Johnmango

I am thinking of going to Victoria Peak, hike around the peak a bit, have lunch at Cafe Deco, and then go to Stanley Market.

Cab maybe too expensive. What is the next easiest way to get to Stanley by bus/van?? do I have to go back to Central and take the #6 bus? or are there other routes I can take?

Thanks

rkkwan

1. Go back down to Central, then bus 6, 6A, 6X or 260.

2. Take bus #15. Get off at the junction of Stubbs Road and Wong Nai Chung Gap Road. [The bus makes a 180-degree left hand turn there, going downhill.]

Cross Stubbs Road and catch the #6 going uphill towards Wong Nai Chung Gap.

Johnmango

Thanks Ray.

darna

Hi! I've been studying the bus routes at www.citybus.com.hk which Ray had referred to me in one of my posts. I found that Bus#315 has a route from The Peak to Stanley Plaza and vice versa. The terminal of Bus#315 is at The Peak Bus Terminus 118 Peak Road inside Peak Galleria. You can check out the citybus website for more info regarding bus schedules and fare. I would appreciate if Ray can confirm this recommendation as I haven't been to Stanley myself and am not sure if the bus stops of Bus#315 at Stanley is anywhere near Stanley Market.

rkkwan

The 315 is a Sunday and Public Holiday only route and is infrequent.

rkkwan

But yes, it goes to Stanley. The stop #39 is where you'll get off.

Keep in mind the various buses 6, 6A, 6X, 260, 315, etc may have different termini in Stanley. But all will stop at the "Stanley Bus Terminus", which is steps from the village. You won't miss it. Alsmot everybody gets off there, regardless whether it actually terminates there, or continue to another terminal.

Johnmango

Hello Ray ...

You asked me to take the bus #15 (from the Peak to Central) and get off at the junction of Stubbs Rd and Wong Nai Chong Gap Road. I looked at the website, and see that stops number 13 to 21 all involve Stubbs Road. Rather than waiting till last second when the bus makes a 180 degree turn and rush to get off, do you know which stop number is the one you referred to?

rkkwan

On the 15 going Peak to Central, it's stop #19 "Bowen Road, Stubbs Road". Keep in mind that the electronic bus stop display (if equipped) on the the Citybuses often lag behind the actual stops. Don't rely on them entirely.

You really don't need to know, but on the 6 going to Stanley, the stop you'll be getting on is #12 "Wong Nai Chung Gap Road opposite Woodland Heights". They have a photo of the actual stop.

After you get off the 15, you need to walk uphill a little, cross the roundabout junction of the three roads and continue a tiny bit on Wong Nai Chung Gap Road. Very very close. [There's also Tai Hang Road at the traffic circle, which goes downhill on the other side. Don't walk down that way.]

rkkwan

Johnmango -

I have a better idea. Because the 6 and 15 share the same route between Central and that intesection I was talking about, it's actually easier for you to ride ONE MORE STOP on the 15 to &quot;Stubbs Road outside Tung Shan Terrace&quot;. The uphill bus to Stanley is <b>directly across</b> the downhill stop. Much easier to switch there.

Johnmango

Thanks Ray - you are a &quot;God-send&quot;, just like Cicerone on Hong Kong questions.

I should be ashamed - in fact I had gone to school (St. Stephen's College) in Stanley many many years ago, but of course the bus numbers would not be the same, then and now. The most memorable experience was skipping class and went to the village to play mah-jong and ordered rice in hot-pot for dinner.

rkkwan

Did you? My guess is that the #6 bus was there - route numbers in Hong Kong tend to stay on forever. They added the 260, 6A and 6X lines later on, after the opening of the Aberdeen Tunnel.

I like going to Stanley way back, and now. I have no interest in going to the market. But when I was in highschool, my GF and I used to Stanley a lot, walked by St. Stephen's, then to the military cemetery and St. Stephen's beach below.

And in recent years, I love the restaurants along the bay and in the reconstructed Murray House.

BTW, there were lots of ghost stories centered around St. Stephen's. Any encounter?

And during my highschool years, they were a major rival to my school's symphony orchestra and choirs. I hated you guys.

