Easy Hong Kong Hikes

A Sunday spent hiking in Hong Kong is a perfect end to the weekend.. however if you're not the biggest fan of sweaty Sunday's, or always seem to spend most of your Sunday nursing a hangover from the night before, here are some hikes which are relatively short and easy. Just the perfect amount of exercise to clear your head and not leaving you in regret over yet another wasted Sunday. (I've thrown in a few post hike restaurant recommendations for good measure).

Sai Kung - Sai Wan
Okay, so it's not the easiest place to get to (unless you live in Sai Kung).. but the hike itself is very pleasant with some magnificent views, after around an hour walking you will end at the beautiful Tai Long Wan beach. If you're feeling particularly lazy you can even cheat and get a speedboat from the beach back to Sai Kung rather than hiking back to the bus stop! There's lots of restaurants in Sai Kung town to enjoy as well, last time I was there I had a particularly excellent meal at Mandy's Private Kitchen. Authentic Caribbean cuisine, so think jerk chicken and coconut cocktails, mmm...

Go for a dip in the rock pools behind the beach

The view, best enjoyed on a clear, sunny day when the water glows turquoise

If you live in Kowloon, getting the red minibus from the bottom of Dundas Street in Mong Kok is definitely the quickest way I know of. If there's a group of you, getting a taxi from Sai Kung to Sai Wan Pavilion will work out not much more expensive than getting the 29R bus (which I've found to be somewhat unreliable in the past). The road up there is very windy.. If you're hungover, be prepared.

Discovery Bay to Mui Wo 
You can start this from either side. As both DB and Mui Wo have an excellent selection of bars and restaurants you can decide which way to go based on where you want to spend your evening post hike (perhaps not the best hike if your looking for an entirely healthy Sunday..) My Mui Wo favourite has to be the China Bear, I've also heard great things about the Turkish restaurant Bahce, I will have to check it out at some point. If you want to finish in DB I cannot recommend Thai Restaurant Koh Tomyums enough! The best Thai food I've had outside of Thailand. It was cheaper than I was expecting for DB as well, the bill came to around $340 each for which we shared starters, several mains and two bottles of wine between three. Not bad at all! Don't forget to redeem your bill for free ferry tickets back to Central upon spending over $120 at any restaurant in the D'Deck. (Every $120 spent gets you a free ticket).

Back to the hike.. it takes around an hour and a half, whichever side you pick there will be a section which is quite uphill, but it's still pretty easy going.

Escape to the mountains

Approaching Mui Wo

There are ferries that run between Mui Wo and Discovery Bay, if you decide you want to go back to your start point, check out the times here.

Lamma Island
You can opt for either the long route around the whole island, which takes approximately 2.5-3 hours, or you can just walk from one side to the other which is around 1 hour long. Whichever you choose, the trail is quite flat. Lovely Lamma is always enjoyable! I may as well throw another recommendation in and keep with the theme.. Lamma Grill does a great selection of western food, you can sit along the waterfront to eat. Best enjoyed at sunset. I'm also a big fan of The Waterfront Restaurant, where I've had many a good curry. (One of the best I've had in HK actually!)

This view over dinner is why you should aim to be in Yung Shue Wan in time for sunset 

Tai O Infinity Pools 

Again, not the easiest to get to for most, but the hike itself isn't too strenuous bar from the uphill part leading to the pools. Better still you can have a dip in the infinity pool before heading back to Tai O (the walk back is easier then getting there..) I've mentioned this hike a few times on my blog, so for a more detailed description of how to get there see my previous blog post here.

Cooling off in the Infinity Pool

Note: Last summer they stopped people from swimming in the actual pool, I'm not sure if this is still in force or not. Does anyone know?

Dragon's back
The cliched Hong Kong hike. The views of Hong Kong are great, the trail is relatively easy and it leaves you off at either Big Wave Bay (for the surfers) or Shek O beach (where there's a great BBQ area). This is probably the longest hike on the list, taking approximately 2 hours.. however it's the easiest to get to, especially if you're an islander with the trail starting near Chai Wan. Get the MTR to Shau Kei Wan, go out exit A3 and take the number 9 bus which will drop you off at the beginning of the trail.

