While most people consider visiting Hong Kong is mostly about shopping, metropolitan live style or amazing city views across the Victoria Harbour, there are also places in the rural area which worth visiting. If you like the nature and temples, Lantau is a place you shouldn’t miss. It is about an hour from the city, but only 10 minutes drive from the International Airport.
Basically, Lantau can be divided to 2 parts, the area near the airport is a residential town called Tung Chung, where you can find hotels, residential estates and shopping malls around. From here you can try riding on the newly built Sky Train ‘NP360’ which convey you through the beautiful scenic over hills to the famous Big Buddha, temple and a small cultural village on the hilltop.
From Tung Chung or the Buddha, there are buses that take you to another side of Lantau called Mui Woo. It is a less developed countryside where people can relax at beaches or enjoy hiking along the trails. While you can stay at hotel near the airport and Tung Chung, you may also consider staying at one of the bungalows near Mui Woo, which is very popular among families and teens for the weekends.
If you don’t have a schedule to catch up, you can spend a relaxing afternoon visiting the ‘Oriental Venice’ – Tai O. It is old fishing village in Hong Kong. There are still people making shrimp paste and salted fish!
You can of course continue explore the city life of Hong Kong by getting back to Central, the financial area of Hong Kong by ferry from Mui Woo Pier; or anywhere of the city by Metro from Tung Chung.