Hong Kong is famous for its excellent and diverse dining, vibrant city buzz, thriving communities – and one big secret. Behind all that hustle and bustle lies a different, exciting, world; centred around breathtaking and unique landscapes that are rich with a week or more’s worth of opportunities for outdoor fun for visitors – on land and in the water.
Go beyond the bright lights of the cities and you’ll discover an adventure-filled Hong Kong beloved by locals, with cycling, hiking, paddling, trail running and more all found here. Local resident Robin Lee is the director of Four Trails, a film based on Hong Kong’s highly regarded trail running scene (he’s also recently won The Best New Director of Hong Kong Film Award). Lee confirms this exciting hidden side of Hong Kong is more than just myth.
“I don’t think many know about these amazing activities unless they already have friends or family here in Hong Kong,” Lee says. “Most people just think of Hong Kong as a concrete jungle, but once they come here and start to explore more, they realise we have so much to offer. It is an adventure sports paradise.”
A mariner’s life
With more than 250 outlying islands, Hong Kong is a water-explorer’s dream, with easily accessible kayaking, and SUP (stand-up paddleboard) journeys to undertake. Lee is a keen paddler, with his ‘local favourite’ paddle location right outside his own door at Stanley Beach, in Hong Kong’s south.
“The water is calm and clear,” he says. “And when you are finished, there are many places to chill out and watch the world go by on the waterfront.” Indeed, kicking back after a paddle in one of Stanley’s many eateries overlooking the water – or checking out its famous markets – makes for a nice and chilled day in the outdoors.
Other prime kayaking locations include the bays and islands around the UNESCO Global Geopark, with the coastal town of Sai Kung, known for its amazing eateries, an ideal put-in spot for kayaks. From here, there are small uninhabited islands you can paddle to for exploration, or you can venture further out, to Sharp Island, and check out some of its examples of the Geopark’s unique volcanic rock formations. Further along this island’s southern coastline, you will find pretty sea caves.
Sharp Island is one of many islands in this area ripe for water-borne exploration, with others, such as Yim Tin Tsai (home to a historic chapel) worth the paddle, too, while Lee also touts Cheung Chau Island as one to put on your Hong Kong paddle list. For those less confident going it alone in a kayak, there are local tour operators that can take you out for a day on the water.
Paddlers who prefer a SUP can enjoy that leisurely form of water adventure in Hong Kong, with Sai Kung again offering plenty of options, such as the Tolo Harbour area (including the mangroves and villages at Sham Chung Wan, in the harbour’s north). As well as the surprisingly varied coastline vegetation, keep an eye out for the marine life, including star fish and stingrays. It is simply magic – especially when combined with a return to Sai Kung and the chance to sample not only locally-caught, fresh seafood from the many restaurants in the town centre, but Thai and other cuisine. It’s the perfect way to finish a day of exploration.
Best foot forward
Upon arrival in Hong Kong, Lee recommends getting out and enjoying one of its most easily accessed activities – walking – and taking advantage of the city’s undulating terrain to access some amazing views.
“I would recommend visitors to try and get a view of the city from any of the mountain views we have,” he says. “This could be from Victoria Peak, Jardines Lookout or Violet Hill. All these places have stunning views over the city, and you can get a little bit of exercise as you do it.”
Hong Kong’s hilly terrain lends itself to an overabundance of fantastic walking opportunities, whether that is tackling longer half- or full-day hikes, or shorter jaunts, such as the famous Dragon’s Back that links two pretty beaches (Shek O and Big Wave Bay). Tai Lam Country Park, in the New Territories, includes the 200m ascent to magnificent Reservoir Islands Viewpoint, surely one of Hong Kong’s most photographed (for good reason) views, across its namesake islands below. Another, equally photogenic walk in the park is through the aptly named Sweet Gum Woods, especially during the autumn and winter, when the sweet gum leaves change colours. It is incredible.
You can opt for more challenging walks, with Lee recommending the ascent of Hong Kong’s second-highest mountain, Lantau Peak (934m in height, and on the island of the same name) for an amazing view across Victoria Harbour or tackle the third highest – 869m Sunset Peak – also on Lantau Island. Both walks start from Mui Wo, a small town nestled beside Silver Mine Beach and the ideal pre- or re-fuelling station after your walk, thanks to its many restaurants that offer a diverse range of cuisines (including – yes – fresh seafood).
On two wheels
Cycling is popular in Hong Kong, with numerous bicycle rental outlets providing visitors with their two-wheeled freedom machines with which to explore the city’s outdoors – and the various islands – at their own pace. There’s also a burgeoning mountain bike scene in Hong Kong with, again, some cracking ride experiences for all skill levels and ages.
For families, Cheung Chau Island (reached via ferry from Central) is brilliant, with rental bikes available and a bunch of flat cycle routes for the little’uns to enjoy while exploring this island’s natural attractions, including Cheung Po Tsai Cave. For the more adventurous small cyclist, it’s worth spending some time at the BMX Bike Park, in Kwai Chung, with its 39 hectares of trails including flat areas for the tiny tykes, through to bigger trails for more confident riders. Add in other easy ride destinations, including West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade for views of Hong Kong Harbour, and the popular Shai Tin to Tai Mei Tuk, that takes you away from the busy city as it winds along Tolo Harbour’s coastline, there’s plenty to keep the cycling family enthralled.
For the more culturally inclined cyclists, check out the New Territories’ Yuen Long to Tuen Mun ride, taking you from the centre of town through a number or urban areas, but with an insight to Hong Kong’s past via a stop at the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery along the way. And, for the ultimate contrast, jump on a hire bike and roll along the Central Waterfront Promenade, right in the city. It’s a great way to see Victoria Harbour while providing a fantastic contrast to the more wild and remote rides found in the New Territories’ islands.
For the knobby-tyred mountain biking brigade, Hong Kong’s undulating landscapes are ideal, with more than 100km of trails.
“There is a new mountain bike park in Mui Wo, on Lantau Island,” Lee says. “I have only been once, but I had a great time and its highly recommended for the more adventurous riders out there.”
Indeed, the Mui Wo Mountain Bike Practice Ground, with its 9km of trails and skills park, is a brilliant day out on the bike. The trails here are built exceptionally well, with plenty of variety, including a pump track, tot track (for the little shredders), some technical features and amenities right there. For mountain bikers keen to explore further, the Hong Kong Mountain Bike Association offers bike rentals and ‘Rock Up n’ Ride’ days in the New Territories and can organise a rental bike for you and your crew.
The complete package
For a destination most well-known for its hustle and bustle, Hong Kong is an absolute standout when it comes to the outdoors, thanks to the ease in which any number of its unique regions can be explored. A week here, enjoying the outdoors, would be incredible, but would just be scraping the surface of how much there is here – and how easy it is to get out there and enjoy it.
On top of its rich variety of adventure activities, that other much-favoured part of any outdoor lover’s lifestyle – enjoying a post-adventure drink, meal and/or celebration – is fully catered for thanks to the diverse cuisines you can find across Hong. Add in excellent accommodation options, from luxurious options, such as the Mandarin Oriental and Regent, through to family-friendly digs, including the Harbour Grand and Dorsett Kai Tak, plus daily flights from Sydney and Melbourne (with Cathay Pacific and Qantas), and there’s no excuse not to spend a week – or preferably more – exploring Hong Kong’s great outdoors.
In partnership with Discover Hong Kong