Nam Sang Wai: Wetlands Calling

I visited Nam Sang Wai around one year ago and it's still etched in my memory as one of the most romantic spots in Hong Kong. Disclosure: I went with a bunch of elementary school students and volunteers, but any place that can make you feel sentimental and carefree even while surrounded by screaming children is a romantic gem by my standards...

Nam Sang Wai is a wetland area in the New Territories, and the only way to get to the trail is to cross the river through a cheap, slow and ghetto looking boat. It's not a bad way to start a rustic adventure though:

Waiting for the boat (only one!)

On a side note, whenever I think about river crossing for some reason I always think about the Greek myth of some old man ferrying people across the river to the underworld, so maybe that's why this felt quite magical to me, and I really bought the whole "getting transported into a different time and place" narrative (or most likely I'm just a city girl who's too easily impressed). 

One of the landmarks is this beautiful path of eucalyptus trees. This is the stuff of romantic dramas and nostalgic childhood montages. I ran along part of the trail with these kids (think the boys were trying to run away from the girls), but if anyone wants to recreate a cheesy Korean drama scene next time I'm all up for it:

Another breathtaking view--think this spot is very popular for wedding pictures and filming for local Cantonese dramas. But we had a few minutes to ourselves that day:

At the end of the trail is a large field where people picnic, play guitar, fly kites, draw and just hang out. It's great to be reminded of the fact that grass does exist in Hong Kong...even if you really have to look for it and there are probably lots of ants.