Reap the hiking rewards at Big Wave Bay

Jaspas Junk Boat Party

I went on my first Junk Boat party last Sunday for a friend's birthday celebration, I was very excited about this as I've wanted to go on a proper Junk party for a long time now. We went with Jaspa's Junks as their parties are rated as the best in Hong Kong.

It was soooo much fun! We were picked up from Sai Kung at 10.30 (which meant it was a pretty early start for a Sunday morning) and dropped back at the same pier at 5.30. The boat sailed out to Tai Long Wan beach, a very beautiful spot. We stopped here for several hours where we could sit on the boat drinking, dance on the top deck (whilst drinking) or dive off the top of the boat and swim in the sea (whilst drinking). All in all, there was a lot of fun times, and a lot of drinking.
We were given some snacks throughout the day, all of which were very tasty, and there was a buffet dinner. All the food was amazing! The boat is very well stocked up with beers, wine, soft drinks and they make up sea breeze cocktails all day long. Even if you are sitting on the top deck there was always someone coming up to top you up, they don't let your glass get empty! Even when you're in the sea they throw beers and cocktails out to you in plastic bottles.

For $650 you get great food all day long, literally as much alcohol as you can possibly drink and beautiful scenery to top it all off. A brilliant way to spend the day for a celebration or just something fun to do with a group of friends. (The boat takes a maximum of 41 people).

I would definitely recommend this as one of the top things to do in Hong Kong, a great way to cruise around Sai Kung as well.

For bookings email jaspasjunk@casteloconcepts.com

10 Hidden Gems in Hong Kong

(Written for expatsblog.com top lists)

Before I moved to Hong Kong I read that you could eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in a different restaurant everyday for 11 years and still not have eaten in every restaurant in the city, this is just one example of the seemingly endless amount there is to be discovered in the sprawling concrete jungle that is Hong Kong. The urban centre isn't even all there is to this city, the archipelago of Hong Kong is made up of more than 200 islands, less than 25% of Hong Kong is actually built up urban area.

1. Private Kitchen - Tokyo Chilli House, Causeway Bay.

Private kitchens - this dining trend started in Hong Kong in the 90's and has been evolving ever since. A somewhat 'underground' experience of dining where you feel like you are (and in some cases actually will be) eating in someone's living room. This private kitchen is located close to Causeway Bay station exit F, and like many of Hong Kong's best hidden gems is located in an unassuming residential building.

Contrary to what the name suggests, the Tokyo Chilli House is actually a Thai restaurant. I can't even remember how many dishes we had when we went, but it was enough food to feed all nine of us for days. We were presented with dish after dish of wonderful Thai food, including Tom Yum soup and a Penang crab curry. We paid a set price of $298/head and there's no corkage fee, so we bought a couple of bottles of wine with us. A perfect intimate setting for a celebration.

Reservations essential: +85229150083


2. Hidden drink offer - Little Sheep Hot Pot.

Winter in Hong Kong means it's Hot Pot season, a wonderful way to dine with friends. A large pot of broth is placed on the table for everyone share in cooking and eating their food.

As a popular chain of hot pot restaurant, this isn't a 'hidden gem' in the same way as most of the places I have featured, the reason I have chosen this one in particular is because there is a relatively unadvertised drink offer - pay $18 (about £1.45) and you can drink as much Tsing Tao beer as you can while your hot pot is still going.

Little Sheep has several branches around Hong Kong, my local one is the Mong Kok branch located on 4F Mong Kok Commercial Centre (opposite Langham Place).


3. Reality Escape Game - Freeing Hong Kong.

“We’ve had 3D movies for a while now. 4D has come out, too, but what about 5D or 6D? What if, instead of only watching a film, we could one day take part in the actual story?” Instant Wan, co-founder.

Freeing HK is a reality escape game where you are trapped in a themed room full of codes and puzzles, you have 45minutes to break the codes and escape back to the real world. Located in an unassuming commercial centre in Tsim Sha Tsui (there are also venues in Mong Kok, Yuen Long, Causeway Bay and Kwung Tong). We opted for the 'gold rush' theme, the setting appeared to be in the basement of a brewery with frantic western music playing in the background. Our reality escape began with us all being handcuffed together and tied up to a wooden post, we were left a clue sheet to help us figure out how to complete the first challenge - to get out of the handcuffs. A challenging game of logic, a different way to spend a night with friends.

