Hong Kong and Macau Biking Tour (China) - NO VISA NEEDED!*

Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city, where cultures of the East and West mingle in a fascinating metropolis , bordered right up to the city's edge by wild, undeveloped green space, rich in scenic wonders and wildlife. All this and more is spectacular Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The country side around Hong Kong is vastly undeveloped, and remains in a relatively wild state. Hong Kong's steep mountainous terrain makes development difficult, so most of the territory is undeveloped and green. The government protects 40% of the landmass from development, designating the area for country parks and nature reserves. The landscape rises from pristine beaches to high rocky peaks, dotted with bamboo and sub-tropical forest, open grassland, wetlands, waterfalls, rock formations, and scenic vistas. Few places in the world can offer such an amazing array of scenic wonders in such close proximity.

The wildlife in Hong Kong is diverse and fascinating. Hundreds of species of Butterflies and Dragonflies inhabit Hong Kong. The varieties of mammals range from wild cats, such as Civets and Leopard Cats, to Chinese Porcupines, Indian Muntjac (Barking deer), wild Boars, Pangolins, Rhesus Macaques, and squirrels. There are over 100 species of reptiles and amphibians, and nine different types of chelonians, including the Green Turtle which breeds on the local islands. Nearly 500 species of birds either stopover during their migration, or are permanent residents of Hong Kong. Hong Kong waters are host to dolphins, porpoise, 1800 species of fish, and 84 species of stony corals.

Hong Kong / Macau Biking Tour Quick Info

Tour Type	Biking
Accommodations	BP International Hotel, 3 star
Biking Tour Type	Group Guided (English)
Biking Level	1-3
Duration	8 days / 7 nights
Price	$1899 *$2199 New Year's Tour (Dec 26, 2011 - Jan 2, 2012)
Dates	Dec 3-10, 2011 Dec 26-Jan 2, 2012* Feb 18-25, 2012 March 10-17, 2012
Highlights	Hong Kong, Northern River Valleys, Cheung Chau, Peng Chau, Northeastern & Northwestern New Territories, Macau, Southern Lantau Island
Biking Distance	Distance per day varies (See itinerary) 148 km/92mi approx. total
Tour starts in:	Hong Kong
Tour ends in:	Hong Kong

Day 1: Arrive in Hong Kong

Welcome Dinner
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 2: Northern River Valleys

Breakfast

An exploration of rivers, villages, farmland and market towns in the northern New Territories.

Setting out from Tai Po, we start the ride by traversing this ancient centre of trade before reaching and following the shored-up Lam Tsuen River upstream towards Hong Lok Yuen.

Heading north, parallel to the tracks of the old Kowloon-Canton Railway, we soon find ourselves riding on (relatively) narrow concrete paths between newly revitalised vegetable fields and nurseries.

We make our way around the ever-expanding dormitory town of Fan Ling, straying briefly onto the Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail to check out some of the interesting old structures built by the Tang clan since the 17th century before linking up with the Ng Tung River,.

Next we ride along the Indus River to the market town of Sheung Shui which we traverse on bike paths to reach the Sheung Shek River and the fertile Long Valley. En route, we catch a glimpse of Shenzhen on the Chinese side of the border. We pause for refreshments and explore temples and old houses in the hamlet of Ho Sheung Heung before heading south along the Sheung Yue River to continue our exploration of secluded northern valleys and villages. Along the way, we also pay a visit to the San Tin Barracks of the People's Liberation Army and keep a look out for Black-faced Spoonbills and stray water buffaloes on our way towards the historical village of Kam Tin.

We check out a number of traditional century old temples, ancestral halls, schools and interesting buildings before finishing the ride with a well-deserved (late) lunch at an Indian restaurant in Kam Tin.

NOTE: As we will be traversing the San Tin Military Barracks, everybody must bring their passports on this day.

Cycling: 32 km + Walking: 2 km

Dinner on your own
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 3: Cheung Chau By Bike & Peng Chau on Foot

Breakfast

The small island of Cheung Chau lies about 10 km southwest of Hong Kong Island and is home to a population of about 30,000. Dumbbell-shaped, with hills at the northern and southern ends and the settlements concentrated in between, the island has been inhabited for longer than most other places in the HKSAR. Artefacts unearthed from archaeological sites on the island have been traced back to the Bronze Age (1500-221 BC)...

Most people who cycle on car-free Cheung Chau do so along the harbourfront. We shall do that, too, but our route presents a bit more of a challenge.

Compared to others in the Hong Kong SAR, the peaks of Cheung Chau are but mole hills. Indeed, the highest point on this route is a mere 85 metres above sea level. Yet, lacking proper run-ups certain inclines could well have you out of the saddle and pushing your bike.