Cicerone

You can also count the stops yourself. At all the bus stops, there are printed boards showing the bus route and the stops. You can count the number of stops between where you are getting on and where you need to get off. Then when you get on the bus, you can start counting down the stops to your stop. I agree that the electronic signs on the bus which allegedly tell you what stop is next are often wrong. You can also ask someone ON the bus. While the English of bus drivers is somewhat limited, the English of passengers is not.

Routes and stops are also shown on the websites for New World Bus and First Bus which you can usually find through http://www.td.gov.hk/home/index.htm..

I thought you were going to walk to Stanley?! If you want, I can give details of how walk from the Peak to the Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path (via Barker Road and then Middle Gap or Black’s Link) to then get to Stanley. All in, this would take you about 3 t o 3.5 hours, but almost all of it is flat, there are about 2-3 pretty minor rises.

rkkwan

The bus stop name display on the Citybus and New World First Bus are automatic. Don't know what system they use, but often lag behind.

The ones used by Kowloon Motor Bus are manual. They are accurate as long as the driver remembers to press the button after each stop.

From the Peak, during the first part of Peak Road, you'll have view to the south side of Hong Kong Island on your right. After it passes through Magazine Gap, you'll see view of Victoria Harbor on your left. Peak Road becomes Stubbs Road, and then comes to that 180-degree left hander. You'll then see Happy Valley (where the racecourse is) on your right. Stop #19 &quot;Bowen Road&quot; is immediate after the bus makes that 180-degree turn. You won't miss it. Get off at the next one, &quot;Tung Shan Terrace&quot;.

Johnmango

Thanks for all the instructions.

Ray: are we looking at the same bus stops? The www.citybus.com.hk site says that, starting from the Peak, the &quot;Bowen Rd, Stubbs Rd&quot; stop is #17 (not #19), and the &quot;Tung Shan Terrace, Stubbs Rd&quot; stop is 2 stops (not 1 stop) after, at #19.

Actually I attended St. Stephen's only for 1 year; but classmates had told me not to go to a certain boys washroom (they wouldn't say why), but I did anyways. That place was very cold even in the summer and there was never anyone there. No I didn't see anything.

All I remember is Mr. Keifer who wore the same bright red tie all year long and didn't seem to change his blue shirt either. Oh, and his rosy cheeks.

Cicerone: yes, originally I suggested to my fellow travelers about trying the Tsz Lo Lan Shan trail; but they would like to go to the Peak first and walk around so we can enjoy the views from various parts of the Peak, and then go to Stanley. We may still try the Tsz Lo Lan Shan path on a later date. Combining that with the Peak may be a bit too much for one day.

I also tried to book Hutong through their website, but received an email response saying that they do not take reservation a month ahead - so I will have to try again shortly before we leave - just don't know if they can guarantee a table by the window.

rkkwan

Yeah, you're right. Funny, I have no idea what I was looking at this morning... unless they changed it TODAY.

Whatever, get off at Tung Shan Terrace. Because on the uphill buses don't stop at Craigmont.

BTW, #15 is actually operated by New World First Bus.

www.nwfb.com.hk

Citybus and New World are sister companies and information on either site should be the same, except the pictures of the actual bus stops are different.

Cicerone

If you want to walk from the Peak to a place near the beginning of the Tsz Lo Shan Path, where you could get the #6 bus to Stanley, I can give you directions. This would take about 1 hour to just a bit more, and would be via Barker Road (or Severn) and then Middle Gap or Blacks Link. A very nice walk, not challenging. Some great views. (Assuming a clear day) And on Barker Road and Middle Gap especially, some pretty amazing real estate. 15 Middle Gap is probably my favourite house in Hong Kong.

With regard to Hutong, a window seat is nice, but really that is a restaurant where there are not any bad seats in the house IMO. The windows are about 15-20 feet high, uncurtained and the restaurant is narrow, so even from the tables along the back wall you have a good view. There is a row of tables along the window, a row of tables in the middle parallel to the windows, and then along the wall parallel to the windows they have the old wooden Chinese beds which they use to make sort of private rooms (but they still offer good views). Any of these would actually be fine. I kind of like the little wooden rooms, they give you a more private feeling and you still have a good view. So if you can’t get a window table, I would not worry overly about it. At Hutong it is not such a big deal like it would be at some of the other “view” restaurants like Felix.

