Hong Kong

Description

Hong Kong Island from Star Ferry

Hong Kong was a British colony for many years. No surprise, hiking trails have been established here over the decades. And the Hong Kong citizens themselves do enjoy walking, so the tradition lives on. Good news for us!

If your image of Hong Kong is one of skyscrapers only, you're biased. The fact is that, among the densely populated financial centers of Asia, Hong Kong stands out in nature. Main asset of Hong Kong, from our point of view of course, are the Country Parks. These safe havens for nature were established in the seventies by Murray MacLehose, the governor who fought corruption and obstructed democracy. Four main trails, and more smaller trails, explore these Country Parks.

You are never faraway from the large population areas, and still, nature will present itself from the wild side: “hills” up till 1000 meter, beautiful coast line with sea inlets and quiet beaches, forests and shrub lands. Attractive also are the exotic small villages (yes, not far from towering skyscrapers) where you often can find a place to sleep. Hong Kong partially consists of islands, the best known is Hong Kong Island itself, and the largest of them is Lantau.

The four main trails are the Hong Kong Trail (50 km), the MacLehose Trail (100 km), the Wilson Trail (78 km) and the Lantau Trail (70 km). Often, it is possible to divide your trail in neat portions return to your hotel and the bustling city life at night, have a good sleep, and turn back, tidy and well fed, to your last evening's trailhead by public transport. Alternatively, you might enjoy camping in the outdoor. Most villages offer some kind of overnight staying, including temples.

There are many more smaller trails, indicated on the maps. Check out Roz's website (see links section below), if you want to find out more.

Hiking is possible year round, but during the hot season - June till September - you will sweat your bones out, if not washed away already in one of those plunge sessions. Dry weather or pouring rain, do carry lots of water on your hike.

We can recommend Pete Spurrier's guide to the four main trails: “The Serious Hiker's Guide to Hong Kong”, available in the English bookshops. Maps can be purchased from the Map Publication Centers. Best are the excellent Countryside Series, showing the main trails and smaller trails. In the field, the waymarking is up to date.

So, unpack at the airport, jump on the Star Ferry, and take a break halfway your business trip. And if you liked it, pray for the survival of the Country Parks.

