Lai Chi Wo ghost village (荔枝窩) - Bride's Pool to Kai Kuk Shue Ha (雞谷樹下) / Luk Keng

(Updated:2021-03-07)

Duration: 

(16 kilometers)
5 hours

Difficulty: 5/10. For 473m elevation gain and longer distance.

Cel phone coverage: Sparse. Full in Lai Chi Wo.

Water needs: 2 liters

Appreciation: 7/10. For the Feng Shui practitioners and history buffs. 

Map & Details: 

Garmin: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/512027242

MapMyRun: https://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/5545681669

Exercise Area: No

Transportation: Tai Po Market MTR, Exit A3. Take bus 275R on Sunday or public holidays all the way to the Bride's Pool terminus. Return to Fanling MTR station via minibus 56K.

Why it's worth it:

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Drop-off at Bride's Pool stop. Cross the road and go down the stairs next to the pavilion.

Bridal's Pool area map

Go down by the picnic areas, over the stream and towards the other picnic area. You'll get here (point 'A' on the map above). If you want to skip the waterfalls and just head towards Lai Chi Wo, go right and up. I suggest you check the waterfalls out though. The map above shows you the waterfall loop from the park's entrance. Go over the bridge on the left (pic right above), then immediately on the path right and up. This leads you to Mirror Pool. When done, retrace your steps and keep going on the path opposite the bridge. The path will split. Do not follow the Bride's Pool sign as that path goes on top of the waterfall. Head left instead and walk until you can see another bridge on your left and a path ahead of you that parallels the stream. Take that path until it merges into the stream. Scrambles in the stream towards the falls in the same direction. You'll be there in 5 minutes. When you are done, retrace your steps to point 'A' and take the path going up.

You'll reach an intersection, go left and up on a path that zig-zags up.

Right after the zig-zag climb, you'll get to this intersection.
Head left (I recycled our model, Anthony, from another hike's picture-set). Keep walking on that path. You'll hear the sound of the Mirror Pool waterfall on your left. Eventually, you'll reach the big "Plover Cove Country Trail" sign  next to the Plover Cove Country Trail which goes up. Don't take it, keep going straight. 

After another 100 meters or so, you'll get to a bridge and you will see the village of Wu Kau Tang at a distance.
Take the path on the right towards the village.

Walk towards the gate and then head right.

Take the first path on the right. The sign says "KAU TAM TSO" 

Right

After about a 500m, you'll reach an intersection, head left (1st on the map above)

At the second intersection (2nd on the map above), keep on to the path on the right.
Afterwards, the path is pretty clear for the rest of the way to Lai Chi Wo.

Mangroves. Pay attention to the water, you might see some little crabs...

Go straight. You can also go to a restaurant 100m on the left for a short water and food break

There are food/water spots along the way. Grass jelly is pretty refreshing too

At this point, signage will lead you straight to Lai Chi Wo

Arrived! At the sign, take 5 minutes to climb to the observation deck, then back down and then keep going straight

View of Lai Chi Wo from the observation deck

Trees in Lai Chi Wo

The interpretation center with Chinese and German speaking host!

Aaaaaah!

Once you are done visiting the village proper, circle it from the right on a path that goes up. You'll see all those 'famous' Banyan trees. 

Once you are done. Follow the path out of the village towards Luk Keng

Follow signs towards Luk Keng

When there's no Luk Keng signs anymore, follow the Kuk Po ones

Left here. 

At one point, you'll reach the Starling inlet, right in front of you. There will be a little restaurant and an intersection. Take a left. You'll be walking by the Starling inlet on your right for about another 1k before you reach the first "village".

Bus 56k to Fanling station is right by a concentration of restaurants.
Hope you had a great hike!

Wang Chung stream (橫涌石澗)

(Updated: 2020:JUL-26)
Why it's worth it: 

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Duration: 

Bus stop to stream (bridge): 8 minutes. 0.4k
Stream: 2-3 hours, ~2k
Hike back to minibus at dam: 25 minutes, 1k
Total: 3-3.5 hours

Map & Details: https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/4530714139/


Difficulty: 

6/10. Not very hard. Still stream trekking though so it is more challenging than regular hiking. Please, do not attempt to climb directly in the larger falls. People did lose there lives there. Instead, follow the ribbons to bypass the larger falls.

Cel phone coverage: Rare coverage on stream. Full coverage on trail coming back.

Water needs: 1 liter.

Exercise Area: No

Appreciation: 9/10 lower part of the stream, 7/10 higher part; the big falls are in the first half. Need to go once it has rained a lot to get decent water flow however.

Transportation: Go on Sundays, you'll have the luxury of taking KMB bus 275R from the Tai Po MTR station which will drop you off very close to the stream entrance (otherwise, you'll have to walk an extra hour to the stream).  Same way return. Note that the last bus is at 18:45 so don't be too late.

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Take the East Rail MTR to Tai Po. Exit A3, tunnel, then follow directions leading you to bus stop 275R (it is behind the pillar although the schedule is in front of the pillar).

(1) No choice but to get out as your stop is the terminus station.
Follow the road back towards where your bus came from.

Quite a short walk actually; about 8 minutes to the bridge where you will see the stream on your right.

(2) Take the steps down right by the sign that tells you not to enter... ;-)
You will walk along the stream for a few meters then enter the stream proper.

(3) 15 minutes into the stream, you'll see this first medium size fall. Bypass it on the left .

(4) DragonBall Waterfall(龍珠瀑). One of the most spectacular waterfall I have seen in Hong Kong,  after good amount of rain. Clear bypass on the left, marked with ribbons. Don't try to climb the waterfall.

The bypass. Going back to the top of the waterfall.

Right at the top.

(5) About 20 minutes after the waterfall, you'll reach this dam.
Pass to the left, there's a path to avoid the subsequent pool.

(6) Another 20 minutes and you'll reach this large pool. Although the climb looks easy enough, if you want to do so, you'll have to swim there. Otherwise, bypass it following ribbons.

(7) 15 minutes after, you'll get to the other major falls. Quite pretty when there's good waterflow. Bypass on the right .

(8) 30 minutes or so after, the final set of falls with a wading pool in front.
Although  I didn't think the water was all that clean (there were vegetables in the water at the dam!)

The stream becomes flat, narrow and relatively uninteresting afterwards.
Use the various footpaths on either sides.

(9)  Eventually, a bridge on the Pat Sin Leng Nature Trail (八仙嶺自然教育徑) will be in sight., about 20-25 minutes after the last set of falls. You can't miss it. That's the end of the stream for you.

(9) Head right on the bridge. The path parallels the stream for a short while.
It will take you about 20 minutes to get back to the bus stop.

You'll eventually get to the direction stones, follow on the right towards Bride's Pool.
If it is early enough, go check-out the Bride's Pool's falls. Afterwards, bus 275R will bring you back to Tai Po
(stop is right by the gazebo).