Nature tripping, Hong Kong style

Reasons abound why Hong Kong is such a strong magnet for tourists in and around Southeast Asia, if not the world. It is a place that is on the cutting edge of modernity, yet it exudes a certain charm that only a place with a rich cultural heritage can offer.

The drawing power of Hong Kong lies in its being a fusion of eastern and western worlds, and it undoubtedly showcases the best of both. In the midst of gleaming skyscrapers and bustling business centers lies a place that has a very colorful history — one that is deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture. Highly urbanized, Hong Kong is also more popularly stereotyped as the shopping mecca this side of Asia.

Many pieces have been written about what Hong Kong has to offer the millions of visitors that it hosts throughout the year, but it has a facet that many non-locals don’t know too much about. Look behind the Hong Kong skyline and notice the mountains covered in dense forest. It is a strange contrast to see the thousands of concrete structures reaching for the sky against a backdrop of green peaks. For the eco-tourists and nature lovers, Hong Kong will not disappoint. There is a lot more to this city than just shopping.

Eighty percent of Hong Kong’s total land area is designated as country park by the local government, meaning it is officially set aside for conservation, recreation and tourism.

It is worth mentioning that this is the world’s highest ratio for untouched natural land conserved in the form of a country park. Within its protective mantle are lush lowlands, bamboo and pine forests, rugged mountains with panoramic sea views and secluded beaches — all literally a stone’s throw away from the city. And if that isn’t enough, you can easily hop on a ferry to visit one of Hong Kong’s 260 outlying islands, make stopovers at the numerous traditional fishing villages (some of which are centuries old), or check out the aquatic wildlife in the various marine reserves along the coast.

Youngstar was recently invited by the Hong Kong Tourism Board to Hong Kong to both tour the former Crown Colony and to witness the Hong Kong AXN Challenge 2002.

Our very first destination was Sai Kung, an area north of Hong Kong that is said to be the least developed, and whose many peaks, beaches, islands, traditional temples and rural communities beckon travelers and adventure seekers alike. It is only half an hour from Tsim Sha Tsui, but unfortunately, our group couldn’t explore the entire reserve due to a tightly packed itinerary. Instead, we limited ourselves to the eastern section of the park. This is where the Sai Kung Reservoir is located, and the trail that encircles it consists of a road that stretches for more than 100 km. It would have been insane to even attempt to finish the trail on foot as that would take more than 48 hours, but as luck would have it, we found a cab to help us on our tour.

The highlight of this area would have to be the five-story tall rock formations that are etched on the faces of the mountains that surround the dam at the very tip of the reservoir. On the way back we drove past a couple who perhaps didn’t know how long the trail actually was as they looked like they were about to pass out from exhaustion. I don’t like to sound mean but the look on their faces as we whizzed by in our taxi was priceless.

Victoria Peak is one of the more popular tourist destinations in Hong Kong, as The Peak Tower houses Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. The quickest way to get there would be via the Peak Tram, which is hauled by a cable to the top of the mountain. Once on top, the view of Hong Kong would have been spectacular, except it was a very foggy day and instead we saw nothing but white. We had to take our tour guide’s word for it as he creatively described what we were supposed to see as we took on the Peak Trail, a relaxing walk that required a minimum of effort. It is quite chilly up there in the mornings so don’t forget to bring something warm, and make sure you go up on a clear day.

Next stop was Cheung Chau Island, one of my favorite destinations on this trip as it is a place that I wouldn’t mind living in. If you want to relax and catch a breather while in Hong Kong this island is worth the visit. To get there, take the ferry from the outlying islands ferry pier no. 6 in Central, and be ready to go on a ride back into time.

The first thing that caught my eye as our ferry was docking were the authentic wooden junks moored by the pier. Traditional fishing families still live on these boats and they hawk their catch daily to the pedestrians and restaurant owners by the sea.

If you want to get away from pollution, Cheung Chau has no vehicular traffic whatsoever, and since the streets are so small, the best way to get around is either by bicycle or on foot. You can actually walk from one end of the little town to the other in a matter of minutes, traversing colorful streets lined with old shop houses, banyan "spirit of fertility" trees and ancient temples that are typical of traditional island communities. The people from small towns are usually friendlier than in the big city, and it was here that I caught the most smiles from the locals who seemed genuinely happy to have us as visitors. It is a very laid-back place with a breathtaking view of the sea. The white sand beach is literally at the doorstep of the residents, and there is a trail that encircles the island along the coastline. The waves crashing on the rocks beneath my feet and the sea breeze against my face made it a very enjoyable trek. Cheung Chau is also known for its water sports, particularly wind surfing. It is in this sport that Hong Kong won its first gold medal in the Olympics, and the medalist practiced windsurfing here as a school girl. My companions and I were sad to the leave the quaint little town, and as we boarded the ferry I wished we could have stayed a little longer, but there were still more to see.

