The visitor centre of the WWF-run Mai Po Nature reopened in late November and launched a new overnight stay option for guests who wish to get a deeper understanding of Hong Kong’s wetlands. Under the ‘Mai Po Day & Night’ programme, visitors can stay at the reserve for two days and one night, and explore the area during bird migration season.
Guests can get picked up by a shuttle bus from the Yuen Long MTR station and arrive at Mai Po by 5pm. Once they arrive, they will go on a sunset walk around the freshwater marsh, followed by a Chinese dinner provided by the reserve.
The next day, after breakfast, participants will get a four-hour tour of several Mai Po wetland habitats, including fish ponds, gei wai (traditionally operated shrimp ponds), reed beds, mangroves, and freshwater ponds. The daytime walk will take visitors through a new barrier-free wooden trail and three-storey birdwatching tower, and end at 12.30pm.
The aim of the newly launched two-day-one-night programme is to help visitors learn about WWF’s work in Mai Po wetlands, including the conservation of waterbirds on the East Asia-Australia migration route. All participants must be eight years old and older, and each session can accommodate 16 visitors at most. The tours are conducted in Cantonese.
The Mai Po Nature Reserve is part of Deep Bay, a wetland area at the mouth of the Shenzhen River, the Shan Pui River, and Tin Shui Wai Nullah. It is home to a diverse population of birdlife, including the Black-faced Spoonbill, Black-headed Gull, and Little Ringed Plover. It is a restricted area under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance to protect wildlife from disturbance.
Anyone who is interested in signing up for the Mai Po Day & Night experience must make a booking on the nature reserve’s website. If there are no slots available, you can submit your contact information on the website, and the organisers will contact you when they release their next schedule.
Image credits: WWF Hong Kong
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