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Published: February 8th 2011
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Po Toi Island
New Zealand? Nope, it's Hong Kong. It was only yesterday that I dubbed Cheung Chau Island as the "Mediterranean Island of Hong Kong", and after my trip from
Po Toi Island today, I think I finally found the "New Zealand of Hong Kong". So yes, my island trekking continues on its second day, and I decided to go to Po Toi Island today. I bet you didn't hear about it yet, huh?
I woke up at 7:30 today to catch the 10:00 ferry to
Aberdeen, located on the other side of Hong Kong island. If you're thinking why that early again, it's because I'm not yet familiar on how to go to Aberdeen. There are no MTR services on Aberdeen, so I had to rely on either a minibus, the CityBus, or if worse comes to worst, a taxi.
Getting to Aberdeen was probably the trickiest part of the day. I got off the Central MTR station at about quarter to 8, and I quickly rushed to the bus terminus below the Exchange Square. I scrambled in panic (as usual) when I only saw minibuses instead of the double deck buses. I quickly asked the driver of one minibus with the sign "Aberdeen" if it
goes to the Aberdeen Harbour, and she said "yes", though I wasn't sure if she understood me or not.
Without even thinking, I decided to take that minibus, and as we turned on a corner, I finally saw the bus terminus with a dumbfounded look. I was feeling confident on the minibus I was riding, but guess where I got dropped off? In the middle of busy streets with street signs that doesn't even have the word "Aberdeen"! And, the worst part is that after the driver dropped me off, I asked her where to go towards Aberdeen Pier. Her answer? "I don't know."
It was already 9:30. Time was ticking quickly, and in desperation to catch the ferry, I had no choice but to call a taxi. At first, the driver did not understand what I specifically meant, so I had to direct him to the Aberdeen fish market instead, since the website I saw says that the pier is near the fish market. He was still pretty confused, but when I told him that I needed to go to the ferry to Po Toi Island, he snapped back at me & said "Why didn't you tell me?!"
He started scolding me, saying that I needed to be specific of where I really want to go. To be honest, I really did deserve that. Lesson learned; I need to think more like I'm in a race. 😉
In a sigh of relief, I finally made it to the ferry pier, in a nick of time ONCE AGAIN. The ferry to Po Toi island is operated by
Tsui Wah ferry, and it only leaves on Tuesdays, Thursdays, weekends, and public holidays. There is only one ferry on Tuesdays and Thursdays; it leaves Aberdeen at 10:00, and goes back to Aberdeen at 14:00. I'm not quite sure if 3 hours is fitting enough to trek the whole island, but I figured that this will be better than going there on a weekend, when there will be alot of tourists. Aberdeen Harbour is filled with numerous sampans, vessels, and yachts that made me remember "The Amazing Race: Season 17" Hong Kong leg again, wherein the teams had to look for a specific sampan on that very place. Yep, I really am addicted to that show.
It was about a 50 minute ride from Aberdeen to Po Toi island, and
as the ferry docked, I started trekking through the forest till it leads to a trail by the sea. The view after I got out of the forest was really stunning. Beyond the other side of the island is
Ngong Chong, where huge rocks are scattered throughout the hill; much like some of the hills that can be found in New Zealand (now you know why I gave Po Toi island that title!). Going to the other side of the island was really refreshing, with the air and waves gently flowing along despite the sun's rays. Swimming on the sea was pretty tempting, since it was so blue and clean; too bad I didn't have any swimwear.
As I hiked up the hill, I saw some small beaches & picturesque cliffs with inlets that can be seen from above. I also realized that some of the rocks on the hill were actually tombs, shaped like a toilet. But aside from the weird-shaped tombs, some of the rocks were an amazing sight as well, giving the bland hill some uniqueness. Some of them seemed like they were carved by humans, but they were not (or so I think). The most
famous rock formations on the Ngong Chong area are
Buddha's Palm Cliff,
Tortoise Rock, and
Monk Rock, but those weren't the only ones that looked very unusual.
Walking towards the tip of the area is
Nam Kok Tsui, a craggy landscape leading towards the South China Sea. Climbing the rocks was pretty much a challenge to me, since I was wearing skinny pants. The hardest part was climbing up the huge orange rocks, so that's when I immediately turned my "Bear Grylls" instinct on (ambitious right?). The rocks & cliffs on that area are very precarious, but the views are worth it.
Once I completed the loop trail around Ngong Chong, there was another path leading towards a pavilion, but it was a long path up & it takes about 45 minutes to reach the top. I remembered how bad & exhausted I was yesterday on my Cheung Chau trek when I climbed upwards, but nevertheless I gave it a try. Too bad I didn't make it all the way to the top, so I backed out since my stupid skinny jeans keeps constricting my legs, making it hard for me to climb. Instead, I just settled on
a nearer pavilion & ate lunch. Another lesson learned; NEVER EVER wear skinny pants when trekking!
I decided to head back to the pier when it was already 13:00, as it gave me more time to look around some of the abandoned houses on the island. Most of them had alot of damages & looked like haunted houses, but at least I didn't get that eerie feeling again! There is only one settlement in the whole island, which is
Tai-Wan. It's a quaint little fishing town by the beach, with only one restaurant serving the tourists and probably the locals as well. As I was gazing at the town, I could not help but imagine what my life will be if I lived there. The town is so far from civilization, plus the ferry to Hong Kong is very limited. I can only wonder what it will feel like if I live far away from reality...
It was time to go, although it's sad to say that there were a few other places that I didn't get to visit. My jeans really constricted me from going elsewhere, but I guarantee that I'll be back there soon for more.
I can honestly say that Po Toi island is definitely one of the best places that I've ever visited, so I really couldn't wait to go back. So, the next time you visit Hong Kong, you should really consider visiting Po Toi island. 😉
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Ricky
non-member comment
WoW!
That is definitely beautiful island! Ive been to New zealand too but never seen that kind of place there! I really love your pictures of rock formations & hills. I might visit that also soon!^ ^