Hong Kong Adventure: Lantau Island

Introduction

One of the many highlights of Hong Kong is the Tian Tan Buddha also known by the locals as the Big Buddha. The Big Buddha is part of the entire Ngong Ping 360 (NP360) experience.
If you like to try the NP360, check out more information in this website.

http://www.np360.com.hk/en/

In this entry, I will be focussing only on the following places which I visited.

• Tian Tan Buddha
• Po Lin Monastery
• Path of Wisdom and Lantau Peak
• Tai-O Fishing Village

 

Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha)

Located on Lantau Island, HK’s favourite hiking spot, I first headed over to Tung Chung MTR. Tung Chung MTR houses a very modern and beautiful mall. So if you are on a rush, you can have your breakfast here.


From Tung Chung MTR, there are several ways to get up to Big Buddha. The most scenic route is to hike. The route is not short and pretty difficult even for the seasoned hiker. Expect anything between 6 to 8 hours of hike, so I been told.
The second scenic route is to take the cable car. The ticket prices vary and are on sale on site. There is always a crowd here, so you may want to get the ticket from your hotel before coming over. It saves a lot of time. Most hotels do sell return tickets for the cable car ride. Ask your friendly hotelier.



The final two options includes taking a bus, which ferries people daily up to the peak or a cab.
I took the cable car option, which gave a beautiful, scenic view of Lantau Island, trekking path up to Big Buddha, the airport and Big Buddha, himself.

Cable car ride takes about 20 minutes or so to reach the peak cable car station. If you hadn’t notice, there was someone who took a photo of you in the cable car. If you want it as a souvenir, you can purchase it at the peak station.



The Big Buddha is both a temple where people come to pray and also a famous tourist attraction. So be cautious and be respectful. There is only path to the Big Buddha and it is difficult to miss.
Between the peak cable car station and the Big Buddha, there are many side attractions including souvenir shops, “Boddhi Tree”, Stage 360 and Motion 360. The bus stop is also located somewhere in between.




The entry to Big Buddha is free but there is a small fee to pay if you like to enter the inner sanctum of the temple. The Big Buddha statue itself is hollow and houses a temple on the inside. There are many steps up to the Big Buddha. If you are in moderate physical condition, you can do this easily without much trouble.



After the steps, be rewarded with a beautiful view of the surrounding hills. Next stop, Po Lin Monastery.





Po Lin Monastery

Po Lin Monastery is just a stone throw away from the Big Buddha statue.
The monastery houses a prayer place and the very sumptuous vegetarian diet meal.
So, it is also a great place to grab lunch.



 

Path of Wisdom and Lantau Peak

Many people miss the Path of Wisdom, in a literal sense. The Path of Wisdom can be reached in 15 to 20 minutes walk.



At times you may lose your way but fret not as there are signs everywhere to keep you on the right path. It is a quiet and serene walk. Something to enjoy if you can get here on during mornings or late evenings.



I don’t quite get what the Path of Wisdom is all about but it is a wonderful place that you should not miss. It is not mentioned on a lot of travel sites and it didn’t even pop up on Trip Advisor. I guess this is one of those off the beaten path things.
From here you get a view of the famous Lantau Peak. It looks like a short hike but it easily takes 60 minutes to get up there. The hike is steep and it is not easy. I don’t recommend doing the hike unless you came prepared. Most don’t make it to the top just due to pure exhaustion.






Tai-O Fishing Village

If you decided after Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, Path of Wisdom and Lantau Peak is enough, then head on back to the cable car station to return back Tung Chung MTR.
However, if you are like me (adventurous) then Tai-O Fishing Village (TOFV) should be your next stop.
There are only two ways to get to TOFV. One by bus and the other by taxi.
Both ways require going back to the Big Buddha site. From the Big Buddha, keep walking to the direction of the cable car station, midway there should be a bus stop.
I can’t recall the bus number that goes to Tai-O Fishing Village, but there are signage written clearly. Do note the buses can be old and sometimes the AC may not be working. In 10 minutes or so, the bus will drop you off at TOFV.
So what can you expect at TOFV?
I missed this signboard when I arrived but these are the places you can visit. The last 4 are not on the local tour signboard.

