Hong Kong is an amazing city. But let's be honest; the food, the drinks, the general oppressive heat which sits over the region for 90% of the year, can lead you to become a bit of a mess. That doesn't have to be the only path for you though. Because one of the things most people don't tell you about Hong Kong is that it is a hiker's paradise. Family walks, short hikes, day hikes, overnight hikes - Hong Kong has you covered. Where else can you go from cacophonous concrete jungle to whispering bamboo-shrouded forest paths in the space of 10 minutes... on foot!
There are a huge range of options for walks in Hong Kong. The walk described below is one of my favourites as it is (a) easy to get to; (b) doesn't require you to leave Hong Kong island; and (c) will finish up in mid-levels so you can reward yourself with coffee and/or alcohol if needed.
Where: Hong Kong island
Time required: 3 hours
What to bring: water, walking clothes (no specialised hiking gear is necessary)
Directions: Go to HKU MTR station, exit C1. These lifts take you from the station up to Pok Fu Lam Road. On exiting the lifts on Pok Fu Lam Road, walk uphill for 50 metres-ish until you get to the traffic lights. At the traffic lights, cross to the other side of Pok Fu Lam Road and continue walking uphill. After about 200 metres you should see a petrol station ahead of you. Immediately before the petrol station there is a set of steps leading up into the jungle (see the picture below). Yes, those steps. They are pretty steep and look like they go forever but this is the hardest part of the hike and you're getting it over with early.
The basic gist for you in this walk is to keep going uphill. There are two intersections which might cause you to scratch your head and say "which way??". The first is about 15 minutes into the hike - you've climbed the never ending super-steep staircase, and at the top you've discovered it turns into a less-steep staircase. This staircase spits you out onto a flat footpath which follows the foot of the mountain, which is called the Pik Shan Fitness trail. This trail is pretty awesome if you want to do some flat-ground running so feel free to explore it if you want. But, if you want to follow instructions and get to the Peak, then you should cross the footpath and keep going up the stairs opposite. That's the first confusing part over. The next is after you have made it about half-way up the Peak. You will walk past a buddha moulded into the concrete embankment on your left and the path will flatten off slightly and even go a little bit downhill (there is also a sign to toilets right here). You can either choose to keep following the path straight (and downhill) or there is a turn-off to your left. Take the left turn, walk down the hill for about 10 metres, where it meets the Morning Trail. Then, take the Morning Trail and keep climbing. This eventually finishes at a playground/set of pavilions. Congratulations, that is virtually all of the uphill climbing done! From the playground area, you are essentially on the Peak Circle Walk. Take Lugard Road (although it is called a road, it is essentially a pedestrian walkway), which should be to your left as you come to the top of the Morning Trail. This winds around the north side of the Peak and gives spectacular views over the city and the harbour. After about 1.5kms on this road you will come to the Peak Galleria (it is a large building which looks kind of like a giant anvil, and it is where the Peak Tram arrives). Immediately before this building there will be a set of stairs going down, with a sign indicating that there are public toilets downstairs. This is true, but if you ignore the public toilets these steps will take you to Old Peak Road. This is a pathway which will take you all the way down to Mid Levels and civilisation.
Now, this is quite a basic walk on Hong Kong island but it does pack some amazing views. Another bonus of this walk is that it crosses a number of paths that lead off to different walks which you might be able to try at a later date. The Pik Shan Fitness Trail goes along the foot of the mountains to the Queen Mary Hospital, and is surrounded by gorgeous jungle for most of the way. There are also waterfalls along this Fitness Trail which are quite beautiful. From these same trails you can hike to Aberdeen on the south side of Hong Kong island, past Pok Fu Lam reservoir. From the playground at the top of the Morning Trail you can hike to High West (which is about 30 minutes more of uphill, but with amazing views of the south-west side of Hong Kong island, across the mouth of the Pearl River to Macau). So, essentially, get out there and enjoy it!
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