Johnmango

Hello Cicerone

Yes! Walking from the Peak to the beginning of the Tsz Lo Lan Shan Path, where I can take #6 to Stnaley, sounds more manageable if it takes about 1 to 1.5 hours (rather than 3.5 hours).

We are fairly good walkers, but after a week sightseeing/shopping in Shanghai, and hiking in Huangshan Yellow Mountain for 2 days, and probably more hiking and sight-seeing in Lijiang, a 1 hour walk in Hong Kong would suffice.

Your directions for this walk is much appreciated. Thanks again.

Cicerone

The Peak to the Bus to Stanley

The walk should take about 1.5 hours, give or take a bit depending on your pace. I have not included a route via Severn Road, which has excellent Southside views, but could do so in another post if you want. The Barker Road route described below has very, very fine city/harbour views and good opportunities to see and photograph the Peak Tram line and Barker Road Tram station (which is the oldest station on the line and is kind of quaint).

You can buy water and drinks at various places in either the Peak Galleria Mall (the brown building with the fountain) or the Peak Tram Station. There is a Park N Shop grocery store on the 2nd or 3rd floor of the Peak Galleria that sells cold bottled water as well. I would suggest you bring something to drink, as even a flat walk can get hot with the humidity of May/June. There are very clean public bathrooms in the Peak Galleria Mall. There is a good viewing terrace on top of both the Peak Galleria mall and the Peak Tram building. The Peak Galleria building tends to be less crowded and has good Southside views. The top of the Peak Tram station has great city views.

To start the walk, standing in the plaza facing the Peak Tram station with the brown Peak Galleria shopping mall and fountain at your back, you will see three entrance doors to the Peak Tram station. The one on the left is an entrance to the mall (says&quot; Peak Tower&quot, the one in the middle is the actual entrance for the Peak Tram itself (says &quot;Peak Tram&quot, and then further down on the right is a third entrance to the mall (also says &quot;Peak Tower&quot. To the right of this third set of glass entrance doors, and INSIDE the fence, you will see a sidewalk going straight downhill alongside the tram tracks. Take this sidewalk. (You may notice a sign on the inside of the fence which says Findlay Path, this is the path you want, you do NOT want Findlay Road, which is outside the fence). Follow Findlay Path downhill as it winds around (good views at several points), you will bear LEFT twice as you head downhill. You will then intersect with a flat road with white lines painted on it and will see a very low-roofed white building in front of you and across the street. The street is Barker Road and the building is the Barker Road Tram stop. Go RIGHT onto Barker Road, away from the tram tracks which are running uphill behind you.

You will walk along Barker Road for about 1.2 kilometers, passing many apartments and houses. At #28 on your left, go down the driveway a few feet and you can get a very good view (and photo) of the steep incline and curve of the tram tracks going uphill, the Barker Road tram stop straddling the tracks, and the Peak tram station at the top. If you wait a few minutes you will invariably see a tram going up or down the hill. I like #22 which has probably the finest private lawn on Hong Kong island (lawnmowers are a status symbol here). Keep going and you will come around a corner and see a large old brick building on your right, this is the Victorian-era hospital built in 1897 (now flats). Just before and past numbers 12 and 10 on your left are some very good views. #8 Barker Road is lucky for its house number and it also sits on a dragon line.

Follow Barker Road and it will end when it intersects with busy Peak Road. Cross Peak Road here, turning LEFT and then continue walking down Peak Road. Good views to the right. The first street you will come to will be an intersection of two quiet streets, one marked “Magazine Gap Road” going uphill to the left, and the other “Coombe Road”. Go RIGHT down and onto Coombe Road. (Busy roads will be curving off downhill to the left and right as well). Coombe Road will head downhill and wind around a bit, leading into and past a flat area with a park and playground and then will meet up in a large open area where several roads intersect: Mount Cameron Road on the sharp right, Middle Gap on the soft uphill right and Black’s Link straight ahead 10-20 yards and slightly to the right. (Busy Stubbs Road will be to the far left with many buses and cars passing, the Police Museum is up the road to the hard left, worth a stop if you are interested in the history of triads in Hong Kong). You have two choices here, you can take either Black’s Link or Middle Gap. The two paths will meet up for the last part of the walk, so it is up to you:

1. Black’s Link, which is macadam the whole way. Pedestrian-only until the last ½ mile or so. In trees for a good bit of the way, but some good views in several parts. One longish rise but generally flat. To do this walk, just head over to the sign which says “Black’s Link”, head up the hill and walk along the macadam path, and then follow the rest of the directions below from “Where Black’s Link Meets the Middle Gap Trail”.

