From To Tei Wan to Big Wave Bay along Dragon's Back and an alternative trail (Photo-essay)

Especially after it was named as the best urban hike in Asia in an issue of Time magazine, the route along the Dragon's Back in Shek O Country Park may well be the most well known of Hong Kong's hiking trails.  And the conventional option that most people take when hiking in this part of the Big Lychee is to go from To Tei Wan and follow the Hong Kong Trail's Stage 8 all the way to Big Wave Bay.

On my third trek up and down Dragon's Back, however, I discovered a scenic alternative to the end section of Stage 8 of the Hong Kong Trail.  And when a former hiking buddy returned from Canada for a short visit, I decided it'd be cool to show her this other route.  So off we went on Sunday afternoon with a new hiking friend who also had previously been on Dragon's Back but didn't know about this alternative route (part of which appears as a dotted path on the Hong Kong Island & Neighbouring Islands map in the invaluable Countryside Series!)... ;b

The trail up to the Dragon's Back from To Tei Wan

goes through a thicket of bamboo and then quickly uphill

 

In just a few minutes, you'll already be 

several meters above sea level :)

 

From the spinal ridge of the Dragon's Back can be seen views like

this of Shek O village, beach and the country club's golf courses

 

As its name implies, this is an undulating trail 

with many peaks and troughs

 

This is one of those images that many people would 

find it hard to believe was taken in Hong Kong, right? ;b

 

While the Hong Kong Trail's end section is covered by foliage,

the scenic alternative path down to Big Wave Bay is visible in this photo

 

View of Big Wave Bay from along the alternative path

 

If truth be told, there didn't seem to be many really big waves

in that bay but the many surfers out there seemed happy enough! ;b