Trifter

When the buzz and blur of downtown Hong Kong gets to me, I just look up and literally take a hike.

Jardine’s Lookout in Hong Kong Island is one of the country’s most accessible hiking trails and one of the easiest to negotiate. A guidebook from the tourism office detailed a trail that starts off at Wong Nai Chung, hits the Jardine’s Lookout and Mt. Parker summits, and ends in Tai Tam Reservoir.

My hubby and I caught Bus 6 from Central and got off the gas station after the Cricket Club in Wong Nai Chung Gap. A short flight of stairs led us to the upper part of Wong Nai Chung. The slightly uphill concrete road led us to the trailhead right across HK Parkview. If you have the cash to spare, I recommend taking a taxi to HK Parkview.

The trail itself rolls very gently, with a few steep inclines. Stone stairs cut the path, making it easy to climb. Shrubs and short trees line the way. Soon, we were on top of the hills and viewing the city from a distance. Jardine’s Peak stands at a friendly 433 meters.

We hit the rest of the trail after a brief water and photo break. The path remains negotiable, lined with more woodland shrubs and bamboo. Although, the steep parts began to increase. But it wasn’t long before we reached Mt. Butler (436 meters) and took in more refreshing vistas.

The rest of the trail was all downhill. The path leading out of Mt. Butler is relentlessly steep, which made me feel happy that we came from the other direction. Out of the mountains, we followed the Hong Kong trail up to the Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir where people were setting up their barbecue lunches.

The trail ends at the Tai Tam Road, where we rode a bus to Stanley Market and tucked in a hefty lunch.

What I love about this trail is that it affords a good enough retreat from the city noise. The hike is not too strenuous, no real need for special gear. And the trail ends are accessible via public transport. 

The whole hike took us about four hours to complete. It’s best to start in the early morning when the sun isn’t too hot and you’re less likely to share the trail with a busload of weekend warriors.