The other side of Honkers

GILT-EDGED: The lobby at Hong Kong's Peninsula hotel.

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Chinese mosquitoes love my blood. It's no surprise really: they love it back home, so it was to be expected that the Asian variety would also appreciate my scrumptious AB positive as I roamed around Hong Kong.

My first experience with the little blood-suckers came as I scaled the track of what TIMEasia magazine described in 2004 as the "best urban hiking trail".

Arched across steep terrain, on a leafy piece of Hong Kong Island jutting out in to the South China Sea, the Dragon's Back trail is touted as the city's "finest and most surprising ramble".

It is a glorious place where you feel miles away from the city, but reminded of it at each peak on the track, where tips of 30-storey-high skyscrapers play peek-a-boo behind a tree-covered horizon.

The choice of access to the walk is, rather grimly, to begin either at a cemetery or a prison.

We chose to start at the Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institute on Shek O Road; essentially cutting out a very large hill, with a very large number of concrete steps, and therefore making the trip slightly shorter (six kilometres), taking about 2½ hours.

Both entrances to the walk are easily accessed by public transport; a quick bus ride or cheap taxi ride from Shau Kei Wan MTR Station.

Within minutes our small group was in the shade of dense, lush bush, casually strolling along a root-laden track surrounded by bird sounds that I promptly assumed were monkey calls, and was disappointed to find were not.

Lack of primates aside, colourful butterflies fluttered around our group, often leading the way down the path before mystically disappearing in to the nearby bamboo.

It is rated as a moderate hike – guaranteed to raise the heart rate but not over-exert hikers in the process – and the excessively keen are able to mountain bike the track. To my own amazement, I managed to ditch my trademark jandals for the hike – a very smart choice in retrospect as a good set of shoes were crucial.

Once emerged from the bush on to the "spine" of the track that lives up to its name, we were greeted by sweeping 360-degree views and a stiff, warm breeze.

Behind us stood the craziness – almost seven million people crammed in to the same-sized area as Auckland – and in front of us, an expanse of sea bordered by stunning coastline, beach-side towns and sprawling, exclusive gated communities.

As expected, the journey down to the base of the dragon was somewhat easier than the upwards trek; hundreds of steps formed long, winding staircases and meant another set of muscles in my calves copped a good stretch.

Stairs were a common theme in Hong Kong. My first introduction was when I was faced with climbing 268 of them to get up close and personal with the world's tallest, outdoor seated bronze Buddha at the Po Lin Monastery.

At 34 metres tall and perched alone, high on a peak sitting on a bronze lotus flower, the Buddha was positioned to face northeast – in a nod to mainland China – and to overlook the nearby monastery.

Lantau Island, home to both of these highly spiritual places, provided another view of the unexpected greenery of Hong Kong.

It is a remote area; surrounded only by trees and sleepy fishing villages and accessed either by hiking a trail or a more relaxing, scenic cable car.

The 5.7km Ngong Ping 360 gondola cable car takes around 25 minutes to complete as it silently traverses over the North Lantau Country Park, offering panoramic views of the Tian Tan Buddha statue, Tung Chung Bay and the Hong Kong international airport – a plane-spotter's dream.

Once at the summit, the bustling images of Hong Kong that come with it being one of the most densely populated areas of the world are done away with once again; replaced with sheer tree- covered slopes that dive abruptly down to stunning waterways.

But the bright lights of the Hong Kong that everyone knows – the fast-moving traffic, high-end shops, incredible cuisine, market bargains, sporting centres – still exist, albeit in a just-as-stunning format as "green" Hong Kong.

Stairs exist in the central city as well – but in typical urban-esque, ultra modern fashion – they are moving ones.

The sheer incline of the city (it makes Wellington look absolutely positively flat in some parts) led to the creation of the mile-long escalator that effectively moves people from the shopping mecca of Queen's Road central, right up to the pumping SoHo district – home to heaving bars and a pumping nightlife favoured by expats.

The popular "East meets West" description, often cliched about this destination, does ring true – but in a good way.

Hong Kong is the Westerner's perfect introduction to China, with most locals able to speak English; making communication easier but still somewhat mysterious.

Service levels, whether it is from the woman serving you pork buns for breakfast, the man helping you aboard a mid-afternoon harbour cruise, or even the burly looking, gun-laden customs officers at the airport, are phenomenal.

Hong Kongers – that's what they are known as – are worldly people who don't mind sharing their small but plentiful and varied land with a load of camera-wielding tourists, and they constantly aim to please.

It's no surprise then that Hong Kong tourism figures released in September revealed that just over half of all visitors stay for at least one night – and it's understandable why tourism bosses want people to see it for more than just a stopover destination to somewhere further abroad.

Just don't forget to pack your mozzie repellent.

* Greer McDonald was hosted by Cathay Pacific and the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

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darren   #3   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

i lived there for 15 years. yea its a nice place to visit. The country side and temples are almost exclusively reserved for tourists. Quite frankly they feel as as strange to you as it is to the locals. I came to the conclusion that the amount of people in HK who have clastrauphobia are among the world's lowest. stairs aside, packed elevators and public transports are a theme of Hong Kong's.

AJ   #2   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

After spending 8 days in HK nearly two years ago with a husband who doesn't really want to travel, he wants to go back! Having a Hong Konger for a sister in law, I imagine we will one day! It is a fabulous place and I want to see more!

Michael   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Having just returned from a 14 day holiday in Hong Kong and Macau I agree with the above article. Hong Kong (and Macau) are so much more than a one-night stopover destination!

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