I ended up choosing to return to Hong Kong on my stop-over to Europe so I could catch up with my friend DSM.
He was going to be working while I was in town, and seeing as though I had been there a couple of times in the past (2009.1, 2009.2), I figured it would be a good opportunity to do a couple of things I hadn’t managed in the past.
I was looking at day trips to Shenzhen or Guangzhou to get a taste of the mainland. I had heard both these places were pretty mediocre and the prospect of having to sort out a visa and change money relegated this idea to the too hard basket. Then I was thinking about going to Macau to see family friends. I had visited the island back in 2009, and decided I’d be better off using my time to do something new.
In the end I decided to check out Hong Kong’s biggest Island – Lantau. The massive Buddha there looked interesting, and I figured if there was nothing else to do, I’d reassess in the afternoon.
It’s pretty easy to make your way to Lantau – It’s just seven stops from Central Station on Hong Kong’s fabulously clean, cheap and efficient metro – the MTR. You need to head for Tung Chung which is the last stop on the Tung Chung line. The trip takes about 30 minutes and once you get out of the city a bit there are some pretty good views of the mountains, water and villages.
Once you arrive you have a couple of options to get to the peak.
There’s a bus that is the cheapest option but takes about 45 minutes. The far more spectacular option is to take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car. A return trip costs about $A30 for a standard cabin or ten dollars more for what they call a Crystal Cabin – which has a transparent glass bottom. The 6 kilometre trip offers up some pretty spectacular views.
There was a bit of a line the day I did the trip – but it was nothing crazy – I think I had to wait about 20 minutes before hopping into the gondola and shooting up the mountainside.
I had read in the forums that lines can be atrocious at the weekend – and so it could be a good idea to consider bussing up and taking the cable car back down at the end of the day.
Once you get to the top, there’s what they call a cultural village – which felt a little bit like Disney. There are a few restaurants and bars and more souvenir shops than you can poke a stick at.
I think I also stumbled across a chopstick museum which was pretty cool, but in retrospect I think it was just a shop displaying its wares.
The village’s main attraction (in my opinion) is just around the corner – the giant Tian Tan Buddha.
Standing at over 30 metres high and weighing in at 250 tonnes – Tian Tan Buddha is the largest seated, outdoor bronze Buddha in the world. It was built in 1993 and took twelve years to complete. The statue faces north, to look over the Chinese people.
The statue is opened from 1000 until 1800 and access is free.
To visit the museum inside the Buddha you need to buy a meal ticket to the vegetarian restaurant.
I didn’t really realise what was going on and was pleasantly surprised when they offered me a “free” ice cream and bottle of water.
I didn’t go much on the museum but I have a pretty jaded view of them on the best of days, but it’s worth a look if you’re interested.
There’s also the Po Lin monastery just next to the Buddha – which is worth sticking you head into.
When I was checking out the monastery I noticed a sign pointing to the Wisdom Path and several other hiking trails.
I knew that hiking was a thing in Hong Kong regularly saw my local Facebook friends spending their weekends walking exploring the island’s walking trails and exploring its peaks.
I had read with interest about the Lantau Trail but at 70 kilometres I had to rule out the several day-long loop which circles the Island.
I opted instead for the much more novice and time-poor tourist-friendly hike to Lantau peak.
The round trip is only 5 kilometres and if you’re relatively fit and healthy, you can knock it over in a little more than an hour. It wasn’t easy, but it definitely wasn’t too difficult.
It’s sort of funny – the mountain is only a little over 3000 feet high, but it doesn’t take long to rise up above the island’s oppressive humidity and into the cooler cloud clad confines of Lantau’s peak.
I did see a snake crossing the path within ten minutes of starting the walk which was mildly concerning, but it was only a small green tree snake and I figured it couldn’t be half as dangerous as its black and brown cousins in Australia.
There are fantastic views of the sea, airport and surrounding islands, as you make your way up and down the mountain.
Once you make it to the top, there isn’t a great deal to do – just catch your breath, relax and take in the views.
There’s a small shelter cabin up there for hikers doing the longer walk, and one of those plaques which displays the directions and distances to various sites and points of interest., but that’s it. There is nowhere to buy a drink or anything so it’s probably worth picking one up in the village before you start the walk.
I probably spent all of 20 minutes up there – because i’m a power tourist – before making my way back down to the village.
You can find details on how to get to Lantau Island here
The Ngong Ping 360 cable car operates between 1000-1800
Po Lin Monastery is open between 0800-1800
The vegetarian kitchen is open from 1130-1630
The Tian Tan Buddha is open from 1000-1730
For more information take a look at Po Lin Monastery’s official website
