To think of Hong Kong as a single urban entity is to overlook its myriad beaches, its 263 outlying islands, its multitude of hiking trails, its surf and its territory-wide spread of world-class restaurants. Think beyond the famous city and you’ll find so many reasons to linger and explore. Grab an Octopus Card and you can easily reach most places around Hong Kong on public transport, accessing hundreds of hiking trails.
“It is very easy to get out of the urban jungle,” says Walk Hong Kong Director, Gabi Baumgartner. “Thanks to the hilly terrain, the houses stop with a clear line behind, which is nothing but green. The green starts right behind every district of the city centre. There are super-beautiful country parks right on Hong Kong Island. Lantau Island, the biggest Island of the territory, has lots of green space, and so does the whole ‘hinterland’ north of the Kowloon Peninsula.”
Tis the season for trekking
Walking here is best in the cooler, drier season from October to April, when a host of trails beckon. Range out to Tai Lam Country Park for hiking views over the jigsaw puzzle of Thousand Island Lake, or to walk through the golden colours of the deciduous Sweet Gum Woods.
Crossing one of Hong Kong’s Three Sharp Peaks, the eight-kilometre High Junk Peak Country Trail provides wide views and the fun of the sharp-tipped peak’s terrain. Coastal drama is the order of the walking day on the High Island Geo Trail. This 3.3-kilometre walk unpacks the natural details of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, where the caves, sea stacks and hexagonal rock columns were formed by the eruption of a super volcano 140 million years ago. The gateway to the geopark is Sai Kung, a fascinating town well worth a visit.
“Sai Kung has a relaxed vibe with lots of restaurants and little places and back allies to discover on foot,” Baumgartner says.
If you’re looking for one of Hong Kong’s ultimate outdoor challenges, Sai Kung is also the starting point for the territory’s longest hiking route, the MacLehose Trail, a 100-kilometre traverse of the New Territories – any one of its 10 sections is a great hike of its own.
Enjoying a beach life
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate, meaning it’s always prime time for beaches around the territory. Some are in surprisingly easy reach from Central, on Hong Kong Island,and some of the best can only be reached on foot.
Shek O Beach is Hong Kong Island’s sandy backyard, with a brilliant white strand and a famous blue bridge – it’s also right near the start of the popular Dragon’s Back hiking trail, an eight-kilometre ridgetop route that ends on another white beach, Big Wave Bay. As the name suggests, this beach is famed for its surf and is also the site of a prehistoric rock carving. Both beaches are easily reached by bus, with the journey to Shek O Beach an hour, and Big Wave Bay slightly longer – at one hour, 15 minutes – from Central.
Want to earn your beach and swim? One of Hong Kong’s most beautiful beaches is Long Ke Wan, which is accessible only to walkers. Nestled into the hills of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, with soft white sand and crystal-clear water, it’s reached along section two of the MacLehose Trail. Continue strolling north and there’s another quartet of beautiful beaches lining the shores of Sai Kung East Country Park: Sai Wan (also a noted stargazing location), Ham Tin, Tai Wan and Tung Wan.
More than 40 per cent of the New Territories and Hong Kong’s outlying islands are protected as national parks, creating a wealth of natural escapes. Find 3000-year-old rock carvings at Cheung Chau or take a 90-minute weekend boat ride from the city to tiny Tung Ping Chau, Hong Kong’s most remote island, filled with geological wonders from rock platforms so geometrically perfect they resemble tiling to the deep fracture of ‘Chopped Neck Island’. A six-kilometre walking trail loops around the flat island.
A food-fan’s favourite
Every good hike or afternoon at the beach deserves an equally good feed, and Hong Kong has a plethora of quality dining options. The territory has 79 Michelin-starred restaurants and excellent dining wherever you head.
“Hong Kongers love to eat,” Baumgartner says. “They eat out a lot, hence there are lots of eateries everywhere and the high rental costs means the restaurants have to be good to survive.”
Look for fish markets and restaurants in far-flung fishing villages such as beautiful Tai O and timeless Po Toi O (the finish point for the High Junk Peak Country Trail), where tiny eateries line the waterfront and tables even spill along the jetty. Elsewhere, seek out authentic Hong Kong eating experiences in humble dai pai dong stalls, cha chaan teng tea restaurants serving milk tea, pineapple buns and creamy egg tarts, and in the wealth of street food (including out-of-town Michelin-starred options such as So Kee, where there’s just the one item on the menu – double-steamed egg white custard with milk).
Fact File
Hong Kong is packed with accommodation options, from the luxurious, such as the Mandarin Oriental and Regent, through to family-friendly digs, including the Harbour Grand, Dorsett Kai Tak and many more.
Cathay Pacific and Qantas fly to Hong Kong daily from Melbourne and Sydney. Hong Kong Airlines will offer a direct flight to/from Sydney, starting June 21 this year.
With this many flight and accommodation options there’s no excuse not to spend a week – or preferably more – exploring Hong Kong’s great outdoors.
For more info on Hong Kong’s plethora of attractions, events, dining, shopping and travel itineraries, head to Discover Hong Kong to start planning your next holiday.
In partnership with Discover Hong Kong