Posts Tagged ‘hiking in hong kong’
what a wonderful island
we had a few good days of sunshine over the chinese new year holiday ( speaking which i really miss it now because the weather this past week had been so horrible, wet and cold!!!) and we headed out to the beautiful po toi island. it is most southern island in hong kong, a nature lover’s paradiso.
thanks to my gym buddies who organized this trip, i was so happy to be invited to tag along to see yet another facet of hong kong which i find very intriguing. there is absolutely nothing on po toi island. there are only about 10 -20 odd people who live permanently on the island. most of the natives had left the island and moved into the city. they sometimes come back during the weekend to enjoy this deserted island.
while i do not have immediate plans to move there i am glad that there are still places in hong kong to retreat to when life gets a bit too crazy. you know it’s very funny when i tell people actually there are still so many places in hong kong worth discovering besides new shops at causeway bay or tsim sha tsui. when i told my hairstylist, i went to po toi island over the holiday, she thought it was close to hainan island. geography i suppose isn’t one of her fortes.
mesmerizing
every time i come to places like this - there is a soundtrack in my head " i think to myself what a wonderful world"
the famous palm clift - try putting your palm next to it
sophie enjoying her dip after a long walk
my shadow and i
our billion dollar lunch spot ( sophie closing in with long sad faces..please feed me)
if you look hard enough, you could actually see sea urchins growing by the boulders
if you say jump, we will say - HOW HIGH????
to go to po toi island – get to either stanley or aberdeen. the ferry service are infrequent so plan in advance. if you are that unlucky to miss the last boat out, there is a lady that sells snacks and drinks close to the pier. she knows where you can rent a place for the night.
a walk at shing mun reservoir
maybe about two months ago, i talked about my hiking goals. i listed out all the hiking routes i want to conquer in the next few months before the arrival of next summer.
a few days ago, we did the shing mun reservoir route. shing mun reservoir is one of hong kong’s largest dams in the territory. it doesn’t really matter where you start from as there are a few connecting routes that will lead you to either tai po or shatin.
we started the hike at the shing mun country park entrance on shing mun road. there were so many feral monkeys hanging out like gangsters near the kiosks. it does make me a little sad to think about how we have destroyed their natural habitat and as a result to that, they have to hang out with us in order to get food. they do have the tendency to be a bit aggressive so don’t get too close
overall, shing mun is a nice easy walk – the view of the dam is picturesque. also strangely at certain spots around the lake, where the old trees still stand, the breeze is calm and there is an unspoken sense of serenity. like what i always say -you don’t have to leave the city on a plane just to get serenity – just go to one of the country parks. i love hong kong, there is always a side of it, like turning a page of an intriguing book
go towards pineapple dam, it links you to shing mun
sophie is the alpha-female. always want to be in front but lately she never wonders too far from me. when she was younger, she doesn't know how to wait
feed me please
if trees tell a story of us, i wonder what they would say? feels like the enchanted forest and the faraway tree
doing the whole route takes about three hours.. you can always do a bit more if you walk to tai po or shatin
sophie is getting a bit older - a lot of white hair around her face.. but it's okie best friend, i'll take care of you!!!
wherever i go, my best friend follows even to the toilet!!!
lately i have been contemplating on getting another tattoo - i am thinking of a lotus plant. i am not religious but i always like lotus plants. their roots are very deep and they can grow in the nastiest places. it's a little like me. i like nasty
sophie's second best friend....
this is hardly a side of hong kong people think about ya?
we got to the main dam a bit too late - 15 minutes earlier and it would have been perfect!!!
it gets dark so early these days – remember to bring a flash light. the thing is the hiking routes are all linked in hong kong and it is very easy to go another route without realizing. we walked till dusk and the monkeys were teasing us like mad!!!!
hiking in hk – the best free thing in hk
sophie, rudi and i watched the sun set today!!!
i love love love to hike. it is almost the time of the year to resume our number one favorite outdoor activity. i bought this hiking book two years and every time we finish a route i’d put a star next to it.
unfortunately, i don’t know why but for some reasons, we didn’t do too much hiking last year. i think it was because of ruby ( one of my favorite hiking buddies) – she got knocked up. hopefully we could bring jake along with us soon. jake is my 8 month old godson.
apparently hiking in hong kong is gaining ground amongst avid hikers from around the world. they actually come to hong kong purely to hike. well, over the past few years, i have seen some of the most beautiful parts of hong kong on foot.
i took out my hiking book today and i want to set some goals for this year. the best time of the year to hike is between late october till april. i want to make the best out of these few months.
these are routes that we have not been and intend to cover from now till april 2011.
1.)shing mun reservoir
2.) wan chai gap to wong nai chung
3.) lantau peak
4.) cloudy hill
5.) tung lung island
6.) plover cove reservoir
there are so many good hiking routes in hong kong – check out this great website to find out more – hkwalker
the route closest to home - discovery bay to mui wor
watching buffalos laze around at pui o
path to enlightenment on lantau island near the bronze buddha
the infamous dragon's back!!
big wave bay
pat sin leng - one of the hardest routes in hong kong
the maclehose trail
