Islands District, New Territories

Twenty islands, one slow and salty way of life

The Islands District is the largest district in Hong Kong, made up of some twenty islands scattered to the south and southwest of Hong Kong Island. Most of its people live in the new town of Tung Chung on Lantau, the largest island in the territory, but the district's character is set by its quieter places: fishing villages, car-free lanes, sandy beaches and hill trails, all reached by ferry or by the bridges and tunnels that link Lantau to the city. It is Hong Kong at its most relaxed, and its most scenic.

Lantau holds the big names. Hong Kong Disneyland sits on its northeast shore, a full day out for families. At Ngong Ping, reached by the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, stands the Tian Tan Buddha, a 34 metre bronze statue that is the tallest seated outdoor bronze Buddha in the world, with Po Lin Monastery beside it. At the western end of the island, Tai O is a fishing village of stilt houses built over the tidal creek, where you can walk the boardwalks, browse the dried seafood stalls and take a boat out to look for pink dolphins. The smaller islands each have their own feel: Cheung Chau, a long narrow island of fishing lanes and beaches, famous for its Bun Festival each spring; Lamma, car-free and easygoing, with a walk between its two main villages, Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan; and quiet Peng Chau, a favourite for a gentle day away from the crowds.

The good thing is that you can hire a limousine for the day and leave all the driving to someone else. Lantau is a big island, and its sights are spread from the airport and Tung Chung to Ngong Ping and Tai O, with winding mountain roads between them. A private car lets you see the Buddha, the monastery and the fishing village in one comfortable day, without the queues for buses or the long waits at the cable car station.

Arrive in style

A limousine is the easy way to start an island day. Your driver collects you from the airport, your hotel or the ferry pier, and you cross onto Lantau with the sea on both sides and the mountains ahead, arriving at Ngong Ping or Tai O rested and ready. There is room for the family, the luggage and everything you need for a day on the islands.

Your chauffeur knows the island and its roads, from the cable car station at Tung Chung to the mountain road up to Ngong Ping and the coastal route out to Tai O. You can follow your own plan, or let your driver arrange a day that pairs the Big Buddha in the morning with the stilt houses and a seafood lunch in the afternoon.

Evenings across the water

As the day ends, the islands show their quiet side. Cheung Chau's harbour fills with fishing boats, Lamma's waterfront restaurants light up for dinner, and the last light fades over the sea from the Tai O promenade. Ferries run late back to Central, so there is no rush to leave. The islands are at their best in the cooler months, from October to April, when the sea breeze is fresh and the walking is easy.

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