Why Hong Kong is the world’s finest place to island-hop
Hong Kong is a city of well-balanced duos. Famously, it is here that modernity and tradition sit in their most fragile and beautiful harmony – but so too do urbanity and nature. Beautiful green spaces, both wild and curated, make up about 40 per cent of Hong Kong’s total land, dotted with rural idylls and rugged landscapes – yet they are so often overlooked in favour of its cityscape. This neglect makes the city’s natural treasures all the lovelier, and all the more rewarding for the tourists who seek them out. And the very best way to do that? By leaving the high rises behind and hopping onto Hong Kong’s islands.
You are rather spoilt for choice: there are 263 of them in total. You’ll likely to have already been to the second largest – the densely packed frenetic hub Hong Kong Island – but for a true escape, it is conversely Hong Kong’s largest isle you should look to.
Located in the west of Hong Kong, Lantau is made up of numerous small villages, mountainous terrain and some of the most beautiful beaches in the whole city. To get there from Hong Kong Island, you need only board a scenic 50-minute ferry at Central Pier Six, which brings you to the quiet island town of Mui Wo.
Nearby, you’ll find Silvermine Waterfall and Silvermine Bay Beach – but to uncover the true gems of Lantau, you’ll need to branch out by bus.
The whole island is worth exploring, but a highlight is Cheung Sha Beach (bus number 1, 2 or 4 from Mui Wo), a white strip of sand that stretches for almost two miles along the coast. In the early mornings, it’s frequented by surfers (there are water-sports rental stalls offering stand-up paddle boards and kayaks by the hour, if you fancy joining them), but if you prefer to stay dry, a table at beachside restaurant Bathers makes an idyllic spot from which to watch the world go by, gently enveloped by sea, sand and mountains.
Next, take the inter-island ferry from Mui Wo (20 minutes – or the 40 minutes from Central Pier Six for a dose of quiet on Peng Chau, a tranquil speck of land covering less than half a square mile. Here, time really does seem to slow down. Little seafood and vegetable shops fill the narrow streets, tended by the same local families for generations, and the sound of water lapping on the shore is only interrupted by the trill of bicycle bells.
Nevertheless, this sleepy island is full of fascinating quirks. Visit the Fook Yuen Leather Factory – a former manufacturing hub that’s been transformed into a secret garden filled with intriguing art – then light some incense and pay your respects to Lung Mo, a Chinese goddess of water, at Lung Mo Temple. When you’re peckish, stop at Kee Sum Cafe for their popular shrimp toast, then hike up to Finger Hill for panoramas of the island and beyond.
Then it’s on to Cheung Chau Island (you’ll need to change ferries at Mui Wo), a popular day trip for Hongkongers that’s as deliciously lively as Peng Chau is serene. The moment you arrive, you’ll feel the energy shift: streets throng with visitors, pinwheeling between souvenir shops, chaotic seafood restaurants and snack stores selling Cheung Chau’s famed mango mochi dessert.
The island is known for its annual four-day bun festival (usually in late April or May), which originated more than a century ago when locals, worried that a local plague was being spread by gods or spirits, turned to making sweet buns to appease them. In remembrance, a series of rituals are held each year, including a carnival-like parade, lion dances and a hotly anticipated bun scrambling-and-snatching race.
If you’ve more time to spare, by all means hop onwards – to the likes of Po Toi, Lamma and Bluff Island.
Otherwise, take a ferry back to the city as the sun sets, the lights of Cheung Chau’s seafood restaurants glimmering in the water as you drift away, the chatter softening until only the sound of waves remains.
But there’s always next time. You’ve ticked off four of Hong Kong’s islands – that means 259 adventures await.
Essentials
Cathay Pacific (cathaypacific.com) flies direct from London to Hong Kong from £630 return. The Upper House (00 852 3968 1000; thehousecollective.com) has double rooms from £500 per night. Ferries run every 20-80 minutes and adult tickets cost from £1.50 (sunferry.com.hk).
