Where to live in Hong Kong: Discovery Bay insider’s guide to the Lantau neighbourhood

DB resident Louise Thoreau gives us the lowdown on life in Disco Bay.

Name:  Louise Thoreau

From:    USA

Occupation:  Musician and music instructor

Click on our gallery above for an insider’s look at life in Discovery Bay

Where do you live?
On a boat in The Marina in Discovery Bay.

How long have you lived here?
Four years now, but we also lived in DB from 1992 to 2002.

Why here?
We chose DB for it’s open space.

Describe your DB lifestyle?
Fast-paced and hard-working. Not much down time. But that’s HK in general.

When you walk out of your place, the first thing you see is…
… the fish in the water, and the dock. It’s a pleasant walk from the boat to the clubhouse – unless there’s a red tide, in which case, the smell is most unpleasant. Thankfully, that’s a rare occurrence.

Closest store:
We have a Central and a North Plaza that supply us with grocery stores, restaurants, homeware and more. The Marina is about a 10-minute walk from the resident’s clubhouse, but there are buses every 20 minutes or so.

Your street would make the perfect backdrop for a remake of…
Flipper!

How are the neighbours?
They’re all pretty busy too, but everyone is friendly and says hello.

The unofficial uniform of your street is:
A combination of suits, school uniforms, sportswear and casual wear.

A mandatory stop for guests is:
A jump on the ferry to Majesty Seafood in Central and a trip over the hill to the Lantau Big Buddha.

Date night – what and where?
Ha ha, well, time and energy are at a premium, so we’re either at a party at friends or just relaxing at home. With work hours maxing out most of our time, we’re just happy to be together. Doesn’t matter where. Saying that, we do enjoy a good time out now and then.

Best thing for kids in DB?
The best thing for kids in our neighbourhood is the access to the swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, park and playroom.

You’d swap houses in a second with… 
It depends. I would love to have a home big enough to hold musical recitals for my students – one with plenty of light and open space; kind of hard to find in Hong Kong though.

Favourite places in DB?
It would have to be walking up to the lookout point behind Phase Two. The open space out by the reservoir.

Strangest thing you’ve seen in DB?
The busloads of people that are drafted in for DB organised events.

Guiltiest pleasure in DB?
Probably the 22 Degrees North Brasserie.

What would you never change about DB?
The Plaza. It’s a good meeting area and a community hub.

Best thing about living in DB?
The people.

Look out for: Sunday Market – The Plaza, Disco Bay
Organised by Handmade Hong Kong, the market is a gathering place to showcase Hong Kong’s brightest indie-crafters, artists, designers and small-business owners ranging from fine jewellery, vintage clothes and incredible ceramics to eco-friendly stationery and organic goods. 13 April to 11 May.

Things you mightn’t know about DB

• The inter-island Discovery Bay ferry from DB takes just 15 minutes to Peng Chau for a quick hike up Finger Hill, finishing with fab dim sum.
• You might not be able to drive on DB but you can jump on the Discovery Bay ferry to Mui Wo for access to beaches and lunch at The Stoep. You can also hike over to Mui Wo.
• DB has loads of gyms offering everything from bootcamp to yoga to spinning.
• DB has one of the most chilled-out spots to enjoy after-work drinks. Bar Duvet is an open-air bar with laidback seating. On Thursdays there’s a huge carve-your-own leg of ham.
• The Discovery Bay ferry from Central to DB runs 24 hours. Check out the Discovery Bay ferry timetable.
• There are allotments to rent for those missing garden space but still wanting to grow their own.
• Disney Hong Kong has a nightly fireworks show that you can view from the tables of one of the many great restaurants along Tai Pak Beach at DDeck. You can also score a free Discovery Bay ferry ride when you enjoy a meal at DDeck!
• Our Online Editor’s favourite Thai restaurant in the world is Koh Tomyums, located in Discovery Bay!

Crazy Carts
There are no cars on DB, with local buses, golf carts and bikes being the preferred modes of transport. The number of golf cart licences is capped at 490 on the resort so they’re in short supply. The result? The price of a DB golf cart recently rolled past the HK$2 million mark – that’s the same as a new Ferrari!