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.

This spot has to be one of the best oasis in Hong Kong...I had planned to go to Tai Long Wan with a…read morefriend who was visiting me but we made a last minute change of plans and decided to go to the pool. We still needed to pack food and water and wake up early anyway. We started our trip in Wan Chai and took the MTR to Tung Chung and then bus 11 to Tai O. That was all pretty smooth and as we got to Tai O village, we strolled around for a few minutes and got on our way quickly after buying some water. The hike to the pool is moderate difficulty wise but the humidity made it a little harder than expected (and the view of the infinite...flight of stairs) but it's enjoyable: the views are pretty amazing and it's peaceful. When the level of sweatness was reaching its peak (or an hour into our hike) we could hear the waterfall...! And finally, the pool! We spent a good four hours there, swimming, chatting, meeting new people, climbing. We also had our lunch sitting on the rocks and overlooking the landscape. It couldn't get any better! Be warned that there's no food or water available once you leave Tai O, so make sure you bring enough of those. As we were leaving, the sun, who had left us for a few minutes, came back! So we had yet another bath. This was around 5pm and although some people had already left, the pool was still busy. A note on that: the earlier you get there, the better, as the ground is all made of rocks and it's uneven and you may want to find a nice spot to eat and rest. It's a really cool place to go on a sunny day. Easy to reach but far away enough so that it's not overcrowded. I hope it stays that way. Now next stop Tai Long Wan!

I think I was the last one in Hong Kong to hear about this infinity pool. I'd hear tourist talking…read moreabout an infinity pool in Tai O on the Mui Wo ferry and I'd think, you've got it wrong, the Four Seasons is in Central! I got it wrong. I may be a little harsh with my rating of the pool mainly because I've seen some awesome waterfalls around the world (not trying to boast). For Hong Kong this place is amazing, were it not for the huge influx of visitors it'd be the first place on my list to bring friends visiting HK. The hike to the pool is not so bad. It would be better were it not for the fact I got lost and added another 30 minutes to it. 30 additional minutes of dodging spiders the size of my face is not fun, trust me. Be sure to google the directions first! The only challenging part being the stairs. It's great though (think positive!) because after feeling exhausted and on the brink of heat stroke there's a cold, freshwater pool waiting for you to collapse into. The pool itself is a decent size with enough rocks nearby to have a little picnic, soak up the sun and dangle your legs in the water. It also has a gorgeous view overlooking mountains and the sea. Behind the pool is a mini rock-pools under a giant waterfall, which is just as much an attraction as the infinity pool in my opinion. I spent much of my time getting a free massage from the cascading water. The hike back was much easier, and being later in the afternoon most of the spiders were gone. All in all I would highly recommend the place to any one. If you can avoid going on a weekend then do so and save it for a weekday. I went on a Monday and it was too full for my liking so I can't imagine what it would be like on a day off!