Winding round the Sai Kung Peninsula, this hike covers Section 1 and part of Section 2 of the MacLehose Trail, providing one of the best ways to see the amazing hexagonal volcanic columns of High Island. The route also passes the High Island Reservoir and Long Ke Wan, which have been voted as two of Hong Kong’s best scenic sites.

Section 1 of the trail cuts through the lower half of the Sai Kung East Country Park, passing both the West Dam and East Dam of the High Island Reservoir. Most of the route consists of flat roads and concrete paths.

Sai Kung Peninsula is one of the last havens left in Hong Kong for hikers, swimmers and boaters, and most of it is one beautiful 7500-hectare country park. Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

Starting point — Sai Kung Country Park Visitor Centre

From MTR Diamond Hill Station, Exit C2, take bus 92 to Sai Kung Peninsula. From Sai Kung town catch bus 94 towards Wong Shek pier and alight at Pak Tam Chung Station. On Sundays, it’s possible to take bus 96R from MTR Diamond Hill Station directly to Pak Tam Chung Station. From Pak Tam Chung Station, walk along Tai Mong Tsai Road for approximately five minutes until you reach the start of the trail. Photo credit: platform.hkdiscovery.com

High Island Reservoir West Dam

From the West Dam of High Island Reservoir, take in the panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and coast. Built between 1971 and 1979, the reservoir has a capacity of 280 million cubic metres, surpassing any other in the city. Since November 2009, it has been listed as part of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, not least because of its sizeable series of acidic rhyolite volcanic columns that are rarely seen elsewhere in the world. Photo credit: attator.blogspot.com

East Dam

After hiking for just an hour, Kiu Tsui Beach comes into sight. Partly bouldery and partly sandy, it’s a great spot for scuba-diving, kayaking, swimming and sunbathing. Photo credit: trover.com

Tombolo

At the East Dam you’ll be able to see hexagonal rock columns resembling a ‘petrified waterfall’. These are hundreds of millions of years old and were formed by the cooling and contracting mixture of lava, rock debris and volcanic ash. Later, consistent violent crustal movements created the twists and folds that you can now see. Photo credit: blog.sina.com.cn

From the East Dam you will also have a good view of Po Pin Chau; an islet that looks like it was chopped off from the adjacent rock by a giant axe. It used to be part of High Island, but became dislocated by the chronic erosion of powerful waves. Those who paid attention in geography class will remember that this is called a sea stack.

The East Dam is a cofferdam of 7,000 dolosse protecting Sai Kung’s coast from the relentless forces of the ocean. Look out for the giant dolos on the trail commemorating the workers who died during the construction of High Island Reservoir.

Long Ke Wan

A splendid inner bay, Long Ke Wan has crystal-clear water and a blanket of white sands resting between hills and capes. Conic Island is the only land to be seen in what is an otherwise immense view of the open South China Sea. Photo credit: beach-weather.com

Endpoint — Sai Wan Pavilion

From Sai Wan Pavilion take minibus NR29 or a taxi back to Sai Kung Town. Photo credit: trailhiker.wordpress.com

Click here for a better resolution of Sai Kung Peninsula Trail map.

Info:
Area: Sai Kung, New Territories
Starting point: Pak Tam Chung
Endpoint: Chui Tung Au (Sai Wan Pavilion)
Average hiking time: Approximately 7 hours
Distance: Approximately 14 km
Replenishing stations: There is a refreshment kiosk near the Pak Tam Chung Parking Area.
Difficulty: Moderate

How to get there:

• To the starting point:

  1. From MTR Diamond Hill Station Exit C2, take bus 92 to Sai Kung Bus Terminus. Then at Sai Kung Town, take bus 94 for Wong Shek Pier and get off at Pak Tam Chung Station; or
     take bus 96R for Wong Shek Pier (this route only operates on Sundays and public holidays) from MTR Diamond Hill Station Exit C2 and get off at Pak Tam Chung Station.
     Alternatively, From Sha Tin New Town Plaza Bus Terminus, take bus 299X to Sai Kung Bus Terminus. Then at Sai Kung Town, take bus 94 for Wong Shek Pier and get off at Pak Tam Chung Station.

  2. After getting off the bus at Pak Tam Chung Station, you’ll find the Pak Tam Chung Barrier Gate. Walk along Tai Mong Tsai Road for five minutes to the starting point of the trail.

  From the endpoint:
  Take NR29 minibus or a taxi back to Sai Kung Town.

 

With thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board and discoverhongkong.com for the content.

Located in the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, this tiny elongated island is home to geological spectacles created 140 million years ago. It is perfect for visitors to enjoy natural wonders, a fairly short hike and a dip in the sea in one go.

