While most people are only familiar with Hong Kong Island, there are plenty of other charming Hong Kong Islands dotted around the sea as well that would make for a pleasant day trip. Since it is always overcrowded with people in Hong Kong, why not go out into one of these outlying islands for a relaxed day hiking? It might just be the pick me up you need after being stuck in the office and the concrete jungle for so long!

Grass Island (Tapmun Island)

It isn’t called Grass Island for no reason! Here you get the vast expense of greenness and the sea, not to mention the abundant rock formations dotted around the island that will tests your imaginations. Only an hour’s ferry from the University MTR station, there’s two ferries per day at 8:00 and 15:00; alternatively you can take the more frequent ferry from Sai Kung.
The three sites on Grass Island that you must not miss are the Lu word Rock formation, The Grass Island Cave and Dragon Neck Rock. Apart from that, there are three villages on Grass Island, as well as a Tin Hau Temple dating back to the end of the Ming Dynasty (aka three hundred years old). Most of the villages are farmers and fishermen.

Cheung Chau

The more developed of the islands, Cheung Chau has many great hiking trails that will take you past some historical and cultural sights. It should only take you three to four hours to go around half the island, passing by the Cheung Po Tsai Cave, named after the Pirate Cheung Po Tsai as this was his spot (there’s a recent TVB drama on him – Caribbean style though). You can easily get a ferry from Central to Cheung Chau, and even if you are not a huge fan of hiking, you can always go and sample the seafood!

Mui Wo

Now we ,might have already covered what’s there to do in Mui Wo, but there’s also a hiking trail there as well that will take you around the island to admire its natural history. A three hours-ish hike, it’s perfect for a family day or an active date! You will pass through many villages en-route, and there are many signposts with information on the ecological and natural history. So not only do you get to get a feel of the local villages, you also get to see some amazing natural sights!