Trails

Books

Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Hong Kong Step by Step Insight Guide SUPERCEDED
  • Take a fresh approach to Hong Kong with this ”Step by Step” guide, part of a brand new, stylishly designed series from Insight Guides. Lavishly illustrated in full colour, this book features 18 irresistible self-guided walks and tours, written by a local expert and packed with great insider tips. Whether you are new to the city or a repeat... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Hong Kong Insight City Guide SUPERCEDED
  • This brand new edition Insight Guide to Hong Kong features a wealth of inspiring full-colour photography and detailed street atlases. Expert local writers ensure this guide is an inspiring background read, serves as an invaluable, on-the-spot companion and is a superb, visual souvenir of your visit. Hong Kong`s top attractions are identified to... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
2018
  • The 25 Best Day Walks in Hong Kong
  • A new series of pocket-sized travel guides aimed at first-time travellers featuring an extended introduction to the natural history of the destination. In three parts, the first section describes the major highlights. The second section looks at the significant locations with information for each on plants and animals, cultural sites,... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Insight Guides Explore Shanghai (Travel Guide with Free eBook)
  • INSIGHT GUIDES EXPLORE SHANGHAI Let us guide you on every step of your travels...Focused travel guides featuring the very best routes and itineraries, now with free eBook.Discover the best of Shanghai with this unique travel guide, packed full of insider information and stunning images. From making sure you don`t miss out on must-see, top... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • The Monocle Travel Guide to Hong Kong (Updated Version)
  • A procession through Hong Kong`s outposts of good food, design, retail, and more, this definitive travel guide will make you feel like a local no matter where you are from. Vertigo-inducing skyscrapers that cling to mountainous slopes and busy fishing villages that proudly hold on to their cultural heritage: Hong Kong is more diverse than you`d... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Beijing Walks - Exploring the Heritage
  • Beijing Walks in the Odyssey Guides series; aimed at travellers particularly interested in the culture and history of their destination; the guides focus on the atmosphere, customs, and distinctive character of a country, region or city. As the only English language publisher based in China, Odyssey Guides specialize in Asian destinations,... Read more
  • Also available from:
  • The Book Depository, United Kingdom
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The Book Depository
United Kingdom
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The Book Depository
United Kingdom
2022
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  • De Zwerver, Netherlands
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De Zwerver
Netherlands
2022
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The Book Depository
United Kingdom
2014
  • Also available from:
  • De Zwerver, Netherlands
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De Zwerver
Netherlands
2014
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Bol.com
Netherlands
  • Beijing & Shanghai
  • DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Beijing and Shanghai is your in-depth guide to the very best of these two metropolitan cities.Take in the major sights, from the breathtaking Great Wall of China to the imperial splendor of the Forbidden City; go on a canal cruise for your chance to contrast the old and new sides of Shanghai; or simply wander the... Read more
  • Also available from:
  • Bol.com, Belgium
» Click to open
Bol.com
Belgium
  • Beijing & Shanghai
  • DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Beijing and Shanghai is your in-depth guide to the very best of these two metropolitan cities.Take in the major sights, from the breathtaking Great Wall of China to the imperial splendor of the Forbidden City; go on a canal cruise for your chance to contrast the old and new sides of Shanghai; or simply wander the... Read more
» Click to close
Bol.com
Netherlands
  • Geschichten vom Taibai-Berg
  • In der Lehre des Qigong gibt es die gedanklich gesteuerte Levitation von materiellen Dingen. Der Zuschauer sieht, wie die Dinge ihren Ort wechseln, wobei dieser Ortswechsel eine Funktion subjektgeleiteter geistiger Konzentration ist. Die Geschichten vom Taibai-Berg orientieren sich an diesem Verfahren des Qigong. (Jin Tushuang)Die Moderne als... Read more
  • Also available from:
  • Bol.com, Belgium
» Click to open
Bol.com
Belgium
  • Geschichten vom Taibai-Berg
  • In der Lehre des Qigong gibt es die gedanklich gesteuerte Levitation von materiellen Dingen. Der Zuschauer sieht, wie die Dinge ihren Ort wechseln, wobei dieser Ortswechsel eine Funktion subjektgeleiteter geistiger Konzentration ist. Die Geschichten vom Taibai-Berg orientieren sich an diesem Verfahren des Qigong. (Jin Tushuang)Die Moderne als... Read more
» Click to close
Bol.com
Netherlands
  • Revolution and Rebellion in the Early Modern World
  • What can the great crises of the past teach us about contemporary revolutions? Arguing from an exciting and original perspective, Goldstone suggests that great revolutions were the product of 'ecological crises' that occurred when inflexible political, economic, and social institutions were overwhelmed by the cumulative pressure of population... Read more
