Discovery Bay residents Neil Jensen and Claire O’Neill discuss the one-two fitness punch of DB Dad Bods and HYROX
The Lantau trails attract world-class a thletes and social hikers alike: time to get your boots on and take a hike
Stuff to know in October
What you’ve been up to
Dirt puddings for Halloween
Diving in Bohol Province
Wordsearch
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For four ye ars, the dir ectors and volunteers a t Bir thday Happiness Asia (BHA) have been working har d to ensur e tha t less for tunate childr en get to have a bir thday celebr ation, a “joyous par ty”, complete with cake and decor ations, games and gif ts. BHA now has full charity sta tus (Chapter 88), and the number of joyous par ties it can hold monthly is expanding due to incr eased inter est fr om par tnering or ganisations. T he team is holding an of ficial launch par ty a t Club L usitano in C entral on October 28 – and everyone is invited. Scan the QR code to RSVP.
BHA is looking for mor e sponsors, volunteers and par tnering organisations; dona tions of cash, par ty supplies and gif ts ar e also welcomed. To get involved, email bir thdayhappinessasia@gmail.com or visit www.bhasia.org. [PHOTO COURTESY OF BHA.]
BEST
CONVENTION CENTRE (NORTH ASIA)
AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) has been awarded Best Convention Centre (North Asia) at the M&C Asia Stella A wards 2024, marking its third consecutive win. M&C Asia Stella A wards, organised by Northstar Travel Group, aims to recognise organisations and leaders that have shown extraordinary results and significant contributions within the MICE industry. Open to voting by professional meeting planners and industry fellows, the award is a prestigious accolade in the MICE sector.
AWE is poised to host sever al major MICE events in the ne ar futur e, including the UFI Global C ongress 2025 and the Lions Interna tional Convention 2026. T he inaugur al Super Terminal Expo and R outes W orld, significant events in the avia tion and logistics sectors, ar e also coming to A WE in 2025. [PHOTO COURTESY OF A WE.]
JOYOUS PARTY AT SHAM SHUI PO
CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2025
GOOD TIMES AT TREASURE ISLAND
It’s all happening a t Treasure Island on P ui O be ach this month: with Taco-Rita Day (two hours unlimited tacos and Mar garitas) on October 19, All-You-Can-Eat Wings Night (plus two hours free-flow beer and selected drink s) on October 25, and a Quiz Night in suppor t of South Lantau P addle Club on October 26. In addition, the be ach club is the new finish point for this ye ar’s Barclays MoonTrekker, early in the morning on October 19.
Looking for the icing on the cak e? Treasure Island is back with its popular Halloween celebr ation – F reaky F riday – on November 1. Af ter the kids have finished their trick or tr eating in ne arby Ham T in V illage, they can set tle in a t the be ach club to enjoy a (scary) movie and music with their friends. Accompanying adults can tak e advantage of the r estaurant and bar for a quick bite, and check out the various ghoulish cocktails and witches’ brews on of fer. F ind out mor e a t www .treasureislandhk.com. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Treasure Island.
ENROL FOR BUDDHA YOU RUN
Some 2,000 people ar e e xpected to tak e par t in Buddha You R un on November 2, with r egistration on a first-come-first-served basis. T he r ace was first held in November 2015 and is or ganised by Po Lin Monastery , alongside Ngong P ing 360 and K wun Chung Bus Holdings. Buddha You R un star ts a t Di Tan Plaza, Ngong Ping a t 9am, with char tered buses pr ovided to collect competitors fr om Tung Chung Bus Terminal. T here ar e thr ee distances – 3km, 8km and 18km – to choose from, and you can run solo or as a te am. P arent and child ca tegories in the 3km ensure tha t young a thletes can tak e par t, or they can run as par t of a thr eegeneration family group.
While all par ticipants ar e given a commemor ative t-shir t, par ticipants, who complete the run within the specified time, r eceive a medal and cer tificate. T he top four finalists in e ach ca tegory ar e awar ded tr ophies and medals. To find out more and enr ol, visit www .buddhayourun.org.hk. [PHO TO BY Be atrix Malanwww.atscollective.com.]
