environment
Kayaking and hiking? In Hong Kong? The city’s great outdoors comes as a surprise to many visitors, though it shouldn’t considering that 40 per cent of the territory is designated as Country Park. While there are many ways to explore the green side of the territory, including on one of the hundreds of well-marked hiking trails, there’s nothing that quite comes close to exploring it by paddle power, which is where outdoor adventure outfit Kayak and Hike comes in. Run by long-time resident Paul Etherington, the company offers visitors a variety of unique water-borne activities that explore the Hong Kong coastline, mainly focusing on the National Geopark, which was opened in November 2009. Covering an area of almost 50 sq km, it incorporates eight distinct areas representing some of the territory’s most distinctive natural landscapes, including the hexagonal volcanic columns of High Island, the red rock of Port Island and the unusual outcrops of Tung Ping Chau, Hong Kong’s easternmost island. The excursions usually run from 8.45 am to 4 pm, with the most popular being the Geo Park Kayaking Junk Trip. On this trip, participants take a scenic 40-minute boat ride to an old fishing village, explore caves and sea arches on a guided kayak trip in the ocean, walk to the top of a small island for spectacular views of the coastline below and snorkel over protected coral reefs. For around $100 they’ll provide a great Chinese lunch at a local restaurant, though you are welcome to bring a packed lunch and snacks to keep you going. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about a trip with Kayak and Hike is that it only costs HK$700 per person; for the equivalent of a Western meal in SoHo, you can have an experience of a lifetime. It means that the next time someone refers to Hong Kong as nothing but urban jungle, you’ll be able to set them straight. Advance bookings are required.
Opening Times Trips run 8.45 am–4 pm
Address Boat departs from Sai Kung waterfront
Getting There Train to Hang Hau MTR Station, take Exit B1, catch minibus No. 101 to Sai Kung; boat leaves from Sai Kung New Pier
Contact +852 9300 5197; [email protected]; www.kayak-and-hike.com
Admission Fee $700 per person
11 Hollywood Road
Walk along this street famous for its art and antiques
While today the name is synonymous with Californian glitz and glamour, Hong Kong’s own Hollywood (Road, that is) was actually founded almost half a century before its American counterpart. One of the first streets to be built in the then British territory, it is named after the English family estate of the colony’s second governor, Sir John Francis Davies. Hollywood Road was originally close to the water, before successive land reclamation works left it high and dry. It quickly found fame for its numerous antique shops, where, allegedly, sailors and merchants returning from China would sell the proprietors works of art they had ‘acquired’ north of the border. Collectors would then purchase them from these middlemen. It is a role the road has stuck with for more than a century, making it a must-see destination on the tourist trail along with adjoining Upper Lascar Row, better known as Cat Street. Visitors flock here to experience the ‘old’ Hong Kong atmosphere and peruse Ming Dynasty furniture and kitsch Mao iconography. The road is also famed for the Man Mo Temple, built in 1847 as a place to jointly worship the Gods of Literature (Man Tai) and War (Mo Tai). Over the last 20 years or so, however, Hollywood Road has slowly been reinventing itself as a centre for arts and culture, with many small galleries and chic eateries opening up along its length. These include spaces such as Para/Site (www.para-site.org.hk), a not-for-profit organization devoted to contemporary art housed in an old shophouse; and Classified (www.classifiedfoodshops.com.hk), a European-style bistro replete with sidewalk seating and artisan cheeses. If you’re visiting town during March, you might want to consider signing up for the annual Hong Kong ArtWalk (www.hongkongartwalk.com), a charity event with a society slant. Over the course of an evening, paying participants visit as many of the area’s galleries as they can, remarking upon the fine art hanging on the walls while sipping on cocktails and wine and nibbling delicate finger food—behaviour which, admittedly, does sound rather like Hollywood, USA.
Opening Times N.A.
Address Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Getting There Central MTR, Exit D1, walk along Queen's Road Central to the Mid-Levels Escalator, ride up until Hollywood Road exit
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Hotline: +852 2508 1234 (9 am–6 pm, daily); www.discoverhongkong.com
Admission Fee Free
12 Lamma Island
Take some time out on Hong Kong’s most chilled island
Hong Kong’s third largest island takes its name from two Chinese characters pronounced in Cantonese as laam and ah. Roughly translating as ‘southern branch’ or ‘tree’, the name refers to Lamma’s distinctive ‘Y’ shape. Located directly south of heavily populated Hong Kong Island, Lamma is most famous for being the birthplace of superstar actor Chow Yun-fat and for its preponderance of hippies. Due to the laws of the time, before 1997 British citizens did not require a visa to stay or work in the colony. During the 1960s, this meant that Lamma became a rest station for travellers on the Asian hippie trail, attracted by the 13.5 sq km isle’s comparatively cheap housing and its easy access to Central. In the years running up to the Handover, the island saw an additional influx of low-skilled workers and gap-year students who came to witness the last days of colonial rule, picking up low-paid jobs as barmen, bouncers and construction workers, many of whom acquired permanent residency and decided to stay. As a result, Lamma has a laid-back, multicultural vibe that you won’t find anywhere else in Hong Kong. Buildings more than three storeys tall are prohibited, as is all vehicular traffic except for the small VVs (Village Vehicles) used to transport goods. As the only way to reach the island is by boat, your journey begins at the Central Ferry Piers (located, as the name suggests, north of Central), from where it’s a 25-minute sail past the western edge of Hong Kong Island before docking at Yung Shue Wan, Lamma’s main settlement. As the village’s narrow streets can fill up with local day trippers on weekends, the best time to visit is during the week, when you can take your time browsing the chilled cafes, neighbour-hood bars and bohemian fashion shops. Once you’ve had your fill, follow the signs to Hung Shing Yeh Beach, a pleasant 15-minute stroll that takes you past overgrown rice paddies, over a small hill and past the power station that supplies Hong Kong Island with almost all of its electricity. Sitting on the quiet, sandy shore, it’s hard to imagine that you’re in the heart of an Asian metropolis of 7 million people. Other island attractions include the seafood restaurants of Sok Kwu Wan, supposed Japanese-built WWII ‘kamikaze’ caves, and views from the top of the 353-m-high Mount Stenhouse.
See: www.lamma.com.hk
Opening Times N.A.
Address Lamma Island, New Territories
Getting There Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry run regular services from Central Ferry Piers to the Lamma villages of Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan (www.hkkf.com.hk)
Contact Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor