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October14
What is it?
The Hong Kong Trail is a 50km walking
track that meanders around the forests
and ridges of Hong Kong Island. It’s
divided into eight sections; Section 1
starts at Victoria Peak (“The Peak”),
whose famous panoramas have been
attracting visitors since the mid-1800s.
Each section can be tackled individually
or you can devise your own route that
takes in several sections at a time. I did
the whole of Sections 2 and 3, together
with some bits of 1 and 4.
What’s good about it?
Singapore might be one of only two
cities in the world that has a rainforest
within its city limits – Rio de Janeiro is
the other one – yet not even it can rival
Hong Kong as far as an immediate
contrast between towering steel-and-
glass cityscapes and dense, lush forests
is concerned. I was lucky enough to
get a misty morning, too, which only
heightened the distinction.
Who’s doing it?
It depends on the section; close to the
Peak, you’ll find plenty of tourists and
locals (especially couples); further
along the trail, runners training for long-
distance events.
What’s at the end of it?
If, like me, you finish at the end of
Section 3 or 4, you’ll find yourself on the
south side of Hong Kong Island. Plenty
to do here: get on a junk in Aberdeen,
explore up-and-coming trendy district
Wong Chuk Hang, or get a bus further
east to Stanley to see the markets and
grab some lunch.
How do you get there?
You can get to the Peak on the famous
Peak Tram; it’s a fun start to the day. I
actually walked up from Central instead
– quite a steep climb, but a great way to
get the heart pumping for the kilometres
ahead. Lan Kwai Fong to the Peak is
around 15 minutes. To get to the start of
Section 2, I followed PokfulamReservoir
Road for 10 minutes.
(Sections 2-3)
Location:
The Peak and
Pokfulam Country Park
Length:
15-20 km
(around four hours)
Level:
Easy to moderate
HONG
KONG
LONG WEEKEND:
Never one to spend an excessive
amount of time in shops, SHAMUS
SILLAR instead gets acquainted
with Hong Kong’s great outdoors –
plus a newish and notable boutique
hotel – on a recent three-day visit.
3 HALF-DAY HIKES AND 1 HAPPENING HOTEL
THE HIKES