Linda had given us the idea of going to Lantau island, where the new airport is, although we didn't go to visit the airport, at least not yet. We came here to visit the elusive pink dolphins, and the big Buddha. You wouldn't have thought you'd came to a different island, because we came straight from the MTR station in Kowloon to Lantau from underground, then joined an overland track by the sea. As we came out overground, you could tell we were off the mainland and on an island. Our first stop was to head towards the big Buddha. There a cable car which has great views of the airport and surrounding islands, so we thought we'd check that out.

Cable car and the Buddha

We went to the ticket booth at the cable car to find out prices, they were a bit expensive, but we wanted to do it, so just booked a one way ticket. When we got in the queue for the ride up, there was a tail back about a mile long. It felt like we were back in China. It only took us around an hour to eventually get our space on the cable car. We got papped as we got on, but we're used to that nowadays, especially having come from China! Up and away we go, to dizzy new heights. As we got higher, the views became clearer and we got panoramic views of the horizon. I could see the airport, which has been built in recent years and looks good when you get a birds eye view of it. I could also see little fishing villages and a local fisherman in the water. We also saw many little islands surrounding us, plus a bridge being built so people can drive to Macaw. The possibilities are endless here in Hong Kong....

Once we were high enough, we could see the Buddha in the distance. It looked like it was in an excellent location and would boast superb views when you walk up to the top of it. I was surprised at how long the cable car ride was; around 30 minutes, with such great views, I believe it was money well spent. When we got off, we headed towards the Buddha. I was surprised that there was a whole little world of shops, restaurants, and various other attractions up here; including a Chinese village. Linda had warned us it's a bit commercialised, so we didn't take any interest in that, and just went to the Buddha.

We walked up around 100 steps or so, which isn't many compared to the number we've climbed before, but it's made to feel 10 times harder being so humid. Once we made it to the foot of the Buddha, I realised the sheer size of it. It was sat in a cross legged position, palms facing forward, welcoming arms. I really liked this Buddha, it was different to any other we've seen. It was a bit crowded by the Buddha, so we walked around the base. There were some smaller Buddha statues which were pretty cool, perhaps there to protect the big one. There were also some amazing views of the surrounding islands below us.

Houses on stilts - Tai O

After visiting the Buddha, we waited nearly an hour to catch the bus, as we found out we'd just missed one and they go hourly. As part of our day tour of Lantau Island, we were able to visit the quaint and picturesque Tai O fishing village which is situated on the western coast. Tai O is a popular place to visit on Lantau island, and as there's only one bus an hour, the buses do get full, so luckily, we were first on the bus. We got our pick of the seats and on the way back down the hill, we were rewarded with more stunning views of the bay and islands scattered about in the South China Sea. Linda had said that this bus journey is well worth it for the amazing views, I completely agree.

When we got off the bus, we were approached by the boat touts and encouraged to book tickets for a 20 minute boat ride. It takes you through the houses on stilts and to see the elusive pink dolphins. There's no guarantee that you get to see the dolphins, but the tickets are only about £3.00 each that even if you don't see them, the boat trip is worth it. So we waited in a queue and boarded a small speed boat eagerly watching with hawk eyes for those dolphins. We got given life jackets and set off on our short adventure.

We cruised into a narrow lane to see the houses. The houses are on stilts. They look old and rustic (or just rusty) but the tour guide said that much of that was for the benefit of tourists and they are actually lovely and modern inside.

Wandering through the traditional seafood market is great fun. Have a go at identifying all the different dried products you see. Some are obvious and some you may regret asking about. Apparently, most of the dried seafood used in HK is produced in this village.

To see the village properly, you need to get out on the water which is part of the tour. Not on a tour? You won't have any problems finding someone to take you. The best part of the ride is the opportunity to take photos. A village that is definitely worth visiting, especially if you haven't visited a fishing village in Asia.

Pink dolphins

Once we'd toured the houses on stilts the boat took us out to look for the elusive pink dolphins. The dolphins are an endangered species and if you're lucky enough, you'll get to see them. Their pink colour is said to come from blood vessels that are close to their body's surface and temperature regulation flushes the blood through to make them look pink.

Our boat driver took us out to hunt for the dolphins for a good 15 minutes or so. We hadn't seen any yet, then suddenly someone shouted out dolphin so we all turned around and saw one jumping in the distance. The boat then proceeded to follow the dolphin to get a closer look. We sped up ahead and saw the dolphin jumping up and then the rest of the pod jumped out of the water- but it was quite far ahead of us. We were so lucky that the dolphins came up to say hello. Then it was sadly time to return to the village to catch our bus back to mainland Hong Kong. It was so rewarding to see the elusive pink dolphins- we were the lucky ones!