Island Hopping — Cheung Chau, Peng Chau & Lantau

Hong Kong is 260 islands — I live on one of them. Ferry out from Central with me and string three islands into one unforgettable day: my Cheung Chau, sleepy Peng Chau, and mighty Lantau, before the boat home to the skyline.

Only about 20 of Hong Kong's 260+ islands are inhabited — and this day shows you three of the best, stitched together by ferries that are half the fun. Timings flex with the ferry schedules (that's island law), but the rhythm is always the same: villages, temples, beaches, seafood, and a guide who knows every cat on Cheung Chau.

Sample itinerary

• 09:00 · Central Pier 5 — fast ferry to Cheung Chau
• 09:45 · Cheung Chau: fishing harbour, Pak Tai Temple, the beach, the caves, and the boundary stones I rediscovered in the jungle
• 12:00 · Seafood lunch on the harbourfront — my table, my recommendations
• 13:15 · Inter-island ferry to Peng Chau: the island time forgot — old match factories, temples and a hilltop view
• 15:00 · Onward ferry to Lantau (Mui Wo): silvermine beach, waterfalls and village life — or swap in Tai O when schedules align
• 17:30 · Return ferry to Central — sunset over the harbour from the deck, the perfect ending