Hong Kong

A 6-hour stopover for pink dolphins and stilt homes in Tai O

From Hong Kong airport, head to Tai O fishing village for an al fresco seafood lunch, a boat tour in search of pink dolphins and a stroll past traditional stilt homes
By Nova Leung / 08 Apr 2020
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Tai O Hong Kong fishing village stilt houses
Credit: 123RF
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12:00pm

It’s just 10 minutes by cab from the airport to Tung Chung, and from there bus 11 will take you through Lantau Island’s expansive greenery to Tai O in less than an hour. It’s been dubbed the ‘Venice of the Orient’ – an atmospheric fishing village where stilt houses line both sides of the channel.

1:10pm

Treat yourself to a Hakka cha guo sticky rice treat from Yan Gu (11A Wing On Street) before you step on board a speedboat with Tai O Boat Excursion (HK$25) and get up close to the stilt houses. Afterwards the boat heads out into the harbour and if you’re very lucky, you’ll spot some of Hong Kong’s endangered pink dolphins.

2:00pm

Follow the smell of the dried seafood and cross the Tai Chung Pedestrian Bridge to reach the al fresco Tai O Market. It’s the perfect spot to grab a snap of both sides of the village.

2:15pm

Time for a late al fresco lunch at Crossing Boat Restaurant (33 Kat Hing Street). You’re in a fishing village, so order the house specialities: deep-fried squid patties and long chai rice, a richly fragrant parcel of rice wrapped in lotus leaf with dried seafood, pork and shrimp paste.

3:00pm

Tai O Market Street and the adjacent Shek Tsai Po Street are packed with good eats and souvenirs. Tuck into a classic HK-style egg waffle at Wah Kee (121 Shek Tsai Po Street), still cooked over an old-school charcoal grill, and grab your foodie friends a present of umami-laden shrimp paste at the nearly century-old Sing Lee Shrimp Sauce and Paste (10 Shek Tsai Po Street).

4:30pm

A stroll along Kat Hing Back Street leads to the Tai O Viewing Point and views of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. From there, it’s an easy 15-minute walk up the hill to the Fu Shan Viewing Point for more commanding views of the greenery of Lantau. 

5:30pm

Grab a coffee at Tai Ohhh (1 Tai O Market Street ) and enjoy a sunset stroll along Tai O Promenade. This long path loops around a mangrove forest, planted over former salt pans: a reminder of the village’s enduring history and relationship with the sea.

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Hong Kong travel information

Country / Region
Hong Kong SAR
Language
Cantonese, English
Airport code
HKG
Currency
HKD
Time zone
GMT +08:00
Climate
Subtropical
Country / Region
Hong Kong SAR
Time zone
GMT +08:00
Currency
HKD
Airport code
HKG
Language
Cantonese, English
Climate
Subtropical
Find the best fares to
Hong Kong SAR
Book now
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