25 April 2018
On the countless times that I visited Hong Kong previously, it had always been for work assignments with some free time in between to indulge in Hong Kong’s tasty cuisine, do some shopping and the occasional sight-seeing trips to Victoria Peak or a visit to Ocean Park over a weekend. I had never imagined that Hong Kong would be a good place for hiking.
On this visit, it was not for work. I had 2 days of leisure time to spend in Hong Kong after a short stay in Zhuhai and decided to check out the Dragon’s Back Trail, one of the most popular short hike in Hong Kong and chosen to be the Best Urban Hike in Asia by Time Magazine in 2004.
Getting to the trail
We took the subway train known as the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) to the Shau Kei Wan Station. We went out from Exit A3 and followed the signage to the bus terminus for bus number 9 heading towards Shek O. This bus service brings hikers to the trail head located near To Tei Wan bus stop.
The buses in Hong Kong are double decker. Sitting on the top deck would offer better views and some cheap thrill as the bus winds its way uphill on a narrow road on D'Aguilar peninsula towards Shek O beach.
We sat on the lower deck as we did not want to miss our stop. There were announcements and an electronic signboard on the bus to indicate the next stop. In addition, there were many like-minded hikers who would be alighting at the To Tei Wan bus stop. So there was actually little chance of missing our stop.
About half a dozen hikers alighted with us at To Tei Wan. Most were locals and some were fit looking elderly folks.
It was a good idea to make use of the toilets before starting on our hike.
Dragon’s Back Trail marker showing that the Dragon’s Back is 1 km from To Tei Wan.
The ‘Dragon’s Back’ refers to the path rolling along the ridge stretching in the South to North direction over D'Aguilar Peninsula. Although the length of the Dragon’s Back Trail is short and could be done in about two hours, one could do a longer hike of up to 4 hours, over 8.5 km distance from the To Tei Wan start point to the end point at Tai Long Wan or Big Wave Bay Beach. This is known as the Hong Kong Trail Section 8.
Click here for the pdf version of the above hiking map found in www.discoverhongkong.com.
Getting on to the Dragon’s Back
The initial part of trail from the start point to Shek O Peak (284 m ASL) is mostly uphill, with some stairs to negotiate.
Fuelled by the traditional Hong Kong style breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast and macaroni with ham slices we had earlier, the trek to ridge top was much easier than we expected.
View of Tai Tam Harbour, on the western side of D'Aguilar Peninsula.
Cloudy and hazy spring weather.
Spring was an excellent time to do this hike as the weather was cool and less humid. Sea breeze made the uphill trek seem less strenuous and whatever perspiration we produced was dried up quickly.
Final stretch of the trail leading to the ridge top. Some other hikers were ahead of us in the distance.
Shek O Beach and Shek O village as seen from ridge.
Arriving at the ridge top overlooking Shek O Bay, we were rewarded with panoramic views. This was a good place to stop for photos and take a short break. We met some other hikers here and helped a lone Taiwanese woman take a photo. She told us she did this hike many years ago and is doing this hike again before catching a plane back to Taiwan later in the day.
Walking on the Dragon’s Back
Walking along a ridge by the ocean, we could feel the constant updraft from the sea which was quite pleasant. A golf course is on our right and the Tai Tam Harbour could be seen on our left. In addition, there were a couple of sea eagles circling above us, enjoying the updraft as much as we did.
We stopped frequently to take pictures.
Golf course on the eastern side of D'Aguilar Peninsula, and splendid views of the islands.
The way of the dragon – undulating rolling path on the ridge that gave the trail its name.
Looking back at the trail we took. Does it look like the back of a dragon?
View of Big Wave Beach from Shek O Peak, the highest point on the ridge.
A good place to stop for a picnic is at Shek O Peak, with benches and nice views. We did not linger too long here as the wind was quite strong and we could see clouds rolling in from the sea.
Every hiker loves the views from the Dragon’s Back Trail.
It was hard to believe this trail is suitable for bikers too.
Dragon’s Back Trail.
Coming down from the ridge, we followed the signs for Tai Tam Gap and entered a forested area. This part of the trail is flat and shaded. After the awesome hike on the ridge, this section of the trail was relatively less interesting.
Dragon’s Back Trail towards Tai Tam Gap and Cape Collinson.
We decided to not go all the way to the Big Wave Bay but end our hike at Tai Tam Gap. Leaving the forest, we came to a T-junction with options for Big Wave Bay or Tai Tam Gap. We followed the signs for the Tai Tam Gap and arrived back at Shek O Road, near the Cape Collinson Crematorium.
Getting back to the urban jungle.
The best way to go back to the city was to take the public bus No. 9 from the Cape Collinson bus stop towards Shau Kei Wan MTR Station. There were also private mini buses prying this route but we decided to stick to the double deck public buses so that we could use our Octopus Card to pay for the fare.
This time, we sat on the upper deck since our destination is a bus terminus and there is no fear of not getting off in time.
The hike on the Dragon Back Trail was a nice half day activity during our 2-days stay in Hong Kong. Well worth our time.