The Plover Cove Country Park in the northeast New Territories is one of the most under-populated and pristine parts of Hong Kong. This guided hike starts in the tiny hamlet of Wu Kau Tang, where you’ll first head upwards to see stunning views across the boundary into Mainland China, and of the Yan Chau Tong Marine Park. Giving the glutes a break, you’ll then descend to the deserted village of Lai Chi Wo and feast your eyes on what is said to be one of the oldest surviving feng shui woods in Hong Kong.

After leaving the village, you’ll walk through an area of intertidal mudflats formed by sedimentation, where you can find the largest bed of Coastal Heritiera in Hong Kong. Along the way are abandoned rice fields and terraces once cultivated by villagers. The Chinese pond heron, little egrets, great egrets, night herons and the extremely rare Swinhoe’s egret call these former rice paddies home.

During the tour you’ll also see abandoned fishponds that previously bred both fresh- and sea-water fish. Following the coastline back, you can admire geological formations dating back 400 million years.