EXPRESS BAG DROP SERVICE
Airport Authority Hong K ong (AAHK) has launched the world’ s first Smartphone Expr ess Bag Dr op Service. A gr oundbreaking development in Hong K ong Interna tional Airpor t’s (HKIA) Flight Token smar t technology , the new service enables passengers to complete online check -in and scan their travel documents with their smar tphones befor e he ading to the airpor t. Upon arrival a t HKIA, they can pr oceed dir ectly to the Expr ess Bag Dr op counters and dr op their bags by themselves in under one minute, compar ed to an average of three minutes at the airline counters or Smart Check-in kiosks.
HKIA is the only airpor t in the world wher e passengers ar e able to complete all departure pr ocedures – online check -in, tr avel document verifica tion, bag dr op, entering the security ar ea and boar ding – using only their smar tphones and facial recognition technology HK Expr ess passengers can use the airline’s app for the Smartphone Expr ess Bag Dr op Service. C athay Pacific also of fers the service to passengers for all destinations, except the US. [PHOTO COURTESY OF AAHK.]
FREAKY FRIDAY HALLOWEEN PARTY
RACE AROUND NGONG PING
At the Movies!
NEW RELEASES @ MC L C
inem a
Tun
g C hu n g, C it yg ate
THE WILD ROBOT
From DreamWorks Animation comes a new adapta tion of a literary sensation: Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller The Wild Robot The epic adventure follows the journey of a r obot – RO ZZUM unit 7134, “R oz” for shor t – tha t is shipwr ecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gr adually building r elationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.
Opens: October 1
Genre: Animation
Director: Chris Sanders
Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro
Pascal, Kit Connor, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Nighy , S tephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill
Trailer: https://shorturl.at/guKtx
VENOM: THE LAST DANCE
In the final film in the trilogy, Tom Har dy stars as Eddie Brock, an investiga tive journalist who is the host of Venom, an alien symbiote tha t imbues him with super-human abilities. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into making a devastating decision.
Opens: October 24
Genre: Action sci-fi
Director: Kelly Marcel
Cast: Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Trailer: https://shorturl.at/A9tkI
BOOK TICKETS
Coming Soon!
WICKED
After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited big-screen debut, with Wicked Part Two scheduled to arrive in theatres on November 26, 2025. Wicked introduces Elphaba, a young woman misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Their extraordinary adventures will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda the Good Witch of the South and Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West.
Opens: November 27
Genre: Musical
Director: Jon M Chu
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Peter Dinklage
Trailer: https://shorturl at/lnfAU
Out & About!
WHAT YOU’VE BEEN UP TO!
MOON GAZING ACROSS LANTAU
I slanders came out in for ce to celebr ate the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 17. Also known as the Chinese Moon F estival, the holiday tak es place on the fif teenth day of the eighth lunar month in the Chinese calendar and coincides with the full harvest moon. [PHO TOS BY Sarin Ale.]
TRAINING FOR THE DB DRAGON BOAT GALA
Paddlers acr oss DB ar e tr aining har d for the DB Dr agon Boa t Gala on October 27. T he Tados Dr agon te am of DB helpers tr ain thr ee times a week of f Tai P ak W an and they ar e hoping to r epeat their championship win of 2023 in the women’ s ca tegory. [PHO TOS BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com.]
HYROX CHAMPS
NEIL JENSEN AND CLAIRE O’NEILL ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE ONE-TWO PUNCH OF DBDB AND HYROX TO BE FABULOUS AT 50+. ELIZABETH KERR REPORTS
BY Richard Gordon - www.richardgordonphotography.com
Neil Jensen and Clair e O’Neill ar e e asy to spot among those taking an af ternoon caf feine shot a t Uncle R uss a t DB Nor th Plaza. T hey’re obviously not the uniformed kids cut ting class, and it ’s unlik ely they’r e the solo sippers glued to a laptop scr een, e arbuds firmly in place. No , they’r e the duo sit ting on the pa tio kit ted out in a thletic ge ar. Not a thleisure, mind, pr oper running shor ts and shir ts. They’ve been posing for photogr aphs on DB Nor th Pitch and they’r e dr essed for the par t. Neil and Clair e are 50+ HYRO X champs, and they’r e get ting r eady to defend their titles.