Prices vary - our goldrush experience was $168/per person.

Book online at http://freeinghk.com/


4. Hush Up Cinema.

Hush Up (creators of the Secret Island Party) hold a series of alternative film nights, from floating cinema experiences to rooftop screenings.

They have just launched 'Secret Cinema' a cinematic experience aimed to utilise all of your senses, using taste and touch as well as visual and sound. I went to the screening of Amelie at their launch on Sunday, they themed everything to a tee including the setting being in the basement of a french bar to having wine and cheese tasting beforehand.

Check out their website for screenings - http://hushup.hk/


5. Underground club nights

There is more to Hong Kong nightlife than fancy cocktails and champagne. There are a couple of event organisers which offer a different kind of night out in Hong Kong away from the main partying areas LKF, Wan Chai and Soho.

Fresh Off the Boat Asia - they recently hosted a 'secret warehouse party' at Sk85ive2 indoor skatepark in Kwung Tong around month ago. Located on the seventh floor of an industrial building, which we had to access via a rickety lift with old school manual doors.

https://www.facebook.com/FreshOffTheBoatAsia?fref=ts

hkbunkerclub - held a rave in a forest in Sai Kung for halloween, only accessible by the organised bus and then a hike.

https://www.facebook.com/BunkerClubHK

xxx - Art gallery/club. Usually around $100 byob. The music is a mixture of Hip Hop, Drum and Bass and dancehall reggae.

https://www.facebook.com/3xgallery?fref=ts


6. Full Cup Cafe, Mong Kok.

To get to this independent cafe you have to make your way down one of Mong Kok's darkened allies, it may take a bit of wandering around to find (it did for us anyway) but it's vintage and eclectic style of furniture is quite a novelty to see in Mong Kok, it's well worth the effort. A great place to chill out after facing the chaos of the city, and it has one of the most impressive selections of tea and coffee i've seen in Hong Kong - they have everything from herbal tea to white chocolate coffee. The cafe spans over three floors and can be accessed by staircase.

Around the 5th and a half floor... 36 Dundas Street, Mong Kok.


7. Aqua, Mong Kok

Hong's Kong's shopping district Mong Kok is the most densely packed place in the world - between the vast number of locals going about their daily lives and the tourists hoping to haggle a bargain down the famous Ladies Market on Tung Choi Street, it can get pretty overwhelming. Aqua bar is within a two minute walk from ladies market in the rather run down looking Ho King Shopping Centre. escape the crowds here after a hectic day of shopping on their large terrace adorned with fairy lights. Be amazed at the peace and quiet you can find so close to the chaos.

3F Ho King Shopping Centre, Fa Yuen Street.


8. IFC Rooftop, Central.

A lovely little spot above one of Hong Kong's most high end shopping malls, the IFC (the whole place even smells expensive). There's lots of big cushioned sofas and tables which are free for anyone to use - you are allowed to bring your own food and drink, a great spot to bring a picnic and some drinks. Admire the stunning view over the harbour from one of Hong Kong's most famous buildings, without having to fork out a small fortune as most 'bars with a view' will charge.


9. Tai Long Wan Beach and Waterfalls, Sai Kung.

This is the most inaccessible beach in Hong Kong as it can only be reached by foot - and my favourite Hong Kong hike. Get a bus or taxi from Sai Kung to the Sai Wan pavillion and the beach can be reached in less than an hour by foot. The view of the islands on the way is spectacular, on a sunny day the water is a vivid turqoise. The beach at the end is one of the nicest i've seen in Hong Kong - it could be anywhere in South East Asia. There are also some secluded waterfalls at the far end of the beach, just take a left before the stone bridge an walk through the clearing in the trees. Here you will have the opportunity to do some cliff diving (the ledge is around 8ft) and swimming in the fresh water pools.