Unfortunately, the trails that we visited aren’t really "trails" to begin with. The paths are actually paved in black asphalt, with metal handrails to help trekkers along the way. I asked Denny our tour guide why this was so, and he told me that most Hong Kong residents don’t want to feel too detached from civilization when they are in the wilderness. I found this quite strange because I personally wouldn’t want anything to remind of a city when I’m communing with nature. The hiking purist in me was a bit disappointed, but I came to the conclusion that the HK Tourism Board purposely picked out the easiest "trails" for us to use. This was actually a good idea because it eventually saved the more adventurous members of our group from listening to the additional whining that would come from some of the other international media who already found the "trails" difficult.

So far, we hadn’t seen any natural wildlife but that soon changed the next day when we set off on the Hong Kong Dolphin Watch. Indo Pacific Humpback dolphins can be found around Africa, but their Chinese counterparts have a very distinguishing feature. They are pink. Yes, you read that right, Hong Kong is also home to pink dolphins, and they are seen most often north of Lantau Island. We hopped onto another boat and headed out towards the open sea to try to catch a glimpse of these endangered cetaceans (there are less than 150 of these Chinese pink dolphins in the wild).

These dolphins are born with a very dark, almost black color, and within a few months they fade to light gray. Over the next few years their gray coloration disappears, starting at the fins and tails, leaving gray spots on a white or pink background. No one really knows for sure why these dolphins are pink, but it is thought that the color is caused by the flushing of the blood to the outer layers of the skin for the regulation of body temperature.

When we reached the marine reserve marked by specially colored buoys, it didn’t take long before these "sea pigs" as the Chinese call them, swam up for all to see to the excitement of everyone on board. The dolphins travel in groups of four or five and it made for a unique sight seeing their pink backs bobbing up and down against the dark green water. If your eyes are fast enough you might even catch them breaking past the surface. I have never seen dolphins out in the wild, unfortunately the "wild" I am talking about is traversed by hundreds of ships of all shapes and sizes. I had to hold my breath when I saw a large boat on a collision course with the group of dolphins we were watching. Luckily the day went without a mishap, but sadly, in such a busy port, collisions are very common. These aren’t the only dangers that the dolphins have to deal with. The Pearl Delta Region where they are found is developing rapidly, and many coastal areas are being reclaimed for airports, shipping terminals, roads, housing, industry, and agriculture, effectively destroying natural habitats. The remaining waters are overfished by a largely unregulated fishing fleet. In addition, pollution threatens both the dolphins and their food supply. The dolphin watch isn’t around just for the novelty of it. It is there to help make the public more aware of the plight of these creatures. If nothing is done soon, these pink dolphins are likely to become extnct.

By the second leg of our trip we eventually got a taste of more challenging terrain that any mountaineer would appreciate. No handrails and no asphalt here. This was a section of the route for the Hong Kong AXN Challenge. AXN, Asia’s first and only action and adventure channel worked in cooperation with the Hong Kong Tourism board in organizing an adventure race to help promote the green side of Hong Kong, and itself, of course.

The race has two categories; the international, with representatives from Malaysia, Singapore, India, Thailand, Hong Kong and the Philippines competing against each other, and the open category, where anyone could join. The Philippine qualifier was held in Subic shortly before Holy Week. Team Kulelat emerged victorious, automatically getting the chance to represent the Philippines in the International Category. Composed of Ernie Lopez and Dr. Martin Villarica, the team was actually the oldest in the competition. "We are aiming for last place," was Martin’s reply when asked about their prospects for the coming race. Oh, well. A second contingent was more up to the challenge. Baron Villanueva and Miguel Lopez are members of team AMCI who came in 2nd place at Subic. AXN and HKTB offered these two young guns a trip to Hong Kong to compete in the open category because they did quite well in the qualifier, and AXN appreciates keen competition.

The racers had to negotiate a 25-km. course within Tai Tam Country Park, which entailed mountain trail running, jungle trekking, sea swimming, kayaking, river canyoning, orienteering and rope work sections. This race wasn’t all about speed, however. Competitors had to answer brainteasers at every checkpoint, and should they miss out on any of the questions there would be penalized. Flag off was at exactly 8:10 am at Repulse Bay, and by noon the racers were arriving one by one at the finish line on Stanley Beach. "The race was enjoyable," says Baron, "in a twisted masochistic way." At the finish line all the racers seemed content to just get make it. AXN will be airing the race come June.

According to Ricky Ow, vice president of marketing and ad sales at AXN, adventure travel is growing from 20-50 percent a year. Adventure holidays seem to be the latest craze nowadays, and Hong Kong isn’t lacking in venues as the race has shown. There are actually many outdoor adventure tours to choose from, and they can be customized to suit your tastes. You can go hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, and surfing. You name the activity and chances are there is a place to do it in Hong Kong.

Eco-tourism and promoting the natural environment is a good stepping stone for the conservation effort — whether through adventure races, adventure tours, or just a simple hike. Admittedly, bringing people closer to nature can heighten their awareness of the fragility of our ecosystem (the Dolphin Watch is a testament to that). Hopefully, with this new awareness comes an appreciation of the alternatives Hong Kong has to offer.