Hong Kong - Day Four Lantau Island

Wed, Nov 12 - In modern times - Lantau Island may be best known for the Hong Kong International Airport that was constructed in 1998 - mostly on new fill and paid by the British government. Previously, Lantau was a remote and difficult island to get to and traverse. Much of the island is still open to hikers only with a few roads servicing the small communities. Lantau or Mui Wo is the largest island in the Islands District.

We started our day trying to wrestle a cab outside the Lanson Place. After 15 minutes without any luck (most declined due to the road closures between Causeway Bay and Central District by the protestors) we returned to the MTR underground subway system. At 8:30 am - this is the Hong Kong most North Americans anticipate - people, people, and more people. The MTR carries over 5 million people a day and we have found them.

Luckily - our morning MTR journey is brief and then we take to the overhead walkways in the Central District to the new Wanchai Ferry Pier. We will transverse the Victoria Harbor to Kowloon and then back to the large Star Ferry Central Terminal building on Hong Island. A seemingly strange route but the by-pass of Central District and masses of cars and people is worth it.

From Central Terminal we catch a fast (30 min) or slow (60 min) First ferry to Mui Wo or Lantau Island ferry landing at Silver Mine Bay.

Yes, this is planes, trains, and automobile kind of day. Except Hong Kong-style has it including subways, ferries, buses and trams.

Location:Hong Kong, China