The largest island of the SAR has a lot more to offer than the Tian Tan Buddha and riding the Ngong Ping Cable Car. But Lantau isn’t just for a day trip with visitors. Get out of the bright lights and bustle of downtown Hong Kong and go where the moonlight bathes the beach and the only night sounds are the lapping of the South China Sea and the rustle of palm trees.

Friday Evening
Catch the 6pm Mui Wo ferry from Central Pier No 5 (the fast ferry is $25.50 and runs every half hour until 11.30pm. The trip takes about 30 minutes). Once you arrive in Mui Wo, hit up the Wellcome for any snacks you may want for the weekend. If you want to really do it on the cheap, buy something for breakfast in the morning. (If you make it over to Lantau a little later, you might want to stay in Mui Wo to grab a bite – more on that later). From there hop on bus No 1 towards Tai O (6.40pm, 7.40pm, 8.10pm, 9pm, 9.30pm). Get off at Cheung Sha Beach, and check in at Long Coast Seasports (29 Lower Cheung Sha Village, www.longcoast.hk, 8104 6222/2980 3222).

You can choose a cozy guest room with a view of the beach, though we recommend a Safari tent. With a floor size of 4m x 4m and a ceiling height of over 3m, the tent is equipped with deluxe camping mattresses, furniture and even air-conditioning. You’ll be camping in high-style on their private campground located right in front of the beach. Safari tents can sleep up to ten people and cost $1,200 per night (includes one day’s activities for two people). To stay at LCS you must buy an activity voucher for $720 (or $650 November-May). Each voucher is good for two people and includes all watersports equipment for a full day as well as a night’s regular accommodation.

You’re going to get active on Saturday, so take the night easy and relax at Cheung Sha Beach. Kick back with some South African barbecue and a pitcher of Sangria from The Stoep Restaurant (Lower Cheung Sha Village, 2980 2699; meal for two around $300) just a few steps down the beach. Soak in the clean air, and take a moment to look up and enjoy stars in the clear sky.

Saturday
When you wake up in the morning, you’ll be in the perfect place to get your day started. Long Coast Seasports has all of the activities that you’ll need for the day. Whether you want to relax on the beach under an umbrella with a cool drink in hand, conquer a deserted island in a kayak, or ride the waves on a body-board or windsurfer, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.

When you feel your stomach rumbling, pull yourself out of the water and park yourself at one of the restaurants on shore. Try the News Bistro Restaurant & Café (40 Lower Cheung Sha Village, 2980 2233; newsbistro.com; meal for two around $200). The menu is comprised of a wide range of Chinese, Thai, Western and vegetarian dishes. The vegetables and herbs are all grown in their own garden.

Saturday evening
After a long day in the sun, clean up and head to dinner. If you’re really in lazy vacation mode, stay on Cheung Sha beach and eat there again, or LCS will arrange a beach BBQ for you ($220 per person, $60 per person if you bring your own food). Alternatively, head over to Pui O and try Oh La La!’s meat and seafood barbecue on the beach – and wash it down with the signature Pui-O-Punch (Pui O Beach, 2546 3543; meal for two around $500. Take Bus 4 at 5.30pm, 6.40pm, or 7.30pm, takes about 10 minutes).

Better yet, head over to Tai O (take bus No 1 or No 11; every 25 minutes from 5.35pm-6.55pm, every 40 minutes from 7.30pm-12.15am; travel time about 20 minutes), where you can enjoy a fresh seafood dinner at one of the many local restaurants for around $100 per person. After dinner, it’s time to settle in for the night. For a truly unique experience, the YWCA Tai O Cultural and Ecological Integrated Resource Centre (G/F, 93-95 Wing On Street, 2985 5681; Chinese-only website: cdto.ywca.org.hk) can help you to arrange a stilt-house homestay ($120/night per person). You can fish right off of the edge of your new home and enjoy a night the way the original Tanka villagers did, and still do. For another unique sleeping experience, The Hong Kong Shaolin Wushu Culture Centre can offer you a place to rest for the night (Shek Tsai Po, Tai O, 2985 8898; $500/night for three-person room).

