Outer Islands Cruise to Cheung Chau by Private Chinese Junk

Smaller than Lantau Island and closer to Kowloon, Cheung Chau Island is urbanized in a charming "Old China" way with distinctly Chinese junks and sampans crowding its curving harbour. This dumbbell-shaped isle, with hills at either end or a village nestled on a connecting rod of land is so narrow that it is only a few minutes walk from Cheung Chau Harbour on its west side to Tung Wan Harbour on its east side. Cheung Chau is a fishing island, its harbour filled with boats of all sizes, shapes, and colors. They compete with the ubiquitous kaido; the small boats used as local motorized water taxis. On this island, where cars are banned, street vendors selling local crafts and dried seafood still fill the narrow alleyways. Visit Pak Tai Temple dedicated to the Emperor of the North who once saved the island from a plague.

Once a strategic hideout cove for pirates, the now urbanized island town is something of a quiet beachside home to a community of fishermen and inter-island commuters. Shuttle ferries and hovercraft dock in and out of the Cheung Chau Harbour like it was a bus stop. What truly distinguishes this community from the average beach town is the lack of motor vehicles and blasting boom boxes. In the hillsides away from the busy market streets, walk about the network of gently-curving, pedestrian-sized roads, and you'd be surprised how even with the sound of birds and ocean surf in the distance, the most distinct (and perhaps annoying) sound audible will be that of your own footsteps and loose change jostling around in your pockets.

The tour will continue to Silvermine Bay, Lantau. A coach transfers you via the scenic Cheung Sha Beach, Skek Pik Reservoir and the traditional Tai O fishing village. The coach then climbs the mountains to Po Lin Monastery, one of the largest in South East Asia for a guided tour of the temples and courtyards. View Asia's tallest and newest outdoor giant bronze Buddha situated high in the mountain. The tour ends with a coach transfer back to the hotel.