Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and the British marines under his
command, planted the Union Jack in
1841 to take possession of Hong Kong
Island for the British crown; there are no
plaques to commemorate this.
An excellent way to descend he Peak
is to
walk
, the simplest route being to
follow the sign pointing to Hatton Road,
from opposite the picnic area on Harlech
Road. A very clear path leads all the way
through trees, eventually emerging after
about 45 minutes in Mid-Levels, near the
junction between Kotewall Road and
Conduit Road. Catch bus #13 or
minibus #3 from Kotewall Road to
Central, or you can walk east for about
1km along Conduit Road until you reach
the top end of the Mid-Levels Escalator
(see p.131), and follow that down into
Central. he tourist o
ce supplies useful
maps (see p.145).
The Peak
he uppermost levels of the 552m hill
that towers over Central and Victoria
Harbour have always been known as
Victoria Peak (or simply “he Peak”),
and, in colonial days, the area was
populated by upper-class expats. Today
he Peak offers some extraordinary
panoramic views over the city and
harbour below, as well as pleasant,
leisurely walks. See
W
thepeak.com.hk for
more information.
he Peak Tram drops you at the
terminal in the
Peak Tower
. his building
and the
Peak Galleria
across the road are
full of souvenir shops and pricey bars
and restaurants, some with spectacular
views. he Peak Tower charges HK$30 to
access its
Sky Terrace 428
viewing gallery
(Mon-Fri 10am-11pm; Sat & Sun
8am-11pm), or you can buy a ticket
that combines the tram and the terrace
(HK$53 one-way, HK$65 return). he
view
from the top of the Peak Galleria is
almost as good, the only difference being
that it's free of charge. For more great
vistas, follow Mount Austin Road to
Victoria Peak Garden, formerly the site
of the Governor's residence, burnt down
to the ground by the Japanese in World
War II. Another great alternative is to
circumambulate he Peak along the
3.5km loop formed by the Harlech Road,
due west of the Peak Terminal, and
Lugard Road on the northern slope,
which sweeps around he Peak before
curving back to the terminal.
3
Aberdeen
Situated on the quieter south side of
Hong Kong Island,
Aberdeen
is where
Hong Kongers come for a seafood lunch.
A tiny minority of Aberdeen's residents
still live on
sampans
(small motorized
boats) in the narrow harbour that lies
between the main island and the offshore
island of Ap Lei Chau - a tradition that
certainly preceded the arrival of the
British in Hong Kong, and a way of life
that is now facing extinction. A time-
honoured and enjoyable tourist activity
in Aberdeen is to take a
sampan tour
around the harbour (around HK$68 for
30min). he trip offers great photo
opportunities of the old houseboats
jammed together, complete with dogs,
drying laundry and outdoor kitchens.
You'll also pass boat yards and floating
restaurants, especially spectacular when
lit up at night. he most famous is
Jumbo
Kingdom
, created by Stanley Ho in the
style of a giant floating imperial palace;
Dragon Court is overpriced but the 3rd
floor
dim sum
is great. To reach Aberdeen,
RIDING THE PEAK TRAM
Half the fun of The Peak is the ascent on the
Peak Tram
, a cable-hauled funicular that's been
climbing 396 vertical metres to the terminus since 1888 in just eight minutes - a remarkable
piece of engineering. To find the Lower Peak Tram Terminal in Central, catch bus #15C
(HK$4.20) from the Central Bus Terminus near the Star Ferry (10am-11.40pm), or walk up
Garden Road - it's a little way up the hill from St John's Cathedral. The Peak Tram itself (daily
7am-midnight; HK$28 one-way, HK$40 return;
W
thepeak.com.hk) runs every ten to fifteen
minutes. If you want to see the sunset from up high, start queuing no later than 4pm; Sundays
and public holidays are the busiest times and best avoided.
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