Great Outdoors in HK

Visiting the Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens is like winning a free pass for an entire day to three great attractions. When the day is over, walk over the Peak Tram Station to watch the night show from the peak or dine above it all.

Reptiles and mammals make up the zoological sections of the park. An extensive variety of monkeys in large cages were a favorite of young students on a field trip. I was partial to the lemur because several types of them had just had babies. Perhaps lemur gives birth in certain season. I also enjoyed the trivia included with the statistics written on the plaques in front of the animals. The thought that sloth does everything upside-down conjured up some interesting pictures in my mind. I knew they slept upside and often wondered how often they woke up on the surface below. I was once told certain ones are mossy because they continually fell into the river below during the night. I also figured the joke about have cracker crumbs in your bed takes on new meaning if you eat on your back hanging from a branch. I prefer not to wake up with food in my lap. Agoutis have the ability to run within an hour after being born. If they tick their folks off right from the beginning, this would be a great asset. There were also porcupines, squirrels, deer mice, and many others.

The birds the park housed were in cages and included pheasants, peacock, pigeons, and ibis. Unfortunately, a fence was placed around all the bird cages to create a greater distance from the birds. Signs indicated this was due to fear of spreading the avian flu. Oddly enough, the other parks did not take such precautions. I don’t know if the species has anything to do with it.

The botanical portion of the park included a green house which closes early at 4:30pm, as well magnolia, camellia, herb, and bamboo gardens. I can’t recommend the green house enough. Make sure to arrive before it closes.

Large white and light purple cymbidium orchids were displayed in the center of the room. Smaller orchids of yellow with red specks grew just beneath them.

Most fascinating and rare was the variety of carnivorous plants. Venus fly traps planted in soil had tiny fibers that when touched closed on prey. Pitcher plants were anchored to the walls. Some caught insects by the lure of intoxicating nectar, while others were too sticky to escape and still others cone shape was enough to trap bugs. These plants survive on the nutrients from the decaying insects. Truly a delightful plant.

Just the name Repulse Bay conjures up intrigue. Research and local tales only proved to keep me in the dark. I had heard the jokes about naming it for the pollution of the waters, but knew first-hand that couldn’t be. Was it named for the British warship HMS Repulse or patrolling British ships who were ‘repulsed’ by the pirate ships they encountered or perhaps the pirate ship Repulse that frequented the waters in the 19th century? Each place I researched discounted possibilities read elsewhere claiming theirs was the correct reason.

A bit of history of the area is rather interesting. The British used the Repulse Bay Hotel as their headquarters when, in 1941, the Japanese invaded and, after a short skirmish, the British surrendered. Many years later, 1982, the hotel was demolished, but in 1986, a replica of the restaurant and bar were built and run by the same operators of the hotel many years previously! Talk about living history!

Now an upper-class residential area, Repulse Bay attracts locals and visitors to its sandy beaches and breathtaking sunsets. The water is clean and calm, ideal for getting your toes wet as you walk. I spent about 2 hours cooling off in the water and watched the temperature reading climb from 30c to 34c in the first hour. Not only is the view of the bay mesmerizing, but the slow pace and graceful buildings of the cityscape were relaxing.

The bay is composed of three beaches, all of which have lifeguards and shark nets. Yes, the waters do have shark and not all beaches have shark nets. All have changing facilities, dining facilities, and barbecue areas. Dogs, ball games, saucer games, and bikes are all prohibited. You won’t find loud music here either.

At the east end of Repulse Beach, the Life Guard Club is ornately decorated with dragons on the ceilings and a tower. Inside the Sea View Tower are two 33’ high statues, one of Tin Hau the Queen of Heaven and the other Avalokitesvara the Goddess of Mercy both protectors of fishermen. Crossing the nearby arched longevity bridge adds 3 days to your life. On the other side are the three celestial rams representing prosperity. A figurine of Buddha stood draped in necklaces while mosaic tiled dragons graced the entry.

After relaxing in the water, I headed west on the boardwalk, passing Middle Island a short distance away to arrive at Deep Water Beach. With plenty of barbecue pits, this was a popular place with the locals. As a small beach close to the main road, tranquility escaped me, and I returned to Repulse Bay Beach.

Continuing to Stanley, I was disappointed. The night market shops closed at 7pm. Proximately to the mountains obscured any possibility of a nice sunset, and the Murray House was a complex of shops and restaurants. The temples indicated by information signs were nothing more than elaborate doors on buildings that could not be entered. Time to return to Kowloon.

