Lantau

Lantau is an island located west of Hong Kong island. Despite being almost twice the size of Hong Kong island, it is scarcely populated and tourist would not notice the island if not for the airport and the Disneyland resort. The island is mountainous in terrain, with some of the highest peak in HK located here. Lantau Peak, standing at 934 m is the highest elevation on the island, double than that of Victoria Peak. Lantau Island offers a stark contrast to that of Kowloon peninsula and Hong Kong Island. The busy metropolitan buzz of the city, the towering buildings and skyscrapers, the hustling and bustling of the people are nowhere to be found here (saves and except for the high rise government housing estate located throughout a few of the coastal line). Time seems to stop here, the air feels fresher and its people look less intimidating. The island originally is home to the fishing folk who live in the various villages scattered throughout the island. The completion of the Hong Kong International Airport changes everything in Lantau Island. It brought together rapid economic development surrounding the area and where prior to the opening of the airport, tourism was not really the main economic drive to the island, today, tourist flock by their tens of thousands due visiting the two main attractions found here, the Disneyland Resort and the Ngong Ping 360 cable car.

The sleepy back-water town of Tung Chung, located just next to the new airport has been transformed into a modern ultra-chic town with 30 to 50 storey high-rise housing estates and condominiums. Another of this ultra-modern new town is Discovery Bay, located on the south east corner of the island, a few kilometers south from the Disneyland Resort. Towering residential apartments and condominiums lined up the coast and belong to mostly expatriates making a living in HK but prefer the quieter environment as opposed to metropolitan lifestyle. Transportation in the island seems to be dominated by private vehicle, since the MTR line only goes as far as the airport and the town of Tung Chung described previously. There are buses by the New Lantao Bus servicing many routes especially the many monastery and villages around the island, and the blue taxi of Lantau operated solely on the island. Tourists can also get to Lantau using ferry services provided by New World First Ferry. Ferry to Lantau can be boarded at piers in Central and North Point in Wan Chai and connects to the island at Mui Wo (which acts as the unofficial capital of Lantau Island) and Discovery Bay. There are also several smaller inter-island ferry services linking neighbouring islands and the mainland. These ferries make a stopover at various points in Lantau and also includes destination in the New Territories.

 

The MTR Tung Chung line have a stop at Sunny Bay station (which acts as a transit station to board the Disneyland Resort line, to Disneyland) before ending its route at the Tung Chung station. The Airport Express line has 2 stations, the Airport station itself, and the AsiaWorld Expo station. Though big the island is, apart from landing at the airport, most tourists will only venture into Disneyland or the surrounding area of the Tung Chung MTR station. The station will be the gateway for riding the cable car of the Nong Ping 360 to climb onto the Ngong Ping plateau. Also next to the station is the shopping mall, Citygate Outlet, dedicated as the centre for factory outlet store of many medium to high end brands such as Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach, Bally and others. Next to the mall is the bus station which serves buses with routes around Lantau Island. 

Sightseeing: Being a mountainous region, Lantau is natural as natural can be. It’s no wonder then that more than half of the surface areas of the island are designated as Country Park and there are several superb mountain trails and natural trail for those nature lovers and trekkers. Traditional villages that still preserve their old ways of living, like the one at Tai O is also worth a visit, for those fond of old memories and those who dreamed of venturing into the quaint side of HK. Perhaps the most famous and major tourist attraction has got to be a trip to the Ngong Ping plateau riding the 5.7km long cable car. The Ngong Ping 360, which you can have more details of it here, takes you to 500m above sea level to the plateau where waiting above is the huge bronze statue of Buddha (was once the largest in Asia) perched atop of a podium where to reach there, visitor will have to climb some hundreds of step (but not as high as the one at Batu Caves back home) and overlooking the valley below. There is also Ngong Ping village, purpose-made traditional Chinese village that also double as a retail outlets, restaurants and souvenir shop. There is also the Po Lin monastery, where today much newer buildings are built tucking away the older ones behind. The monastery has transformed into more of a tourist spot rather than religious or spiritual retreat with thousands of visitors coming daily since the journey has been made easier with the cable car. The entrance of the Ngong Ping 360 cable car lower terminal is just next to the Citygate Outlet, and the nearest MTR terminal is the Tung Chung station (exit B) where you have to walk pass the public square overlooking the mall near the towering residential/apartment complex.

Shopping:  The shopping scene in Lantau would be irrelevant if not for the Citygate Outlet (www.citygateoutlets.com.hk) next to the Tung Chung MTR station. The mall is a factory outlet shopping complex which offers many high end brands at a discount, restaurants and a cinema. This is a place where shoppers (like me), die and go to heaven. Brands such as Coach, Armani, Calvin Klein, EDC, Guess, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry, Bally (well, basically all the brands you can find on the Premium Outlet at Johor Bahru and Phuket are available here, plus more!) can be found at half the price (even more during Christmas and New Year’s sale). I kept coming to this place during the New Year’s sale, on the first 2 weeks of January where those discounted price gets more discount. (Did I tell you before that perfumes are cheap here?! No I didn’t? Well, it’s freaking cheap here!). My travel routine is always to ride the Ngong Ping cable car first then stop by the mall before going back to the mainland. The mall is my opportunity to get some Ralph Lauren polo and tee for my kids, perfumes for the missus, and other “things” for me. If you are shopping on a budget, then forget Causeway Bay and head here. Over the entrance of the mall there is a public square where a fountain is erected which performs musical show. I like to grab a bite of sandwich and sit at the square while people watching. Exit C at the MTR Tung Chung station. There are a few other shopping malls around Lantau Island but I do think they cater to the local as going there is not as feasible as going to the malls in the mainland.

Hotels: I don’t imagine why someone would be staying in hotels in Lantau if not due to business trip and/or meetings at surrounding offices. Coming to HK and staying in Lantau would be like coming to visit Penang but staying in Sungai Petani. It does make a little sense, but it is definitely not worth economically. You’d only distance yourself from the main show of HK which is the Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula and increase your travelling expenses. The only hotels that I noticed in Lantau, other that the Disneyland Resort hotel next to the Disneyland HK, are the Novotel Citygite in Tung Chung (near the airport) and the Skycity Marriot also in Tung Chung (just next to the Tung Chung MTR station).

Eating: Ebeneezer’s Kebab seems to dominate the halal-certified eateries in Lantau, with one located at the Ngong Ping Village atop the Ngong Ping plateau and at shop no. G03A, Discovery Plaza, Discovery Bay.