Hiking: Lantau Trail Stage 4

After we completed Lantau Trail Stage 3, we headed back home. But that’s what we should not have done. It meant we had to go back all the way to Ngong Ping again (on a very slow bus) to continue our hike from there. Even more frustrating, stage 4 is really boring and just a connecting part to get from stage 3 to stage 5. It might have been a very nice hike in the past, but due to a landslide in 2008 the route has been rerouted and goes along a main road.

The distance of stage 4 is only 4km, so it took us about 45 minutes if not even less. This trail starts just off from the Wisdom Path at Ngong Ping. We walked to the abandoned-looking Tea garden, which is well sign posted, and turned left at the Wisdom Path, walking through a tree walk.

We climbed a few steps in the beginning, but apart from that the majority of the hike is downhill. We kept going all the way around the Buddha, in the same direction that we had come from. There was a picture with a panorama map, to show us the surrounding area.

Unfortunately, the weather was pretty bad, so you could not see much. Except for the Buddha. But I have seen him in better light and taken better pictures. So let’s just move on.

We continued on the path underneath the cable car track. Until we came to the cable car station. From there we had to turn left, walk through the Ngong Ping Village to the bus station and then continue the walk downhill. We could have started from there 30 mins ago, as that was where the bus had dropped us off. Oh well, now we know for the next time, if there ever is going to be a next time!

There isn’t a lot can be said about this trail its only 4 kilometers long and its a downward trail, especially with half of the trail going alongside a road. We saw a few buses and Lantau taxis, but not surprisingly, no other hikers. The weather was miserable.

We came to a viewing platform, where one could have had a nice view of the large Shep Pik reservoir and the surrounding country side.

As you can guess, that’s the reservoir below us – it’s hiding in the clouds.

We quickly moved on. The walk twists and turns as it descends down towards Sham Wat road and this is where stage 4 ends.