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Another blog post written by an experienced traveler, teacher, and myTEFL Tutor – sharing some of his TEFL adventures with us.

The Long Way There

On my first trip to Hong Kong, my girlfriend and I stayed for five days on our way to Taiwan. Of course we hit up all the famous spots like the Big Buddha, the Peak, and the light show from the Avenue of Stars. But the most memorable part was the day we spent getting lost in the hidden beaches of the northern coast, one of the best Hong Kong secret places.

Reservoir on the way to Tai Long Wan beach

Getting there was an adventure. First, we had to take the metro, then a bus, then another bus, then a taxi, and then finally a long hike through tropical mountain trails and around a crystal blue reservoir. If it weren’t for the friendly people who helped us, where the second bus told us to get off, we probably never would’ve found our way. Our destination was the Sai Kung Natural Reserve, and eventually the secluded beaches of Tai Long Wan, the king of all Hong Kong secret places. We’d heard that the hike would be difficult, especially with the 40 degree Hong Kong heat in the summer. However, considering the majority of Hong Kong people are real urbanites who love their air conditioning and being indoors, we assumed their perception of “difficult” might have been an exaggeration. So, we accepted the challenge.

Hiking Jungle Paths to Hong Kong Secret Places

Our first mistake was underestimating the idea of walking anywhere for hours in the kind of humidity and heat that Hong Kong has during the summer. How should I put it? Let’s just say I hadn’t sweat this much since my high school football practices in mid-August, sprinting up hills with ten pounds of football equipment on. Except the end result of this physical exertion was much more visually rewarding than my hairy coach at the top of the hill.  You couldn’t imagine a place like this could exist just outside of the bustling Manhattan of Asia that is Hong Kong City. Rolling green mountain cliff-sides hugged the turquoise coast, with long white sandy beaches carving out its bays. The best part, however, was that NO ONE was there, aside from the handful of yachts anchored off the shore.  While some people enjoy the crowded streets of Kowloon, the best part for us was the exact opposite – Hong Kong secret places. And we just found one!

Breathtaking Tai Long Wan deserted beaches…yes in Hong Kong!

Lost in Translation

As you might imagine, we lost track of time, soaking in the beauty of one of the best Hong Kong secret places, so we got a late start heading back. It was starting to get dark as we passed through the only village in sight, so we tried to find someone to help us call a taxi.  Fortunately, we found a woman to call for us. Unfortunately, there was a problem: the courteous Hong Kong taxis would only pick us up within 15 minutes of calling, and we still had a good hour walk up the steep, five-mile trail to where the taxi could pick us up.  Calling back when we got to the top of the trail wouldn’t have been a problem, except we didn’t have cell phones! We tried asking if she could call back for us in an hour, but her smiles and nods convinced me she couldn’t understand a lick of what I was saying.

Unexpected Act of Kindness