2. Middle Gap Road, which is macadam, then gravel/stone/dirt for about half of the walk. More open and better views and many interesting homes, you get more of a feeling of “green” Hong Kong here IMO. One rise at the beginning, but generally flat. Open to cars until you get to the dirt path, and then again open to cars for the last ½ mile or so; however I rarely have seen any cars moving on it. If you take this path, take the soft right turn up and onto Middle Gap Road. You will head up a rise for 200-300 yards, then the road will level off. Some interesting homes here, but not too many views due to the trees. (Rough guess is that these homes are worth between US$20-40 million a piece, a large plot of land on Severn Road went for almost US$100 million about 7 years ago but that was sort of exceptional.) Stop and gawk at #15, my favourite (love the triple height windows on the ground floor), be sure to look back after you have passed it to see what I believe is the pool/garden complex cantilevered over the steep rocky hillside. The road will end at a road block marked by a horizontal pole meant to stop car traffic; go around this and onto the narrower pedestrian-only macadam trail. Follow this for a bit through the woods, and you will eventually come to a brown trail marker, the macadam trail continues straight, but you will take the path to the LEFT which says “Black’s Link”. This trail is about a mile over dirt/stone and gravel and affords some very good views (only a little bit marred in spots by electric pylons). After a mile or so you will come out onto a macadam trail again at another brown wooden train marker, you have now linked up with Black’s Link, go RIGHT and continue along Black’s Link, follow the rest of the directions below.

Where Black’s Link Meets the Middle Gap Trail: once the two paths have met up, continue walking along the pedestrian macadam Black’s Link. Good views of Ocean Park and Deep Water Bay are off to the right. Black’s Link will become a proper car road after about ½ to ¾ mile, you will know this by the cars parked along the side of the road and all the apartment buildings lining both sides of the road. Continue down and along Black’s Link until it intersects with busy Deep Water Bay Road; go LEFT here. There is a bus stop about 3-4 yards along the curve, go to the end of the bus stop shelter and you will see an area where you can cross the street (carefully, look right for traffic). Look all the way across the street, the grass median and the other streets here and you will see a Shell gas station on the far side. That is your objective: the bus stop for the buses to Stanley is in front of that gas station. You need to cross the streets and the grass median (there is an obelisk on the median, cross about where it is) and then cross the major busy road, again very carefully as buses and cars go quite fast here. (There are no crosswalks on these roads and Hong Kong drivers are not known for their politeness.) You can buy drinks at the gas station and there is a bathroom if you want to use it before you get on the bus to Stanley. For the bus, try to get a seat upstairs, on the right side if you can or in the front.

(FYI, if you want to do the Tsz Lo Shan Path, the steps to go up to Tai Tam Road are at the end of the gas station driveway, to the right of the gas station as you face it.) The bus stop is stop #14 on the #6 and 66 bus routes from Central to Stanley, and is the “Wong Nai Chung Gap Road near Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park” stop.

Johnmango

Wow! Cicerone - you are amazing! Did you carry a note book when you traced the walk so you could capture all the details??!!

I cannot thank you enough - hopefully others will see this and benefit from your post too.

Cicerone

I live at the to of Magazine Gap Road and do the Barker Road and Middle Gap Road walks a lot, about once a week if I can, so I know the routes pretty well; I have taken notes as well at times for this board and for friends who want to do walks.

I also should mention that both Black's Link and Middle Gap saw a lot of action when the Japanese invaded in WWII. Black's Link had been built in the early part of the 20th century as a faster link to move military material between the city harbour and Stanely Fort and that is what was happening when the Japanese arrived. When the Japense invaded, there were several intense battles on both Black's Link and Middle Gap, esp on Middle Gap apparently. I always think of Middle Gap of having quite a few ghosts...