10. Tai O infinity pool, Lantau.

Swim in this outdoor infinity pool fed by natural waterfalls overlooking Tai O, this spot for me opitimises the title of this article.

Once you have made your way to the sleepy secluded Tai O on Lantau island, cross the stone bridge by the bus terminus and follow the hiking trail for about an hour. You will eventually come to a red fire hydrant marked 470, after this look out for an unmarked concrete staircase on your left. Hike uphill for around 15 minutes and you will come to the infinity pool fed by a natural waterfall (if you pass by some abandoned buildings on the way you're on the right track). This waterfall goes all the way down the mountain and there are around 9 freshwater pools, most of which are good for swimming (the others do require some 'off track' hiking to get to, this can be difficult in summer - when the area is infested with spiders).

The Tai O sunset from the infinity pools on a clear day is truly special to see.

Easter in Boracay

During the last Easter Holiday's we headed to the beautiful Boracay Island.

After fourteen hours, several modes of transport (a taxi, two planes, a bus a boat and a tuk tuk) we arrived on the island late on Easter Friday. It may have taken a whole to get there (although fourteen hours really isn't that long in terms of SE Asian traveling time) but we were staying in one place for the week so we could really get settled in. We chose to stay at frendz resort which was a brilliant choice; cheap (despite higher holiday prices), friendly staff and just a short walk from all the bars and restaurants along the White Beach. The bar at frendz was also a great place for meeting other people and was even popular with those not staying at the hostel. By the end of the week everyone who was staying in the hostel knew each other. The bar had happy hours almost every night and live reggae music twice while we were there.

Reading up a little on Boracay before the trip I was expecting it to be very busy and touristy, especially as we were traveling over Easter weekend - which is apparently one of the busiest weekends of the year. However, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. The white beach is undoubtedly touristy and it's packed out with sun loungers and locals trying to sell you stuff during the day. However there are so many other beaches easily accessible from the white beach, all of which were very quiet and beautiful. On the days we weren't doing day trips or activities we opted to explore these other beaches nearby. A tuk tuk driver got us to all of them in no more than 15 minutes for less than £2. We headed back to white beach most evenings for the lively bar scene and to meet up with others staying at frendz.

Highlights of the trip.

Snorkelling Boat Trip

This was my first time snorkelling. On our first day we wanted to do one of the many activities on offer, so we eased ourselves in with the snorkelling/boat trip around the island. We got a few beers, sat out sun bathing on the rafts, toes in the water - a blissfully perfect start to the holiday. The two guys who were sailing our boat were lots of fun and pointed out various landmarks to us on the way around (by landmarks, I mean beaches). Snorkelling was good fun, although the water was very choppy and I thought I was drowning for the first few minutes because there was so much water in my mask.

Dinwid Beach

The 'Boracay Postcard' beach. Breathtakingly perfect.. crystal clear waters.

Ariel's Point

A boat trip out to 'Ariel's Point' where you can swim in the crystal clear waters, snorkel, hang out on rafters and do some cliff diving if you dare!

Free flow alcohol for the whole trip - a choice of beer or rum and mixer (for beating the cliff diving nerves..) and an all you can eat buffet.

Scuba Diving.

My first time Scuba diving. I met Ben's parents for the first time in Boracay, so I guess you could say this was something of a bonding activity with his dad! Despite being absolutely terrified at the beginning, I absolutely loved it - one of the best experiences of my life never mind the trip. When we got to the ocean floor they gave a tiny bit of some sort of bread, hundreds of tropical fish swarmed around us and were eating the food right out of our hands, some of those little fish have pretty sharp teeth as well. It really was like being in a different world. Next summer when I do some traveling at the end of my contract I'd like to do a PADI course somewhere as I'm definitely keen to do some more of this. We did our dive with Boracay Island Divers.

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Ocean Phosphorance

If you sit by the sea at night (which happened every night while we were there..) it sparkles with vivid luminous phosphorance. One of the most magical things to see. 

Puka Beach

A long stretch of white sand and beautiful turquoise water, there was hardly anyone there at all when we went.

The Spider Bar.

