Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [162]
Natural Excursion Ideals ( 9300 5197; www.kayak-and-hike.com) offers hiking and kayaking trips. Hikes take in such places as Plover Cove Country Park and the peak of Ma On Shan. On the water it has half-/full-day tours ($700/880) including the ‘Power Boat, Kayak & Coral Explorer’. This will take you, by ‘fast-pursuit craft’, to the otherwise inaccessible Bluff Island and the fishing village of Sha Kiu Tau from where you can swim, snorkel and then kayak. All gear, including a mask and snorkel, is provided and the full-day tours include lunch.
Hong Kong Trail
Right on the city’s doorstep, the Hong Kong Trail takes you swiftly into secluded hills, isolated woodland and high paths that afford amazing views of the rugged south and (eventually) glimpses of its surf-beaten shore once you’ve tackled the formidable Dragon’s Back ridge. Starting from the Peak Tram upper terminus ( Map) on the Peak, the 50km-long Hong Kong Trail takes in Pok Fu Lam Reservoir near Aberdeen, before turning east and zigzagging across the ridges. The trail traverses four country parks including beautiful Tai Tam, with its dense emerald woods and trickling streams.
Lantau Trail
Arguably Hong Kong’s most remote trail, the 70km-long Lantau Trail ( Map) is tough but hugely rewarding, following the mountain tops from Mui Wo and then doubling back at Tai O and along some spectacular and sparsely populated coast to where it started. It takes just over 24 hours to walk in full, but the trail is divided into a dozen manageable stages ranging from 2.5km (45 minutes) to 10.5km (three hours).
MacLehose Trail
The 100km MacLehose Trail ( Map), the territory’s longest hiking path, spans the New Territories from Tuen Mun in the west to Pak Tam Chung on the Sai Kung Peninsula in the east. The trail follows the ridge, goes over Tai Mo Shan, at 957m Hong Kong’s highest peak, and passes close to Ma On Shan (702m), the territory’s fourth-tallest mountain. The trail’s 10 stages range in length from about 4.6km (1½ hours) to 15.6km (five hours). The highlight is the breathtaking and largely unspoiled Sai Kung Peninsula at the trial’s eastern end.
Wilson Trail
Something of an oddity, the Wilson Trail ( Map), which is 78km long (or 82.5km if you include the MTR harbour crossing) is unusual in that its southern section (two stages, 11.4km, 4½ hours) is on Hong Kong Island, while its northern part (eight stages, 66.6km, 26½ hours) crosses the eastern harbour to Lei Yue Mun in New Kowloon and then carries on into the New Territories.
Parts of the Wilson Trail overlap with the Hong Kong Trail on Hong Kong Island and with the MacLehose Trail in the New Territories, particularly in the area east of Tai Mo Shan.
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HORSE RIDING
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Tuen Mun Public Riding School ( Map; 2461 3338; Lot No 45, Lung Mun Rd, Tuen Mun; 9am-6pm Tue-Sun; Tuen Mun MTR) in the New Territories offers private lessons for about $360 per hour, as does the club’s Pok Fu Lam Public Riding School ( Map; 2550 1359; 75 Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Rd) in southeastern Hong Kong Island.
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KAYAKING & CANOEING
The Cheung Chau Windsurfing Water Sports Centre ( Map; 2981 2772; www.ccwindc.com.hk) located at Tung Wan beach rents out single/double kayaks for $60/100 per hour. These are also available at the St Stephen’s Beach Water Sports Centre (off Map; 2813 5407; Wong Ma Kok Path; closed Tue; 6, 6A, 6X) located in Stanley.
Canoeing facilities are available through the Tai Mei Tuk Water Sports Centre ( Map; 2665 3591; closed Wed; 75K) at Tai Mei Tuk in the New Territories. You can also enquire at the Wong Shek Water Sports Centre ( Map; 2328 2311; Wong Shek pier, Sai Kung; closed Tue; 92, 299) in the New Territories.
Natural Excursion Ideals ( 9300 5197; www.kayak-and-hike.com) has organised kayaking trips out of its base in Sai Kung in the New Territories