DB LIVING
“We actually got muck y on the photoshoot. W e ended up get ting a tir e out and flipping it over It was full of wa ter. It wasn’t intentional, but ther e you go .” Neil opens with a cheek y grin. T he two banter back and forth about tr aining in Hong K ong’s blazing he at –“Seriously, the he at never bothers me. But in winter , it’s har d work and it r eminds me why I’m her e and not in the UK,” cr acks Neil – and going back to work af ter a lengthy hia tus, which Clair e is considering: “I’m not the star t my own business type, so I’m in the pr ocess of r eassessing my CV,” she says. “I’ve been helping out at schools, done a bit of supply te aching, and now I’m leading the par ents’ commit tee so tha t helps. But it ’s been 15 years. It’s a challenge.”
Neil and Clair e took similar pa ths to DB: both had friends who lived her e a t the time they wer e r elocating, Neil just about 20 ye ars ago fr om Dubai and Clair e fr om Edinburgh in 2016. Neil arrived with a two-ye ar-old and a four -year-old, stayed in DB during an orienta tion visit and has lived ther e ever since. F ollowing a divor ce and founding his own mor tgage br okerage, he met the woman who would become his second wife in DB.
A lawyer by tr ade, Clair e came to Hong K ong when her husband was tr ansferred. “ We thought we wer e coming for two to thr ee ye ars, and her e we ar e. S till her e. Different job ,” she quips. “ We star ted with five week s in the Auber ge, and then moved into the apar tment we’re still in. I’m not a cr eature of change.” But she admits there’s no place she’d rather live.
“It’s gr eat socially I’m thr ee minutes fr om T iger’s He ad. I’m liter ally in the middle of mountains in about thr ee minutes. It ’s not for everybody , but it ’s brilliant if you’ve got kids. I can see if you’r e in your 20s not wanting to be so far fr om C entral but fr om about 30 onwar ds, and particularly for young families and people lik e me, in their 50s, you get the best of both worlds.”
DBDB TRAINING
DB r esidents of over a decade, Clair e and Neil ar e also elite HYRO X a thletes. F or the uninitia ted, the allindoor running-and-work out-station combo got of f the ground in 2017, and in some ways can be seen as a companion to the mor e high-pr ofile Ir onman, Cr ossFit or Spar tan r aces. Alr eady a hit in Eur ope and Nor th America, HYRO X star ted with personal fitness tests in Asia as a way to gain traction.
To find out how Neil (and his par tner in HYRO X Trevor Smith) placed first among over -50s a t the first HYRO X race in Hong K ong in 2023 (clocking in a t 1:21:35) and Claire came in almost 15 minutes ahe ad of second place (with a time of 1:28:49) in the women’ s 50-54 category, you have to r ewind to C OVID. T he pair met at Andr ew Tasker’s DBDB – alias Discovery Bay Dad Bods, find them on F acebook – a lockdown inspir ed workout gr oup wher e they both opted into the 7am session. F or HYRO X, the ide a was to af filiate with gyms but the HYRO X Hong K ong dir ector, Richar d C owley,
PHOTOS
“ FOR ME IT’S ABOUT HAVING THE KIDS WATCH, AND I DO THINK IT’S GREAT FOR THEM TO SEE. IT’S NICE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A BADASS FOR A MOM
– CLAIRE O’NEILL
was friendly with Andr ew, and so DBDB was dubbed a “social club” and went from there.
“I saw a friend’ s husband, and I said, ‘Oh, you’r e in good shape.’ And he said ‘I go to DB DadBods.’ T hat was the first time it was planted in my mind. I think it was one of those New Year’s r esolutions,” r ecalls Neil. Remarried and fa ther to a seven-ye ar-old, Neil admits to thinking he was fairly fit – until he star ted going to regular DBDB workouts.
Neil made his way to HYRO X a t the pr odding of 71-year-old DB HYRO Xer Jef f Booth, and once he did, he r ealised it would be a “r eal game-changer I couldn’t wing it in terms of just turning up and doing it. Unlik e football, you have to tr ain.” He pauses. “My greatest fe ar wasn’t the r ace, it was actually get ting to the start line.”