After visiting the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, I wondered if I should even bother with Hong Kong Park. Having just seen an incredible green house and endangered mammals, but not being able to get close to birds due to avian flu concerns, what could this park offer? As it turned out, the 30m tower overlooking tea houses, lakes, and a lotus garden was a mere warm-up.

A conservancy, divided into three areas, housed a cactus garden, tropical plant garden, and humid hot house. The cactus garden seemed to draw the most attention from locals. I gather dessert varieties are more unusual here. The tropical garden consisted of walking path over bridges and through small palms and ferns, with bromeliads and split leaf vines caressing the walls. Canna lilies and lobster claws provide color peeking out from behind the taller plants. My favorite was the humid garden, with several varieties of exotic plants. Plants with green flowers have always intrigued me due to their rarity, and black flowers were something I had only read about. Here I found a blood lily so dark in color it appeared black. Better still was the bat flower that actually was a clump of black flowers hanging downward. I could not imagine a more fitting name.

Much to my surprise and delight the aviary was open. Although the cement path along the streams on ground level was inaccessible, the wooden plank pathways among the treetops were open. This tropical rain-forest setting was home to some 90 species, including multi-colored lorikeets that appeared to be clowning around and the brightly colored bluebirds. There were also vocal mynas and macaws, as well as pelicans and some not-your-ordinary pigeons.

Being at eye level with the birds and having natural lighting in the background photography was heightened.

After taking in the sights at Victoria Peak, I returned to the station to take the trail to Pok Fu Lam Reservoir. Following Lugard Road counterclockwise around the peak for 25 minutes, I reached a fork in the road. Hatton Road to the north passes by Pinewood Battery and the University of Hong Kong through Pok Fu Lam Tree Walk. I opted for Harlech Road heading west for a longer walk along the hillside, visiting Pok Fu Lam Country Park and hoping to return the peak at dusk or in the evening.

The path continues on Harlech Road to Pok Fu Lam Road. Sai Ku Shan, a mountain 1,600’, gets your attention. Not as high as Victoria Peak at 1800’; nonetheless, it is beautiful if for no other reason than that it is in its natural state.

Not a well-traversed trail, I enjoyed the solitude. A bird-lover’s paradise, I saw magpies, kingfisher, doves, and others. Squirrels, porcupines, badgers, and a type of rat also inhabit the area according to the park map. I wasn’t looking for the latter creature and was hoping not to run into it or vice-versa.

At Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Road, I headed north to the reservoir. Peaceful inviting waters enticed me to stop to quench my thirst and refuel my body.

All along the trail I had been seeing incredible butterflies. I would pull out my camera trying to follow as they quickly went from bush to bush without stopping for a quick picture. Then it dawned on me that when I did see butterflies that had lit, they kept their wings closed concealing their beauty.

Near the reservoir I spotted a butterfly on a branch with wings wide-open. I quietly climbed up on a railing of a fence to get as close as possible. As I was focusing, I felt a stinging sensation on my legs. I looked down to find about 50 gnats feasting on me. I itched so badly, I made no more stops returning to the tram and tried to walk with my legs brushing up against each other to scratch the itch. Was my photo worth the price?

From the reservoir I could have returned the way I came or continued up peel rise and back to the tram station. I opted for the latter choice, which had forks in the road that were not clearly marked. Fortunately, I made it back to the station, burning daylight, about half-hour before the night show was to begin.

There are several ways to get to the lower peak station, depending on the direction you are coming from and just how inclined you are to walk. I have a tendency to walk as much as possible in an effort to obtain or retain my bearings. Another consideration was Hong Kong Park, just east of the station, which I planned on visiting first.

From the Star Ferry Pier, my access point, bus 15C stops at the lower tram station on Garden road. I estimated that I would need 3 to 4 hours to enjoy the peak and hike.

Peak Tram is a funicular railway, in operation since 1888, with two 72-seat cars going to Victoria Peak. Ascending, it hugs the mountain on the left, with valley views on the right. Departures are every 15 minutes between 7am and midnight, taking a mere 7 minutes to reach the top. The base station is 30’ above sea level and reaches 1800’ at the top. The track is quite steep curving between skyscrapers and mountains with a different scene around every turn of Hong Kong, Kowloon, and Victoria Harbor.