The first hill of the day also presents the greatest challenge of the day as we make our way up to the Northern Look-out Pavillion. While everybody is encouraged to ride their multi-speed iron horses for as long as possible, no loss of face is suffered by anyone finding the climb a little too steep.

Having caught our breath while taking in the panorama at the look-out, we get to check the braking abilities of our rental bikes as we descend into Cheung Chau Central and the old Pak Tai Temple. The original temple was built more than two centuries ago and is dedicated to the Taoist god of the sea, the "Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven." In the 18th century, Cheung Chau was devastated by plague and infiltrated by pirates - until local fishermen brought an image of Pak Tai to the island. Paraded through the village lanes, the deity drove away evil spirits.

Beyond the temple we check out the beaches at Tung Wan and Kwun Yam Wan, training grounds for Hong Kong's only olympic gold medallist. We visit the Kwun Yam Temple and explore the island's southern hills before winding our way along the ridge running westwards. As this section is mostly downhill, we might forget to pay attention to the graves in the cemetery we traverse.

Sai Wan (Western Bay) is home to one of Cheung Chau's temples dedicated to Tin Hau, the protectress of fishermen and other seafarers. Nearby is a small store where liquid enlightenment can be procured.

The last section of the day's ride mostly follows the flat shoreline of Cheung Chau's well-protected harbour. With just a little luck, we should be able to confirm that these are fully operational docks. We might also make a brief detour to check out another temple or two as well as other interesting nooks and crannies.

Having returned our bikes, we stop for lunch at a popular waterfront restaurant so that we are suitably prepared for the second half of this island-hopping outing day: Peng Chau.

It is a slow and relaxed ferry ride to Peng Chau island, which is very appropriate as Peng Chau is known for its relaxed island lifestyle, accessibility to fresh seafood, and many temples located around the island. The tallest point of the island is Finger Hill, which is 95m in height and provides hiking opportunities for those who seek them.

We will be exploring most of the temples, including a Tin Hau temple built in 1792, and other scenes of interest as we slowly make our way around the island.

As the shadows get longer, we catch the ferry back to Hong Kong Island and then the famous Star Ferry to reach the pier in Tsim Sha Tsui, from where it is but a short walk or even shorter taxi ride to the hotel.

Note: Ordinary sneakers would suffice for the walking part of the outing

Cycling: 13 km + Walking: 6 km

Dinner on your own
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 4: Northeastern Corner

Breakfast

A bicycle ride exploring towns, villages, temples, farmland and woodlands of Hong Kong's northeastern New Territories.

Setting out from Tai Po Market railway station, we wind our way through a veritable maze of bicycle paths to reach the calm waters of Tolo Harbour - a natural bay surrounded by tall mountains. We take in the views towards Ma On Shan but, shortly thereafter, we are forced to do a detour through the industrial estate. However, soon we will be back on bicycle paths along the shoreline and beneath the Pat Sin Leng ridge.

Beyond Tai Mei Tuk, it is time to tackle the hilly road leading through the Plover Cove Country Park. We break the climb near the Bride's Pool Falls just before the top of the hill and leave our bikes for the short walk through the woods to visit the impressive hidden Mirror Falls. Even in the midst of winter, this waterfall never dries up.

While we might have needed all the many gears on our bikes for the climb to Sam Tam Lo, the ensuing free-wheeling descent is well worth the effort. At the bottom of the hill, the hamlet of Luk Keng marks the turning point of our ride. Located on the mangrove clad shores of Starling Inlet, it is also an ideal place for a snack/refreshment break as we can not only keep an eye out for wetland birds, but we are also able to peek into China...

Though not exactly flat, the rest of our route is somewhat less challenging than the beginning. Following the shoreline past the egretry at A Chau, we reach the rather photogenic village of Yim Tso Ha, nestled protectively behind a small hill and encircled by still farmed vegetable fields and old fish ponds.

The contrast between the quiet narrow footpaths between the hamlets of Ha Wo Hang and Sheung Wo Hang and the very busy Sha Tau Kok Road couldn't be bigger, but the former do require as much concentration on your behalf as the latter, as you really wouldn't want to dip into the marshy old rice fields...

As a safety measure, we ride on the sidewalk for the stretch along Sha Tau Kok Road, but once we reach Tan Chuk Hang we are back on village roads and narrow concrete footpaths. The old vegetable farms in this area has seen a revitalization in the past couple of years, so there's plenty of interesting, fresh produce to look at as we head towards the secluded village of Hok Tau.

The last real physical challenge of the day is the climb up the hill that separates the Hok Tau valley from the Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail on the outskirts of the dormitory town of Fan Ling. This trail visits a variety of historical sites such as old mansions, walled villages, ancestral halls and a number of temples. The most famous of these would be the impressive 16th century Tang Chung Ling Ancestral Hall. After a late lunch at a small Thai restaurant, we end the ride at the railway station in Fan Ling.

