Why Lantau deserves a full day
Twice the size of Hong Kong Island yet covered mostly in green mountains, Lantau is where the city goes to breathe. In a single day you can glide over a bay in a cable car, stand at the feet of one of the largest Buddha statues on the planet, eat lunch in a working monastery, drift by boat through a village built on stilts and still make it to the longest beach in Hong Kong for sunset. It is the easiest big escape from the city, reachable directly by MTR.
Ngong Ping 360: 5.7 kilometres above the bay
The adventure starts in Tung Chung, at the end of the MTR line of the same name, where the Ngong Ping 360 cable car begins its spectacular 5.7 km journey across Tung Chung Bay and over the mountain ridges, one of the longest bi-cable ropeways in Asia. The ride takes about 25 minutes and serves up views of the airport, the South China Sea, and, on the final stretch, the Big Buddha appearing above the hills. Thrill seekers should book the Crystal Cabin with its glass floor, letting you watch the hiking trail pass hundreds of metres below your feet. Queues can be long at weekends, so buy timed tickets online; a standard round trip costs roughly 270 HK$, the Crystal Cabin version around 350 HK$.
Tian Tan Buddha: 268 steps to the top
From Ngong Ping village a broad avenue leads to the foot of the Tian Tan Buddha, universally known as the Big Buddha. Completed in 1993 after twelve years of work, the seated bronze figure is 34 metres tall and weighs about 250 tonnes; at the time of its unveiling it was the largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha in the world. The only way up is on foot, climbing 268 stone steps, and the effort is rewarded twice over: with the serene face of the statue up close and with a sweeping panorama of Lantau's peaks, the sea and, on clear days, the outlying islands. Time your visit for the morning, before tour groups arrive and before the afternoon clouds that often wrap the summit.
Po Lin Monastery and the Wisdom Path
Facing the Buddha across the plaza stands Po Lin Monastery, founded in 1906 and still an active centre of Buddhist life, with richly decorated halls and a famous vegetarian canteen. The set meals served here are simple, generous and a fitting match for the setting, usually costing under 150 HK$. A pleasant fifteen-minute walk beyond the monastery brings you to the Wisdom Path, where the full text of the centuries-old Heart Sutra has been carved onto 38 tall wooden columns arranged on a hillside in a figure of eight, the symbol of infinity. It is quiet, free and one of the most atmospheric corners of the island.
Tai O: the village on stilts
From Ngong Ping, bus 21 rolls downhill in about twenty minutes to Tai O, an old fishing village where the Tanka people built their houses on stilts directly over the tidal creek. Wander the narrow lanes between racks of drying seafood, taste the local shrimp paste or a charcoal-grilled egg waffle, and take one of the small boats that loop through the stilt houses and out to sea; with luck you may spot the rare Chinese white dolphins, famous for their pink colouring. Boat trips are short and cheap, usually around 30 to 40 HK$. Tai O at dusk, when the day trippers thin out, is unforgettable.
Beaches, transport and planning
If time allows, end the day on the southern coast. Cheung Sha, the longest beach in Hong Kong, stretches for roughly three kilometres of pale sand backed by mountains, with a handful of laid-back beach restaurants; sleepy Mui Wo, with its own beach and waterfall walks, is linked to Central by direct ferry.
- Getting there: MTR to Tung Chung, then the cable car or bus 23 to Ngong Ping; alternatively a ferry from Central to Mui Wo and buses onward.
- Cable car or bus: the bus from Tung Chung takes about 50 minutes and costs a fraction of the cable car fare, so many visitors ride the ropeway one way only.
- Time needed: a full day; the Buddha and monastery alone deserve three hours.
- Weather: check the forecast, as low cloud regularly hides the Buddha completely.
- Octopus card: works on the MTR, buses and ferries alike.