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Top Attractions | Worth Noting

Manic development is changing Lantau, but the island is still known as the “lungs of Hong Kong” because of the abundant forests, relative dearth of skyscrapers, and laid-back attractions—beaches, fishing villages, and hiking trails. At Ngong Ping, a mini-theme park keeps the island’s most famous sight, the Giant Buddha, company. Not to be outdone, Disney has opened a park and resort on the northeast coast, near the airport. At 142 square km (55 square miles), Lantau is almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island, so there’s room for all this development, and the island remains a welcome green getaway.

The Territory

Lantau is connected to Kowloon by the lengthy Tsing Ma Bridge. Most Lantau roads lead to and from Tung Chung, the new high-rise town on the north shore, just west of the bridge and close to Hong Kong International Airport. The Tung Chung Road winds through mountains and connects north Lantau with the southern coast. Here, the South Lantau Road stretches from the town of Mui Wo (where ferries from Central arrive) in the east to Tai O in the west, passing Cheung Sha Beach and Ngong Ping.

Getting Around

The speediest way to get to Lantau from Central is the MTR’s Tung Chung line (HK$22.50), which takes about half an hour. Far more pleasant is the 35-minute ferry from Central to Mui Wo (get a window seat for the views).

New World First Ferry.
New World First Ferry vessels to Mui Wo leave every 30–40 minutes from Central’s Pier 6 (HK$14.50–HK$40.80 each way). | 2131–8181 | www.nwff.com.hk.

Roads on the island are winding, and bus rides can be heart-stopping. There’s service every half hour from Mui Wo to Ngong Ping, more frequently to Tai O.

Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail.
The most direct (and daring) way to reach the Buddha and monastery at Ngong Ping is on the Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail, a view-filled 25-minute ride that departs from a terminal adjacent to the MTR station in Tung Chung. | 3666–0606 | www.np360.com.hk | HK$94 one-way; HK$135 round-trip | Weekdays 10–6, weekends 9–6:30.

Tours to Take It In

Hong Kong Dolphinwatch.
Candy-pink dolphins might sound like something Disney cooked up, but Lantau’s cutest residents are the endangered species Sousa chinensis, native to the Pearl River estuary. Only a few hundred are left, but experienced ecotourism company Hong Kong Dolphinwatch has a 97-percent sighting rate on their three-hour cruises (HK$380). | 2984–1414 | www.hkdolphinwatch.com.

Splendid Tours.
To see Lantau’s big sights whistle-stop style, try Splendid Tours. A daylong trip (HK$750, including lunch) takes in the Tsing Ma Bridge, Cheung Sha Beach, Tai O village, and Ngong Ping. | 2316–2151 | www.splendid.hk.

Quick Bites

Taste.
If you’re hiking, stop off in Tung Chung for provisions. Deli counters in the huge branch of the local supermarket Taste have sushi, sandwiches, salads, baked goods, and fruit. | Citygate Mall, Basement fl., 20 Tat Tung Rd., Lantau | 2109–4489.

The Stoep.
For lunch on Cheung Sha Beach—or on Lantau in general—everyone agrees: these outdoor tables facing the beach (the name means “patio”) is the place. It’s run by South Africans, and the food’s a mix of Mediterranean standards and South African–style barbecued meat—try the mixed grill. | 32 Lower Cheung Sha Village Rd., Lantau | 2980–2699.

Bahçe.
You’re spoiled for choice on the Mui Wo waterfront, but cozy Turkish café Bahçe is a good bet. You can make a meal out of several meze (small snacks)—the flaky filo triangles are delicious—or beef up with a kebab. At night, the place is more like a bar. | Shop 19, ground fl., Mui Wo Centre, Lantau | 2984–0222.

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Top Attractions

Hong Kong Disneyland.
Though Hong Kong’s home to Mickey Mouse is tame compared with other Magic Kingdoms, it’s fast bringing Mai Kei Lo Su—as the world’s most famous mouse is known locally—to a mainland audience. Younger kids will find plenty of amusement, but their older siblings and parents will have to settle for just one thrill ride, Space Mountain. If you need to visit a theme park in Hong Kong, Ocean Park in Aberdeen (is a better bet. | Fantasy Rd., Lantau Island | park.hongkongdisneyland.com | HK$399 adults, HK$285 kids | Daily 10–8 or 9 | Station: Disneyland Resort.

Fodor’s Choice | Tian Tan Buddha.
Hong Kongers love superlatives, even if making them true requires strings of qualifiers. So the Tian Tan Buddha is the world’s largest Buddha—that’s seated, located outdoors, and made of bronze. Just know the vast silhouette is impressive. Steep stairs lead to the lower podium, essentially forcing you to stare up at all 202 tons of Buddha as you ascend. At the top, cool breezes and fantastic views over Lantau Island await.

Tian Tan Buddha Highlights

Po Lin Monastery. It’s hard to believe today, but from its foundation in 1927 through the early ‘90s, this monastery was virtually inaccessible by road. These days, it’s at the heart of Lantau’s biggest attraction. The monastery proper has a gaudy, commercial, orange temple complex. Still, it’s the Buddha people come for.

