We recently returned from a cruise which originated in Hong Kong. Prior to the cruise we spent three days in the Tsim Sha Tsui area. Since our group of four long-time friends had previously visited Hong Kong’s major tourist sites we reserved only one tour during our stay. We booked a five hour private car tour to Lantau Island via Viatour. “This is Asia Tours” actually provided the tour and its owner Jacky was our guide and driver. The tour was exactly as advertised and was exactly what we were wanting. Jacky was knowledgeable about Lantau Island’s history and the island’s current status. He provided excellent commentary during the drive to the island. Within an hour we transitioned from the hectic urban nature of the city to the quieter and mostly rural island environment.
Our first stop was at a beautiful reservoir; we then drove up to the base of the Big Buddha and climbed more than 250 stops to the top. Jacky provided excellent details about the Big Buddha during the climb. Once we reached the summit, Jacky described in detail the history of the construction of the temple and he explained the nature of the various smaller sculptures surrounding the Big Buddha. The descent was also slow and peppered with interesting tidbits that Jacky shared with us. We then walked to the nearby Po Lin Monastery and spent considerable time outside the Grand Hall of 10,000 Buddhas where Jacky shared more background information about its history and Buddhism.
We then drove from the inland setting to the far western coast of the island to the Tai O fishing village where Jacky shared with us the long history of the small enclave which vastly differs from the modern, bustling city of Hong Kong. We walked through the village and then took a boat ride out to open waters where we saw pink dolphins and the sprawling Hong Kong airport in the distance. We then walked through another area of the village to the Kwan Tai Temple which dates back to the late 18th century. After watching the sunset over the village, we walked back to Jacky’s comfortable van for the one hour drive back to our hotel in Hong Kong.
Jacky provided a flawless afternoon visit to Lantau Island. His commentary and descriptions were excellent. As an added bonus, he took great photos of us as we explored the island with him and those photos will provide great reminders of our tour. Jacky and his “This is Asia Tour” company helped us see a part of Hong Kong that was so different from our previous tourist experiences in Hong Kong.