ALL ABOARD
With Hong Kong now connected to the Chinese high-speed railway network, an overland trip to Beijing is easier than ever before. Now’s the time to explore some intriguing corners of both cities while making the most of stopovers in Guangzhou and Wuhan.
There’s so much more to this glittering harbor city than its neon-lit streets and glossy shopping malls. With a wealth of outlying islands, well maintained hiking trails, and historic villages dotting the New Territories, Hong Kong packs in a dizzying array of experiences beyond its urban heart.
Less than an hour by ferry from Central district, Mui Wo on the eastern coast of Lantau is a favored haunt for expats seeking a quieter existence. The town’s multicultural makeup is evident at Deer Horn Restaurant & Bar— the menu features authentic Nepalese dishes such as momos, yak cheese fritters, and a spicy soybean salad called bhatmas sadeko— and The Stoep at High Tide ( fb.com/thestoephk), a South African restaurant that relocated here after an 18-year run on a south Lantau beach. Mui Wo is also the starting point for a moderate 2.5-hour hike over the rugged coastal landscape to Pui O. Seasoned hikers requiring more of a challenge can tackle the trail toward Sunset Peak, a steep uphill climb that takes you almost 800 meters above sea level.
Over on the western side of the island, the centuries-old fishing village of
Tai O provides a glimpse of life before the economic miracle of the 1960s and ’70s—even today it remains a center for the production of salted fish and shrimp paste. Dubbed the “Venice of Hong Kong” for its distinctive stilt houses raisedised above the tidal flats and waterways, Tai O’s idyllic appearance belies a colorful past. What started out as a community of boat-dwelling Tanka people became a preferred base for smugglers and bandits; the village even witnessed a naval battle in 1855 between a joint British-American force and Chinese pirates.
With British control came the construction of a police station in 1902 on a headland overlooking Tai O Bay. It was carefully restored ahead of its transformation six years ago into the nine-room Tai O Heritage Hotel ( taioheritagehotel.com). Even if you aren’t staying here, free 20-minute guided tours of the property can be booked in advance, and the glass-roofed restaurant is well worth a visit for its menu of comfort food that nods to Tai O itself: think calamari in a sauce of local salted egg yolk, prawn fried rice featuring a dollop of shrimp paste, and cheesecake seasoned with mountain begonia plucked from nearby slopes.
Lantau’s offshore waters are home to Chinese white dolphins, an endemic species whose numbers have sadly plummeted in recent years due to pollution, increased boat traffic, and ongoing land reclamation. Although Tai O fishermen offer dolphin-watching excursions in their tiny motorboats, these are unregulated and some operators have been known to chase the cetaceans at high speed. A far more ethical alternative is Hong Kong Dolphinwatch ( hkdolphinwatch.com), which has been running half-day tours since 1995. Scheduled on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, these are best suited to those staying downtown as they involve a