Originally a tr ail runner , Clair e came to DBDB fr om Ladies Who Lif t of DB (find them on Instagr am) because she was looking for a mor e compr ehensive fitness r outine tha t she could work ar ound her own sons, now 11 and 15. She made the le ap to HYRO X with a personal fitness tr ainer af ter r eturning fr om Belfast post-COVID. Clair e, lik e Neil, qualified for the HYRO X Worlds in Nice this past May (“ Who doesn’t want to go
to the south of F rance?”) but she’ s pr obably skipping the r egional r aces in Singapor e and K orea ahe ad of the HYROX Asian Open Championships in Hong K ong this November a t AsiaW orld-Expo. She’ s actually worried a bum leg is going to k eep her out of the competition, but she hasn’t given it a hard ‘No’.
Whether they mak e their way to the Asian Open podium or not is almost irr elevant. Neil and Clair e are both confident tha t without their DBDB tr aining, they’d never have made it thr ough HYRO X, never mind winning their r espective ca tegories on hometurf. “Andrew has a dif ferent session every day , so your body’s challenged every day T hen ther e’s the social gatherings and stuf f, and people ar e r eally nice,” says Neil. “Andrew hasn’t paid us to say that. Has he?”
“Not yet,” jokes Claire.
DBDB and HYRO X tr aining is par t of everyday life now . “I have to show up ,” Neil finishes. “I’ve got a sevenyear-old. I’ve always been competitive, but I don’t want to be that dad, with the big belly and the drink in his hand. I need to live longer .” Clair e is a lit tle mor e magnanimous. “F or me it ’s mor e about having the kids watch, and I do think it ’s gr eat for them to see. It ’s nice to have, you know, a badass for a mom.”
WILD AT HEART
TO MARK THE START OF TRAIL-RACE SEASON THIS OCTOBER, LET’S EXPLORE THE SCOPE OF THE LANTAU TRAILS, AND THEIR LURE FOR WORLD-CLASS ATHLETES AND SOCIAL HIKERS ALIKE
PHOTOS BY Sarin Ale & courtesy of Action Asia Events, Barclays MoonTrekker & TransLantau™ by UTMB
Amateur hiking has become an increasingly common weekend activity in Lantau, with people gr abbing the oppor tunity to get outdoors and active, while enjoying some truly incr edible scenery T he dr aw for some is climbing a couple of Hong K ong’s highest pe aks, for others it ’s the oppor tunity to spot r are and indigenous fauna and flora.
At 142km², Lantau is almost twice the size of Hong K ong Island and far less densely popula ted, me aning ther e is still a whole lot of unspoilt countryside to enjoy T he beauty and scope of Lantau’s hiking tr ails is worldrenowned, and the island’s geological diversity means there is a hik e for everyone, r egardless of fitness level, to enjoy.
TAI O (TRANSLANTAU™ BY UTMB)
LANTAU PEAK (CBRE LANTAU 2 PEAKS)
LANTAU TRAIL (TRANSLANTAU™ BY UTMB)
The only way to truly appr eciate these tr ails is to get out there, so first a wor d about safety E veryone, pr ofessional runners and social hik ers alik e, should pick tr ails tha t match their fitness levels – and get some tr aining in beforehand. It ’s impor tant to be r esponsible and wellprepared: pack a map , e xtra food and wa ter, and a wa ter filter or purifica tion tablets in case you run out. Take a drybag to k eep your r ain jack et, he adlamp and phone inside; and mak e sur e your phone is fully char ged or has a spare battery.
It can be r estorative to walk the tr ails alone but in terms of safety , it ’s inadvisable, par ticularly in r emote ar eas where you’r e unlik ely to come acr oss other people. Out in the wild, alone, a twisted ankle or snake bite could put you in r eal danger Be sur e to invest in a fitness tracking app , such as S trava, tha t has position sharing features to help facilita te r escue ef forts, and mak e use of the 50222 SMS hik er tr acking service. Manned by the Communications Associa tion of Hong K ong, the 50222 enables hik ers to r eport their loca tion e ach time they encounter a distance post.
GET TO KNOW THE ISLAND
But back to the lur e of the Lantau tr ails. F irst, ther e is the beautiful and varied topogr aphy – long be aches, steep mountains and fla t terr ain. Second, with the e xception of Sunset Peak, trails on Lantau are not crowded, so hikers can often enjoy the views all to themselves.
