This was my first visit to HK, and it was amazing! It was very surprising that the scenery…read moredrastically changes from city to mountainous terrain in just a few miles, and this hiking trail was no exception. This hike is NOT for the weak, as you start off at the bottom and you climb up at an angle for at least 45-mins on a brisk pace. I was dying! But, like all things, the work put in is exponentially translated to the reward you get. As you travel higher and higher into the hike, you are blessed with incredible views of the city and the water. As you clear further into the hike, you are directed to this secluded quarry which seems like Hong Kong's best and worst kept secret. It is truly amazing and truly breathtaking. I was literally speechless. I took so many photos and filled my Instagram with all the gorgeous views. Thank God for my iPhone X whose camera technology was able to capture what it was like being there. In certain areas of the quarry, you get to see crystal clear water filled with schools of colorful fish. It instantly became one of my favorite places. I can't wait to return! Be prepared to sweat! Bring the appropriate shoes! And be prepared to be amazed!

Amazing views from a perspective few tourists would realise exists in HK. If you have more than a…read morefew days in HK, make the effort to hit the hills! Around 80% of Hong Kong is country park. The parks are accessible and developed with well marked trails and good cellular coverage. There are multiple online resources describing the trails and how to get to them using public transport. We followed the Old Village Path from behind our village (Mui Wo) towards Nam Shan campsite, then up the mountain to Sunset Peak. There was clear signage along the way, detailed topographic maps at rest stations and of course - stunning views. This is not a walk to be tackled in summer heat. There are small streams enroute, but otherwise there are no water sources along the way. The hike took 2 hours and covered 8km (5 miles). Total ascent was 770m (2500'). Worth the effort if you like a hike, and have a few hours to spare.

Sunset Peak is the third highest peak in Hong Kong (after Lantau Peak/Tai Mo San)…read more It's a great hike (lots of uphill as you can imagine), which I recommend hiking during the non-summer months! We started from Pak Kung Au, and headed to Mui Wo. I also recommend hiking the trail during daytime, unless you have experience in night hikes. The last thing you want to do is get trapped there at night with no food! Also, during our hike, we came across 3 people who got lost during their hike, who seemed really tired/dirty/water deprived. Apparently they got lost - so make sure you stick to the path! Pro tip: Bring sunscreen (you will be directly under the sun), mosquito repellent, lots of water & snacks!

The Sai Wan Ho Harbor Park isn't so much a Park in the dictionary sense of the word. It is more of…read morea promenade where you can walk or run by the harbor. A lot of the locals will set up a fishing rod and go fishing here. I like to run along along the promenade and really enjoy the fresh air and smell of the sea. It can get crowded during the weekends and when the weather gets good. There are often gatherings for people with dogs to have their dogs play with each other. The Park is free so There is really nothing to really criticize..

It's my go-to ever since when I was a kid. This park is a hidden gem in Hong Kong. The view might…read morenot be as grand as Tsim Sha Tsui harbor, but it has a nice tranquil feeling to it especially at night. To the right side there is the typhoon shelter for fishermen's boats. Quite a spectacular view, and unique to Hong Kong. People do Tai Chi, group dances, fishing and jogging around the park. Walking along the harbor trail leads you to close to North Point. There is a pets' park towards the end. On the weekends, you can see pet owners with all their cute doggies chilling. Right next to the Harbor Park is Soho East, there is a large variety of restaurants there. A great place to explore dinner options!

Great fun hike! We walked up to he hike from the MTR, which in it of itself was a hefty hike…read more The hike itself is well paved and well maintained. We passed by many groups enjoying the hike. There are a lot of stairs, so my calves were so stiff for a couple days after! It's a good workout but it's not particularly hard nor steep. The walk up to the trailhead however was very steep. Bring sunscreen and plenty water! A lot of the hike is in direct sun. Overall, starting at the MTR and getting all the way back down took about 3-3.5 hours but we were booking it, so you may want more time.

