Let's Hang Out In Hong Kong! (Lantau Island)

Hong Kong is, without a doubt, one of my most favorite cities.  Super easy public transit, exotic markets, pulsing nightlife, and about a million skyscrapers crammed onto a postage stamp of land makes every moment in this city a fascinating one.  But we could only drag a Little TF on so many city adventures before needing a day to catch our breath! Of course, Hong Kong has the perfect answer. See?  Told you it's a great city!  Lantau Island, Hong Kong's largest outlying island, is known for its panoramic views and largely untouched, natural surroundings.  A visit here makes for a great, slow-paced day, with something for everyone!

For the sightseeing parent (or less-encumbered tourist):  there is a large monastery and the world's largest, seated outdoor Buddha.  I understand if you're Buddha-ed out, but this one truly is huge and the setting is beautiful.  A historical fishing village, with villagers living in stilted homes, is another popular Lantau Island destination.

For the sightseeing kid: Lantau Island offers plenty of space to stretch little legs, whether it's in at the base of the Buddha (Ooooh, ice cream for sale!) or in the cultural, Ngong Ping Village (It's a giant tourist trap.  But unless your kid is a discriminating little traveler, they won't care).  Possibly the best part of Lantau Island, from Little TF's perspective, was how many different modes of transportation our trip to the Island let us pack into one day!

Waving goodbye to Hong Kong Island from our boat!

Our super-fast MTR ride from Kowloon to HK Island deposited us near the city docks (prefer to taxi?  Hong Kong's taxis are very inexpensive).  Little TF's eyes nearly popped out of her head.  A boat ride? Yippee!  Ferries move back and forth between HK Island and Lantau, and are a popular way to get there.  Our boat was large and smooth-sailing, with large, glassed-in windows.  No one wants to be fishing any kids out of the harbor!  Depending on what kind of ferry you take, the ride takes between 40-60 minutes.

After arriving at the Lantau Island dock, we boarded a bus bound for the giant Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery.  The bus ride was kind of long, but the scenery we passed was gorgeous.  The road twisted up and around mountain peaks, and the sea sparkled in the distance.  Every so often, a tantalizing glimpse of the looming Buddha would flash between the rocks.  Little TF spent the ride making cute faces at the locals.

Finally, we made it to the Buddha!  The Good:  The base of the Buddha is well-equipped for tourists. Large bathrooms, ice cream stands and drink stalls allow everyone to refresh themselves before making the trek to see the Buddha.  The Bad:  The Buddha is at the top of a ton of stairs.  Unless you have older kids, a helpful hubby, or the energy of my Body Combat instructor-friend, this might be a tough climb to make with young children.  Fortunately, Mr. TF was on this trip, so up we went!  Inside the Buddha is a souvenir/snack shop in case you need to refresh yourself after the climb, as well.

View of the Po Lin Monastery...under construction.  I hate it when that happens!

The view from the top was absolutely beautiful.  The hazy air meant we couldn't see a lot of detail, but the far-off islands slipping in and out of the haze reminded me of a classic, Chinese scroll painting. After making our way back down the stairs, we rewarded ourselves with juice and snacks, and then headed over to the  monastery.  On the way, we passed through a park filled with the biggest incense sticks that I have ever seen!

Incense sticks. Not giant, No.2 pencils.

Worshippers venerate the Buddha and wave smaller sticks of incense.

We hadn't been inside the monastery's environs for long before Little TF had had enough.  She did considerately postpone her meltdown long enough for us to take a quick spin through the monastery's temple.  Beautiful carved doors, vivid colors, and exotic plants popped against a backdrop of chanting monks.  The view from the temple's terrace, looking back at the Buddha, was especially lovely.  This ended up being the extent of our Lantau Island experience.  May you have better luck!

Oh! If you have more time than we did, you can also eat lunch at the temple.

Climbing the temple stairs.

Looking at the Buddha from the temple's terrace.

With a melting Little TF on our hands, we decided to stick with what we knew and take the bus back to the Lantau Island pier, with the return ferry ride to Hong Kong Island.  If you have less drama to deal with (and less fear of heights) consider taking the cable car back!  At 25 minutes, it's a much quicker alternative.

How many modes of transportation are we at now?  With the MTR, taxi, boat, bus, and cable car, a trip to Lantau Island can potentially include five!



An efficient set of travelers could easily see Lantau Island in a long morning or afternoon.  If you're a bit slower (like us), consider blocking off most of the day.  


Opening Hours:
Monastery: 9:00-18:00.
Big Buddha: 10:00-18:00
Vegetarian temple meals:  11:30-15:00


Transportation: 
1. Catch the cable car from MTR's Tung Chung Station.  
2.  From Central Pier #6 (Near Central's Star Ferry Pier or near MTR's Hong Kong Station) catch a ferry to Lantau Island's Mui Wo.  Upon arrival in Mui Wo, take the New Lantau Bus #2 to Ngong Ping.


More Cable Car Information
More Ferry Information
More Lantau Bus Information


Disclaimer:  I do my best to make sure all my information is accurate.  However, details may change or I may just be flat-out wrong.  Please let me know if something needs a correction.  Thank-you!