The 70km Lantau Trail, which loops ar ound the island, is probably the best-known and its 12 sections tak e in most of Lantau’ s big-tick et landmark s: Mui W o, Nam Sham, Ngong P ing 360, Tai O , Shek P ik, Shui Hau and P ui O . But there ar e countless other tr ails to e xplore on the island, from the Tung O Ancient Trail, with its time-old r ock formations, to the somewha t newer , ultr a-steep Ngong Ping 360 R escue Trail, which as its name suggests, was built to r escue cable car passengers in the event of a breakdown. T he Lantau sections (7 to 10) of the “new” Tinworth Trail ar e also well wor th a look. Highlights include T iger’s He ad, a 700-metr e climb out of Pak Mong towards Sunset Peak and W ong Lung Hang V alley.
If you’r e af ter a r elatively e asy mountain tr ek with lit tle elevation, then South Lantau Country Trail is a good start. But if you’r e tr aining for a r ace, and you want a lot of ver tical, then it mak es sense to have a go a t the stairs from all dir ections – W ong L ung Hang V alley up to the top in a ver tical sprint – or see how much of Lantau Peak you can actually run versus fast hiking.
With thr ee of Lantau’s biggest tr ail r aces coming up in the next months, local athletes are already in serious training…
SUMMIT TWO PEAKS
CBRE Lantau 2 Peaks, or ganised by Action Asia E vents (www.actionasiaevents.com), is scheduled for October 6 this ye ar, and the two pe aks in question ar e, of course, Lantau and Sunset. T here ar e two distances: 23km (two peaks) and 15km (half pe ak). T he 23km course is being run anti-clockwise this ye ar: up Lantau Peak and the Ngong Ping 360 stairs, then over Sunset Peak and down through W ong L ung Hang V alley. T he 15km course le ads up the Ngong P ing 360 R escue Trail to Nei L ek Shan, then down thr ough the monasteries of Tei Tong Tsai to Shek Mun Kap and back to Tung Chung.
“Many ar eas acr oss Hong K ong ar e able to hold worldclass running and tr aining events, but the fact tha t Lantau is Hong K ong’s last ‘Shangri-La ’ mak es it special,” says Michael Maddess, Dir ector and CEO of Action Asia Events, who or ganises numer ous tr ail r aces both acr oss Hong K ong and interna tionally. “ When Action Asia E vents gets feedback fr om interna tional par ticipants, the first thing most say is tha t Lantau is one of the few places where they can be running next to an ocean and then climbing immedia tely up a steep pe ak, with stunning surrounding panoramic views all the way back down.”
BEAT THE SUN
Barclays MoonTrekker (www .barclaysmoontrekker.com) being held fr om October 18 to 19 this ye ar, star ts a t night in Mui W o and ends on Cheung Sha Be ach. A unique overnight tr ail event, it challenges par ticipants to r each the summit of Lantau Peak befor e sunrise, and ther e ar e three r oute options: 30km, 40km and an intr oductory 20km r oute. T he 30km and 40km distances summit Lantau Peak, allowing runners to witness stunning dawn views if they “be at the sun” T he 20km r oute, intr oduced to encourage newcomers to tr ail events, is only open to first time MoonTrekkers and does not summit Lantau Peak.
“Nominated for Hong K ong’s best tr ail event, MoonTrekker guarantees an unpar alleled e xperience by combining the challenge of overnight tr ail hiking/ running, the opportunity to summit Lantau Peak a t dawn, and the pertinent cause of r aising funds for childr en’s educa tion and envir onmental sustainability ,” says William Sar gent, Founder of Barclays MoonTrekker.
JOIN THE UTMB WORLD SERIES
TransLantau™ by UTMB (tr anslantau.utmb.world) hits our shor es fr om November 8 to 10 this ye ar; one of 44 events in the UTMB® W orld Series, it brings in the sport’s biggest stars fr om ar ound the world. Each ye ar at TransLantau™ runners begin their journey to HOK A UTMB Mont-Blanc, wher e the pr estigious UTMB W orld Series Finals are held.
On tr ails for 80% of the time, TransLantau™ covers two of Lantau’ s country park s, and ther e ar e four distances to choose fr om: 25km, 50km, 100km and 120km. All routes star t and finish in Mui W o: runners encounter iconic landmarks such as Tai O, the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery.
