Hong Kong: Lantau Island: Ideal For Hiking, Visiting Monasteries, and Taking Boat Rides To Remote Villages

As Hong Kong’s biggest island, tranquil Lantau proves ideal for hiking, visiting monasteries, and taking boat rides to remote villages. Due to the island’s lower cost of living, many people who live in Hong Kong spend their weekends on Lantau, and it’s a popular day trip for tourists as well.

Of course, visitors can just as easily make Lantau their home base and Hong Kong their day trip destination. Boasting an immaculate and nearly crime-free public transportation system, Hong Kong encourages vigorous sight-seeing and shopping. For a stunning view of the city, take the Peak Tram, a sort of sky lift, up to Victoria Peak, and gaze down from a height of 1,200 feet. When you’re all shopped out, dine at one of Hong Kong’s fine seafood restaurants; although meals are expensive, there are bargains if you look, especially in the area known as old Kowloon.

Back at Lantau, more gorgeous views await hikers via the Lantau Trail, extending over the western part of the island. Paths leading from the beach to the cliffs reward serious walkers who enjoy hour-plus treks. For the truly dedicated, a four hour walk from Mui Wo, Lantau’s main district, ends at Tai O, a charming fishing village. Be sure to take advantage of Lantau’s bus service, too, by capping off your vacation with a visit to Po Lin Monastery, home of an 80 foot tall bronze Buddha.