  • Also available from:
  • Bol.com, Belgium
» Click to open
Bol.com
Belgium
  • Revolution and Rebellion in the Early Modern World
  • What can the great crises of the past teach us about contemporary revolutions? Arguing from an exciting and original perspective, Goldstone suggests that great revolutions were the product of 'ecological crises' that occurred when inflexible political, economic, and social institutions were overwhelmed by the cumulative pressure of population... Read more
» Click to close
Bol.com
Netherlands
2009
  • Yunnan
  • Wedged between Tibet and the exotic lands of Southeast Asia, Yunnan Province is one of the least known and most beguiling regions of China. A mountainous wonderland, it is home to 24 diverse, colourful ethnic cultures. With a name meaning 'South of the Clouds', Yunnan boasts sparkling blue skies, red earth and green forests. The picturesque... Read more
  • Also available from:
  • Bol.com, Belgium
» Click to open
Bol.com
Belgium
2009
  • Yunnan
  • Wedged between Tibet and the exotic lands of Southeast Asia, Yunnan Province is one of the least known and most beguiling regions of China. A mountainous wonderland, it is home to 24 diverse, colourful ethnic cultures. With a name meaning 'South of the Clouds', Yunnan boasts sparkling blue skies, red earth and green forests. The picturesque... Read more
» Click to close
Bol.com
Netherlands
  • Wildlife Wonders of China
  • China is a country rich in bio-diversity that boasts gorgeous natural landscapes and wildlife, many unique to its land. Award winning nature photographer Xi Zhinong spent 30 years taking photos along rivers and across mountains, capturing the animals and natural wonders of China. Through his lens, a Yunnan snub-nosed monkey can be seen jumping... Read more
  • Also available from:
  • Bol.com, Belgium
» Click to open
Bol.com
Belgium
  • Wildlife Wonders of China
  • China is a country rich in bio-diversity that boasts gorgeous natural landscapes and wildlife, many unique to its land. Award winning nature photographer Xi Zhinong spent 30 years taking photos along rivers and across mountains, capturing the animals and natural wonders of China. Through his lens, a Yunnan snub-nosed monkey can be seen jumping... Read more
» Click to close
De Zwerver
Netherlands
2014
  • Reisgids China der Osten | Reise Know-How Verlag
  • De enige deelgids van dit deel van China. Zeer gedegen en informatieve gids met Beijing en Shanghai. Dieser aktuelle Reiseführer führt mitten hinein in so pulsierende Wirtschaftsmetropolen wie Beijing, Tianjin und Shanghai und in die boomenden Sonderentwicklungszonen. Neben dem modernen Leben beschreibt er aber auch Höhepunkte chinesischer... Read more
Bol.com
Netherlands
  • Yan Wang Preston
  • My friend, the tree: a photographic exploration in China, with sometimes harrowing results. In 2013, during a long-term photography project along the Yangtze river, Yan Wang Preston made an incisive observation: In the small village of Xialiu stood an over three-hundred-year-old tree in all of its glory, right in the center of a community that... Read more
  • Also available from:
  • Bol.com, Belgium
» Click to open
Bol.com
Belgium
  • Yan Wang Preston
  • My friend, the tree: a photographic exploration in China, with sometimes harrowing results. In 2013, during a long-term photography project along the Yangtze river, Yan Wang Preston made an incisive observation: In the small village of Xialiu stood an over three-hundred-year-old tree in all of its glory, right in the center of a community that... Read more
» Click to close
More books…

Maps

Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5150(4) - East China Sea - April
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5150(12) - East China Sea - December
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5149(8) - South China Sea - August
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5150(5) - East China Sea - May
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5149(1) - South China Sea - January
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5149(9) - South China Sea - September
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5150(6) - East China Sea - June
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5149(2) - South China Sea - February
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5149(10) - South China Sea - October
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5150(7) - East China Sea - July
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5149(3) - South China Sea - March
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5149(11) - South China Sea - November
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Admiralty Routeing Chart 5150(8) - East China Sea - August
  • Essential for use in passage planning for ocean voyages, Routeing Charts include routes and distances between major ports, ocean currents, ice limits, load lines and wind roses. They also contain expected meteorological and oceanographic conditions for each month of the year.Individual chart scales of 1:5,000,000, 1:10,000,000 and 1:20,000,000... Read more
Stanfords
United Kingdom
  • Mount Gongga Glaciers
  • Mount Gongga Glaciers on a detailed, contoured map at 1:25,000 published by the Chinese Institute of Glaciology and based on surveys carries out in early 1980s and aerial photography from December 1996. The map has contours at 20m intervals, enhanced by shading, plus graphics and/or colouring for exposed rock, scree, moraine, crevasses,... Read more
More maps…

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