• Lookout Pavillion
• Yeung Hau Temple
• Kwan Tai Temple
• Waterfront Promenade
• Tin Hau Temple
• Historic and Cultural Showroom
• Culture Workshop
• Salt Workers Quarters
• Tai-O Gallery

 



TOFV is this old fishing village which now survives on tourist dollar. It has this old town rustic charm to it as you walk through the narrow paths. Stilt houses and suspended bridges are the norm.
Besides, visiting the local sights, do check out the restaurants, take a boat ride, eat street food and buy local souvenirs.
From what I understood the village does not get any government support for tourism. So that sucks.
Get ready for a lot of walking with water, pair of comfortable walking shoes and a good hat.



On my final leg here on TOFV, I decided not to go back to the cable car as the last cable car ride closes at 6pm. On top of that I could not find the bus that goes back to Big Buddha site. It was a very uncomfortable and hot bus ride down to Tung Chung MTR which took about 20 to 30 minutes.

Java Pt4: Staring at the Sun in Borubudur

INTRODUCTION

After visiting the infamous Malioboro Street, it was time to turn in and get some rest before the next day's adventure, Borubudur Temple. Little that we knew, this would include waking up before the break of dawn.

THE JOURNEY

Point A is Malioboro Street and Point B is Manohara Princess

Point A is Malioboro Street and Point B is Manohara Princess

Manohara Princess is the first of many hotels; we would visit on our trip to Indonesia.

The distance was about 50km away from Malioboro Street. By car, it would take almost 1-hour journey. Again, the journey was much longer. It took us approximately an hour and a half to reach there.

The roads were in complete darkness, so we could hardly see where we were going. At one point, we were in hustle and bustle of the town area and the next we were quiet and sometime eerie village roads again.

On occasions, we could see signs for hotel and while other saying Borobudur. Finally, with one right turn and we reached the Manohara Princess Hotel.

THE STAY

Manohara Princess Hotel is this hotel in the middle of nowhere. It brings that classic Eagles' tune "Hotel California" to mind. It was dark by the time we reached there. The lobby was just this simple counter and some ornamented table and chairs.

Lobby

Chairs are beautiful isn't it?

There were two statues of Ganesha (Hindu God) as we approach the hotel lobby. The faces were broken but you could still guess based on the shape. There was no Internet connection in the rooms. They could not give a second key to the room. This made it difficult for my roommate and I. Somebody always had to be in the room. There was no wet towel or welcome drink served to us, another minus point for this hotel.

Now, for some good points about this hotel. This place seems like a research centre of some sort and I guess someone decided to turn it into a hotel. l like the architecture of the place and at night it seemed very serene. The beds and rooms were very comfortable. If you are bored (or decided not watch the limited cable TV provided in the room) do read the photo book that they have in each room. It should give you something to look forward when you visit Borubudur temple.

The room and bathroom are decent. The mess was courtesy from my roommate and I.

The room and bathroom are decent.

The mess was courtesy from my roommate and I.

Just to make sure you got to the right place.

Hotel Reception and Information Counter

Other things I found on the hotel premise.

Nearing Wesak Day, there was a free clinic for the villagers.

Any guess what I am looking at?

Any guess what I am looking at?

Further details of the hotel can be found here on this website.

http://manoharaborobudur.com

I was in twin bed room, which costs between IDR 900, 000 to 1, 000, 000 per night.

THE PLACE

The bed was comfortable and before I knew it, I was fast asleep for the 3.30AM hike. It was midnight by the time I fell asleep.

Come 2.30 AM my roommate and I woke up to wash. We were supposed to have a light breakfast but it was not there. I found out later that the kitchen does not open that early. So keeping some simple bread or energy bar would be useful. I drank the instant coffee provided in the room and walked out to the lobby. The rest of our tour group and other tourists who were also staying at the hotel greeted me.

We were introduced to our tour guide and wore the sarong they provided. They passed us a complimentary torchlight and an insect repellent patch.

The Borubudur temple is a single complex building. It takes only 5 minutes to walk from the hotel. The entire area is fenced off and there is a security check prior to entry. Paying to stay in this hotel apparently has its benefits. You get first dibs on the sunrise watch spots and a tour guide can be arranged. The tour guide gives some history lesson as we carefully made our way through the darkness. Next stop heaven and nirvana.

It was pretty hard to see anything in the darkness

It was pretty hard to see anything in the darkness

Sunrise and Nirvana

Finally, we were seated at level 6 and 7 facing east towards the sunrise. The whole place seems to be in darkness. However, from a far the General Electric light illuminates the horizon. This alone was a remarkable sight.

Illumination brought to you by GE

It is going to take awhile before the sun rises but we were assured of the best available seats. Waiting for the sun to rise can be really boring, so here is a list of things you can do while waiting:-

- sit back and enjoy the view.

