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This is the place to meet likeminded people having fun to enjoy the hundreds of trails of Hong Kong.
It's almost the perfect weather for a morning hike on Lantau Island.
It was sunny and cloudy at times with a nice breeze that made the hike even more enjoyable. We started the hike in Discovery Bay near Neo Horizon or the Greenbelt Court, two housing estates in Discovery bay in the northern part.
The hike would take us straight up to the Tigers head, passing by "Lau Fa Tung", from where we decent to the Discovery Bay reservoir and Discovery Bay Plaza with the finish at the Tai Pak beach.
This is a hike that took us roughly 2.5 hours. We mark this as an intermediate hike, while there are parts which require advanced hiking skills.
Waypoints
| Label | Name |
|---|---|
| A | Greenbelt Court, Discovery Bay |
| B | The Ridge |
| C | Lau Fa Tung |
| D | Tigers Head |
| E | Path to Reservoir |
| F | The Reservoir |
| G | Stream Waterfalls |
| H | Parkvale Village |
| I | Discovery Bay Plaza |
The Start @ Greenbelt Court Estate
Arrived at the starting point, the "Greenbelt Court" housing estate, we have to find the entrance to the hiking trail. The entrance is not as simple to find as it may sound.
We had to go to the back of the building where the residents park their golf carts, We took the passage just at the left of the main entrance of the building to get to the backyard.
At the back of the building, you'll have to turn to the right and walk just a few steps. The entrance to the hiking trail is slightly hidden but visible if you look for it carefully, facing the hill side. You will spot some stairs hidden in the trees and bushes.
The Hidden Path
The entrance will take you a few stairs up to the natural path. Get ready for a rocky climb.
From here onwards, it is only going up and it can be quite steep, and the sandy and rocky surface is asking for attention. Good shoes with grip and ankle support are essential to master this part of the trail.
While going up the hill, there were many points to stop, look back and take some great pictures from the view as you get higher and higher up.
The views are getting better and better. Discovery Bay completely unfolding first, following by TST. You can easily spot the highest building of Hong Kong, the ICC.
The Ridge
This first ascent got us to reach the ridge in roughly 25 minutes and gave us a really good sweat.
Following the path, we get blessed with a views towards Hong Kong Island and the Hong Kong International Airport.
Ready for more, we take the path branching out to the left where our next target, the "Lau Fa Tung" a big rock was waiting for us.
Lau Fa Tung
The ascent to Lau Fa Tung is easy at first. The elevation isn't as drastic as it was to get to the ridge. At the very last ascent to reach Lau Fa Tung, there is quit some dry ground and rocks to manage, just taking it slow step by step.
Just another breathtaking selfy at Lau Fa Tung with Hong Kong Island in the background.
The Big Steps
We are now on the last part of the ascent to Tigers Head. The next section is very easy to manage.
We all enjoyed the views and had enough breath to chat and lough on the way up.
You'll notice change of fauna and nature as we get higher on altitude.
The last ascent is steep with some large and rocky stairs.
The Tigers Head
At last we reached the top 465 meeter above sea level, Tigers Head unfolds its stunning 360 view on:
- Discovery Bay
- Lantau Peak in the distance
- The South China Sea stretching out endlessly
Tigers Head, also known as Lo Fu Tau (老虎頭), is the highest hill in Discovery Bay (465 m) and earned its name from a distinctive rock at the summit shaped like a tiger’s head. It has long been a landmark for villagers, hikers, and seafarers, symbolizing the rugged natural heritage of Lantau Island
The Return Path to Discovery Bay
From Tigers Head we take the direction towards Mui Wo, another beautiful place to visit on Lantau Island.
We follow the path to Mui Wo just for a few 100 meters before we turn left into our path that will lead us to the Discovery Bay Reservoir.
This part of the hike will require good attention on each step you take. The path is narrow but not steep for most parts while likely overgrown at the beginning with plants as this path isn't as well maintained as others.
This part of the trail could benefit long pants, if you don't mind wearing long pants to hike, you definitely have an advantage.
Watch Out for the Cairn
While we follow the path in direction to Mui Wo, we are looking out for a small pile of rocks stacked like a pyramid, a man‑made pile or stack of stones which is our trail marker to decent to the reservoir. This pile of rocks is called a Cairn.
Just right next to the pile of rocks/stones, there is the entrance to our narrow path that will lead us to the Reservoir.
The path was as expected overgrown by plants which required us to do a bit of bush hiking. To our surprise, the overgrown part is just at the beginning of this path and as closer we came to the reservoir, as more open the path got.
Discovery Bay Reservoir
The slope down to the reservoir isn't that difficult but has a few areas where you rely on you shoes and steady grip on the sandy ground. You'll enjoy in the descent breath taking views towards Mount Redwater and the islands "Hei Ling Chau" and "Sunshine Island".
While we were getting closer to the Reservoir, we had to ensure we do not miss the passage that brought us straight down to the water. Watch out for this junction as illustrated in the image blow.
Take the right path which is strongly recommended.
Discovery Bay Valley Road
Exiting the hiking trail after passing the reservoir will lead you to the dam and the Discovery Bay Valley Road.
Discovery Bay Stream Waterfalls
While we walk down the Discovery Bay Valley road towards Discovery Bay Plaza and the Ferry Pier, we took a side street to the left which brought us to another trail passage, leading the way towards the Discovery Bay Stream Waterfalls.
The newly renovated and painted side street, just after the bus stop which serves the villas "Ill Pico", leads you towards the "Discovery Bay Look Out". We didn't intend to go there and short after entering the side street, we took a right, entering the hiking tail towards the Stream Waterfalls.
The stream waterfalls are famous during the summer for a refreshing cool water splash.
A warning must be made, as the waterfalls are linked to the dam and the reservoir, water levels could change unannounced and become life threatening.
The final stairs
The path is nicely shaded by the forest and therefore a welcome change.
To the end of the path, we found ourselves for the first time of this hike confronted with regular stairs (a very usual encounter in Hong Kong's hiking world).
The stairs took us down right to the centre of Discovery Bay the "Parkvale Village", just slightly above the Discovery Plaza.
In no time, we reach our final destination, refilled our water bottles and enjoy a fresh cold beer.
Discovery Bay - Tai Pak Beach
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