Monday, May 14, 2012

Po Toi

Why it's worth it: 



Duration: 
(~2 kilometer) 1.5-2 hours. Add time to have some squid at the restaurant in the village close to the pier!

Difficulty:4/10. 

Cel phone coverage: Everywhere.

Appreciation: 7.5/10. On a clear day, very nice and unobstructed views.

Transportation: From MTR Hong Kong Station (buses are at the terminal at Exchange Square), take CityBus 260, 6, 6a or 6x to Stanley. Then ferry from Stanley to Po Toi. Check for ferry times here (there aren't many). Reverse trip on the way back. 
About 45 minutes from Central to Stanley, then 30 minutes boat trip from Stanley to Po Toi.

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In Stanley, once you are off the bus at the terminus (Stanley Village stop), head towards the Blake Pier (go down towards the market and turn right). There is some signage.

The Blake Pier at a distance. 

Boat to Po Toi. It's about a 30 minutes ride.
Click to enlarge
As you come out of the boat, head left after the pier and towards the beach village. Go past the restaurant. Do not turn right into obvious trail that goes up the mountain behind the village. Instead, keep walking towards the Tin Hau temple on the westernmost part of the island. You can check out the temple if you feel like it. But the trail starts about 20 meters before the temple.

#1. You will see this sign on your right on the way to the temple. Go to the paved  walkway, walk right. About 5 meters  in, there's a shed and two paths. The one on the left is the one you want to take (the other one goes back to the village). It's a bit messy and the overgrown foliage might make you think it's not a path but it is.

About 10 meters in, you'll be facing some electrical boxes and what seems to be the end of the path. That isn't, just make your way through, the path continues on the other side. And just a few minutes later, you'll sign blank signposts. Just follow the sign posts and railings, pretty straightforward from that point on.

Follow the signs and railings.

#2. Finally at the top of the hill, about 40 minutes into the walk. You can see the Chinese pavilion on the top-right of the picture, that's where you're headed.

#3. Crossroads in the middle of the previous picture. Head left as the path on the right goes back to the village. After a bit of climbing, you'll reach the pavilion and can take a short scenic break.

#4. A few meters past the pavilion, you start your final descent. Quite a nice view.

#5. A the bottom, head right if you want to get back to the pier if you are in a rush to make it to the ferry (at this point, you are about 20-30 minutes away). If you have time, head left and do the loop on this small peninsula. The loop will bring you back to this point. This side-trek will take you between 40-60 minutes. Once you are back, make your way to the pier.

#6. Way to the pier is straightforward except for this point where the path goes straight into a restaurant/house. Don't try to go around, just go straight trough. You are back at the pier on the other side.

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Please, don't litter!

Hiking is about communion with nature. So please pickup after yourself. There's no excuse to leave plastic bags, water bottles or any rubbish on or around the trails; if you managed to bring it, you can manage to bring it back!