Tai Tso Stream (大曹石澗)

Duration: 

(5 kilometers)
3 hours taking short option
4 hours taking long option

Difficulty: 7/10

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 1.5 liter. Please, do not litter! 

Appreciation: 7/10. First 2/3 of the stream is nondescript. A few very nice waterfalls in the last part. Lots of spider nets and flies make the trek a bit annoying. There are much better streams to trek in Hong Kong

Transportation: MTR to Tsuen Wan West station (Exit E1). KMB bus 51, dropping off at Chuen Lung (bus display was calling it Tsuen Lung). Return the same way.

Why it's worth it:

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At Tsuen Wan West MTR station, get out at Exit E1, then find bus 51's platform on the right 

LONG OPTION

Get off at Chuen Lung stop (it was listed as Tsuen Lung on the bus' electronic board). Backtrack a few meters and take the road through the village

After a few hundred meters walk, you'll reach a metal bridge. On your right, you'll see service stairs going down to the stream, take them and go upstream, on the left. 

A few of the lower falls. Quite small.

After about 50 minutes, you'll eventually reach the bridge which you can reach by foot with the short option

SHORT OPTION

Get off bus 51 at Chuen Lung (Tsuen Lung). Then keep walking up the road until 20m before you reach a sharp left turn in the road, you'll turn into the road on your right. Don't go all the way to the turn itself which has the Rotary Park Nature Trail trail head.

Right after you turn into the road, you'll see 3 paths about 20m into the road. Take the one on the left. Not sure whether the container will still be there but it's the first path on the left. It is a 5 minutes walk to the bridge where you enter the stream

There are a lot of side-paths but most of them lead to houses. Just stay on the main path

Eventually, you'll get here. View of the mountains on the right. Some kind of a large rock on the left of the path. You're 30 seconds away from the stream

This is the bridge where you enter the stream 

REST OF THE STREAM

Along the way, the stream will split a few times. Don't worry as it merges again after a few meters. There's only one turn you must make further down the stream, but that's about 2 hours into it

2 to 2.5 hours into the stream, you'll get here where you actually have to go the right way... to the right. The branch on the left won't easily connect you to the exit path. What seems to be a little waterfall on the right is actually a 5m waterfall with a nice little pool at its feet...

...that's the waterfall. Can be bypassed on the left

Nice waterfall

You'll eventually arrive to a waterfall that tumbles over a very flat rock surface. You'll recognize it when you see it as it (left on the picture), it's quite unmistakable. Bypass on the right

10 minutes or so later, you'll reach this waterfall and the path keeps going on the left. Don't try to follow this waterfall's stream branch on the right. The correct was is on the left where you can sort of see a large waterfall at a distance

This is the tall, 10m waterfall that can be seen from the previous spot. It is too dangerous to scale directly. There's a path on the left and there should be a rope to help you climb the steeper portion of the path. You still have 15 minutes to go to reach the end of the stream

15 minutes walk later, you'll get to the bridge. It crosses the stream so you can't miss it

Head right. Lots of flies around there

Keep on the path until you reach a set of stairs and a sign that indicates that stairs go to Chuen Lung. Take the stairs

Nice views along the way

You'll re-join the path after the nature trail bypass

As per the map, you'll reach a sharp 180 turn in the path. About 30 meters after, there will be a path on your left which is a straight shortcut to Chuen Lung village. The path might be overgrown and is a bit steep. But it will save you 40 minutes

That bushwhack path will cross the proper path again. Just go straight through and down. You'll get to Chuen Lung in about 10 minutes. Find your way back to the 51 bus stop which is just across from where you were dropped-off on your way in

Ping Shan Heritage Trail

Duration: 

(2 kilometers)
As long as you need it to be

Difficulty: 1/10

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 0.5 liter

Appreciation: 10/10. Little gem of densely-packed heritage elements in Yuen Long.

Transportation: MTR to Yuen Long. Then take light rail to Ping Shan stop. Return via Tin Shui Wai MTR.

Why it's worth it:

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Hong Kong is great that way: we have been here for about 7 years now and never know about the Ping Shan Heritage Trail until recently... A very nice afternoon can be spent learning about history and culture of old Hong Kong

1. Ping Shan Tang Clan gallery and Heritage Trail Visitor Centre
2. Hung Shin Temple
3. Shut Hung Study Hall
4. Kun Ting Study Hall
5. Tang and Yu Kui Ancestral Halls
6. Yeung Hau Temple
7. Old Well
8. Sheung Cheung Wai
9. Shrine of the earth god
10. Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda (the only surviving ancient pagoda in Hong Kong. 1486)

Right off the Ping Shan light-rail station, take Ping Ha road...

