Third episode of my Hong Kong–Macau 2017 blog series—one I’ve been meaning to post for a long time. Life got so busy that I wasn’t able to update this right away, but here we are!

On our third day, my friends and I explored Lantau Island—an experience I’ll never forget. We visited the island via the Ngong Ping 360° cable car, and it was my first time riding one. I was absolutely thrilled!

We left our guesthouse at 8 AM and took the MTR Tung Chung Line from Kowloon Station to Tung Chung Station, the last stop. From there, it was just a 5-minute walk to the Ngong Ping cable car terminal.

The ride took about 25–30 minutes and offered us an incredible 360° panoramic view of Lantau Island and the surrounding forests. Floating above the vast greenery felt like stepping into another world.

🏛️ Ngong Ping

Our first stop was Ngong Ping Village, a charming area known for its close proximity to the iconic Big Buddha. The village is home to various shops, cafés, restaurants, souvenir stores, and, of course, the Ngong Ping 360° cable car terminal. The Big Buddha sits atop the Ngong Ping plateau, drawing visitors from around the world.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to climb up to the Big Buddha that day. A fun run event was taking place, and access to the Big Buddha was temporarily closed by the management due to the ongoing activity.

🗺️Tai-O Village

As part of our pre-booked cable car package, we also received a free bus ride to Tai O, a charming fishing village located outside Hong Kong. We headed there for lunch. To reach Tai O, we took a bus from Ngong Ping Village.

Aside from being the oldest fishing village in Hong Kong, Tai O is famous for its unique stilt houses and the presence of the elusive Chinese white dolphins.

Tai O is a peaceful retreat, offering a stark contrast to the bustling, noisy, and fast-paced life of Hong Kong. The laid-back, simple lifestyle of the locals is what draws most tourists to the village. The river plays a central role in the daily lives of the residents, and you’ll find a community market, an elementary school, and even some old temples scattered throughout the area.

We arrived in Tai O and began our boat excursion to see the Chinese white dolphins and the General Rocks. The ride offered us a spectacular view of the surrounding mountain ranges, the vast sea, and the iconic Tai O stilt houses. The boat boarding area is located near Tai Chung Bridge, just a short walk from the bus station.

Along with two other foreign couples, we began our boat excursion. The boatman, speaking in Cantonese, pointed out bridges under construction and explained various details that, unfortunately, I couldn’t quite understand. Perhaps if I were fluent in Mandarin or Cantonese, his explanations would have been more informative.

After the boat excursion, we were hungry and decided to find a place to eat. We wanted somewhere with an open view of the river and the boats cruising by. We settled at a local restaurant known for its variety of seafood. A middle-aged man greeted us warmly, led us to our table, and took our orders. He quickly identified my friends as Filipinos and then asked me if I was Malaysian, to which I replied, ‘No.’ He shared that he had once lived in the Philippines and even went to church on Sundays.

After lunch, we made our way back to Ngong Ping Village. However, we accidentally missed our bus stop because we had dozed off. Oh no! When we woke up, we realized we had already reached the Tung Chung cable car terminal in the city! Fortunately, our voucher included free unlimited bus rides, so we hopped on another bus back to Ngong Ping Village. The ride gave me a chance to enjoy the scenic countryside, the stunning mountain ranges, and the peaceful villages of Lantau Island.

Luckily, we were able to reach Ngong Ping Village quickly! I knew we were in the right place when I spotted the Big Buddha in the distance and the beautiful gate of Po Lin Monastery, one of Lantau Island’s Buddhist temples. The monastery is known for its stunning and colorful Chinese architectural designs.

After exploring Po Lin Monastery, we stopped by Starbucks Ngong Ping, grabbed a few souvenirs from the store, and made our way back to the Ngong Ping cable car terminal. Our scheduled departure back to Hong Kong was at 4:30 PM.

From the MTR Tung Chung Line (Tung Chung Station), we made our way to Central Station (Island Line) for our 6 PM Peak Tram ride. Our meeting spot was Charter Garden, a popular gathering place for fellow Filipinos. It’s the perfect spot to take in Hong Kong’s iconic skyscrapers, like the Bank of China Tower and Citibank Plaza.

After enduring the long queues at the Peak Tram, we were finally rewarded with the stunning night view of Hong Kong, with its dazzling skyscrapers. Victoria Peak truly took our breath away! We had a quick dinner at Burger King afterward but didn’t linger too long. We wrapped up the evening by taking a bus back to Central Station and then heading to our guesthouse.

Our last day was relatively relaxed as we wrapped up some shopping, enjoyed a few final meals, and soaked in the last moments of the city before our 9 PM flight back to Manila. We checked out at 2 PM and took a bus to the airport. To pass the time, we grabbed our caffeine fix at Starbucks and had dinner at Popeyes.

Our Hong Kong trip has come to an end, but I’ll be back. This journey is just the beginning.

***My friends and I went to Hong Kong and Macau in 2017 as part of our first out-of-country trip together. This is a migrated/reposted blog. ***