Hong Kong Part 5: Tai-O Village

After 3 days in Disneyland, we needed something relaxing and slow. Tai O Village seemed like the answer since it was near our cousin's apartment. We took a bus there and reached there a little too early for the next boat at 1125am. With more than 30 minutes to spare, we headed to the only restaurant available at the pier.

We took Bus E31 to Tung Chung Ferry Pier

Sea breeze...there was none! That was how hot it was.

Chinese restaurant by day and Indian restaurant by night

Simple deco topped with sea view.

Waiting for our ferry. Not all the ferries here head for Tai O Village so be sure to board the right one.
If you are unsure, check with the man at the pier. He helps to dock the ferries when they arrive and ushers the crowd in and off the ferries.  

Tap your Octopus card for the ferry fare. HK$25 which works out to be about S$4.
The ride is about 30 minutes so if you have motion sickness, come prepared with pills or sweets.

I survived the 30 minutes ride without any sign of motion sickness. A feat indeed!

The view at Tai O was awesome!

 

Rustic charm of the fishing village echoed throughout



Another way to get to Tai O Village - a one and a half hour journey up the winding mountain

A small museum near the pier. The lack of English explanation made the visit to the museum a 'see and go' experience.

Small alley with local products and eateries

HK$15 if you opted for the dolphin sighting tour. HK$10 for the waterway cruise.
Didn't think we would spot any dolphin in this heat so we opted for the waterway cruise.

Locals working on their boat



Cafes along the waterway



After a very quick ride of about 7 minutes, we continued our exploration along the alley



More dried products

Fish organs??

Dried seahorses

Grilled cheese oysters!

Spicy seashells.

Erh....Snow White is looking for a spouse?

Found a café to enjoy



Traditional deco with old CDs makes the visit a walk down memory lane.

Some simple fares.

The desserts were yummy. Found out later that they were home-made.

My noodles which took more than half an hour to arrive.



Fried chicken, fish, prawns, fishballs....but was really bloated from the lunch and was not able to try any.



Tai O Chinese pizza. Hmm, an acquired taste? Anyway, I could only manage one bite.
Nonetheless, the uncle was really entertaining during his cooking show.

Cutting them into smaller portions.

Another must try in Tai O

Crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. If I were hungry, would have eaten more than one.
With my bad tummy, I could only take one bite. Sob sob...

A long queue for this one.

Good old charcoal grill. Smells good!

Grilled cuttlefish...

...the traditional way. Yummy!

More traditional snacks

It was almost 4pm and I could feel energy sipping out of me very quickly. Didn't help that I was still lethargic from the days of play, not forgetting the intense heat from Disneyland. We missed the 4pm ferry back to the mainland and had to wait around for the 5.45pm ferry. I rested with my girls at the pier while the rest of the group continued their exploration. The breeze at the pier, coupled with the cool evening air, helped ease the tiredness a fair bit. By the time we reached the mainland, I was ready for dinner. We headed to the same restaurant we were at in the morning, this time, for Indian food. I must admit that I had my apprehensions at first as I am not exactly a fan of Indian cuisine but decided to follow the crowd. Plus, I was too tired to go anywhere far in search for food. To my huge surprise, the food was very delicious. The kids loved the cheese naan so much that we had to order extra servings. The spinach and lamb curry was also superb. I can't say I am now a fan of Indian cuisine but one thing's for sure, I would definitely order more the next time I visit the restaurant again.

Yummy cheese naan