EXTRA EXTRAS!
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EXTRA THINGS TO DO
SHOP IN A SHIP
This is the “Whampoa”, a shopping and leisure centre disguised as a luxury cruise ship reconstructed in concrete. It has four decks with shopping centre, cinema and restaurants and is located on the site of the original No 1 dry dock of the old Hung Hom docks at Whampoa Garden.
To get there take KMB bus 8A from the Star Ferry Pier Bus Terminus at Tsim Sha Tsui. The bus operates at approx 10 minute intervals and takes about 20 minutes. Fare HK$3.70.
Whampoa, Whampoa Garden, Hung Hom
PLANE SPOTTING
Plane spotters can enjoy great views of planes taking off or landing at Hong Kong International Airport from Sha Lo Wan Pier. The pier is located right opposite the south runway just across the narrow channel between Chek Lap Kok and Lantau Island.
South Runway from Sha Lo Wan Pier
The pier is served by the Tuen Mun – Tung Chung – Tai O ferry service operated by Fortune Ferry Company. Ferries leave daily from Tung Chung New Development Pier at 09-00, 13-00, 15-20, and 18-35 and the journey to Sha Lo Wan takes only ten minutes. Ferries leave Sha Lo Wan for Tung Chung at 10-00, 14-05, 16-35, 19-35. On Sundays and public holidays there are additional sailings at 11-00 from Tung Chung and 12-00 from Sha Lo Wan. There is a flat fare of HK$20 (HK$25 on Sundays) regardless of travelling the whole route from Tuen Mun to Tai O or merely between intermediate piers and payment can be made by Octopus Card or cash.
As an alternative to ferry it is possible to walk to the pier which is just off the main Tung Chung to Tai O coastal footpath from Tung Chung centre in about 45 minutes. Once past the large Yat Tung Estate on the outskirts of Tung Chung the path becomes very scenic passing through old villages, shrines, bamboo forest and under the Ngong Ping 360 cable car cables. There are other excellent vantage points along this path before reaching Sha Lo Wan. For enthusiastic hikers the full coastal walk from Tung Chun to Tai O takes about three and a half hours.
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WALKING WITH MONKEYS
Take a walk in the Lion Rock Country Park and there's a very good chance that you'll be accompanied for at least part of the way by families of macaques. Visitors are advised not to feed these monkeys but usually you'll find them friendly enough to pose for photos. To get to Lion Rock Country Park take KMB bus 81 (fare HK$5.80) from Jordan Wui Cheung Road Bus Terminus (outside Elements Shopping Mall above Kowloon Station) and get off on Tai Po Road either at the stop displayed on the bus as "Shek Lei Pui Reservoir" or at the next stop "Kowloon Reservoir" and cross the road to the country park entrance. You usually won't have far to walk before spotting the monkeys. For keen walkers a trail from the park entrance at Shek Lei Pui Reservoir leads to Lion Rock via Eagles Nest and Beacon Hill whereas the trail from the Kowloon Reservoirs entrance leads to Lion Rock via the water catchment and a much easier route.
Monkeys in Lion Rock Country Park above Kowloon Reservoirs
Visitors to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery at Sha Tin can also often see several families of macaques who reside in the bamboo trees surrounding the monastery. They can frequently been seen playing around the steps descending from the corner of the courtyard near the pagoda outside the main temple.
Sai Kung East Country Park around Pak Tam Au is another location where monkeys can often be spotted.
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VIEWING BRIDGES
The Lantau Link Visitors Centre which is located off a busy highway intersection at Tsing Yi has an outdoor viewing platform from where panoramic views of both the Tsing Ma Bridge and Ting Kau can be enjoyed. These bridges form part of the Lantau Link opened in 1997 to provide direct access to Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok. The Tsing Ma Bridge is 2160 metres long and when built was the longest single span bridge in the world. The top deck carries a dual three lane road whilst the lower deck carries rail traffic and has two sheltered single lane carriageways for use during high winds, emergencies and maintenance. The Ting Kau Bridge is 1177 metres long and spans the Rambler Channel connecting the west and north-west New Territories to the urban areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.
There is a pleasant garden area an indoor and exhibition with models and technical information about construction of the bridges. There is also a cafe and souvenir shop which is operated by New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association which promotes local culture and tourism and offers work and training opportunities to psychiatrically disadvantaged people to assist in their social integration and self-reliance.
Tsing Ma Bridge from Lantau Link Viewing Platform
OPENING TIMES - the Viewing Platform is open daily from 07-00 to midnight (to 01-00 on Saturdays). The Visitor Centre is open 10-00 to 17-00 (10-00 to 18-30 Saturday and Sunday) and is closed on Wednesdays.
ADMISSION - free to both the visitor centre and viewing platform.
GETTING THERE - Take MTR or Airport Express to Tsing Yi Station. Take Exit A1 from the station and then from the bus/minibus terminus take one of the following departures of Green Minibus number 308M to the visitor centre entrance.
Note that whilst the 308M bus operates at frequent intervals only the following departures go via the Lantau Link Visitors Centre;
From Tsing Yi - Monday to Friday 10-00 and hourly on the hour until 16-00. Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays 09-30 then hourly on the half-hour until 18-30.
From the Visitor Centre to Tsing Yi - Monday to Friday 10-30 then hourly on the half-hour until 16-30. Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays 10-00 then hourly on the hour until 19-00.
The fare is HK$6 and the journey takes about 10 minutes.
Alternatively a taxi from Tsing Yi costs about HK$35 for the outward journey and about HK$25 for the return journey.