Quarry Bay (鰂魚涌) to Repulse Bay (淺水灣) via Tai Tam reservoirs (大潭水塘)

Duration:

(10 kilometers)
3 hours

Difficulty: 5/10. 424m elevation gain. Rating 5 instead of 2 because the last 200m is steeper and can be slippery. About 70% shaded.

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere.

Water needs: 1.5 liter

Appreciation: 8/10. Nice after a downpour, creating lots of small waterfalls. Historical site of Tai Tam.

Transportation: Quarry Bay MTR exit A. Return via numerous and frequent buses in Repulse Bay, on Repulse Bay Road.

Why it's worth it:

And, sometimes...
https://youtu.be/DYFe-ejdvJQ

Map & Details: 

https://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/5890815946

Exercise Area: Yes (Quite a few along Mount Parker Green Trail)

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From Quarry Bay MTR exit A, turn right on King's road. 
Then walk for about 250m to Mount Parker road (on your right). 
You can't miss it, there's a big brown sign announcing the Mount Parker Green Trail.
Walk up on Mount Parker road, which will merge into the Green Trail.

This cooked food centre on Mount Parker Road is quite good.

After about an hour (3.5km) on the Mount Parker Green Trail, you will reach the Quarry Pass Pavillion. Take a right towards Tai Tam Tuk reservoir. Still is Mount Parker Green Trail.

Keep going towards the reservoirs.

At the upper Tai Tam dam (1h25. 5.3km), you will be leave Mount Parker Road by crossing the dam, and then heading left right after on Tai Tam reservoir road.

Around 1h45m (6.8km) and immediately after crossing the masonry bridge on Tai Tam reservoir road, take a right, towards the Tai Tam Intermediate Reservoir.

Keep on left here...

At the Tai Tam Intermediate Reservoir Dam, you can take 5 minutes to walk to the middle of the dam to take a few pictures. When done, come back and take the dirt path that follows along the South side of the reservoir.

About an hour walk from the Intermediate Reservoir Dam, you will be reaching this point; Tze Kong Bridge (Repulse Bay Gap). Cross the bridge, take an immediate left, then immediate right and down the path with a sign that advise you not to do so... ;-) 
At this point, you are about 200m away from Repulse Bay

Soon enough, you will reach this road (South Bay Close), with the Hong Kong International Primary School on your left. Take the concrete steps down and just follow the road down.

You are almost there, follow the road to the left, then take the next right...

... and there you go: The Pulse, for late lunch or early dinner. Maybe some beach time afterwards. Once you are done, walk along Beach Road and you will see stairs on your right that will take you to Repulse Bay Road where there are tons of buses that will take you back to the city.

Po Lam to HKUST North Gate, then Pak Shui Wun (白水碗 ) waterfall and beach, looping back to HKUST North Gate.

Duration: 5 kilometers (2 hours)

Difficulty: 3/10. 250m elevation gain. 

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 0.5 liter. 85% shaded.

Appreciation: 5/10. Meh.

Transportation: MTR to Po Lam (Exit 'C'), return via any of the many buses and mini buses at HKUST North Gate.

Why it's worth it:

Map & Details: 

https://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/5594284081

Exercise Area: No

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Right off of Po Lam exit 'C', head right.
Then right again at the end of May Yip road and onto Po Fung road. Take the pedestrian tunnel under Yan King road.

Next big road is Po Lam, cross it, then head left for about 200m, along Po Lam road. 

You will then reach this point where you will see stairs going up on your right and a path off the sidewalk. Take the path and go up the stairs. 

About 300m from the road, you will get to this point. Take a right

(There's a bench right at the junction)

Left and up.

Keep a left.

You'll reach this point with a metal railing. Head right and down.
You will reach Clear Water Bay road. Head left on Clear Water Bay Road.

Then first right, crossing Clear Water Bay road and onto Ngan Yin road.

About 5 minutes later, you will reach the HKUST South Gate.
Bus terminus will be on your left...

There is a path in between the fences on the South side of the bus terminus that will follow along the campus grounds, as you are not allowed on campus unless invited.

The path, go right.

Then down and right.

The path that follows along the West side of the campus grounds

You eventually get here, to the HKUST North gate. Take the path to the left which goes down and under the bridge. That's the start of the Pak Shui Wun loop.

Keep your attention on the left as you go down the path, where you will see the Pak Shui Wun waterfalls. There is no 'official' way to get closer to the falls for a better view.

Left and down here.

The path is a few meters before the bridge, on the right.

Left

Left again.

Another left.

Then at the top, as you reach the village, you will see a set of metal railings lining a path on your left. Take that path.

The path brings you back on University road. Take a left and you will be back at HKUST North Gate in less than 5 minutes where you can have a number of bus options to get wherever you want.

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Zimmerman's Loop Section 5 : Tai Tam Nature Walk (大潭自然段)

Duration:  12 km (3h15)

Difficulty: 4/10. Mostly flat. 

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 1 liter. 60% shaded. 

Appreciation: 6/10. 

Map & Details: https://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/5326112266

Exercise Area: No

Transportation:  Get to Stanley Terminus via a number of buses. www.hkemobility.gov.hk. Return to Shai Kei Wan MTR via bus #9

Why it's worth it:

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Off the bus @ the Stanley bus terminus, walk on Stanley Beach Road

Then hop on the beach (if not closed. Otherwise, just keep going on the road, you'll get to the same place). Then on the boardwalk. Then stairs up.

Up the stairs, head left and across the road onto Stanley Gap Road.

After about 150m on Stanley Gap Road, you'll see concrete steps on your right. That's the shortcut to the trail. If you want the 'official' entry point, walk another 200m to a larger set of concrete stairs.

Head right at the top of the stairs. Quite easy at this point, just follow the catchwater to the end, when it meets Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir

Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir. Head right at the bottom of the stairs.

Cross the road and go down

Head left here at the white building

There's a path on the left, after the dam. At the top of the stairs, head right.
Careful, no sidewalks.

Down the path here. Note the trail post on the left.

Head left at the bottom of the stairs. At this point, you are on Hong Kong Trail Section 7. You can just follow it to the end without risk of getting lost.

There's an option here, when you get close to Lan Nai Wan, to actually go through Lan Nai Wan by heading right and down, leaving HK Trail Sec 7. However, I would suggest you instead stay on Section 7 as the villagers do not enjoy the visitors too much and they have dogs that will bark at you and possibly chase you.

If you decided to face the dogs, after the temple, there's a bridge and the path back to HK Trail Sec 7 is right after the bridge, on the left.

At this point, you are about 1.5km away from the end of the trail.

Go up the stairs to the road where you can take bus #9 to Shau Kei Wan. But first, take some time at the beach, take the path down on the right...