It’s incredible that only a few kilometres from the hustle of Hong Kong Island, there is a place inhabited by people who have no official electricity and no running water supply. This is Po Toi – a serene and scenic island that lies to the southeast of Hong Kong. It used to be home to over a thousand people, although the population has dropped to under 200 in recent times, resulting in several streets of eerie, abandoned village houses.
There’s one main path on the island, the Po Toi Country Trail, which loops over the south of the island in a figure-of-eight. This loop takes in Po Toi's photogenic lighthouse as well as some dramatic and unusual rock formations. You can also take a short detour down a cliff and come face to face with two large Bronze Age carvings – now declared monuments. Back down near the village, try the 15-minute signposted detour up to Mo's Old House – the abandoned residence is reputedly haunted, thanks to the coffin-shaped rock that stands behind it.
Finish up your day at the small village down in Tai Wan – the whole village is powered by a noisy, old-school electrical generator, which you can go and check out for yourself. You can also wander up to the Tin Hau temple – scenically perched on a rock to the far left of the village. It gives you really great views over the island and the surrounding ocean.
How to get there: A public ferry runs from Stanley and Aberdeen piers on weekends, and from Aberdeen on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The ferry from Stanley takes 30 minutes, and around an hour from Aberdeen.