Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP SIGHT
MAI PO MARSHES
You'll witness the magic of migration in Mai Po Marshes, one of the world's
most significant wetlands and a major pit stop for the tens of thousands of
migratory waterfowl travelling from Siberia to Australasia every winter. These
months are the best time to visit this Hong Kong treasure as you're likely to
spot a number of rare birds; in other months, nature lovers and urbanites
alike come here for the sheer beauty and biodiversity of Mother Nature.
Mai Po Marshes comprise some 1500 hectares of wetlands at the centre of which is a
nature reserve jointly managed by the
World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong
(, WWFHK
24hr hotline 2526 1011;
www.wwf.org.hk
;1 Tramway Path, Central)
and the government's Agricul-
ture, Fisheries & Conservation Department. Here, the fragile ecosystem abutting Deep Bay
simply teems with life. It is a protected network of mudflats,
gei wai
(shallow shrimp
ponds), reed beds and dwarf mangroves, offering a rich habitat of up to 380 species of mi-
gratory and resident birds, more than a third of them rarely seen elsewhere in the territory.
The area attracts birds in every season but especially winter, when an average of 54,000 mi-
gratory birds - including such endangered species as the Dalmatian pelican, black-faced
spoonbill, spotted and imperial eagle and black vulture - pass through the marshes.
The nature reserve includes the
Mai Po Visitor Centre
( 2471 8272)
at the northeastern
end, where you must register; the
Mai Po Education Centre
( 2482 0369)
to the south,
with displays on the history and ecology of the wetland and Deep Bay;
floating board-
walks
and trails through the mangroves and mudflats; and a dozen
hides
from where you
can watch birds up close without being observed.
The WWFHK does guided visits to the marsh. Three-hour
tours
(tours HK$90-350; tours
depart 9am, 9.30am, 10am, 2pm, 2.30pm & 3pm Sat, Sun & public holdiays)
leave the visitor centre
on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The tours can be booked online, but you still
need to reserve well in advance, especially during the winter months. Visitors are advised to
bring binoculars (these may be available to borrow at the visitor's centre) and cameras, and
to wear comfortable walking shoes but not bright clothing.
Bus 76K or red minibus 17 will drop you off at Mai Po Lo Wai, a village along the main
road just east of the marsh. The WWFHK car park is about a 20-minute walk from there.
Alternatively, a taxi from Sheung Shui will cost HK$70.