Sunday
Tai O is filled with activities that are sure to make you think you’ve actually left the SAR. Known as the Venice of Hong Kong due to the river that runs through the village, this former fishing town used to be a salt export hub, but today is known for processing salt fish and its celebrated shrimp paste (be wary of the smells).

To plan your day, stop by the YWCA office to get a handle on all that Tai O has to offer. The YWCA offers tours that introduce the history, illustrate the traditional habits of the temples, and look at the sustainable development in Tai O. Get hands-on experience as the locals teach you to make sweet bean dessert and salt fish, how to knit traditional fishing nets, and how to gather scallops. Alternatively, join one of their sightseeing boat tours that cruise along the Tai O river, and observe the stilt-houses.

The Chinese white (and pink) dolphins are a special sight in local waters, and worth going to see. Boat tours should be easy to find, as many boats will be ready and willing to take you out hunting for the pink dolphins, but if you can’t find a captain try giving Tracy (3422 8188) a call and she may be able to help you out. (Alternatively, you can book a dolphin-spotting day-trip that leaves from Tsim Sha Tsui or Tung Chung via www.hkdolphinwatch.com.)

The Shaolin Culture Centre offers a variety of martial arts courses, as well as Shaolin art of body healing and life enhancement exercises that you can try during a training course (10am-4pm, $200/person). Give the Shaolin basics a try, as reputably they help to enhance the flexibility of your body and stretch your joints to their maximum. The monks say it is a blend of power and energy, courage and skill, gentleness and wisdom, and that with prolonged practice you can reach a perfect balance of mind and body.

During the day, stop to have a traditional seafood lunch in a stilt house (ask about it at the YWCA), or go to one of the many seafood restaurants in town. Fook Moon Lam (29 Tai O Market St, 2985 7071; meal for two around $200) offers good-quality Cantonese standards.

If you have time to kill in the afternoon, stop by the Balcony Café (86 Kat Hing St, 9153 7453). This cute spot has a wonderful patio that sits out over the river and is a perfect place to take a break from the heat and get off your feet.

Sunday evening
Before making the trip back home, stop in Mui Wo for the last dinner of your mini-vaca (from Tai O take bus No 1: 5pm, 5.30pm, 6pm, 6.20pm, 7pm, 8pm). Mui Wo has a slew of restaurants, noodle shops, and bars just near the ferry pier. There are also some restaurants on the way to Silvermine Bay Beach, just a five-minute walk from the Mui Wo ferry pier. Bahce serves Turkish favorites (Shop 19, G/F, Mui Wo Centre, 3 Ngan Wan Rd, 2984 0222) and The China Bear is a popular watering hole with British style pub grub (3 Ngan Wan Road, Mui Wo Center, 2984 9720). Our pick, though, is the China Beach Club (18 Tung Wan Tau Rd, 2983 8931; meal for two around $300), which has unparalleled views of the rolling sands.

A main attraction of the area is the Silvermine Waterfall. One of Hong Kong’s most easily reached and best waterfalls. To get there walk towards the beach, take a bridge over the creek, and walk till you come to the mouth of a small, mangrove-fringed creek. Turn left at the mouth of the creek, and you soon reach a narrow rural road. Turn right here, and the road follows the creek. There's a small trail junction with a signpost that points the way left to the waterfall. There's another junction, and a right turn soon leads to the foot of the falls.

If you want to get your heart rate up, rent a bike and pedal around the area, exploring at your own pace. The Friendly Bicycle Shop (G/F, Shop 12, Mui Wo Centre, 1 Ngan Wan Rd, 2984 2278) and Bike Shop (G/F, Shop B, Silver Centre, 10 Mui Wo Ferry Pier Rd, 2984 2002) both rent bikes cheaply. Check out www.hkmba.org for tips for where to bike. Lantau is also a great place for a hike. The climb to Lantau Peak, although long and arduous, offers stunning views and is a favorite. The Silvermine Bay beach is ideal for flinging Frisbees or taking a dip in the ocean before you catch the ferry home (the ferry runs every 40 minutes until 11.40pm).

Other destinations:
Northeast weekend
Lantau weekend
Sai Kung weekend
The Angie Wong weekender