Sharp Island encapsulates Hong Kong's great outdoors at its best with lush greenery, clear waters, beautiful beaches and sweeping views. Photo credit: infinitenation.wordpress.com

Starting point — Hap Mun Bay Beach

Start your day with a short bouncy kaito ride from the Sai Kung Public Pier. Hap Mun Bay, also known as Half Moon Bay, is a picturesque crescent-shaped beach tucked away at the southern tip of Sharp Island with emerald waters. In fact, it consistently tops the water quality ratings among Hong Kong’s beaches. A snack bar, barbecue and picnic sites, showers and lockers are available. Photo credit: unseenhongkong.com

Hak Shan Teng

The hiking route to Kiu Tau starts from the rear of the picnic site. It takes you to the top of the hill — Hak Shan Teng — for a breath-taking panorama of the coastline and the tombolo of Sharp Island. The trees, climbers and thickets along the way are so thick at some spots that it’s like walking through a green tunnel, where you will be greeted by a wide variety of fluttering butterflies. Photo credit: follo3me.com

Kiu Tsui Beach

After hiking for just an hour, Kiu Tsui Beach comes into sight. Partly bouldery and partly sandy, it’s a great spot for scuba-diving, kayaking, swimming and sunbathing. Photo credit: trover.com

Tombolo

If you happen to catch the low tide, witness the emerging promenade that connects the nearby Kiu Tau islet. Stroll along the natural sand levee for a closer look at this interesting coastal landform. Photo credit: unseenhongkong.com

‘Pineapple buns’

Dozens of giant boulders are scattered on the tombolo beaches, looking bizarrely like the local snack ‘pineapple bun’. The quartz monzonite has been weathered and eroded to various degrees to yield irregular cracks. Other typical volcanic rocks found on Sharp Island include volcanic breccia and rhyolite, the former containing angular pyroclasts while the latter’s surface is adorned with lava flow bandings. Photo credit: travelwithkidz.com.au

Photo Tips from Kelvin Yuen

The tombolo is characterised by the many pineapple bun-shaped stones here. See the stone path connecting the Kiu Tau islet appear during low tide. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com by Kelvin Yuen

Use an ultra-wide-angle lens (e.g. 16 mm) to capture the unique stones in the foreground and highlight the stone path.

*Winner of the National Geographic International Photo Contest 2015, Youth Division

Kiu Tau

Cross the tombolo and follow the trail up Kiu Tau. From the hilltop lookout, you can get a good look at Hap Mun Bay, Port Shelter and Clear Water Bay. Descend to the rocky shore to observe coastal wildlife. At the end of the trail, you will see a beacon guiding ships in Inner Port Shelter. Photo credit: zh.wikipedia.org

Endpoint — Sharp Island Pier

Return to the main island via the tombolo and walk towards the direction of Kiu Tsui Beach. The pier is an elevated platform where you can enjoy one last glimpse of the beautiful scenery before hopping onto the kaito. Photo credit: wanderingsnow.com

Click here for a better resolution of Sharp Island Trail map.

Info:
Area: Sai Kung District
Starting point: Hap Mun Bay Beach
Endpoint: Sharp Island Pier
Average hiking time: About 2 hours
Distance: Approximately 3 km
Replenishing stations: Sai Kung town centre has lots of options for stocking up.
Difficulty: Moderate - Short walk; but mind rugged relief at the tombolo and few stops for replenishment

How to get there:

• To the starting point:

  • From MTR Diamond Hill Exit C2, take bus 92 to Sai Kung Town, then board a kaito at Sai Kung Public Pier to Hap Mun Bay.

  • Alternatively, from Sha Tin New Town Plaza Bus Terminus take bus number 299X to Sai Kung Town, then board a kaito at Sai Kung Public Pier.

  • The kaito ride takes around 15 minutes. An adult one-way ticket costs around $20-40. Costs vary between weekends and weekdays, and between peak season (summer) and low season.

  From the end point:

  • Board a kaito at Sharp Island Public Pier to return to Sai Kung Public Pier.

  • From Sai Kung Town, public transport is available to other destinations.

  • Sai Kung Ferry Traders Association (enquiry):
    +852 9080 5794 / +852 9082 2057

 

With thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board and discoverhongkong.com for the content.

Located in the southwestern New Territories, Shing Mun Country Park offers ample opportunities to explore nature. Hiking around nearby Tai Mo Shan, visitors can see tall paperbark trees lining the paths and, occasionally, come across groups of wild monkeys. An overwintering site for migrating brush-footed butterflies, the park is also perfect for butterfly watching, particularly in autumn.