Cycling: 37 km + Walking: 2 km

Dinner
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 5: Full day ferry to Macau with walking tour

Breakfast

Fishermen from Fujian and farmers from Guangdong were the first known settlers in Macau, when it was known as Ou Mun, or "trading gate", because of its location at the mouth of the Pearl River downstream from Guangzhou (Canton). During ancient times port city was part of the Silk Road with ships loading here with silk for Rome.

In the early 1550s the Portuguese reached Ou Mun, which the locals also called A Ma Gao, "Place of A Ma", in honour of the Goddess of Seafarers, whose temple stood at the entrance to the sheltered Inner Harbour. The Portuguese adopted the name, which gradually changed into the name Macau, and with the permission of Guangdong's mandarins, established a city that within a short time had become a major entrepot for trade between China, Japan, India and Europe.

It also became the perfect crossroad for the meeting of East and West cultures. The Roman Catholic church sent some of its greatest missionaries to continue the work of St Francis Xavier who died nearby after making many converts in Japan. The missionaries built a Christian college and many churches, while the administration erected a number of fortresses, which gave the city the historical European appearance that distinguishes it to this day.

Today's outing will explore a number of these temples, churches, and fortresses, but we will also be walking through narrow market streets, very old residential quarters and other places of interest...

Our high-speed ferry only needs an hour to connect Hong Kong with Macau. Once through immigration, we hop on a bus to the tip pf the Barra Peninsula to start our exploration of this facinating old trading port by the temple that gave Macau its name.

Making our way northwards along the spine of the peninsula, we pass beautiful restored military barracks to visit a superb mansion built by an influential businessman before climbing a little more to visit the imposing Chapel of Our Lady of Penha rebuilt in 1837. The church is nice, but the panorama quite fantastic.

Retracing our step a little, we next make our way through narrow back lanes to discover a well-hidden side to Historical Macau: a number of residential quarters almost untouched for a hundred years.

Checking out the more famous landmarks of the churches of St. Lawrence and St. Augustine along the way, we then head for the main downtown shopping streets of Macau.You might well find a "Starbucks" and a "McDonald's" there, but the enforcement of building codes mean that most of the old houses retain their original exterior look, so you hardly notice these multinationals on your way to the imposing ruins of the St. Paul's Cathedral.

Beyond St. Paul's, the tourists gradually disappear but there is still much to explore. Temples full of people worshipping, quaint chapels in the middle of small cemeteries, and the wonderful oasis that it the Lou Lim Ieoc Garden to mention but a few... Built by businessman-scholar Lou Kau in the late 19th century in the classic Suzhou style of miniature landscapes, the Lou Lim Ieoc Garden is a favourite for Chinese taichi exercising, dancing, family photos and occasional concerts. A little further on, we hop onto a cable-car that will take us to the top of Guia Hill on which stand the Guia Fort and Lighthouse (the fort was built in 1637, the lighthouse in 1865, when it was the first of its kind on the China Coast).

It will then be high time for lunch, so back down in the city, we hop in taxis to a little restaurant with a very large menu of Macanese dishes, i.e. Portuguese dishes with an Asian flair.

Well-fed, we walk along the waterfront for a little while to help digest our lunch before hopping on a bus to the island of Tai Pa, where we stroll through narrow streets lined with traditional Chinese shop-houses, with pastel plaster walls, wooden shutters and stucco ornamentation. At street level they contain shops, restaurants and small family businesses, while the owners live on the upper floor. Our next stop is the Avenida da Praia (Bay Avenue). This was the waterfront for merchants and sailors when the bay - now mostly reclaimed - was anchorage for China Clippers and Indiamen. Here we check out the beautifully restored row of early 20th century houses and the avenue of banyans and flower-covered bowers.

Where tea-clippers and merchant-men used to reign, a very different business has now cast anchor: 21stt century giant international casinos have sprung up like mushrooms in the former bay - some might even have been designed by someone high on the magic variety. No tour of Macau would be complete without a quick peek into one of these, highly profitable, houses of luck, so you will have about an hour of free time in one of them before we head for the pier and the ferry back to Hong Kong.

Notes: It is important that everybody remembers to bring their passports on this day. No passport, no go!

Dinner on your own
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 6: Northwestern Corner

Breakfast

This nice and flat ride explores the wetlands, old villages and new towns of Hong Kong's northwestern New Territories and offers something for birdwatchers and history buffs alike.