One of my friends and I love hikes and we have done a couple hikes together in the states. We see…read morepeople post stuff about Lion's rock and had to give it a shot while we're in Hong Kong. Getting here is a challenge. After Nan Lian Garden, we took an Uber to Fat Jong temple. Unfortunately our driver couldn't take us to Lion's Pavilion since you need a permit to go up to the top but some taxis will let you. NOTE: we tried to get a couple taxis but none of them wanted to go up to The pavilion at Sha Tin Pass. From the temple, it's an additional 20 minutes upward a steep incline. You'll soon see a sign after a few switchbacks along the road to Lion's rock 1.8 km. The hike consists of many bunches of stairs but kids and elderly people were on this hike on a Sunday so anyone can pretty much do this (just be careful!!). It took roughly an hour to get to the top with taking 1-2 very short breaks for water. The view is amazing from the top!! I highly recommend taking the time of your trip to Hong Kong to tackle this hike. Also, it's recommended to get a ride share or Uber when you walk down. Not many taxis will be at the bottom of Fat Jong temple to grab you.

We had lunch in Tsim Sha Tsui and then we drove all the way out to Sai Kung. It's an interesting…read moredrive away from downtown areas. There's a lot of vendors selling knick-knacks and stuff on the promenade. There's a pier. There's boating. It's nice to take a walk here. My mom said she went hiking around here a while ago. It does not feel like a resort, but it's nice to see the water and people around.

Worth it for the views alone. Walk along the public pier until you hit this promenade that ends…read morewhere the sailboats are. It's much less touristy and is nothing more than a few locals lounging about. This is pretty much the Almalfi Coast but Asian.

This place becomes very popular around December / January every year. Locals and tourists alike…read morecome for the maple trees... (Caution: there are more people than trees here...) Probably the only place in the world where you need to "queue" to take pictures of maple trees... (In a way, this is so Hong Kong... =.=) It's a fairly easy hike but I don't recommend cycling here unless you are a pro. The place is gorgeous but just brace yourself for crowds... I actually thought I went to Korea or something - this place doesn't feel Hong Kong at all! Transportation is pretty straightforward and there are direct buses connecting to the MTR station!

Lantau Peak (aka Phoenix Peak) is the 2nd highest peak in HK at 934m, but it is the highest peak…read moreyou are able to directly access (the highest peak's terminus is otherwise on private property). There are various routes to reach the summit. We sought out Middle Dogs Teeth/ Kau Nga Ling for our ascent. The trailhead for this ridge trail begins just before Shek Pik Reservoir. There's a bus stop that goes to the reservoir, but we took a blue taxi from Tung Chung MTR Station for a faster, more direct service (~160 HKD). The trail is very well known and the uncle who drove us knew exactly where to take us when we said we wanted to go up Lantau Peak near the trailhead close to Shek Pik. He called the dogs teeth "crazy" - BAH! The trailhead was situated in a park where a bunch of happy cows roamed. It also had a super clutch and rather clean port-a-potty for getting the morning biz-ness taken care of before the AWESOME, on-all-fours, class 3 straight scramble up to Lantau Peak. Trail starts off pretty straight forward until you reach an off shoot leading into dense foliage and with a sign warning you not to proceed any further (due to a previous fatal accident). Which everyone ignored, of course, including the senior-aged uncles and aunties which was a signal to us of permission granted (because being led by example and all :)). We did a point-to-point from the trailhead near Shek Pik to Ngong Ping Village with the intention of taking the 360 cable car down. I tracked it at around 4mi/ 6km with 3,000 FG/ 970m. It took us about 3 hours to get to the top of Lantau with many breaks and chats with all the uncles and aunties along the way. The most dangerous section is what has been lovingly deemed the Lifeline, or One Line of Survivability. This section encircled a rocky mound which was passable only in one direction. There was a chain bolted into the rock which served as a hand hold when traversing the narrow section with a sheer drop on the other side. Honestly, I've seen scarier, but the riskiness is there especially for someone with a fear of heights, I am sure. It is still cause for a fun celebration when you successfully "survive" it. Loved the view as we made the final push up the Phoenix's "tail". It was foggy at the top, but the fog was very welcomed on this mostly exposed trail. The temperature was perfect and although a lot of work, it wasn't terrible, in the end. We doubled back to the junction just before the Phoenix's tail to descend to the Tian Tan Big Buddha, but one of the aunties was saying how we could have continued on past the peak to another trail which also descended to Tian Tan Village. Such a gratifying hike with phenomenal views at the top in what is suppose to be a 360 degree view of Lantau Island. We otherwise had fog which mattered not since the whole point-to-point journey eventually granted us views of all parts of Lautau. The decision to climb up Lantau depends on time and your energy because the ascent up Middle Dogs Teeth is one of the hardest hikes in HK. There are easier approaches via Pak Kung Au and even from Tian Tan Village itself. Regardless, seeing Lantau Island from the perspective of the peak is not be missed!

