Violet Hill and The Twins is an easy-to-moderate hiking trail that can be completed in under 3 hours, finishing at Stanley market where you can grab an icy pint of Somersby Cider and kick back on the beach. The trail is a through-hike just under 5km, starting at Wong Nai Chung Gap. You can attack the trail from either direction, but I recommend finishing at Stanley as the final view is a lot more rewarding. Prepare yourself for a challenging and sweaty incline of 1200+ steps to reach the top of the twins. I advise wearing light clothing if hiking during the summer months as the humidity hits hard on this trail.
Hike Location: Hong Kong Island, Wong Nai Chung Gap
Hike Difficulty: Easy - Moderate (4/10)
Hike Length: 3 hours
Hike Distance: approx. 5km
Elevation Gain: ~400m
This is what the start of the trail looks like. Make your way to Wong Nai Chung Gap via public transport (nearest MTR stops include Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Ocean Park). Directions for taxi driver: "Hong Kong Park View" or ask to be taken to the start of Tai Tam Reservoir Road and look out for this trailhead. Opposite is a small parking bay, easy for taxi drop-off.
Follow the trail up the first 200+ steps in order to reach the mini ridge line in photo 4. Continue straight along the dirt path and ignore the turn off at the one intersection you come across (that's an alternative route that takes you to Repulse Bay, skipping The Twins).
Continue following the path up and down the concrete steps until you reach the bridge in photo 8. At this point you need to turn right towards Stanley. This is where the challenge begins. 1200 steps of straight incline. Your quads will burn and the sweat will be grim.
Keep pushing until you reach the top, then reward yourself by looking back while catching your breath. Shaky legs will make the second peak seem harder, although physically it's a lot less taxing than the first. After the second peak you'll come to a lookout point over Stanley (photo 12). On a clear day you'll see the neighbouring islands and the blue-green ocean will appear very inviting.
Follow the trail down to the road and jump on the next bus that comes by, it will most likely be heading towards Stanley Market, but check as you board.
See the route I took on the MAP below (green dot is the starting point) and download the KML file to see the route in Google Earth 3D. Watch my KML tutorials for downloading the map on both laptop and mobile.
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