We start by following quiet back roads along the shallow and tidal Kam Tin River into the Nam Sang Wai wetlands. The mangrove clad shores and the - mostly - abandonned fish farms provide ideal conditions for a rich and varied bird life. Recent sightings include Cormorants, Grey Herons, Wigeons, Teals, Northern Shovelers, White Wagtails and Black Kites.

We pause for refreshments at a store above old fish ponds before boarding Hong Kong's most unique ferry that will greatly shorten our trip. Unavoidably, we then have to cross an industrial estates, but soon we emerge into the open again as we make our way along a series of fish pond dikes. The road is rough, but we will be bringing a puncture repair kit.

Beyond the ponds we reach the Border Fence. While it should keep out illegal immigrants, it will also prevent us from crashing into the mangroves along the Shan Pui River. The fence might spoil the view a little, but we can always look to the other side, where Black-capped Kingfishers, Little Egrets and other wetland birds hang out.

Turning away from the fence, we face the only proper hill of the day as we join Deep Bay Road. Participants must be assured that getting off the bike to push it the last bit does not involve a loss of face. Once over the crest, it is generally downhill to Mong Tseng Wai, a traditional New Territory village where new buildings mix effortlessly with really ancient ones. Following a brief refreshment stop, we next join the nice level bicycle paths around the giant new dormitory town of Tin Shui Wai to reach our lunch stop at Ha Tsuen.

After a look around the many old structures in this (formerly) walled village that is now surrounded by container storage yards, we head for the Ping Shan Heritage Trail. This trail links a number of traditional Chinese structures, such as the Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda, the Tang Clan Ancestral Hall and the (still) walled village of Sheung Cheung Wai. We finish the outing with a short ride into the centre of the old market town of Yuen Long from where trains departs for Kowloon every few minutes.

Cycling: 40 km + Walking: 2 km

Dinner on your own
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 7: Southern Lantau Island

Breakfast

A tough day's ride on Hong Kong's largest island.

We might only cover about 26 km, but Lantau's topography ensures that this will be the hardest ride during your visit to Hong Kong.

The slow ferry from the Central Business District docks at Mui Wo after an interesting cruise through the outer anchorages and past any number of more or less inhabited rocky islands. There are few visible signs that Mui Wo has a history dating back some 900 years, but we will still explore the area a little as a way to warm up our muscles, because the hills start immediately as we leave the town.

The good thing is, of course, that every climb is followed by a nice descent. After a couple of moderate hills, we reach the village of Pui O, where we make a detour to see, if the feral water buffalos have come out to play. We will also stop for a refreshment near the beach.

Beyond Pui O, we push our bikes briefly up a hiking trail to reach a designated bicycle trail within the South Lantau Country Park. Though the pushing could be a little sweat-inducing, the sweet safe ride that follows makes it well worth it. Well away from traffic and other hazards, the next 12 km is ever so gently downhill and in the shade. Along the way, we should be able to enjoy nice views of the sandy South China Sea coast line.

As we cross the dam of the Shek Pik Reservoir, we catch a glimpse of a huge statue of the Buddha at the top of the mountain on our right, while, on the left, we are able to check out what the inmates of the Shek Pik Prison are up to.

As if to compensate for the fairly easy ride along the bike trail, our road climbs steeply for the first 2 km after the dam. Thankfully, though, the climb is followed by a long and winding descent taking us into the traditional fishing village of Tai O at the western end of Lantau Island.

Primarily inhabiting tin-clad wooden shacks built on stilts above water channels and small inlets, the Tanka people of Tai O have been making a living from the sea for many centuries. The older generation of Tankas never received any formal education and are usually illiterate. Most of them are fishermen, but salt production was another major industry and source of income to the village. The abundant source of salt also gave rise to another unique industry of Tai O; the production of salted marine products like salted fish, salted shrimps, salted squids, shrimp cakes and shrimp paste. Although the salt harvest in Tai O ended in the early 1970s, the production of salted preserved food continues to this day and is usually carried out by the older residents of the village. You will be amazed by the sheer number of stores selling both salted marine products and fresh seafood along Tai O's crowded narrow lanes.

We will have a good look around this unique village after a quick Chinese lunch and then join a short boat ride in search of the pink coloured Chinese White Dolphin (also includes a tour Tai O from the waterside).

Note: A mountain biking permit is MANDATORY to join this ride and must be obtained well in advance. Check this website for details and an application: How to Apply Mountain Biking Permit

Cycling: 26 km + Walking: 2 km

Farewell dinner
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 8: End of tour

Breakfast

Departures

Number of Participants:

min. 6, max. 12 participants

General requirements

*Visas:

Check the visa requirements for your country of residence.

Changes:

We reserve the right to alter the itinerary details, published times, and accommodations due to weather, local conditions, organization necessity or safety concerns.

Photos courtesy of Michael Hansen