Crossing the Dragon's Back

The Chinese love a good name, and what could go wrong with a name with the word 'dragon' in it? Dragon's Back refers to a ridgetop on the eastern end of Hong Kong island in Hong Kong, and it provides ones of the best hiking trails you can find in today's urban Hong Kong.


As part of a bigger pan-island hiking trail, known as the Hong Kong Trail, Dragon's Back is the last stage of the trail, and the longest. Lying within Shek O park, the route goes through some forested land, mini waterfalls, and the trail along the ridge rewards you with stupendous views of the coast and islands. And best of all, the trail ends at Big Wave Bay, a beachfront getaway for many urbanites, providing cold beers after a satisfying hike.



The hike is simple enough, taking 3+ hours at a leisurely pace. However, there is no cover at the ridge, and so if you're doing it in summer (like me), be prepared to be grilled. Getting to the trail head is easy as well; take MTR to Shau Kei Mei station, and look for the NWF Bus 9. The cost is something like HKD6.90 and you can ask the driver to stop at the trailhead. There are also minibuses (at HKD10) that ply the route whenever it fills up. We actually took the minibus back from Big Wave Bay.



Hong Kong is known for shopping and eating. But try out hiking the Dragon's Back!

Tai O (大澳)

Tai O, a fishing village on Lantau island, is really quite a nice getaway from the bustle and hustle of the city streets of Hong Kong. A perfect day trip after all the shopping....



Known as the "Venice of Hong Kong", one of the features of the village is that the houses are built on stilts. Being a fishing village, you might be asked by some of the locals to have a tour of the village by boat. During low tide, you can actually walk around the houses via walkway planks that are also on stilts! The houses are actually all still very old, and it is really quite interesting exploring the place.
Tai O is also famous for its salted fish, and if you do walk around the village on stilts, you can see lots of families drying the fishes in basket trays. In the village centre on land, old shophouses lined the streets, and a walk through it is literally like walking in a street of a bygone era! Of course, you also have your fair share of products being hawkered.



Being just a bus ride away from Hong Kong itself, Tai O is easily reached, and thus, it is a recommended day trip for those who have some extra time in Hong Kong. Check it out!