- take some photos. 

- take some more photos.

- listen to the guide while he explains more of the history.

- take a nap

A crowd slowly begins to build. Actually, calling it crowd would be an over statement. I say there were about 20 people and there was plenty of room for everyone.

The fog began to lift as the sun slowly begins to rise in the horizon. It is somehow so majestic to watch as all of it unfolds. Don't believe me? Take a look at the photos below.

After The Sunrise

After that incredible sunrise, our guide took us for a walk around the temple complex. I will not go in detail into the history but just take your time to observe the carvings on the walls. The wall at the bottom level of depicts all of the problems faced by man in his daily life. It takes awhile to get a good look at all of the wall carvings and understand the meaning behind it. Any of the real world problems, which we have in this modern age was already experienced by people in 9th century.

Wall carvings

For a simpleton like me, we resort to taking photos of the Buddha statues, which Borubudur is famous.

That famous Buddha statue facing the east, which you can find on postcards and travel brochures

Tip: Look at his nose, it is broken

Circling 3 Times

After the sunrise photo session, our guide said it is customary to pray. We began somewhere at the north entrance and circled around the temple 3 times. As you circle the temple, you notice there are carvings of old Hindu epics on the walls. After circling the temple 3 times, make a wish. :)

DON'T PANIC

Staring at the sun

Summer stretching on the grass
Summer dresses pass
In the shade of a willow tree
Creeps a crawling over me
Over me and over you
Stuck together with God's glue
It's going to get stickier too

It's been a long hot summer
Let's get under cover
Don't try too hard to think
Don't think at all

I'm not the only one
Staring at the sun... U2

Waking up at 3AM may not be for everyone. Here are some survival tips.

Tip 1: Eat something and grab that morning coffee. Sometimes the hotel cook may screw up the morning breakfast or the coffee. Just remember to pack a piece of bread and your favourite instant coffee or drink. Kind of a hindsight but trust me you will thank me later for it. You are welcome.

Tip 2: Sleep early. This makes absolute sense.

                                                                          
Tip 3: Sunset tours are also available. Check out Manohara Princess Hotel website for latest changes in prices.

Safety

As we waited for the sunrise, we notice more and more tourist started to come in. Although it was not over crowded, it is always good to remember simple safety tips such as keeping an eye of your belongings.

Toilet

I did not notice one, so go before you come up here.

Flash Light

The hotel does give you a complementary flashlight. I, however, recommend you bring a headlamp. Headlamp keeps your hands free while you sometime may struggle with the darkness and your steps. Besides, it is useful to when you fiddle with your camera.

Tour Guide

The guided tour was much more worth the money than the one provided at Prambanan temple.

Some speak in different foreign language including French, Japanese and Korean. Each visiting group is assigned one.

Stay at Manohara Princess Hotel

Manohara Princess is located close to the compound of Borubudur.  If you are on a budget, you may want to look for a cheaper hotel nearby, arrange for a transport and the tour for the sunrise. If sunrise isn't your thing, you can always come when the gates are officially opened to public.

Insects and the Sun

Some would worry about insects and lather themselves crazy with insect repellent but I think it is unnecessary to do that. You should be fine if you wear it sparingly. However, sunscreen is necessary. It might seem like a crazy idea to wear it when it is so dark outside, your skin will thank you later. The morning sun really burns.

Tourist Hunter

This review would not be complete without talking about the tourist hunters in Borubudur. As we walked out of the temple grounds, there was a line of souvenir peddlers. They were waiting in a neat, single file line. As usual, if you are not interested, be polite and walkway.

THINGS WE MISSED THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT

Museums

Called the Karmawibhangga Museum, it is an archaeological museum established in 1983. It has display of photos of the original excavation of the site.

There is another museum called Samudra Raksa Museum located to the west of the first museum. It has the Borubudur ship on display.

Pilgrimage

According to our guide, there is Buddhist pilgrimage to the site every year on Wesak day. Borubudur temple will be lighted up and it is something you should not miss.

Audio and Visual Exhibition

On our tickets, there was free audio and visual exhibition. It starts much later in the day and we had to give it a miss as we were leaving immediately after breakfast.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

Do not miss this Unesco Heritage when you are in Yogyakarta. The place is a must visit. Do come earlier in the day so you have time to soak up in the atmosphere of the location. If you are on a tight budget, avoid Manohara Princess Hotel and try looking for other hotels nearby.