Nobody else I know has done this – one of the most beautiful seaside walks I’ve done, certainly the prettiest and most underrated trail I’ve discovered this year so far
We discovered at least three secret beaches throughout Lantau 7’s 10.5 kilometres
Distance: 10.5 kilometres
Duration: 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate – the official hiking guide of the government rates this a 3/3, but I wouldn’t put it on the same level as Sunset Peak. It’s just a very long walk, especially since it ends in the middle of nowhere.
Don’t forget to follow the yellow arrows marking the Lantau Trail. There are several intersecting trails, it’s easy to make a wrong turn and end up on a completely different route
Get started
You have two options.
1. Tai O Fishing Village
Traditionally, this is the starting point. You can take a bus from Tung Chung or Mui Wo to Tai O, maybe even grab breakfast at one of the cafes there (blog post on this coming soon), then start your hike.
Sunset over Tai O
We didn’t do this, because from our perspectiveit was an anti-climactic approach. We would rather start in the middle of nowhere and reward ourselves with food and easy transportation to get home rather than start easy then end hard…
2. Kau Ling Chung
The most practical way is really to pair Lantau Trail Stage 8 and 7 together, starting with 8 from Shek Pik Reservoir walking the entire 5.5 kilometres (1.5hr) to get to the starting point of Lantau 7. This is what we did…
Lantau Trail Section 8 + 7
We followed Lantau Trail Stage 8 from Shek Pik Reservoir to get the Lantau Stage 7. Hit two sections in one go (not that you really have a choice…)
Doing it this way (honestly it’s unavoidable either way) will mean walking over 16km in one day. It’s long, but not too difficult, and definitely rewarding. If you have time, do check out the obelisk at the junction between 7 & 8. The views are stunning over the cliffs as well, well worth the detour away from the main trail.
The first time I did Lantau 8 with James Collins, February 21st 2015. Wow, two years ago..
I will never forget the three eagles soaring and diving overhead from this point
Breakfast at Mui Wo
The Lantau 7 team at The Kitchen
I’ve been meaning to try this little corner spot overlooking the mountains and sea, but service was terrible, and food so-so.
My top picks for food in Mui Wo:
- Bahce Turkish Restaurant – Shop 19, G/F, Mui Wo Centre, 3 Ngan Wan Road, Lantau Island
- China Bear – G/F, Mui Wo Centre, 3 Ngan Wan Road, Mui Wo
- Deer Horn Restaurant & Bar (Nepalese) – Shop 11, G/F, Mui Wo Centre, 3 Ngan Wan Road, Mui Wo
- China Beach Club – 18 Tung Wan Tau Rd
Highlights
Tai Long Wan Beach & Tai Long Wan Campsite
From February 2015
5.5km of Lantau Trail Sec 8 from Shek Pik to Kau Ling Chung
Obelisk (south)
Kau Ling Chung Campsite (Mountain Bike Trails)
Fan Lau Fort and Lighthouse, Stone Circle, and Tin Hau Temple
You’d have to make a small detour to the edge of the cliff through Fan Lau Country Trail to see these.
Fan Lau Sai Wan Beach
This is the most beautiful one we saw that day. Many people were making a sort of pilgrimage to this place, despite it being in the middle of nowhere!
Tsin Yue Wan
The last real ‘secret beach’ we passed. A bit disgusting and full of trash from the Pearl River Delta…
Farming village community
I have no idea what its name is, but we passed these tracts of farming land with some camping grounds.
Yi O Agricultural Cooperative Pier
We stopped to picnic here
And finally, the end point..
Tai O Fishing Village
I will write a separate post on the cafes you can find here, but anyway it’s an interesting place to spend an hour or so before heading home.
Also See: Rainy Day Hike: Tung O Ancient Trail from Tung Chung (MTR) to Tai O Fishing Village
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Happy exploring x
Chanced upon your blog while searching for trails around HK. Really helpful! Do you think it’s safe to do the hikes alone (or have you blogged about this before)? Thinking of Sunset Peak among others…
Thanks!
-Cherryl
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Very safe to do alone, especially on Lantau 🙂
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Any snakes on this walk please?
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We didn’t encounter any..
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Hi, enjoying reading your blog and getting good ideas for some hiking in Hong Kong in May. I like the idea of combining trails 8 & 7 to end at Tai O. How to you get to the start at the Shek Pik Reservoir? Any advice on accommodation in HK to make access to these areas easy? Prefer as non-touristy as possible. Thanks!
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Hey good to hear ! You get to Shek Pik reservoir via bus from Mui Wo Ferry or taxi. Just check on Google Maps 🙂
As for accommodations, it would be convenient to stay on Lantau Island. Skycity Marriott by the airport is always good; or Tai O Heritage Hotel very atmospheric if they have availability ! Other options; Airbnb in Mui Wo and other beachfront locations like Cheung Sha and Pui O.
It’s gonna be warmer in May though good luck!
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I’m going to do this hike today, Yeni! Your blog is like the ultimate guide to Lantau Hiking.
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Lantau Trail (all its 12 sections) is my overall fave 😀
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Hi I heard that section 7 is blocked because there is a dispute between the private landowner and the government and there are signs saying not to proceed. Did you see this? Thanks
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Nope don’t recall this!
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I went there today and yes there are signs saying you can’t go through Yi O and Yi O Kau Tsuen. There is farmland that apparently you are not allowed to go through. This was from December 2013 according to Wikipedia. I went from Tai O and there were lots of signs and an alternative route which goes up through the mountains and misses Fan Lau Tsuen which is a pity. Maybe the signs are not there coming from the other direction. The sign were quite old though. I did go back…will go again from the other direction sometime, lots of very large scary spiders though on big webs some strung across the path. I nearly got caught up in one!
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Soooo many spiders on Lantau!
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