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5 April, 2018

Hong Kong wants you to go green

By Alexandra Coulton

In the prophetic words of Kermit the Frog, it’s not easy being green.

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This sentiment applies fairly heavily in the travel industry where it can be very difficult to focus natural wonders, particularly if you aren’t familiar with the area.

Luckily, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is making it a little easier to take a closer look at their lesser-known natural treasures with a range of new green tours, launched under the tourism board’s Great Outdoors campaign.

The new pilot scheme offers five featured tours, each run by qualified eco-tour guides.

The tours will operate under a trial period until the end of June 2018.

HKTB Regional Director – Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, Andrew Clark said the introduction of these new activities will enhance Hong Kong’s tourism product and provide visitors with the opportunity to learn more about Hong Kong’s local geology and ecology.

“The HKTB initiated scheme will provide funding support for local travel operators to assist them in developing new green tour products, whilst also encouraging visitors to explore the enchanting landscapes beyond the city,” Clark said.

Tours include:

Lai Chi Wo Hiking Tour

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Dating back more than 400 years Lai Chi Wo was once among the most affluent villages in the Northeastern New Territories.

The houses and the feng shui woods behind the village remain well preserved. The guided tour leads you to the largest bed of Coastal Heritiera (Heritiera Littoralis) in Hong Kong and the White-flower Derris which forms a ‘natural swing’ along the mangroves. Following the coastline, you will see the impressive reddish landscape caused by 400 million years of rock oxidation.

The tour runs for eight hours and starts at HK$1,000 (approx AUD$170) per person including lunch.

Geopark Hiking Tour

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The long and sinuous coastline at Sai Kung is a natural geological gallery, featuring spectacular landforms and rock formations shaped by volcanic activity 140 million years ago, as well as waves and weathering.

The guided tour takes you through magnificent hexagonal columnar joints, a natural tombolo at Sharp Island and an inland water dam wall at High Island Reservoir.

The tour runs for eight hours and starts at HK$1,000 (approx AUD$170) per person including lunch.

Geopark Boat Tour

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Sai Kung Islands. Sai Kung boasts the longest stretch of coastline and the most outlying islands in Hong Kong, with unique scenery and extraordinary rugged profiles.

The tour guides you through the region’s rich geo-diversity which includes magnificent sea stacks, breathtaking tubular rock columns and sea caves, typical coastal terrain, the rare acidic hexagonal volcanic rock columns of High Island, and rhyolite on Sharp Island.

The tour runs for three hours and starts at HK$975 (approx AUD$166) per person.

Additional tours coming soon:

Lantau South in-depth Agriculture Fishery and Heritage Tourism

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Lantau Island is rich in ecological resources.

Due to its geographic limitations, Tai O, an area on the island, was much slower to urbanise, and to this day retains a wealth of eco-cultural treasures, including stilt houses, salt field relics and Chinese White Dolphins which live in the waters surrounding the area.

Visitors can experience farming at the nearby village of Yi O, where terraced rice paddies can still be found.

The tour runs for six hours and starts at HK$450 (approx AUD$77) per person.

Rock Academy – Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region

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There is evidence of volcanic activity in Hong Kong dating back 140 million years.

In Sai Kung, there is a caldera, which is the result of a volcanic eruption.

This guided tour will take you through interesting geological formations to explore aged rocks specimens, minerals, fossils and evidence of tidal influences.

You will get a chance to walk over a naturally occurring 250-metre long tombolo on Sharp Island to reach Kiu Tau, before paying a visit to the Volcano Discovery Centre at Sai Kung Pier and Lions Nature Education Centre in Tsiu Hang.

The tour runs for five hours and starts at HK$450 (approx AUD$77) per person.

For further details or to book these tours go here.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

eco-tourism green tours green travel hong kong natural