Lantau Island, Hong Kong: How To Reach, Best Time & Tips

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Lantau Island Overview

To begin your journey through Lantau Island, start with the Ngong Ping Village. Here you will witness a traditional style of Chinese architecture, restaurants, shops, and small tea houses. You can opt for a hiking trail which starts from Ngong Ping 360 and ends at the Ngong Ping Village.

If hiking is not your cup of tea, you can take the cable car ride. Riding a Ngong Ping 360 cable car ride, you can have an aerial view of the entire Lantau Island. This ride is a quick way to drive you from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping village. You can capture some beautiful pictures of the South China Sea and the North Lantau Country Park with a bird’s eye view. As you are done with your cable car ride, Tian Tian Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, Tai O Fishing Village are some places to see. All these activities to experience in the cultural hub of Lantau Island.

Towards the end of your Lantau Island visit, do not miss on their eateries. Enchanted Garden Restaurant, The China Beach Club, Bahce Turkish Restaurant, Tai O Crossing Boat Restaurant and OLEA are some top ones on the list.

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Known as the giant ecological preserve of Hong Kong, Lantau Island, is the biggest of all islands in Hong Kong. What adds to the beauty of Lantau is its lush greenery, unspoiled countryside, and a giant Tian Tian Buddha statue. Dramatic oceanic views, picturesque villages, gorgeous hiking trails are key attractions of Hong Kong's western island.

To begin your journey through Lantau Island, start with the Ngong Ping Village. Here you will witness a traditional style of Chinese architecture, restaurants, shops, and small tea houses. You can opt for a hiking trail which starts from Ngong Ping 360 and ends at the Ngong Ping Village.

If hiking is not your cup of tea, you can take the cable car ride. Riding a Ngong Ping 360 cable car ride, you can have an aerial view of the entire Lantau Island. This ride is a quick way to drive you from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping village. You can capture some beautiful pictures of the South China Sea and the North Lantau Country Park with a bird’s eye view. As you are done with your cable car ride, Tian Tian Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, Tai O Fishing Village are some places to see. All these activities to experience in the cultural hub of Lantau Island.

Towards the end of your Lantau Island visit, do not miss on their eateries. Enchanted Garden Restaurant, The China Beach Club, Bahce Turkish Restaurant, Tai O Crossing Boat Restaurant and OLEA are some top ones on the list.

Must Read: 55 Adventurous & Fun Things to do in Hong Kong

Essential Information

Location: Lantau Island is located toward the south-western end of the state of Hong Kong.

Timings: You can step-in at Lantau Island at any point in time. However, for all the attraction, there are specific time limits which you are supposed to observe strictly.

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Places to Visit in & near Lantau Island

1. The Big Buddha, Ngong Ping: A 34 meter Big Buddha statue carved from bronze overlooks the mainland of China. This statue is worshipped by many religious pilgrims across the world. To reach near the statue, you need to climb around 268 steps. The moment you reach the top, you get to see a magnificent view of the beautiful Lantau Island from bird’s eye view. There’s something called Wisdom Path covered by a canopy of trees. Plan your visit to the Big Buddha on weekdays as locals usually troop towards the statue on weekends.

2. Po Lin Monastery, Ngong Ping: Po Lin Monastery is located atop the Ngong Ping Plateau and overlooks the Big Buddha. This is both a famous tourist attraction and a world-renowned Buddhist establishment. The architectural beauty here is worthy of adoring. Along the main axis, you will find the presence of San Men, which will directly lead you towards the Hall of Skanda Bodhisattva. Within, there’s a Buddha shrine, and a grand hall featuring around ten thousand Buddha. Remember to collect lunch or snacks coupons at the base of the steps that lead you to the Big Buddha. Your tickets will be redeemed at the Po Ling Monastery.

