Ngong Ping, finally

It's embarrassing to confess this but, despite living in Mui Wo, we haven't gone to Ngong Ping... until now. Determined to get our arses in gear and finally see the Big Buddha, we got on the 11.30am bus and prepared for an adventure.

I had the impression that it would all be very Buddhist but it actually turned out to be quite fun. Ngong Ping Village is like a cross between a ski resort (but without the snow) and Disneyland (but without the exorbitant entry fees).

I think it's best seen during winter. That open square must be baking in summer.
An added reason to go: Free chocolate tasting until January 2! Marshmallows dipped in Leonidas chocolate. Yummy!

These are hand-crafted chocolate figurines. If I remember correctly, they cost HK$120 each.

Another must-do is trying out the vegetarian meal at the Po Lin Monastery. You have a choice of the HK$60 or the HK$100 per person menu. We checked and there didn't seem to be much difference in terms of the dishes serves. Apparently the ambience is nicer for the more expensive menu but we were pretty happy with the more local atmosphere.

The meal was wonderfully cooked, plus you had the added smugness of being able to tell yourself it was all vegetables and therefore healthier(ish).

We enjoyed ourselves so much we couldn't believe we took so long to get to Ngong Ping. Best part is, it's only a half-hour bus ride away, so we are definitely going to do it more often!

Mui Wo FAQ for tourists

I started this blog to record our life in Mui Wo and community happenings for our family and friends.

But I have been pleasantly surprised to get some comments and emails from strangers from abroad who plan to come over to Hong Kong for holiday and want to know what they can see and do around here.

So here are a few quick FAQs about Mui Wo and Lantau Island:

What sort of accommodation does Mui Wo have?

There are hotels. Silvermine Beach Hotel is the largest and closest to the ferry pier. It is run by the Miramar Group. The new wing is nicer than the old one but has only side sea view.

Further down the beach are Seaview Holiday Resort (Tel: 2984-8877) and Mui Wo Inn (Tel: 2984-7225). Be warned: Don't expect a lot of frills but the hotels do have a sort of retro charm (if you can convince yourself it's 1970s ironic and not a haven't-been-updated-for-decades look).

Off the beach but closer to the River Silver is the Silverview Resort Holiday, which looks like low rise flats cobbled together to make a hotel. The rooms look pretty basic but you can get a 400 sq ft apartment from HK$480 a night.

There are also holiday flats to let – a lot of them are in Wang Tong. You can ask any of the estate agents in town or check out the kiosks (Tel: 2984-8982) showing photos of the flats available at the ferry pier and next to the seafood centre.

What is there to see/do in Mui Wo?

Well, there's the beach, which is what makes Mui Wo popular with day-trippers. Behind the beach, past Wang Tong village, is the Silvermine Waterfall.

There are also lots of hiking trails. Or you can hire a bike from one of the three bike shops around to explore deeper into the villages.

There isn't much touristy shopping in town but you can grab a Mui Wo T-shirt from the pier or the stalls next to the seafood centre. On Sundays, a T-shirt seller sometimes sets up his stall outside Park N Shop. There's also Renge House, which is my present addiction.

Photo ops?

Plenty in Chung Hau village, and the surrounding area. Don't forget to get the prerequisite photo with the dragon at the entrance to the beach.

Toilets?
One public toilet next to the seafood centre as you come off the ferry, one in the Mui Wo municipal building, a couple along the beach and one at the entrance to Wang Tong (next to the Toilet Bar). McDonald's and China Bear has toilets too. If you eat at any other restaurant, you will have to ask for the key to the patrons-only toilets.

Tours?

There is a shop offering Lantau tours beside the McDonald's but it is quite easy to get around on your own as long as you have an Octopus card, which you can buy at the pier.

There are three main bus routes you must know: The 3M to Tung Chung (for cheap cheap outlet shopping at Citygate mall), the 2 to Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha (for the Po Lin Monastery, vegetarian meal and photos to remember your trip by), and the 1 to Tai O fishing village (for old Hong Kong, cheap seafood and souvenirs – that hat-wearing puffer fish is a hoot).

Other tourist necessities

Mui Wo is a cash-only town. The money changer is at the pier there are two ATMs (BEA and HSBC) which have Cirrus. For insect repellent, emergency beer rations, etc, there are two supermarkets and a 7-11. The stalls along the beach also stock stuff like plasters.

Can I do Lantau in a day?

Sure! My suggestion: Take the ferry to Mui Wo, get a dimsum/local breakfast at the seafood centre, mooch around the beach for a bit, then hop on the bus to Tai O for lunch. After lunch, take the bus to Ngong Ping and then the cable car to Tung Chung.

From Tung Chung, you can catch the MTR back to Central. Or if you still have the energy, catch a bus to Discovery Bay for dinner and then a ferry back from there to Central (if you spend above HK$100 per person at one of the designated restaurants, you get a free ferry ticket).

I have left out Disneyland as you need a day to do justice to that.

Is it convenient for Disneyland?
Ironically, no. Disneyland Hotel has a pier but Disney can't get an operator/permission (depending on who you ask) to operate ferries direct to the resort.

Disneyland and Mui Wo are on South Lantau but you have to go all the way to Tung Chung in the north to catch the MTR to Sunny Bay and then the Disneyland express to the resort - about one hour each way.

More info

Those thinking about making Mui Wo their home can look up my other FAQs about the amenities here.