Daytripper: Tai O: A Village on Stilts
Daytripper is a regular column that aims to help people get the most out of their PRD experience by proposing fun excursions that can be made in a single day to explore the local culture and nature of the region.
Going to Hong Kong for a day to shake off the pressures of the work week and stock up on imported treats is quite a commonplace affair for PRD residents. But if you are up for doing something different, going a bit further out of the city center and actually spending a bit less, you may discover a Hong Kong you haven’t met before: natural, pristine and, most surprisingly, slow-paced.
Tai O is a small fishing village on the island of Lantau, right next to Hong Kong International Airport. However, unlike its neighbor, Tai O is not as much frequented or easy to find.
You will need to get a bus from Tung Chung and endure a 40-minute ride along a winding mountain road. If you are sensitive to vehicular travel, make sure to pack some distractions for the trip – or simply focus all your attention on the mesmerizing views. With a seat by the window, an adventurous companion or the right soundtrack, you will arrive in the village well rested and ready to explore.
As you get off the bus, take in the fresh salty air – it’s Tai O’s signature welcome – and get ready for a string of surprises. This little spot of land and sea is about to change your perception of Hong Kong forever.
Instead of arrogant towering skyscrapers, you are greeted by modest yet friendly stilt houses, rising out of the water on shapely wooden legs. Miniature rickety buildings stretch along the waterfront, constituting residences, restaurants, coffee shops and even hotels. Locals quietly sit by the harbor, chatting and playing Mahjong.
Things seem to slow down in Tai O, even when it comes to getting around. Cars and buses are few and far between, as most residents cover distances on foot, by bicycle or by boat.
The one place in Tai O where you might feel the familiar Hong Kong buzz is the street seafood market. Once a major port and fish trading centre, much of Tai O is still about the catch. You can buy it fresh right from the fishermen’s boats and have it cooked at any of the local restaurants, where seafront and mountain views easily rival some of the fanciest metropolitan eateries. Crisp sea wind and rays of sunshine do wonders for the appetite, so make sure you leave enough time in your schedule for a filling meal.
If time allows, give Tai O a full day. This quaint place will reward you with peace and tranquility – the two rarest things in the life of a big-city dweller. If you are lucky, an HKD25 boat ride may even provide a glimpse of the endangered pink dolphins known to inhabit the surrounding waters.
As you walk down the harbor and into the village’s narrow streets, thoughts of work, bills, plans for the year and the ever-rising rent prices will slowly dissolve in the morning mist. You will want to just stand there and watch. Watch the waves roll up to the shore, the fishing boats floating in the blue in the distance, the locals unhurriedly going about their day.
As William Henry Davies once put it: “What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.”
How to get there :
Once in Hong Kong, take the MTR Tung Chung Line to Tung Chung Station, then walk to the bus station (Exit B). Take bus 11 (HKD11.8) to Tai O. Tai O, Lantau Island, Hong Kong 香港大屿山岛大澳渔村
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