3. Tai O Village: Tai O Village homes to Tanka community fisher folks. You can find the presence of traditional stilt houses here. This is a picturesque village surrounding the harbor featuring a traditional fish market. The fish market here offers a wide array of dried fish and other souvenirs.

4. Visit Disneyland: This is a theme-based park of Hong Kong. This wonderland homes to 7 adventures to explore – Grizzly Gulch, Toy Story Land, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Mystic Point, Main Street, and Tomorrowland. Jungle River Cruise, Karibuni Marketplace, Liki Tikis, Tarzan's Treehouse are some of the attractions to enjoy here. Besides, Disneyland occasionally schedules a lot of events for you to be a part of. Clopin’s Festival of Foods, Royal Banquet Hall, Main Street Bakery, Market House, Plaza Inn, and Explorer Club’s Restaurant are some dining options. Hong Kong Disneyland Park Ticket @ Flat 20% Off, Book Now!

5. Cheung Sha Beach: Cheung Sha Beach is one of the most popular day-tripper’s beaches of Hong Kong. This beach is split up in two different sections – upper and lower. Cheung Sha Beach is a perfect place for all those who wander in search of peaceful isolation. If you feel hungry, you can quickly approach the small food outlets at the lower section of this beach. You will get some cold beer and fresh fish. On the contrary, the upper section of this beach remains remote due to complete lack of all essential amenities.

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Best Time to Visit Lantau Island

People usually prefer to visit Lantau Island between October to December. Throughout this period, the weather of Lantau Island is typically cold, calm, and dry. Showers here begin with the start of the English calendar. Although summers are still pleasant to plan your visit, there are high chances of tropical storms.

Winter in Lantau - Lantau experiences winter from December to February when you can expect a drop in average temperature from 20 to 12 degrees.

Spring in Lantau - Spring season of Lantau extends from March to May with a temperature range of 17 to 26 degrees.

Summers in Lantau - The summer season of Lantau extends from June to August with a temperature as high as 26 to 31 degrees.

Autumn - Lantau witnesses autumn from September to November with a temperature falling in the range of 19 to 28 degrees.

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Hotels in Lantau Island

1. Silvermine Beach Resort: Silvermine Beach Resort tops the table when it comes to finding the right place for your Lantau Island stays. You can experience the stunning beachfront views as the hotel features sea view rooms. Every room is well-equipped with all the modern amenities you need to experience a comfortable stay. Swimming, biking, kayaking, water bike, archery, aeroplane chess, badminton, volleyball are some of their outdoor activities to enjoy.

2. Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong: Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong homes to around 325 well-appointed rooms and suites. Each room here offers picturesque ocean views. Café bord de Mer has a seating capacity of 160 guests where you can enjoy sea breezes while having your refreshments and fresh cocktail. Spa Botanica, gym, kids club, outdoor swimming pool, beaches, hiking, horse carriage ride, and cycling are some of their outdoor events.

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3. Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel: Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel offers you two types of rooms for your stay – Standard and Sea View Room with all essential amenities. Crystal Lotus, Sea Breeze Bar, Walt’s Café, Enchanted Garden Restaurant and in-room dining are some dining options available here. The hotel staff schedules various recreational activities for all their guests. There’s a playground, pool, tennis court, and a multi-court for you to enjoy your favorite sport while you are on your weekends. Mickey Mouse Maze offers a right spot for your little ones to find their way out.

4. Mia Casa Hotel: Mia Casa Hotel is a boutique hotel with 33 luxurious rooms. You have a wide array of options here to select your room from – solo, double room, supreme twin room, Harbour view room, deluxe terrace room, and deluxe 2 bedrooms. Every room is well-equipped with modernized facilities to make your Lantau Island holiday a memorable one for you.

5. Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel: Surrounded by tranquil tropical gardens and a direct view of the stunning Golden Beach is what defines the natural beauty of Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel. For ages, this place has been serving as the perfect wedding destination, weekend getaway, or corporate event venue. All rooms here will offer you a complete view of the Country Club and the Gold Coast Yacht. Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel also has kid-themed rooms and five dining points. a mini-train ride, outdoor driving adventure, gold coast zipline, water park, ‘Sharks and Pirate’ adventure zone are some essential facilities here.