“Participants in the TransLantau™ get to push their limits as they fe ast their eyes on the landscape of undula ting hills and long coastline, untouched by urbanisa tion,” says Sabrina Dumont, C o-founder of TransLantau™. “They get to e xperience a pr ofound connection with nature as they test their endur ance, far r emoved fr om the urban sprawl of Hong Kong.”
BARCLAYS MOONTREKKER START LINE 2023 TRANSLANTAU™ BY UTMB WINNER 2023 VLAD IXEL
Recipe of the Month!
GHOST DIRT PUDDINGS
Serves 4
150g 70% dark chocolate
6 egg whites
28g golden caster sugar
6 Oreo cookies
250ml double cream
50g white caster sugar
1 tube chocolate writing icing
Melt the chocolate, stirring every 30 seconds, in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, scatter in the golden caster sugar and whisk again to form stiff peaks. Add a big tablespoon of the egg white to the melted chocolate and mix vigorously, working fast so the chocolate doesn’t cool and harden. Then fold in the remaining egg white. Spoon into 4 glass ramekins and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
When ready to serve, pulse the Oreos to create crumbs. Sprinkle over each ramekin to create “dirt”. In a large mixing bowl, combine the double cream and white caster sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form; transfer to a large Ziploc bag and cut off a corner. Swirl the whipped cream on top of each ramekin, and add eyes to make a ghost.
DIVING IN BOHOL PROVINCE
PLUNGE INTO THE PHILIPPINES
BOHOL ATTRACTS ADVENTURE-
DIVE ADDICTS as well as beginner divers (10 years and up), and is routinely listed as one of the top 10 diving destinations in the world. The sea is generally calm and the currents manageable, coupled with excellent visibility. Beginners get to see a myriad fish and coral even on their initial dives.
CONSISTING OF THE ISLAND ITSELF
and 75 minor surrounding islands, Bohol Province sits right in the middle of the so-called “coral triangle”, which spans Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. Here, in the Philippine’s Central V isayas region, you’ll find over 75% of all coral species, and the highest marine biodiversity in the world.
ALONA BEACH ON PANGLAO
ISLAND is Bohol’s tourist mecca; accommodation options vary from local-style guesthouses to international-standard resorts. Numerous accredited dive operators offer PADI and SDI courses, and the reef sees different dive sites spaced out over the length of the beach.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock
A 30-MINUTE BOAT TRIP
from Panglao, Balicasag Island is on many a diver’s bucket list. A narrow reef shelf (8 metres deep) surrounds the island, and over the edge of the shelf a perpendicular wall sinks down to depths of 80 metres and more. T he shelf is home to a fantastic coral garden filled with all kinds of reef fish, as well as anemones and clownfish.
DUE TO ITS MID-OCEAN
LOCATION between Balicasag and Pamilacan islands, the currents at 18-metre-deep Snake Island are fierce and the waves are big. Brave this dive, and you’ll likely spot the colony of black-and-white sea snakes that live off the shoal. Snake Island also homes pelagic fish, scorpion fish and sturgeon.
RESTING PLACE OF MANTAS
off Pamilacan is another magical dive site to visit. Teeming with colourful coral and marine life, it shelters a squadron of horned manta rays, the largest of which can reach 7 metres in width. Dive here and there’s also a good chance you’ll spot dolphins, particularly if you visit from March through July
MAGNIFICENT TURTLES ARE A ROUTINE SIGHT
on any dive off Balicasag – you are almost guaranteed to see a double-digit number. T hese turtles are gentle reptiles, whose size belies the gracious nature of their movements, and they generally ignore the groups of goggle-eyed divers attempting to get close for that picture-perfect moment.
