Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery

My last full day in Hong Kong included a very special trip to one of the most exquisite gardens - the Nan Lian Garden near Diamond Hill MTR station. A short walk away from the station is the entrance to a most unique free garden, built by the local Buddhist community as a sanctuary in the city. The garden includes a number of significant features including the Temple of Absolute Perfection, a lotus pond and sundial, and stunning large stones places inside and out for ones' total sensory delight. Inside the garden is a vegetarian restaurant with delicious meals in a peaceful atmosphere. But, the real delight of the venue is the Chi Lin Nunnery where this beautiful temple houses an exquisite golden representation of the goddess of compassion. Farewell, Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Wetland Park

In the New Territories, there is a new development - a wetland gardens built to demonstrate the biodiversity of the marshland area near a large private housing estate.  The space is home to a large variety of birds, crabs, insects and water areas.  In the midst of the big city, it is possible to spend a few hours in a sanctuary of nature - watching birds from hides, strolling on boardwalks through marshes, lotus ponds and mangroves.  A very good high tech display and interpretive centre provides hands on learning for young and old, with lots of interesting live exhibits including Thai crocodiles.  A good day out, and worth the trip.

Fanling walled villages walk

We set out in the warmth of the Boxing Day morning for a walking tour of Fanling's walled villages.  Equipped with scanty and inaccurate information from a guidebook, we attempted to walk to 6 wai's, but alas only could locate a few.  No matter, it was fun to set out in yet another rural part of Hong Kong to investigate how life is lived.  It never ceases to amaze me that Hong Kong is full of small villages built in different periods - with large gardens and quiet rural lifestyles - all in the shadow of the huge urban apartments and shopping towers that seem so familiar.  Today's walk was full of ripening bananas hung on the patio, Filipino maids chatting in the courtyard, dogs sleeping in the noonday sun and small walled villages from the 16th and 19th centuries.  

Natural beauty & great views

Even in this highly urbanised world, it is possible to get up close and personal with nature. Here are some spots worth visiting:
Around Tai Po:
Fung Yuen Butterfly Sanctuary – near Tai Po - a short taxi ride to from the Hong Kong Institute of Education campus to the village of Fung Yuen will transport you to a wild place with thousands of butterflies.
Tai Po Waterfront Park – in the nearby Tai Po district, you can go to see the well designed waterfront park with three specially designed children’s playgrounds. Enjoy the view up the Tolo Harbour and the breezes off the water.
Brides Pool – If you have time for a walk, take a bus to Brides Pool and have a short walk in the nature preserve to the waterfall and picnic area.
Ma Shi Chau – If you have some time and energy, go to San Mun Tsai and follow the signs for a walk through the old village and its cemetery and on to the protected area of Ma Shi Chau with its full waterfront experience of beautiful land formations, unspoiled beaches and plentiful beach combing. From the protected area, you may be lucky to get a ride in a sampan back to San Mun Tsai, and from there back to your destination.

On Hong Kong Island:
The Peak – Take a tram, bus or taxi up to the Peak and have a look at the city before venturing down on foot. You can walk easily to the Mid-Levels, and go to Hollywood Road for some shopping and dining.

Ham Tin beach walk

On a junk trip in October, the skipper told me the best spot in Hong Kong was an eastern coastal area known as Ham Tin. Without doubt, this is one of the beauty spots of Hong Kong.
Getting to and from the area requires lots of endurance since it involves walking for about 5 hours - through some magnificent almost wild areas. We set out on a lovely mild Saturday morning to walk from Pak Tam Au to Pak Tam Chung on the Sai Kung Peninsula. En route, we visited Ham Tin and Sai Wan beaches, and bypassed the High Island Reservoir which supplies lots of HK residents with fresh water. Breathtaking (both literally and figuratively), this area is not to be missed, but only visited on foot during Hong Kong's cooler months.

Dirty little markets locations

Some of my favourite places to go are the "dirty little markets" of Hong Kong. Here are a few favourites:
Temple Street Market – Go to Yau Ma Tei Station (MTR – Red Line) and follow the signs to the market. Look out for embroidery, jade, coral, turquoise, and lots of Chinese artefacts. Around the corner is the Jade Market where you can have your fortune read. Opens at night only – go after 6 pm. (Kowloon-side)
Li Yuen Street West - near Central station - a little street market full of clothes of all kinds - mostly for women. Haggle for what you want - it is expected and can be to your advantage. (Hong Kong side)
Fa Yuen Street - get off at Prince Edward station (MTR - Red Line) and head down to this very exciting market with clothes, fruits, medicinal herbs and everything welse you can imagine. This is a long market - open all day - it can get very crowded so watch out for your things.
Sham Shui Po - get off at Sham Shui Po (MTR - Red line, exit C) and look around - lots of small green roofs over small market stalls on these streets. Not many gweilos here, so be prepared to really bargain hard for prices since most traders will think you have lots of money to part with! This is not a market for the faint-hearted. Nearby is a street with lots of gemstones and it is really worth it to go and buy some beautiful pearls.
Tai Po - around the village square in Tai Po, there are lots of fruit and veggie vendors. Have a look. Also some interesting stalls in the side streets where you can buy all manner of things - such as hippie clothes from southeast Asia, art supplies, mah jong tiles and so on.