When I first walked up to the sign that said, Lantau Peak 3.5km ~2.5hr I was flabbergasted. I'm no…read moreexpert hiker, but I can definitely hike 3.5km faster than that! I dragged my mom on the paved path cheerfully preparing for our journey up the mountain. When we hit the first set of stairs, I was like hey! We got this! It'll level out soon... nope. This hike is actually just under 2km of straight stone steps. Imagine a never ending stairmaster! The hike is challenging, but never too dangerous. There are some great clear lookout spots (aka resting points) of the Buddha. The last .5km may seem like a stretch but definitely worth it. There is railing in some spots but I never felt like I was going to fall off the mountain or anything. I was pretty disappointed in the overcast skies but still a beautiful view. This is a must do hike! Take lots of breaks on both the incline and decline since the stairs are just as hard coming down. We came to the trail head by way of the 23 bus at the end of the orange line on the MTR. You can also see the Buddha while you're at it. Alternatives are to take the gondola up, or hike the Lantau Trail but I'm not 100% sure where that starts.

Outdoor, public park, free of charge, open spaced, not cramped by Hong Kong highrises, along the…read morewater. Relaxing, cycling, picnicing, busking, dog walking...just being! Absolutely pay the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade and really the West Kowloon Cultural District Park that is emerging in this area a visit. We had cause to be in this area to attend one of the "Freespace Happenings" that takes place the second and fourth Sunday of each month from September to March in the Nursery Park portion of this emerging cultural district. What a great outdoor, open space for all of Hong Kong to enjoy. This was then how we discovered the walking promenade. Not super easy to get to, we took the MTR from Hong Kong on the orange line to Kowloon Station and kind of followed the signs to the West Kowloon Cultural District, that will also get you to the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade. It is maybe a 10-15 minute walk, because you have to take the foot bridge up and over the busy tunnel road. Along the promenade itself, it is lovely. Seemed pretty clean and it was a great view of Hong Kong and the harbour. We kind of meandered around and just enjoyed the outdoor space. There were thousands of people out and about enjoying the day. Wedding photos were being taken, graduation commencement gatherings were around, picnics of friends, people signing as buskers to the public. There are some public toilets up near the nursery portion of the park as well. The West Kowloon Cultural District (as this whole area is formerly called) is in the middle of a huge expansion and build out of M+ Pavillion (run-up facility to opening of art museum itself), M+ Building (the actual modern art museum), Xiqu Centre (for traditional xiqu performaces and cantonese opera), Lyric Theatre Complex (dance & theatre) and Freespace (for concerts and events). So although the promenade is a great outdoor space, just wait. It appears it is literally just the start of some cultural greatness for Hong Kong to come in 2017-2020. So why not stroll over there and check it out now.

Lapping waves, an awesome view across to HK Island, and a cool mixed-use space await you here. I've…read morebeen twice - for HK's Freespace Fest and for a random wandering on my own. Once was during the daytime, and once at night. Both were enjoyable times! You could bring snacks and eat outdoors, or use your selfie-stick for some kick-ass photos. There are also bikes to rent, and relatively clean public toilet facilities. The place doesn't earn more stars, for me, for several reasons. One - because it's quite a walk to get there from the nearest bus stop (there's a large depot underneath Elements) or MTR station. Two - because it has so much unmet potential. There are major plans in the works for this area, and with its prime waterfront location and stunning views, it could be so much more, so I await the upcoming arts and culture complex with bated breath. Three - because the way to get to the actual promenade is, quite frankly, pretty ugly and run-down. Again, there is so much potential! But who wants to walk for 7 minutes past barbed-wire fences and multi-lane highways full of exhaust to get to a pleasant picnic spot? I'll be keeping my eye on the Promenade and hopefully it will transform into something amazing, earning many 5-star reviews :)