Taikoo to Mount Parker's peak (柏架山), then loop back (old man, and ancient stoves)

Duration: 

8km (3 hours). 

Difficulty: 

8/10. 525m elevation gain. Some steep climbs and slippery descents.

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere.

Water needs: 1 liter.

Appreciation: 8/10. Nice views from the top of Mount Parker

Map & Details: https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/3242644246

Exercise Area: Yes. 3 areas along the way.

Transportation: Tai Koo MTR, Exit 'B'

Why it's worth it: 

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Exit 'B' (Kornhill) from Taikoo MTR station

Head left (West) on King's Road as you come out of the station.
You will be walking on King's Road for about 120m until you reach Greig Road

Turn left on Greig road.

Keep going straight on Greig Road, for about 400m...

Until you reach the colorful 'Buddhist Chung Wah Kornhill Primary School' on your left. You will sign signage on your right for Wilson Trail and for Quarry Bay Tree Walk. Follow the signs and head right. The path goes around and down a bit...

.. going under this small tunnel.

Go up the stairs and just follow the main path

Just a few minutes after having passed the Tao Tam Country Park sign. You'll get to this fork. Head left.
(Note that you will be looping back here later, arriving from the path on the right)

Stay on the main path for 15-20 minutes, until you reach this point where there's a Mount Parker Sign, a path going up, one going up then left, and the main path continuing on the right. There's also a sign warning about taking the path that goes straight up. Taker the path that goes left. 

You'll know just a few seconds later that you are on the right path when you see a fence on your left and an opening with a view over Taikoo. Keep going

A few minutes walk later, another fork, take a right.

About 10-15 minutes walk from the last fork, you'll reach this point (you'll pass stairs on your right which you won't take) where there's white ribbons. The path goes up. Take that path.
(Thanks to Mario for the update)

This section, climbing all the way to Mount Parker Road, is the steepest ascent.
The path is quite clearly demarcated, with a lot of ribbons. The climb to the road is 30-45 minutes long.

Interesting rock formations. One of them is supposed to look like an old man...

You are getting closer. Mount Parker Road goes along the two radar stations.

Take a left at the road.

Arriving at the West-most station, you'll see stairs on the left, take them.

Go all the way around the station and you'll see a ribbon with the number 46 and a path beyond it. That's where you need to climb over the fence and follow the path. Mount Parker's peak is about 10-15 minutes away.

Mount Parker's peak at a distance

There you go, you made it! That's Mount Parker's peak. It is all downhill from this point-on.
However, it is slippery

Follow the ribbon with number 46 on it

Another 15-25 minutes after the peak, you will re-connect with Mount Parker Road. Head left.

You will reach the Quarry Gap Pavillion  a couple of minutes later. Head right, following Mount Parker Road for about 15-20 minutes

Head right onto Hong Pak Country Trail

You will reach this place which has remains of war-time stoves. Go straight, through the stove field, then down the path.
For more info: https://gwulo.com/Wartime-Stoves-above-Quarry-Bay

Path does not have a fork until this point where you go left.

And finally, you end-up back here, having completed the loop. Head left. The rest is just retracing your steps on the path you have covered earlier, all the way to the Taikoo MTR station.

Ng Tung Chai (梧桐寨) to Shing Mun reservoir (城門水塘) via Tai Mo Shan (大帽山)

Duration: 

10k, 4 hours

Difficulty: 

7/10. 635m elevation gain. 

Cel phone coverage: Very sparse.

Water needs: 1.5 liter.

Appreciation: 10/10. Nice forested hike, tons of waterfalls, views from Tai Mo Shan. 

Map & Details: http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/2756942713/

Exercise Area: No.

Transportation: MTR to Tai Wo, exit A. Bus 64K. Return to Tsuan Wan MTR via minibus 82

Why it's worth it: 

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Take Exit 'A' (Tai Wo Plaza) out of the Tai Wo MTR station. Head left.

There will be a set of escalators on your right, leading to the bus stops.

The KMB 64k stop is on the other side of the first road lane. Don't go all the way on the other side because you'd take the 64k to Tai Po Market.

Yeah, that one...

The bus stops just in front of the Ng Tung Chai road (the stop is actually called Ng Tung Chai so, you can't miss it)

Keep following the road, don't be tempted to stray. You'll be walking on that road to Ng Tung Chai for about 10-15 minutes.

When you are in the vicinity of Ng Tung Chai, you will see a path heading up (to the right). Take it.

Go by the front of the house of barky dogs.

Go straight to the rock-paved path. This will lead you to the temple. About 20 minutes walk there.

At the temple, keep going straight. The trail officially starts there.

Don't take the Scatter Fall path. There signage announcing the falls so you can't miss them.

The bottom fall is about 35-40 minutes in.

Bottom fall

Middle fall

Main fall. The tallest in Hong Kong at 35m. Once done contemplating, take the path up and to the left of the falls.
After some scrambling, you'll come to Scatter falls. 

About 4.3km into your hike, you'll reach this fork. On the right, you would loop back to temple.

Take left towards Tai Mo Shan where the fun is!

Bamboo forest... nice!

Walk another 200m, you'll reach another fork. Take the path on the left

You have reached the highest point of your hike.

Not quite the top of Tai Mo Shan, which you can see on your right, but still..

Once rested, find the unmarked path down the mountain, pretty much across from the path you came from. It may be a bit overgrown but don't worry, that's the right way. There should be some colored ribbons along the way

Right at the fork. You'll cross a stream just a few tens of meters farther. Head left after the stream.

I won't point them out here because they are not super obvious and don't want you to get lost, but there are quite a few more waterfalls that can be reached from that path (refer to the Tai Shing stream trek)

Head right at the gate. Left will also get you there but my hiking party was a bit tired at this point.

Down, around, and right

Down left, and then through the picnic area.

Down the stairs, head right. Over the bridge, then right again

That's it, minibus stop which will bring you back to Tsuen Wan