You'll go on Ping Shan Chuk Lam road, on the right, towards the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery. Once done, you'll retrace your steps and keep going on the Ping Ha Road towards the rest of the trail. The rest is quite easy to find with the map above

There are signs pointing towards it.

The Ping Shan Tang Clan gallery and Heritage Trail Visitor Centre

Hong Kong Trail Section 1 & 2

Duration: 

(11.5 kilometers)
3.5 hours

Difficulty: 4/10

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 1 liter

Appreciation: 8/10. Leisurely hike with good views of the harbour. Shaded.

Transportation: Bus 15 to the Peak from Exchange Square in Central. Return to Central via bus 43x in Aberdeen.

Why it's worth it:

Maps: http://hiking.gov.hk/eng/pdf/longtrail/hktrail/hkmap02.pdf

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Once you're off bus #15 at the Peak terminus, walk towards the Peak building which houses the Peak tram terminus. Then, spot the white building on the left, pictured above (and highlighted with a square on the top-view map above).  You will be walking in front of it, to the right, on Lugard Road. Make sure you don't take the steps to Old Peak Road, nor walk to the left of the building (Mount Austin and Harlech Road)...

... There's actually signage for the Hong Kong Traild right udner the Lugard Road sign. SHouldn't be too difficult to find your way. From this point on, it is quite straight forward; stay on the main path, don't take the side-paths climbing the mountain on your left, unless there's signage for the Hong Kong Trail indicating you to do so

After having gone around the Victoria Peak, you'll arrive at the Peak, Harlech and Lugard Road intersection. There's a pavillion there (white circle on the map). Take the path parrallel to the Harlech Road sign (you're coming from the Lugard Road on the map). Keep going there. Quite easy afterwards...

About an hour walk later, you'll see stairs on your left. There's signage for the trail too. Keep following the trail. There's plenty of signage (always the 2 little hiking guys). You have about another hour or so to go before we exit the trail

You'll eventually go down steps and reach the catchwater. You'll be going to the left. Keep following the catchwater until you reach the set of stairs pictures above. Signage will say 'Tin Wan Estate'. That's not the official end of section 2 per se but there's not much of a point to keep going to the end. Take the stairs down to Aberdeen

Stairs are marked by the small square on the map. As you come down to Tin Wan Estates, go around the buildings on the right. Go down Tin Wan road as per the map above. The bus stop is in front of the Tin Wan Shopping Centre. Bus 43x will bring you back to Central

Hong Kong Trail Section 5 & 6

Duration: 

(7.5 kilometers)
3 hours

Difficulty: 6/10. 

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere

Water needs: 1 liter

Appreciation: 8/10. Great views of the harbour at Jardine's lookout

Transportation: CTB bus 6 from Exchange Square. Get off at "Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park". Do not take 6x as it goes through the tunnel. Return on Tai Tam Rd via NWFB bus 14 to Sai Wan Ho MTR station, or green minibus 16 to Chai Wan MTR station.

Why it's worth it:

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Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park bus stop. It is right by the Shell gas station. Climb-up the stairs. You'll end up on Tai Tam Reservoir Road.

Head left on Tai Tam Reservoir Road. Keep walking on Tai Tam Road until you hit the trail head which will be on your left. About 10 minutes walk.

The trail head, across from the Parkview housing complex.

Right at the beginning of the trail, just make sure you take the stairs on the right.

Quite hard to get lost on the trail, just follow the signagne and stay on Hong Kong trail. The milestone signs are pre-fixed with an 'H'. The little hiking guys are also displayed. The Wilson and Hong Kong trail overlap for about 2km, just make sure not to take the Wilson trail at the crossroads a short time after the quarry, keep going straight on Hong Kong trail

You'll eventually get to the top of Mount Buttler. At this point, it's pretty much down all the way...

After about 3k (not sure why the official maps say 4k), you'll reach the end of section 5. Many roads cross here. Make sure to take the Tai Tam Tuk road (not a path at this point), on the right. The road gently slopes down

You'll eventually arrive at the dam, which you must cross. Then end to the left. Keep following the HK trail signage.

You'll arrive at a point where the road you're on keeps going straight but there are stairs on your left. Take the stairs. You are about 20 minutes away from the end of Section 6

You'll arrive at the end of Section 6. Can't miss it, there's Tam Tam Road and the big board with the trail map. The bus stop is on your right, about 100m away. Be super careful as there are no sidewalks. HK gov should really do something about that...