Want an unparalleled view of Hong Kong? Try tandem paragliding

Ever wondered what it would feel like to glide freely through the air like a bird?

An opportunity for me to do so came knocking in the form of an email from Emil Kaminski, the chief pilot at Hong Kong Hike ‘N’ Fly, a tandem paragliding operator in Hong Kong, asking whether I would be interested in a session in Ma On Shan, in the city’s New Territories.

Paragliding first appeared in Hong Kong in the early 1990s and quickly attracted a community of pilots, the Hong Kong China Paragliding Association says.

In paragliding, a pilot wears a harness that is attached to a wide “wing” (the parachute). As the pilot drifts through the air, they manipulate their direction by pulling on two control lines and shifting their body weight.

It sounds much simpler than it actually is, Kaminski says.