Hiking at Hong Kong’s Dragon Back.

I was really excited about my trip to Hong Kong.

Other the obvious reason like the food, I was determined to show to everyone a side of HK they never really knew (come on, let’s admit it, you thought HK was only about the TVB Dramas, the food and the shopping).

And, I really wanted to capture a side of HK that isn’t really known so…

Here’s how Hong Kong will amaze you:

Ready?

1. Hike

a.HIKE AT DRAGON’S BACK:

So I discovered that the most famous and most convenient hike in Hong Kong has to be the Dragon’s Back hike in Shek O which is reportedly named as the best urban hike by Time Magazine.

The hike to the stunning view at Dragon Back is an easy one I kid you not.

It would take you roughly 45 minutes to get to Dragon’s Back from the start if you do not spam photographs along the way like I did. But if you did, then you will take around 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach your destination.

This is said to be the most defining part of the hike @ Dragon Back.

This must be the best view along the entire trail.. I think no picture can ever do any full justice to the sheer beauty of the view from up there because….what we see with our eyes and what the camera captures is.. simply too great a difference. Up there, I felt like Geography was the most beautiful subject ever.

This picture could have been nicer.

They say the journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step and a single leap of faith. So mind over body fellows!

I think having mandatory geography field trips to such places to learn geography will definitely serve us well.

Of course, the occasional shirtless hottie made the heat and climb more bearable.

In Summary

Hike: Dragon’s Back

Distance: 4km

Hike Difficulty: 4/10

Rough hiking time: around 45 minutes to Dragon’s Back, 1hr 15 min if you stop to admire the view and take photographs.

Thus, total hiking time(to and fro) is roughly 1hr30min or 2hr30min.

View Worthiness: 10/10 (it’s so darn fantastic)

Tips

You won’t die of mosquitoes’ bites.  Just stop complaining and conquer the 1st 400m and you will be fine, trust me.

The heat was manageable, even in the summer. Just make sure your outfit shows you’re there for a hike and not for a fashion show.

The hike is slightly different from the other hikes in HK; there isn’t really a proper hiking track with all the nice fanciful steps you can see in Sai Kung so you need to be a Tarzan sometimes to cling onto some vegetation during the hike.

Oh and please bring a selfie stick if you’re alone. No one will be there to judge you anyway.

You can hike alone, it’s really safe, I did it alone and I ran into several hikers who hiked alone too e.g. the shirtless hottie!

Getting to the starting point

1. From MTR at Shau Kei Wan Station Exit A3, hop onto bus 9 at Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus to To Tei Wan, Shek O Road. The bus journey takes around 30 minutes. Alight at Shek O Road near Tei Wan Village (the bus will have a LED Panel to indicate the stop). Be amazed by the view on the way up.

b. Big Wave Bay Beach

This beach is the final destination after hiking the entire Dragon Back trail.

It is a relatively quiet beach or maybe it might be because I went there on a weekday evening..

Anyway, there are not many food options available once the sun sets but hey, it’s still a pretty relaxing sight watching  dogs and children run about on the beach.

This place is not a must to visit if you’re pressed for time.

I am serious. Visit it if you feel lazy and you just want to chill at the beach.

There’s a old light house (as seen in the picture). Nearby the lighthouse would be some ancient rock carvings which I did not manage to view because it was getting darker.

I manage to catch the lower course of a river? It was pretty cool seeing something I have been studying for years in the books and I never really found them amazing till..this of course.

Essential Information

In case you ran out of water or you need to answer nature’s call after your hike (if you did the entire hike, it would be about 8.5km from Shek O Road near to To Tei Wan Village to Tai Long Wan (Big Wave Bay Beach) and it would take you about 6 hours, have no fear because there are toilets and water coolers here at Big Wave Bay Beach so please do not pee in the bushes.

There’s also food options near the beach but they close pretty early, around 4 or 5pm so to avoid starvation, please get there before there duh!

Getting Home

1. From Big Wave Bay Beach, take bus 9 at the bus terminus which is located about 10 minutes away from the beach. You would need to pass by this bus terminus if you came from the main road and did not embark on the hike. If not, you can always consult the locals nearby.

The bus operates till around 11pm or 12am or night everyday ! The waiting time for the bus averages 20 minutes.

2. Take bus 9 to MTR Shau Kei Wan Station.

I was very lucky to have been given this very useful “Your Guide to Hiking and Cycling in Hong Kong” booklet while at the airport. Please get your copy too, it’s really useful!

The above picture depicts the entire trail. I only did the one up to the Dragon’s Back and I was pressed for time!

Hope you enjoyed part 1! Part 2 will be uploaded soon!

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