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Places to Eat in Lantau Island

1. Enchanted Garden Restaurant: Enchanted Garden Restaurant is one of the food outlets of the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. This buffet-style restaurant is open both for breakfast and dinner on all days of the calendar. Enchanted Garden Restaurant features a garden-style eating zone with a stylish eatery. What adds up to your entertainment here is that you can meet your favorite Disney characters.

2. OLEA: This is a Mediterranean restaurant where you get a wide array of tapas, pizzas, and other specialities of the neighboring regions. OLEA offers numerous promotional discounts; so before you step in there, make sure that you check those. This restaurant provides you with an online table reservation facility. For this, you need to visit the official website of Novotel, Lantau Island hotel as OLEA is a food outlet of this hotel. Food served here is of supreme quality.

3. Bahce Turkish Restaurant: For years, Bahce Turkish Restaurant has remained to be favorite amongst all the locals out there. You’ll get all Turkish delicacies here. Lamb Shish Kebab and falafel dips are their signature delicacies. Expect a friendly service here with a calm and relaxing atmosphere.

4. Tai O Crossing Boat Restaurant: If you want to try some unique Lantau dishes, head in the direction of Tai O Crossing Boat Restaurant. Lotus leaves wrapped steamed rice, baked seafood, stuffed pumpkin are some of the signature dishes being served here.

5. The China Beach Club: China Beach Club’s main cuisine combo is BBQ and Mediterranean. This international restaurant overlooks the seafront and offers stunning views of the vastly stretched sea. So, when your food is still being prepared, you can just stroll for some time or capture some beautiful moments of the surrounding.

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Adventure Activities in Lantau Island

1. Hike Hong Kong’s Second Highest Mountain, Lantau Peak: Although it is a must-to-try adventure, Hong Kong’s hiking adventure is not meant for the faint-hearted people. Your trial will begin from Ngong Ping and will lead you to Tian Tian Buddha. You can expect your hiking trail to last for around 2.5 hours. Once you reach the height of 3054 feet, you can capture some beautiful 360-degree view of the surrounding beauty. This top has now become an excellent point to observe the sunrise. As your hiking trail will be a difficult one, make sure that you carry plenty of water with you. Lantau Peak Sunrise Hiking Tour, Book Now!

2. Wakeboarding, Sunbathing, and Swimming: Ride a junk or cruise from Central to take you to a sanctuary. As you cruise along the edge of tides, you will witness some transitionary phases of the skyline. Once you reach a remote island, you can simply relax with a sunbathing activity along the white sand beach or go swimming in the waters. Sha Kia Tau is a perfect destination to enjoy sunbathing, swimming, and wakeboarding water activities.

3. Fishing: Tai O Village is a hub for traditional fishing activities. You can witness the presence of traditional stilt houses here. These reflect the architectural intelligence of old Southern Chinese villages. If you are lucky enough, you might even observe dolphins in their playful mood.

4. Surfing: Surfing is one of the most memorable things to enjoy when you step into the soils of the Lantau Islands. To enjoy this experience, you need to head towards the Big Wave Bay. This is a sheltered cove lying amidst green hills. There’s a small village within which you can find surfers and some shops selling surfing equipment. If you have some more time to spare, you can consider hiking along the Dragon’s Back Trail. Dragon's Back Trail, Hong Kong @ Flat 16% Off, Check Now!

5. Cable Car Ride: Ngong Ping Cable Car helps you to travel between Ngong Ping and Tung Chung. This is a safe bi-cable ropeway to give you an unrivalled experience in Lantau Island. Your cable car ride is 5.7 km in length and will require around 25 minutes to drive you to your destination. You have three cable car ride options to choose from – standard cabin, crystal cabin, and lastly, the private cabin. Ngong Ping 360 Crystal Cabin Ride, Book Now!

