Today's hike reminded me of the Grouse Grind in Vancouver. The ascent from the bus-stop Pak Kung Au is pretty much all stairs and no switchbacks so I found myself pausing frequently to catch my breath. Well the Serious Hiker's Guide to HK gives it 3 boots and that is not because of length (about 2 hours from Pak Kung Au to Ngong Ping).
The bummer for us was that from the very beginning we were stuck in a cloud from which we did not emerge until we descended to Ngong Ping (where there is monastery, giant Buddha, and a good vegetarian restaurant). We got nicer views (of the airport, water and apartment estates) on the descent to Tung Chung. One interesting thing about our route was the variety of public transit: tram to Central, Ferry from Central to Mui Wo on Lantau Island, bus to Pak Kung Au, and MTR back to Wan Chai from Tung Chung. Special note: Starz Wine Bar offers pints of San Miguel (Philippine lager) for 38 HKD (about 5 USD) just outside the Tung Chung station.
Recommended hike. I will have to do it again on a sunny day!
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