we reach an old missionary summer retreat and pause long enough to catch our breath, before
making our way around the freely roaming cattle to begin a fairly steep downhill stretch. As we descend, we take in the
superb views over the very inviting Cheung Sha beach and our next challenge, the daunting 934-metre tall Lantau Peak,
located at the other side of the deep Pak Kung Au gap.
While we don't have to go all the way back to sea-level, we soon realize that there is still quite a way up to the top of Hong
Kong’s second highest point. Yet, besides a healthy heartbeat, our well-trodden path provides stunning views over most of
Lantau – and the many islands beyond. We pause for breath at the peak while congratulating ourselves on having ticked
these impressive mountains off our list.
To many, the descent from Lantau Peak is even tougher than the climb up. At first we scramble down a clearly marked but,
at times, slippery path. Then the steps begin…
They end when we reach the Ngong Ping plateau, where we stop here for a well-deserved lunch break at the Tea Garden.
We Continue our descnet after lunch, this time following a narrow dirt trail down the western slopes of Kau Nga Ling.
Walking through shrubs and woodland and across streams, we reach the dam of the large Shek Pik Reservoir. We take a
last good look at the impressive mountain that we have just conquered before crossing the South Lantau Road and head for
Shek Pik Tung Wan. Archaeological excavations have revealed that people have lived here since the New Stone Age...
With a little luck, we can make out the old padi terraces and vegetable fields of Shek Mun Shan before our trail starts
winding its way around the rocky slopes of Shek Mun Shan to reach the popular, but pretty beach of Lo Kei Wan. We pause
only briefly before continuing across a small hill to Shui Hau Wan - a very shallow pebble strewn bay where local villagers
search for clams at low tide.
We cross Shui Hau Village before another short climb takes us to a nice level path along one of the catchwaters feeding the
Shek Pik Reservoir. Shortly afterwards, we descend into Tong Fuk, from where we follow the beach to the hamlet of
Cheung Sha Ha Tsuen where we conclude the day's long walk with a celebratory drink (and dinner?) at one of the popular
resturants right on the beach.
From the ferry pier in Mui Wo, we warm up by slowly making our way through a maze of concrete footpaths to reach the
country park boundary. This is then followed by a gentle climb along an old village path up to Nam Shan, where our
challenge starts in earnest...
Ascending Sunset Peak involves tackling quite a few stone steps, but the higher we get, the more the path levels out, and
the views, first over Silvermine Bay and then over Pui O beach, are simply magnificent.
Just below the summit, we reach an old missionary summer retreat and pause long enough to catch our breath, before
making our way around the freely roaming cattle to begin a fairly steep downhill stretch. As we descend, we take in the
superb views over the very inviting Cheung Sha beach and our next challenge, the daunting 934-metre tall Lantau Peak,
located at the other side of the deep Pak Kung Au gap.
While we don't have to go all the way back to sea-level, we soon realize that there is still quite a way up to the top of Hong
Kong’s second highest point. Yet, besides a healthy heartbeat, our well-trodden path provides stunning views over most of
Lantau – and the many islands beyond. We pause for breath at the peak while congratulating ourselves on having ticked
these impressive mountains off our list.
To many, the descent from Lantau Peak is even tougher than the climb up. At first we scramble down a clearly marked but,
at times, slippery path. Then the steps begin…
They end when we reach the Ngong Ping plateau, where we stop here for a well-deserved lunch break at the Tea Garden.
We Continue our descnet after lunch, this time following a narrow dirt trail down the western slopes of Kau Nga Ling.
Walking through shrubs and woodland and across streams, we reach the dam of the large Shek Pik Reservoir. We take a
last good look at the impressive mountain that we have just conquered before crossing the South Lantau Road and head for
Shek Pik Tung Wan. Archaeological excavations have revealed that people have lived here since the New Stone Age...
With a little luck, we can make out the old padi terraces and vegetable fields of Shek Mun Shan before our trail starts
winding its way around the rocky slopes of Shek Mun Shan to reach the popular, but pretty beach of Lo Kei Wan. We pause
only briefly before continuing across a small hill to Shui Hau Wan - a very shallow pebble strewn bay where local villagers
search for clams at low tide.
We cross Shui Hau Village before another short climb takes us to a nice level path along one of the catchwaters feeding the
Shek Pik Reservoir. Shortly afterwards, we descend into Tong Fuk, from where we follow the beach to the hamlet of
Cheung Sha Ha Tsuen where we conclude the day's long walk with a celebratory drink (and dinner?) at one of the popular
resturants right on the beach.
Download Reservation Form here or click here to request more information.
| ... exploring Hong Kong's other side... |
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| Hansen's Hikes 38 D, Tower 2, Sham Wan Towers 3, Ap Lei Chau Drive Ap Lei Chau Hong Kong Tel: (+852) 9552 0987 E-mail: info@hansens-hikes.com |
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