HK360

When I was offered a job for Outward Bound Hong Kong, I was dubious about the ‘adventure potential’ of Hong Kong.  I instantly thought of, tall buildings, rich people and stress.  I was however, pleasantly surprised.  To the north of the country, 40% of the area is national park surrounded by a stunning coastline which is crammed with isolated beaches and islands.

Incredible scale industry in China

After working for 4 months in a relatively small area, I just had to go and explore the rest of the Hong Kong coastline to see what exciting things were lurking.  

I decided to take 4 days off work and circumnavigate the island, covering a total distance of 186 km, round all the major landmasses (HK island, Lantau, Lamma and mainland HK).  The only problem was that Hong Kong isn’t an island so the route involved a 30 km portage through a major city.

Wonderful Scenery close to OB

The trip was brilliant.  A real test.  I dodged 15,000 ton cargo boats, bargained with angry Chinese border guards and slept in remote noodle snacks.  What I will always remember is the incredible landscape; towering buildings, mammoth power stations and smoking industry quickly turns into rough peaks covered in lush forest, filled with monkeys, birds and snakes all adding colour. 

Dodging huge ships bound for Victoria Harbor

As in Scotland, I found all of the people I met extremely welcoming.  They offered floors to sleep on, help with portaging and, importantly, smiles in abundance.

Lush vegetation on Lantau

I would recommend HK as a great place to sea kayak.  Stunning coastlines, incredible food and warm seas.

Thanks to Tom Parrick, Yaz, Patrick and Ed for making the trip possible.

HK360 from Jonny Hawkins on Vimeo.