The most beautiful natural sites to discover Hong Kong Island 香港岛

To the north-west, near the Chinese border, is an ideal observation point for amateur ornithologists. They will be able to study some 300 species of birds that call each year in these marshes, placed under high protection. The 300 ha of May Po Marshes consist of shallow ponds and dwarf mangrove. In addition to birds, some reptiles were elected on the reserve: the common snake, the Bennett's water snake and Chinese cobra, 1,50 m long, usually nocturnal animals, but it is not impossible to see them during the day. The venom of Chinese cobra is fatal to man.

To access the reserve, contact WWF (Tel (852)) 25264473) to obtain a permit. WWF organises visits on Saturday afternoon and has an office (May Po Marshes can be reached by bus or taxi departing from Sheung Shui on the KCR line).

A minute walk on the hills summit leads you to the entrance to the Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, the course of which extends throughout the peninsula. The club also features a swimming pool (open from April to November) as well as tennis, badminton and squash courts.

It includes trees with plaques indicating the names of species and few rare plants. At May Po Marsh (a bird sanctuary in the northwest near the Chinese border), cormorants can easily be seen during winter, but it is much more difficult to see the leopard cat. It's May Po that you find the most beautiful mangroves of the entire south coast of China with large mud beaches where crabs abound.

There are three main hiking trails in the territory. The Mac Lehose Trail is certainly the most famous. It crosses the New Territories separately over 100 km. The Mac Lehose has become a real event in Hong Kong. Each year, in October, teams of four participants, who have been involved for months, compete in this race, the most famous Hong Kong. It is also a symbol of solidarity: the team must arrive complete under disqualification. For the normal hiker, you must take at least one week to browse it in its entirety. The various sectors are most often accessible by public transport. Get the trail maps, for sale at the government publications centre. Some are distributed free of charge in LTD tourism offices. The Hong Kong Trail Island Trail and the Lantau Trail trail are also very popular.