Saturday, January 23, 2016

Dragon's Back and Big Wave Bay

One thing is for sure. There are plenty of hiking options in China.

My latest hiking adventure was to the popular Dragon's Back in Hong Kong. To get there you have to cross the border. I did this at Shenzhen Bay with the rest of the group coming from the Shekou area. We take the bus to Central (¥45 and 45 minutes) and disembarked at Shun Tak Center where we catch the metro to Shau Kei Wan. This is where we met up with the rest of the group coming from Futian to catch the bus the trail head.

Seems like a lot of work to get there, doesn't it?

It's worth it.  The hike is a moderate one; long, but not an excessive amount of climbing. The climbing was mostly on flat terrain, but we came across some parts that were a little more challenging. I was told the hike was going to be 8.5 km, but I think it was longer than that.




At the top, the views were amazing. You can see where the mountain actually resembles a dragon's back. There was also a very nice place to stop and have lunch.



We came off the mountain at Big Wave Bay. The beach is beautiful and the sound of the waves is just heavenly! We enjoyed a little break here: some ladies took a dip in the water and some enjoyed a beverage from the friendly snack shack.



TIPS:

If you don't have a Hong Kong Octopus card, get one. It is accepted on HK metro, buses, and many shops and restaurants. I've even used it at the grocery. Makes traveling so much easier.

Pack a lunch. There are no (guaranteed) places to purchase food or beverages on this hiking route. If you're eating with a group, it's also fun to share food!

Bring your suit. It's a tropical climate, so even on a chilly day in January the water will be warm. Big Wave Bay has changing rooms available.

BYOTT. Bring your own toilet tissue. This is a given anywhere in China, but the toilets along the hike are what I would call for emergency only.

Wear layers. As with most mountain hikes, it's windy at the top. We were sweating one minute and freezing the next. In the summer, I would say bring lots of sunscreen and an umbrella for shade.

Other China hiking posts I've written:

Exploring Chiwan, Shenzhen

Shenzhen International Garden & Flower Expo Park







No comments:

Post a Comment

I love comments!

*