Peak Tower at the summit has an odd-shaped top resembling half a watermelon. This tower reaches 1300’ and will offer several viewing platforms at different levels. New construction to be completed this year has added additional restaurants, shops, a festival market, and special-effects lighting. Even a calendar of events has been included. Best of all, there is now a viewing platform on top, the 8th floor.

Until such time or in conjunction with, the Peak Galleria is the place to go. A multitude of upscale shops and restaurants await. Two outdoor viewing platforms, North Point and South Point offer views of the skyline, including the night show and Pok Fu Lam Reservoir respectively.

Just across from the galleria you can have a photo taken while sitting in a rickshaw. If you even think about taking a picture with paying the owner, he quickly jumps up from somewhere waving his arms.

Across from Lugard Road, a 10-minute walk south takes you to the lookout. Here, additional views of Hong Kong’s skyline and surrounding seas have fewer people. The island had appeared much larger when I walked along downtown dwarfed by numerous towering buildings. Now everything seems small and within walking distance.

The trail leading straight up to Victoria Gardens at the center of the peak takes about 30 minutes. Each place I stopped the views were different. Walking farther revealed shorter buildings obstructed by taller ones while domes and spirals became more visible. At the gardens themselves were picnic tables and a large green lawn surrounded by flowering hydrangeas. Dragonflies and butterflies flitted from flower to flower, equally as colorful as the flowers. The unobstructed view of the reservoir is well worth the somewhat steep walk to the gardens.

Ocean Park encompasses attributes akin to Magic Mountain and Sea World. Add a bit of a local carnival atmosphere and some special guest entertainment and you have a place to please all palates.

The main entrance is to the Lowland Gardens where you find the panda habitat, worth the wait, where you can watch them for about 10 minutes and snap non-flash pictures. The Amazon exhibit that featured exotic birds was closed with no date of re-opening. There is also a huge hot air balloon with a huge basket shaped like a donut to accommodate a dozen people. The balloon is tethered while ascends straight up for a 360 degree. The two drawbacks are that the line can be an hour wait and it can close due to wind that was 40 minutes after the park opened. The remainder of the area is games and rides appropriate to children.

A cable car system with 4 long cables taking some 10 minutes takes park visitors from the Lowland Gardens to the Headlands. Rising over the hillside, the view of Repulse Bay is magnificent. The individual gondolas, shaped in oval can seat 6 people, but the staff puts individuals in their own bucket. I was able to move around to take pictures in a literally coming and going direction.

The boardwalk area consists of a pool of sea lions and seals to replicate the California Coast. Check the schedule for times when the kids can join in the feeding and the Shark Aquarium is an underwater tunnel where you view a wide variety of shark and watch them swim above your head.

ABSOLUTELY THE ULIMATE for me is the 4-story aquarium where I had the opportunity to watch eagle rays, blue-spotted stingrays and guitarfish. They were so close I could have almost touched them. The display was so realistic I found myself looking for a snorkel and mask. On the other side of the walkway were small aquariums home to hard to see creatures like seahorses, sea dragons and pipefish. Along each tank were photographs of what should be able to find.

Descending a level, I could see the mouths of the rays and an increasing number of fish like wrasse, parrot and trigger fish. Continuing on, more coral and anemone were visible providing refuge for the smaller clownfish, basslets, and butterfly fish. On the lowest level was everything from barracuda to nurse shark. This truly an optimum place for seeing a large variety of sea life with such realistic enclosures.

Adventure Land has very good thrill rides. The dragon is a roller coaster with corkscrew turns and views of the ocean below. The Abyss’ drop of 20 stories definitely led to an unexpected yelp from me. Moreover, yes, you do get wet, particularly if alone, going on the log ride.

Hope on one of the world’s longest escalators to Middle Kingdom to enjoy some of the special events. I watched an ice skating showing with Olympic medalist winners juggling fire batons, performing acrobats, and dances. Across the way was a huge igloo. A long line that moves fast allows a certain number of visitors in at a time. Why???? Maybe because they had out hooded snow jackets before you enter. Inside, sculptures of the 12 Chinese astrological signs were carved out of ice. The dragon was a bit too ornate and long for my camera to photograph well.

Park hours are 10-6 and cost HK208. Bus 629 from the main terminal next to Central MTR (in case you are coming from Kowloon), costs HK10 and runs every 15 minutes. Souvenir shops and most eateries will accept dollars and give local currency for change.