On the Dragon's Back

The highest point of the Dragon's Back trail

The one thing I really wanted to do in Hong Kong was to hike the Dragon's Back trail. I know. Who comes to a city like Hong Kong to go hiking? If I wanted hiking, I could have just stayed home in the Alps. However, considering that almost 70% of the total area of Hong Kong is green countryside, it's less surprising to discover that there are many hiking trails up and around the hills.

View from the trail: Kowloon in the distance

My guidebook says that it takes five hours to hike the entire Dragon's Back trail. I started early to be sure to have enough time to finish before dark. At the start of the trail there are warning signs that the trail is very strenuous and should be attempted only by very fit individuals. When I completed the trail – which didn't seem very strenuous to me – in just over two hours, I thought I might have missed the correct path or taken a shortcut by mistake. But when I reviewed all the landmarks and compared my photos with those in the guidebook, I'm sure I did the trail in full. I wonder who estimated the time at five hours, probably someone who took many long breaks.

View from the trail: Stanley

The trail goes along a ridge that opens up to breathtaking views. The weather was perfect: it was partly cloudy, the visibility was good and it wasn't too hot. It's probably much more difficult to hike in the summer when the sun beats down.

Tai Long Wan beach

The end of the trail is on a beach which is probably very crowded in the summer, but was quite deserted now, only a couple of surfers tried their luck in the waves.