Angie Wong loses herself amongst awe-inspiring sunsets, gourmandized pigs and plastic jungle animals

There was no one on the dock when we alighted from the boat. The sleepy resort was as empty as a Tuscan street at siesta time. We walked around staring in wonder at the fake plastic giraffes, zebras, rhino heads and other Nat Geo stars.  How did an entire menagerie of life-sized animals come to inhabit this resort? This must be the Island of Doctor Moreau.

Finally, the manager finally emerged to greet us. Here was a man happy to be on island time. We would find out later this was because of many frazzled years spent working in the Repulse Bay food and beverage scene. He showed us to our room. As the only guests there, we had ten to choose from.

The room facing the volleyball court was quaint in a schoolyard kind of way, with a four-poster bed draped with mosquito netting and Ikea furnishings. The sponge-washed walls were painted in a muted blue, and non-offensive art dotted the room. It reminded me of grandma’s house, but in a good way. The mattress was as thick as a short stack of pancakes, but at $750 per night ($600 on weekdays), we were spending less than at our own rented home in Wan Chai – and we didn’t really care. We sat out the rain, and when the sun came, went down to the outdoor pool. The teak deck had long weathered to grey, and there were tadpoles swimming around with us. It was, shall we say, a little bit rustic. Still, we made the most of our increasingly shabby adventure, half anticipating Marlon Brando to emerge from the deep end of this living pond.

We passed on a suggested hike through the thick surrounding forest (fear of the area’s reputed mutant mosquitoes got the better of us), and the sudden arrival of rain put us off the various water activities on offer: rowing, fishing, scuba (all of the equipment is provided for free, with the exception of scuba rentals). Instead we ordered beers.

Sitting at the open bar listening to the patter of rain on the roof, we sat on chairs with animal legs, and remarked upon the frightening animal statues in front of us. Building up enough courage to ask him, the manager told us he had rescued the plastic animals from the Rainforest Café at Festival Walk, after it closed a few years back. He didn’t dare ask how we liked his resort; he already saw the boredom on our faces. However, he did mention the owners are partnering up with investors from Lan Kwai Fong to spruce this place up and bring it some traffic. That’s exactly what this place needs, a real population – not the fake plastic jungle book kind.

Admittedly, it’s weird. And yes, it’s rough round the edges. But, it is pretty, in fact very pretty. And pretty quiet. We decided to make our escape for lunch.

A swift phone call to Ah Ying and we were back on the sampan, headed back into Sai Kung town. Disembarking, we walked over to the newly opened Anthony’s Ranch, owned by the same folks behind local seafood restaurant Anthony’s Catch, an honest-to-goodness Texas ho-down smokehouse. For those not familiar with American terminology, we mean it sells ribs, such as baby backs pork ribs smoked with apple and pear chips, lacquered in BBQ sauce. We feasted on chilli cheese fries, wet ribs, beer and cracked peanuts. Sated, we licked our BBQ stained fingers and took in the seaside village vibe of Sai Kung.

Jumping back on the sampan (we were making Ms. Ying’s day), we decided against heading straight back to Doctor Moreau’s, and instead puttered towards the village of Ma On Sha to catch the sunset at One-Thirty-one. Up until now, our romantic weekend had been more Romancing the Stone than Sleepless in Seattle. That was until we got to One-Thirty-one. The setting couldn’t have been more romantic. Between the dips of the hills we saw a glowing sun reflecting off a still sea. The grass lawn in front of the pink French Provencal style house that housed the restaurant was glowing orange, and the sun smothered every surface it touched. I imagined getting married here, but didn’t dare mention the M word to my partner. We drank white wine on the patio and took in the sun-streaked skies, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the cool taste of dry grapes gliding across our tongues.

In the morning, we had a simple breakfast of toast and tea at the Captain. Then we slept until the afternoon, interrupted only by the soft sounds of waves. Our lungs would thank us for this weekend.

Anthony’s Ranch, G/F & Cockloft, 28 Yi Chun St, Sai Kung, 2791 6113,www.anthonyscatch.com.
Club Captain Bear, Tai She Wan, 2524 2234, www.clubcaptainbear.com.hk.
One Thirty-one, 131 Tseng Tau Village, Shap Sze Heung, 2791 2684.