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Facts About Lantau Island

- English nickname for the ‘Lantau Island’ derived its identity from ‘Lan – broken’; ‘Tau – head’; ‘Shan – mountain.’
- Chinese nickname – ‘Tai Yeu Shan’ derived its identity from the original inhabitants of this island.
- You can find the remains of Nam Mo (a traditional Taoist religious practitioner) at Tai O and a shrine at Tai Ping Street.
- There’s a small village called Fan Kwai Tong towards the western end of Tai O. According to the beliefs of local families, this village was a European settlement. While others believe it to be inhabited either by Dutch or Portuguese. However, there’s no clarity with regards to Lantau.
- You may find lingual variations amongst the Hong Kong inhabitants. For instance, Tai O fishermen speak Tanka dialect; farmers speak Wairau dialect; while others speak Hakka. On average, indigenous rural villagers of Lantau are not genuine Cantonese speaking people.
- If Tamao had been a present part of Lantau, it would have contributed to the establishment of many casinos, colonial buildings, and Macanese cuisine.

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How to reach Lantau Island from Airport?

You have four different options to reach Lantau Island from Hong Kong International Airport –

By Train - Tung Chung MTR line is the fastest way to reach north Lantau Island. Your trip will last for around 25 minutes and will cost you 25.50 Hong Kong dollars (232.28 INR).

By Boat - You can take a ferry to Lantau Island. To avail ferry service, you first need to head towards Outlying Islands Pier, which is located in the Central. Ferry service to the Discovery Bay shall charge you around 40 Hong Kong dollars (364.33 INR) per head and 15.90 Hong Kong dollars (144.83 INR) per head for Mui Wo.

By Bus - Although a bit slow transportation mode, yet there is extensive bus service which connects the airport to the Lantau island. Check the bus timetable at the official website of new Lantao Bus before you begin your journey.

By Car - You can drive your vehicle through the Lantau Link Expressway to reach Disneyland. In this case, you will just be paying the nominal fuel charges.

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FAQs

Q1. What is Lantau Island history?
Lantau Islands marks its historical significance as being amongst the first European trading settlements. In 1517, these settlements were abandoned by Portuguese and in the 16th century, the island featured nine settlements. During the second world war, Lantau island served as a significant resistance base against Japanese troops. Later, in the year 2000, it functioned as an essential Fiber-Optic link.

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Q3. How do you get to Big Buddha?
You have five ways to reach Tian Tian Buddha –

- By Ngong Ping Cable Car Ride
- By new Lantao Bus No. 23 (Tung Chung)
- By new Lantao Bus No. 21 (Tai O)
- By Blue Taxi
- By Ferry (to Mui Wo) and then Bus No. 2

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Q5. What can you do in Lantau Island for free?
Here’s a list of a few things you can do at Lantau Island for free –

- Visit Ngong Ping Village
- Visit Tian Tian Buddha
- Visit Tai O Fishing Village
- Stroll along Silvermine Bay Beach

Q6. Is Tian Tan Buddha can be visited for free?
Yes, you do not need to pay any charges to visit Tian Tian Buddha statue at Lantau Island.

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Q7. How long is the Ngong Ping cable car ride?
The cable car journey of Ngong Ping connects Ngong Ping with Tung Chung and is 5.7 kilometres long. Your one-way cable car journey from start to endpoint will thereby last for 25 minutes.

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Q8. How tall is the Big Buddha on Lantau Island?
Lantau Island’s Big Buddha stands is 112 feet or 34 meters high. This makes it one of the most famous sights in Hong Kong.

Q9. What are the best Shopping places on Lantau Island?
There are four best places to go for shopping in Lantau Island – Citygate Outlets, Hong Kong SkyMart, SkyPlaza Hong Kong, and Tai O Fishing Village.

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