It doesn't sound right the first time I heard a place in Hong Kong can do cliff jumping. More…read moresurprised to know this scenic spot is actually one of the world's most photogenic spots for that (check videos in instagram)! Desperately to explore the stream before winter comes, we went there last week and concluded Double Deer Stream is EPIC! Also known as Sheung Luk Stream, Double Deer Stream is number of natural rock pools linked together by several giant waterfalls. You can swim in peaceful turquoise pools, chill on a rock, enjoy the powerful waterfall flowing from the majestic cliff, also to admire the beauty of stream when you hike up high. Then, you can see the eight-meter cliff right next to the waterfall in the second rock pool. Several people were jumping when I got there, some even did backflip - it seemed easy. But when I stood in the edge looking down, the cliff seemed very high indeed, that was the moment I wondered if I would die... I reluctantly took a deep breath, whispered to myself, and not sure how, I screamed (really loud) and stepped out. That was liked the longest five seconds in my life, but once I went into the cool water, my mind and body were relaxed and felt super refreshing. Just amazing! You don't have to jump (it's fun though), but the scenery is worth to visit anyway! Plus, you don't have to be an expert hiker to get to the stream. The 15 minutes walk from Sai Wan Beach to the Stream is tricky due to the rocky narrow passages, but carefulness and a pair of non-slip shoes are good enough to help. Transportation note - Grab a taxi from Sai Kung to Sai Wan Pavilion, hike 40 minutes on a paved path to reach Sai Wan Beach, then another 15 minutes walk from the beach. In end of the day, take a speedboat from the beach to arrive Sai Kung Pier.

The Plover Cover Reservoir is one of Hong Kong's biggest body of freshwater- apart from serving as…read morea source of water; this reservoir is now a major attraction in itself. On the main sea wall separating the lake from Tolo Harbour, a road stretches over from Tai Mei Tuk right to the other side of the reservoir. On weekends you will see entire families enjoy a range of activities such as cycling, kite flying and just a simple stroll along the bank. This is a particularly scenic location as you have two bodies of water at this location, one being the reservoir and the other being the harbor, whereby the harbor usually has more activities such as sailing boats, ships and even wake boarders - the reservoir bans all such activities and its just a calm lake with a backdrop of the hills behind it. With Hongkongers increasingly embracing the outdoors and looking for different locations to enjoy activities, this is a location that truly caters to the entire family. Apart from the main bank, there is also the numerous spots for BBQ along the side of the reservoir. These become quite busy as well with families coming to enjoy the great outdoors and parking becomes non- existent.

After two weeks in Hong Kong, the skyscrapers and unlimited shopping malls of Hong Kong Island,…read moreKowloon and Mong Kok quickly became tedious and I started researching hiking trails on different outlying islands. Mind you, I am not a hiker. But so desperate was I to get away from what someone nicknamed Time Square on Steroids, I started to looking at alternative activities to make my stay there a little bit more enjoyable. When a local colleague heard me asking for suggestions, she said, "I know a place but it's really hard to get to. But totally worth it." Immediately, I heard Barney Stinson's voice in my head saying, "Challenge accepted!" And that is how I found myself a day later waking up at 6:00AM to get to Tap Mun or Grass Island. Be warned! Getting to Tap Mun is quite the challenge. My colleague recommended two sequential routes. After much research, I decided to make up my own route. It ended up being slightly more expensive than making the four to six transport transfers my colleague recommended but it was totally worth the extra expense. I went there first thing on a Friday morning and ended up being one of only two foreigners on the island. It felt like I had the place to myself. It has grassy, rolling hills and a very small and elderly population. Apparently it also has a history as a smuggling and pirate haven. I went on a clear sunny day and the panoramic views were stunning. This was totally worth the hours of research and early wake up call. I did a circular hike all around the island and climbed to its highest publicly accessible point. The whole hike took roughly an hour and the only people I met along the way were a handful of campers and some local residents. It was so great to finally be far far far away from tall buildings and just see nature. Tap Mun is far enough that while on the island, I was closer to mainland China than I was to Hong Kong SAR. I finished my hike with a meal at a local eatery where two women old enough to be my grannies made me the islands famous ice-less iced milk tea and sea urchin fried rice. Here's how to make the roundtrip journey to Tap Mun: - Get on the MTR from your closest stop and make the necessary transfers to arrive at University Station in Ma Liu Shiu. - From University Station to Wong Shek Pier, take a green New Territories (NT) taxi. It's cheaper than the red Urban Taxi (UT). The taxi stand is right outside the University station. It takes roughly 30 minutes early in the morning. It cost HK$137 and is totally worth the scenic drive. - The first ferry from Wong Shek Pier leaves at 8:30AM. My recommendation is to take this because the island is least crowded at this time and will guarantee you don't have to rush. There are more ferries on the weekend than on weekdays. Make sure to leave by 3:00PM so there's no chance of you getting stranded overnight. On the return journey you can either take the same way back (ferry-taxi-MTR) or take a direct ferry from Tap Mun to the Ma Liu Shiu pier next to University Station. That ride is a bit longer but also scenic.

This is a very fun hike in Hong Kong! I've haven't done all the maclehose hikes yet so I cannot say…read moreit is the best, but I have done many hikes in general and this one is so worth it! This is definitely one of the more memorable hikes, because to be honest, HK hikes have similar geology and views that I'm beginning to get mixed up with them. It is rather challenging though, so make sure you are in good shape AND you are wearing shoes with good grip because there's a fun and somewhat dangerous climb. But if you're afraid of heights and not up for the challenge, you can take a detour, but then that takes away the cool part of the hike in my opinion. Many people do 4&5 together, but I opted to do just 4 backwards which is 12.7km long and took about 4-5 hours. We arrived Choi Hung (MTR exit C) then hailing a a cab to Section 5 by Gilwell Camp Site which is in Fei Ngo Shan, about $30. Take the cab all the way in, it turns into a little one way. it's a little farther pass the public toilets area. The first half is rather tame and not particularly beautiful to look at due to the high bushes, but it is a nice warm up to what comes next. When you arrive Pyramid Hill, the view is panoramic and there is not obstruction. There are areas great for picnics overlooking the sea. My friend and I did some acroyoga there. It's truly a beautiful place to just chill, and at this point, it's even worth it to leave after an afternoon there. But here comes the fun part, the Hunch Back. These are steep and slippery steps. Be really careful here! my friend in nike frees nearly gave up because her shoes had very little grip and it's easy to hurt yourself. The end is a TON of steps (which is also the beginning of stage 4) Which I reckon would be hell to walk up to. You end up back in Ma On Shan and you can easily take a bus to get back out. *** Tips: Wear shoes with grip. Do it backwards so you can take a bus back out. Or people do 4&5 together Favourites: Fun climb! Meh: loads of steps at the beginning of stage 4, so if you start there, you have been warned. Last words: Great for picnic even if you don't complete it!