Sneha was a delightful guide, very patient with us and explaining each part of the hike. It was steep and strenuous, but we took our time. However, her boss failed to tell us ahead of time where at the designated train station to meet her. We arrived 15 minutes early, didn't see anyone looking for us, so waited outside the station. Then spent the next 30 minutes searching around various exits from the station, even paying once to go back inside. Rory called our home phone, but that's useless for us here in Hong Kong. Once we finally connected with Sneha, all was well.
If you’re a hiker maybe it’s easy but if you aren’t an avid hiker or in super awesome shape this is a hard hike. Beautiful at the falls but be ready to be drenched in sweat 20 mins in (and bring a change of clothes! You will absolutely need them!). One person in our group said from the bus stop in total we hiked 90 stories- yeah. NOT easy. Remember you’re in the jungle, it was summer and like 85% humidity at the time so BRING WATER. I did but our guide said he’d had people show up with mini water bottles before- that ain’t gonna cut it! I’m glad I did it but I wish they’d classified it as a moderate hike so I was better prepared.
The hike at Tai Mo Shan was really good and would recommend it as a get away from the buzz HK city. Waterfalls were gorgeous and so was the forest itself. Because it was raining, we didn't get a chance to swim in the waterfalls. I would totally recommend it on a sunny day. Rory was great as a guide and had good knowledge of the surrounding area. He was friendly, easy to chat with while hiking.
It was December 23rd and my daughter and I found ourselves unexpectedly in Hong Kong for the weekend. It was good to get out of the city and into the New Territories and we had no problem meeting with our guide, Tristan, at the MTR station. Tristan was affable and the taxi out to Tai Mo was organised. It had started raining earlier in the morning and got heavier as the day progressed. It was nice for walking but the only problem was that it also got SLIPPERY. We were only wearing sneakers and I would recommend proper hiking shoes if you have them. This was not an easy hike. I had completed Dragon's Back the week before so perhaps I was overconfident. I'm a 48 year old Australian woman and probably about 10 kilos overweight, though fairly fit. I struggled, not because I got out of breath, but because on the very steep rocky ascent my leg muscles literally gave out, which gave me a bit of worry, as it was rugged terrain and I would think you would need to be airlifted out of there. My 16 year old daughter, who is slim and fit, later confessed to me that she was having the same worry. Now for the good bits - even in the mist, the waterfalls were spectacular, and so was the view towards Shenzhen! I also enjoyed the temple and all of the little shrines along the way. I would have liked to have learned more about the geology, biology and history of the area (when I had enough breath to talk). All in all, I would highly recommend doing this - just be aware that although the climb is arduous it doesn't last for that long and that the walk down again is lovely.
We were on the tail end of a 12 day/5 city trek through China. We had done a lot of walking (up to 14 miles in one day) so we were ready. This is located north of the city so we had to take a train from Mongkok, but that was easy and CHEAP! Once we got to the location, we were met by our guide, Rory! Rory then took our family of four the final stretch in his personal vehicle. This allowed us time to chat and get to know each other a bit. Once we got to the location, the walking commenced. This quickly turned into climbing and more climbing and more climbing! BUT THE SITES WERE AMAZING!!! Especially, if you love being out in nature! I am 53, wife is 51, daughter and son are 24 and 14 respectively. My wife and I found this challenging, but we took our time and Rory was very supportive and made sure we were there and moving along just fine. He did not rush us one bit. I mentioned it was challenging, but it was SO rewarding. We would do it again in a heartbeat! Rory was a fun and FANTASTIC guide through this venture! My ONLY suggestion I can give......do not underestimate the amount of water you may need. We had 6 20 oz bottles for the family of four and that was not enough. Otherwise, if you want to get out into nature, experience another part of the Hong Kong area, and enjoy the humor and motivation of a great guide (Rory), then book this excursion TODAY!