LOCAL NUMBERS
TUNG CHUNG
EMERGENCY SERVICES 999
Tung Chung Ambulance Depot 2988 8282
Tung Chung Fire Station 2988 1898
Tung Chung Police Station 3661 1999
HOME & REPAIRS
Mega Power Engineering/Locksmiths 2109 2330
Mr Chan 24-Hour Handyman 9343 3718
New Look Design 9783 5840
Papabo 5541 1502
Shun Yu Engineering 2988 1488
So Nice Technologies 6206 3497
HOTELS
Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott 3969 1888
Novotel Citygate Hong Kong 3602 8888
Regal Airport Hotel 2286 8888
Sheraton Tung Chung 2535 0000
The Silveri Hong Kong - MGallery 3602 8989
LEARNING CENTRES
Discovery Mind International Play Centre 2987 8070
Discovery Mind Primary School 2915 0666
ESF International Kindergarten (Tung Chung) 3742 3500
Greenfield International Kindergarten 2162 5538
Han Xuan Language Education Centre 2666 5905
KidznJoy 6273 7347
Little Stars Playgroup 6479 0390
Sakura Kid’s Preschool 6674 6194
Sun Island Education Foundation 2420 1068
Sunshine House International Preschool 2109 3873
Tung Chung Catholic School 2121 0884
Wise Choice Education 5992 4482
YMCA of Hong Kong Christian College 2988 8123
MEDICAL
Bayside Dental 2185 6550
Essential Health Family Clinic 2109 9396
Human Health Medical Centre 2109 2288
North Lantau Hospital 3467 7000
Quality Health Medical 2403 6623
Quality Health Physiotherapy 2403 6328
Skyline Physiotherapy 2194 4038
REALTORS
HomeSolutions 3483 5003
REMOVALS & RELOCATION
Akash Removals 2421 8088
FTC Relocations 2814 1658
ReloSmart 2561 3030
Rocket Movers 5134 0044
Royal Movers 9341 9209
SwiftRelo 2363 4008
RESIDENTIAL SERVICES
Caribbean Coast Clubhouse 2109 9277
Caribbean Coast Management Office 2109 9288
Coastal Skyline Clubhouse 2179 6678
Coastal Skyline Management Office 2179 6621
Seaview Crescent Clubhouse 3473 8700
Seaview Crescent Management Office 3473 8833
Tung
Tung
1222
RESTAURANTS & FOOD DELIVERY
3 Italiani 5182 7646
A Tavola Bar & Grill 2321 5500
Basic Bistro 2305 5508
Cabana Breeze 2777 8982
Cafe lantau, Sheraton Tung Chung 2535 0021 Essence, Novotel Citygate 3602 8808 Handi Indian Restaurant 2988 8674
Du Mezze 2330 0131
EMERGENCY SERVICES 999
Lantau South Police 36611696 Mui Wo Fire Department 2984 1570
HOME & REPAIRS
Koon Wah Hardware 2984 8487
Lee Wo Construction Engineering 2984 1802
Man Shun Construction & Engineering 2984 9833
New Look Design 9783 5840
Papabo 5541 1502
HOTELS
Silvermine Beach Resort 6810 0111
Tai O Heritage Hotel 2985 8383
LEARNING CENTRES
Ashville International 2109 9886
Buddhist Fat Ho College 2985 5365
Lantau International Kindergarten 2984 0302
Lantau International School 2980 3676
Little Lantau Montessori Kindergarten 3689 6709
Silvermine Bay School 2984 0006
MEDICAL
North Lantau Hospital 3467 7000
REALTORS
Findley Leung 2984 8334
HomeSolutions 3483 5003
RESTAURANTS & FOOD DELIVERY
Bathers 2504 4788
Bella Ciao Lantau 9321 0487
SOUTH LANTAU
Cafe Isara 2470 1966
Caffe Paradiso 2984 0498
China Bear 2984 9720
Deer Horn Restaurant & Bar 3484 3095
Kebab Korner 6429 3507
La Pizzeria 2984 8933
Lantana Italian Bistro 5465 5511
Long Island 2320 2001
Pause Cafe 5267 5549
Solo Café 9153 7453
The Gallery 2980 2582
The Kitchen 5991 6292
Treasure Island Beach Club 5236 7013
REMOVALS & RELOCATION
Akash Removals 2421 8088 FTC Relocations 2814 1658 Hon Kee Transportation 2984 8494 Lee Hing
EMERGENCY SERVICES 999
DB Fire & Ambulance 2987 7502
DB Lost & Found 3651 2345
DB Management 2238 3601
HOME & REPAIRS
Good Luck Engineering 2987 1313
May’s Furniture & Curtain Design 2987 0222
Rich Point Hardware Materials 2987 0789
Well Supreme Laundry 2987 5151
Auberge Discovery Bay 2295 8288
LEARNING CENTRES
DBIS 2987 7331
DBIS Kindergarten 2914 2142
Discovery College 3969 1000
Discovery Mind International Play Centre 2987 8088
