Hike to the Big Buddha

Are we crazy? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Let me start from the beginning. The Big Buddha is a must-see in HK and is located on Lantau island (if you have great memory, you'll remember I've already been...if not, go here to review). I wanted to take my brother here (aduhhh) but wanted to HIKE it up. Give us some well needed exercise but also see a different part of HK (fyi there are NUMEROUS hiking trails all over HK). So off we went, taking the MTR all the way to Tung Chung (about 30-45 minutes from Hong Kong station in Central). Once there, it was a bit of a struggle. First of all, everyone we asked at the cable car/bus stop near the station laughed at the idea of our hike and told us not to go. After a few minutes of wandering and asking, we finally had some helpful guidance on where to go. Essentially, we took the Ngong Ping Rescue Trail, which is a bit tricky to find. Best way to get there is to ask/look for Hau Wong Temple and follow the trail over this bridge/through some sketchy paths. Once we started, I almost immediately regretted this decision, jkjkjk - but for reals this is not a trail for the weak. It's a definite physical and mental battle for the first 1-2 hours. All uphill, all stairs/hills and a WHOLE LOT OF SWEATING. In the end though, it was totally worth it and I definitely suggest hiking UP to the Buddha (vs hiking down from it). It's more challenging/more rewarding. Unfortunately for us, it was very cloudy/foggy that day and we could barely see the Buddha once we actually got there. It was still a great day and we were so thankful that the weather was against, aka it wasn't OVERALLY hot/humid. Here are the photographic memories that I captured!

the start of our hike & diegs is already sweating

& it's all uphill 

breathtaking views (literally)

some inspirational words on the way up? thanks tips

& in comes the fog

our destination...a little bit foggier than I remember