Sunday 30 August 2015

HK Nature Walk - Hong Kong Wetland Park

The Hong Kong Wetland Park has become one of my must-go places whenever I visit Hong Kong. It is a great place to chill out, enjoy the greenery, observe animal behaviour and to practise my nature photography skills.

The Visitor Centre has a wonderful gallery which explains the importance of wetlands and why we should conserve them. There are also themed exhibits which are changed regularly so there is always something new to learn.

Outdoors, there are boardwalks that lead to different habitats and bird hides where you can sit quietly to observe or photograph the waterbirds. One of my favourites is the Mangrove Boardwalk which brings you close to the mud level where you can see lots of mudskippers going about their daily business during low tide.

Main entrance.

The park is located right next to a housing estate at
Tin Shui Wai, New Territories.

The 2 star attractions - Pui Pui, a saltwater crocodile caught at the
Shan Pui River, and Pei Pei, a Black-faced Spoonbill. Hong Kong is an
important wintering place for the endangered Black-faced Spoonbills.

Mangrove forest exhibit at the Visitor Centre.

A flock of Black-faced Spoonbills resting at one of the ponds inside the park.

An educational exhibit about mudskippers and crabs
at the Wetlands Discovery Centre.

Job's Tears. An important source of food and folk medicine in Asia
and grows in wetlands.

One of the several boardwalks at the park.

A bird hide (far right) for birdwatchers.

Photographers and birdwatchers come early to grab good seats.

View from the Fishpond Hide. The city in the distance is Shenzhen.

How to get there

Depending on where you stay, there are several ways to get to the park. I would normally take the MTR West Rail to Tin Shui Wai Station, and board the light rail LRT705 to Tin Shau Station or Wetland Park Station. I prefer to alight at Tin Shau Station because there is a tunnel which brings you right up to the main entrance. For other transportation methods, please check the Hong Kong Wetland Park site.

Admission

There is an admission fee and please take note that the park is closed on Tuesdays except on public holidays. Opening hours are from 10am to 5pm.

Tip: If you wish to see mudskippers at the Mangrove Boardwalk, visit during the low tide hours. If you wish to see waterbirds or migratory shorebirds, it is best to visit when the tide is going up. You can easily google for web sites which give you the tide tables.

Wear comfortable clothing and bring lots of drinking water. If you are there for an entire day, there is a cafe at the Visitor Centre which serves good and affordable food.

Enjoy your trip and take lots of nice photos!