Wisdom Path. This peaceful path runs beside 38 halved tree trunks arranged in an infinity shape on a hillside. Each is carved with Chinese characters that make up the Heart Sutra, a 5th-century Buddhist prayer that expresses the doctrine of emptiness. The idea is to walk around the path—which takes five minutes—and reflect. Follow the signposted trail to the left of the Buddha.

Ngong Ping Village. People were fussing about this attraction before its first stone was laid. Ngong Ping Village is a moneymaking add-on to the Tian Tan Buddha. Walking With Buddha is intended to be an educational stroll through the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the first Buddha, but it’s more of a multimedia extravaganza that shuns good taste with such kitsch as a self-illuminating Bodhi tree and piped-in incense. No cost has been spared in the dioramas that fill the seven galleries—ironic, given that each represents a stage of the Buddha’s path to enlightenment and the eschewing of material wealth.

Tian Tan Buddha Tips

• You can get here on the Ngong Ping 360 sky rail from a terminal adjacent to the MTR station in Tung Chung or via Buses 2 and 23 from Mui Wo and Tung Chung, respectively.
• The only way to the upper level, right under the Buddha, is through an underwhelming museum inside the podium. You only get a couple of feet higher up.
• The booth at the base of the stairs is only for tickets for lunch—wandering around the Buddha is free.
• The monastery’s vegetarian restaurant is a clattering canteen with uninspiring fare. Pick up sandwiches at the Citygate Mall, Tung Chung, or eat at a restaurant in Ngong Ping Village.

Ngong Ping, Lantau Island | 2109–9898 Ngong Ping hotline | www.plm.org.hk/eng/home.php | Monastery and path free. Walking with Buddha: HK$35 | Buddha daily 10–5:30, monastery and path daily 8–6 | Station: Tung Chung.

Worth Noting

Cheung Sha Beach.
Two miles of golden sand 8 km (5 miles) southwest of Mui Wo make this one of Hong Kong’s longest beaches. It gets breezy here, so windsurfers often don’t have to contend with crowds. Upper Cheung Sha Beach is equipped for barbecues, and there is also a refreshment stand. The Stoep restaurant (32 Lower Cheung Sha Village | www.thestoep.com) on the beach serves great Mediterranean and South African fare. Watching the sunset here is a perfect end to a sun-drenched day. TIP There are only 30 taxis on the entire island, so on weekends, when things get busy, make sure you ask the restaurant to get you one back to the pier. To get here take the ferry from Central’s Pier 6 to Mui Wo. Buses meet ferry every half hour on weekdays and Sat.; on Sun., buses leave when full. | South Lantau Rd., Lantau Island | 2852–3220.

Hong Kong International Airport.
Lantau’s northwest coast looks kind of funny thanks to the curiously geometrical bit of land that was reclaimed for the airport. You might be too dazed to notice when you arrive, but Sir Norman Foster’s Y-shape design for the terminal is an architectural marvel. | Lantau Island | 2181–8888 | www.hongkongairport.com/eng/index.html | Station: Airport.

Lantau Peak.
The most glorious views of Lantau—and beyond—are from atop Fung Wong Shan, or Lantau Peak, but at 3,064 feet, the mountaintop experience is not for the faint-hearted. The ascent requires a strenuous 7½-mi hike west from Mui Wo, or you can begin at the Po Lin Monastery—still a demanding two hours. You can also take a bus to a trail that is closer to the summit, and climb from stage three of the Lantau Trail. | Lantau Island.

Mui Wo.
Mui Wo is a sleepy little town, but it has some good waterfront restaurants. Silvermine Bay Beach, a pleasant sandy stretch, is a half-mile northeast of the ferry pier. A gentle uphill trail leads to the Silvermine Caves and Waterfall, the small 19th-century mine that gave the bay its English name. | Lantau Island.

Tai O.
This fishing village inhabited largely by the tanka (boat people), some of whom still live in stilt houses, is tucked away on the west end of Lantau and a great place to spend a few hours. There is a temple dedicated to Kwan Tai, god of war, that was established in the 15th century and built in the 18th-century. Remains of salt pans line part of the shoreline, and a look seaward sometimes rewards you with a sighting of a rare Hong Kong pink dolphin. The old Tai O Police Station, built in 1902, sits on the southwest tip of the village; it has been restored and converted into the Tai O Heritage Hotel, a great place for tea or a meal. | Lantau Island.

Did You Know?: Lantau is connected to the Kowloon Peninsula by the world’s longest rail-carrying suspension bridge, the 4,518-foot Tsing Ma Bridge. Airport Express and MTR trains run through the sheltered lower level; a highway runs on top, affording stunning views of the Pearl River Delta to the west.

Tung Chung New Town. Looking at the tower blocks and perfectly planned avenues of Tung Chung New Town, home to more than 80,000 people, it’s hard to imagine that only 20 years ago this was a small village. Over the MTR station is a mall filled with outlet stores for big local and international brands. | Lantau Island.

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