Located at the end of Puka beach, someone said a we walked in 'welcome to our paradise' ..it really is. You can can jump directly from the bar into the ocean. We sat on some seats on the floor, drank cocktails, played cards and watched a firework display before leaving. A perfect way to end our last night on the island.

4 great beach days out in HK

Since I returned to Hong Kong in September the weather has been perfect for the beach - more sun, less humidity. So i've been doing some exploring at the weekends.

My favourites so far.

1. Cheung Sha Wan - Lantau Island
For cows and glamping..

Only 15 minutes by taxi/bus from the Mui Wo Ferry port, if you get the fast ferry it is possible to be there in about an hour from central (although the taxi's don't seem to be too reliable from the taxi stand). I paid about $60 in total for the journey. (MTR from Mong Kok, fast ferry from central, then shared taxi).
This is possibly the most beautiful beach I have seen in Hong Kong. It has a long stretch of white sand, the water is lovely to swim in and there are a handful of nice restaurants to eat at. We ate at The Stoep for lunch, a South African themed bar - great food, right on the beach too.

There are also some Native American style TeePee's which can be rented out for an alternative camping (or 'glamping!') experience.

We even got to pet some cows!

2. Sai Kung - Tai Long Wan
A hike and a beach.

$15.50 for a red mini bus from the bottom of Dundas Street in Mong Kok to Sai Kung down, we then caught a taxi from Sai Kung to Sai Wan pavilion for around $80. There is also a bus (27R, catch it from outside McDonalds) which is $17.
The Pavilion is the start of the hour long hike to one of the most beautiful beaches in Hong Kong. The journey to this beach is just as beautiful as the beach itself.

You get to see this view on the way.

At the end of the hike (which isn't too strenuous, there's a bit in the middle which is very uphill but quite manageable) you are rewarded with this beach.

If you walk to the end of the back and take a left before the stone bridge crossing the lake, then climb over some rocks (not the easiest of climbs), there are some waterfalls where you can sit, swim and even do some cliff diving!

Surf Hong Kong is located on this beach, camping is also possible if you would like to make a weekend of it.
There are two options for getting back to civilisation. Take the hike back to the pavilion and catch the bus to Sai Kung town. Or take a speedboat directly from the beach back to the town.

The first time I came here we did the hike and bus back, we left when everyone else did (after sunset) so the queue for the bus back was huge. We waited for nearly an hour and a half at the Pavilion, then we had the half hour bus journey back. So from the beach to Sai Kung it was a three hour journey. Not ideal especially when we then still had the journey back to Mong Kok.

The second time we got a speedboat back, costing $120 each. This option is more expensive but much quicker, half an hour as opposed to three hours the previous time. Not only is it more time efficient it was much more fun! We left at 6.30pm so had a beautiful sunset journey back to Sai Kung where we arrived just in time for dinner. (We had a great meal at AJ's Sri Lankan Cuisine, the only Sri Lankan restaurant in HK!)

I would definitely recommend the speedboat option back, the boat holds around 12 people, so if you are in a small group try and find people to join up with you throughout the day. We didn't know you could do this until some guys approached us at lunch to make up their boat. No more three hour journey back to Sai Kung again!

walking to our speedboat

There are a few more beaches in Sai Kung which I haven't been to yet, we're planning on paying 'Ah Kwok' on Sha Ha beach a visit next time we head to Sai Kung to hire some kayak boats and explore the islands. Apparently the night time squid fishing is a good trip out too.


3. Lamma Island.

A beautiful chilled out island..

Read my post on the lovely island of Lamma here

4. Stanley
Not just a beach!

Stanley is a lovely spot, the beach is a lot busier than the others an not quite as 'tropical island' beautiful, but it's a lovely area with lots to do, you could easily pass a day there without even going to the beach. You can spend time browsing the markets and shops, or eating and drinking in one of the many bars and restaurants. I always pay a visit to the Smugglers Inn, the walls are covered in notes with messages left by previous guests. The food is good (British style pub food) and is one of the cheaper options for eating along the waterfront.

Smugglers Inn

I'm sure there are more HK beaches that I am yet to discover, but these are my favourites so far.
Anyone know of any more beautiful beaches in Hong Kong?