Hong Kong Madame - English

Eco-tourism in Hong Kong

January 27th 2018


by Aude
 
Today I am taking you on a tour, something slightly different than our usual “new designer shops” or “top restaurants” things but not less interesting.
Always on the look for new activities and different ways to discover or re-discover beautiful Hong Kong (by the way, have you already used our special Hong Kong Madame discount on TramOramic tours? Not yet? You definitely wanna check it) we are taking you on a Southern District Eco and Military History tour.
 
Have I lost you already?
I know, the name can seem a little bit frightening but there is actually nothing to be afraid of. The tour is hosted by ECO Travel Limited, an eco-tourism agency whose mission is to promote nature conservation.  Should we start?

Kicking off the tour in San Wai. Have you ever spot this little village, just a few steps away from Ocean Park? I always see it when heading to the beach (Deep Water Bay, Repulse bay, South Bay, Stanley) from Central but would have never thought about visiting it. Built between 1860’s and 1870’s, the village still features a few historic buildings from the era including No.10 Wong Chuk Hang San Wai, one of the very few remaining traditional Chinese vernacular house remaining on Hong Kong Island.
Too bad the house is only open on Weekends and Public Holidays, would have loved to get a sneak peek of its inside. 

On to our next stop, the rock carvings. Had definitely no idea there was so much more to Wong Chuk Hang than cool industrial like buildings and hype coffees, shops and co-working spaces! The Rock Carvings are super easily accessible and I am pretty sure both adults and kiddos will be quite impressed to see the carved patterns there. A quick and super interesting stop. Did you know that there was Rock Carvings in Hong Kong? I had no idea! Gotta feeling that this tour is going to teach me a few things about the 852 …
 
And onto a nice walk along the Wong Nai Chung Heritage Trail. Previously a strategic passage between the North and the South of the Island, Wong Nai Chung Gap has seen the turnout of the battle of Hong Kong (WW2) since its capture by the Japanese forces led to the downfall of Hong Kong Island. The tour is taking us on a 1.5h walk along this Heritage Trail with both explanations on the nature around here and on the history of this very strategic place. Ending up in a quite surprising place: Crown Wine Cellars, a private members wine club located at 18 Deep Water Bay Drive on what was once the Central Ordinance Munitinons Depot. 

I feel the tour could need a few fixes as some parts are a little bit messy and confused. Yet, I also learnt a lot in just one afternoon and went home straight to my computer to find some additional info about things that I have seen or heard on that day. I believe it is fair to say that this is an interesting and off the beaten tracks way of wandering Hong Kong Island.
 
Duration of the tour: 4h
I wouldn’t recommend this tour for young children but pre-teenagers and teenagers could definitely follow it (if you are lucky enough to have teenagers who are keen on doing family activities and do not say “boring” every time you try to emphasis the cultural side of things).
Those interested in knowing more about the Military History (WW2) of Hong Kong will definitely enjoy it. I did not know much about it, and do not usually have a very strong interest in Military History, and found this part very interesting.
If the eco and nature preservation parts are what you are looking for to better discover, I guess others ECO Travel Limited’s tours would be better suited for you. You might for example want to check their Geotours.
 
Any off the beaten tracks ways of discovering Hong Kong to share with us? We want to hear from you!
Email us at contact@hongkongmadame.com



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