Today’s adventure began with an itinerary sent to us by my amazing colleague Di Champion.

Di’s plan combined ferries, a mountain bus, the Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, lunch and a cable car. It sounded ambitious, scenic and extremely well suited to us.

Most importantly, it contained a clearly identified lunch stop.

She understands us very well.

Leaving the Regal Kowloon

We began the day at the Regal Kowloon Hotel, setting off at around 9:30am, later than planned without coffee but what we believed was a reasonable amount of energy.

From the hotel, we cheated and grabbed a bus to the Star Ferry terminal, we figured plenty of walking to come.

The Star Ferry carried us over to Central, providing a suitably scenic start to the day and a quick vending machine canned iced caffeine fix.

There is something rather satisfying about beginning a journey to a ferry by taking another ferry.

Hong Kong does public transport with style.

Our first ferry of the day—and not the last.

Taking the Slow Ferry to Mui Wo

Once in Central, we walked along the waterfront to Pier 6 and boarded the ferry to Mui Wo.

We wanted to take the slower ferry, partly because there was no great rush and partly because it offered us more time to enjoy the scenery and take photographs along the way. However as we were running late and there was only the fast ferry on offer, that had to do.

It proved to be a good decision.

The pace suited the mood perfectly, the “fast” ferry didn’t seem that fast, it just cruised across the harbour. After the bustle of Kowloon and Central, it was a calm and scenic stretch of the journey, with enough time to sit back, look around and take photos without feeling that everything was rushing past too quickly.

It was also a welcome opportunity to remain seated before the more energetic parts of the itinerary began.

The Bus to Ngong Ping

At Mui Wo, we found the bus terminus beside the ferry pier where the plan was to board the Route 2 bus direct to Ngong Ping. Hmmm, not quite to plan, we missed the 11am bus by about 10 minutes, and the next one wasn’t for 90 minutes. A bit of Google mapping showed us we could catch the #1, then transfer to the #23 and still complete our journey.

The journey took us through Lantau’s mountainous interior, past rocky beaches and little bays tucked into the hillsides. The road was winding and the views were came and went quickly as we twisted and turned our way up hills and down valleys. One of us may have admired the scenery more than the other. The other may have been concentrating on the corners.

The #1 bus stop was at Sha Tsui, but the bus detours down the the nearby Correctional Centre before the bus stop. We didn’t know this so got off outside the prison. Then realising our error we had to walk 500m up the hill to get back to the stop for the #23 bus. That hill almost broke us, damn it was steep, and we hadn’t even got to the Buddha and those steps yet. Eventually the next bus came along and even further behind our planned timeline we made if to Ngong Ping.

By the time we arrived at Ngong Ping, we were quietly relieved but with already sore legs…

Scenic, memorable and just winding enough to keep us alert.

The Big Buddha

From Ngong Ping Village, we followed the signs towards the Tian Tan Buddha, better known as the Big Buddha.

The name is not an exaggeration.

The statue was visible from a distance, sitting high above the surrounding landscape and looking completely unconcerned by the 268 steps separating us from it.

We began the climb with trepidation, was this really a good idea? But hey, we might not get the chance again. The first 10 steps or so were manageable. The next 258 prompted reflection on our sanity. By the final section, contemplation had been replaced by a strong awareness of our breathing.

Still, we made it.

The views from the top were stunning, and the statue itself is truly impressive. We spent some time catching our breath and watching others make the climb to the top.

Two hundred and sixty-eight steps later, we had earned this view.

Po Lin Monastery and Lunch

After returning to ground level, we explored Po Lin Monastery.

The monastery was serene and peaceful and it offered a striking contrast to the noise and energy of central Hong Kong.

Then came the important matter of lunch. As we strolled through the village we looked at the options on offer, stopped for some retail therapy. Just can’t resist another t-shirt for the wardrobe. Strangely we both felt like a burger, not our usual fare whilst away, but easy and quick. The weather was starting to close in. In fact there were several warnings in place for the day.

After the morning’s walking and stair climbing, eating while seated felt like a significant cultural experience in itself.

The Cable Car to Tung Chung

After lunch and further exploration, we made our way to the Ngong Ping 360 cable-car terminal. We rode in a standard cabin, had tried for the Crystal option with glass floor but the girl behind the glass screen didn’t hear me clearly. This meant the floor was reassuringly solid, not a bad thing given the wind was rocking the cable car as we journied down.

The journey down to Tung Chung took around about 30 minutes offering views across the mountains, the airport, the sea and the landscape below.

It was an impressive way to leave Ngong Ping and certainly less demanding than walking back down the mountain.

Spectacular views, minimal physical effort and, depending on cabin choice, rather too much information beneath our feet.

Tung Chung and the Journey Back to Kowloon

Arriving in Tung Chung, we faced one final decision. Head directly back to Kowloon—or investigate Citygate Outlets. We chose the shopping option. The phrase “just a quick look” resulted in an hour or so of window shopping and zero purchases made. Eventually, we boarded the MTR and made our way back towards Tsim Sha Tsui and the Regal Kowloon. We did need direction though to find the MTR station, the Tung Chung Mall is just a maze or retail offerings.

The final walk to the hotel was noticeably slower than the morning walk. It was punctuated though by a refreshment stop at Mala Mia, a bar by our hotel that is proving to be a place we can’t walk past without stopping!

By the time we arrived back, we had travelled by Star Ferry, ferry, bus, cable car and MTR, climbed 268 steps and walked approximately 12 000 steps each and climbed over 30 flights of stairs. And the day is not yet done!

Naturally, our next conversation was about dinner.

A Champion Day Out

Di’s itinerary proved to be spot on, so easy to follow and with so much to see.

It gave us the chance to experience several very different sides of Hong Kong, from the busy Kowloon and Central waterfronts to the quieter mountain landscapes of Lantau Island.

The highlights were definitely the Big Buddha and the inspiring view, but also the serenity of the place.

The surprise of the day was unexpected hill climb that our calves are still recovering from. The one thing we would do differently next time would be get up earlier and catch the right bus to start with.

There were ferries, buses, trains, stairs, cable cars and too many moments when we checked whether we were heading in the right direction.

There was also food.

Thank you, Di.

It was a Champion suggestion in every sense.

Our legs may take a little longer to agree.