Designated in 1977, Shing Mun Country Park was one of the first country parks in the territory. Photo credit: meocre.smugmug.com

Butterfly Paradise

Migrating brush-footed butterflies winter in Shing Mun Country Park’s Butterfly Paradise. Commonly witnessed in the park are blue-spotted crows, glassy tigers and common tigers from the same butterfly family. Their beautiful but forbidding patterns are natural protection against predators. Photo credit: greenpower.org.hk

Pineapple Dam Nature Trail

Now a part of Shing Mun Reservoir, this dam used to be home to pineapple groves planted by Hakka villagers. Walking along the Nature Trail, visitors can enjoy picturesque views of Pineapple Dam and its 9 km-long catchwaters, as well as catch sight of wild monkeys. Photo credit: gethigh-hk.com

Paperbark Forest

The region around the reservoir is also a designated tree-planting site. The Paperbark Forest is a favourite with visiting photographers. Among the most picturesque scenery of the area are sky-high treetops, reflections of the forest on the glassy surface of the reservoir, and rows of paperbark trees submerged in the water. Photo credit: trover.com

Main Dam

The construction of Shing Mun Reservoir was commissioned in 1923 and the dam took 14 years to complete. At 84 metres in height, its Main Dam is an impressive sight; of particular note is the dam’s distinctive bellmouth overflow device. The connected Lower Shing Mun Reservoir downstream catches overflowing water from the Main Dam. Photo credit: lcsd.gov.hk

Trip ideas:

• Sunny afternoons are ideal for butterfly watching, from March to October.

• The visitor centre provides a detailed introduction to the native monkeys. You can also learn more about the nearby military ruins and the abandoned mine with its tools and equipment. Open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays (except the first two days of Chinese New Year)

• Don’t capture the butterflies.

• Don’t tease or feed the monkeys. Keep your distance.

Click here for a better resolution of Shing Mun Country Park Trail map.

Info:
Area: Tsuen Wan District
Starting point and Endpoint: Shing Mun Reservoir (Pineapple Dam) minibus terminus
Average hiking time: About 3 hours
Distance: About 9.7 km
Replenishing stations: There are no eateries or kiosks in the park.
Difficulty: Easy - Level paths throughout the area; suitable for all.

How to get there:

• To the starting point:
  From MTR Tsuen Wan Station, Exit B1, take green minibus 82 on Shiu Wo Street for Shing Mun Reservoir.
  
  From the endpoint:
  From Shing Mun Reservoir (Pineapple Dam) minibus terminus, take green minibus 82 back to Shui Wo Street.

 

With thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board and discoverhongkong.com for the content.

The easternmost island of Hong Kong is formed entirely of sedimentary rocks with a variety of marine abrasion landforms along its coast. The shores of this level island are decorated with colourful laminations of top rock shale and many other natural wonders.

Included in the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, Tung Ping Chau is an esteemed museum of geomorphology. Follow the simple trail around the island for a tour of its most popular attractions.

Tung Ping Chau is the farthest and wildest of Hong Kong outlying islands, being just 2 km off the mainland Chinese coast and Mirs Bay. Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org

Starting Point — Tung Ping Chau Public Pier

After a 1.5-hour ferry ride along Tolo Channel, you’ll arrive at the island. At the end of the pier you’ll find a sizeable public washroom, with the only flush toilets on the island. If you take a look around the pier, you’ll see corals and fish among the rocks under the limpid water of A Ma Wan.

Note: Mobile network coverage on the island is weak, and your phone may be connected to Mainland China networks instead. Switch off mobile data during the ferry ride to avoid unexpected roaming costs. Photo credit: wanderinghk.wordpress.com

A Ma Wan

Walk left along the beach of A Ma Wan. As you enjoy the sea breeze and the sound of waves lapping the shore, keep an eye out for the amazing rock features here: wave-carved shale, iron-rich rocks weathered to resemble chequer boards, and stromatolitic structures made of fossils of cyanobacteria, just to name a few. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com

Kang Lau Shek & rock pools

At the easternmost tip of Tung Ping Chau, a pair of two-storey-high sea stacks majestically stand on a wave-cut platform, like the island’s watchtowers. During low tide, the platform becomes an intertidal paradise for small fishes, urchins and various shellfishes. Photo credit: walkonhill.com

Lung Lok Shui

Return to the trail and walk for 30 minutes until you see a 100-metre-long band of rocks stretching off the coast from the hillside. With its triangular edges, it looks as though a dragon is making its way down into the ocean. This unique landform is carved from differential wave erosion of two rock layers. Photo credit: geopark.gov.hk

Cham Keng Chau

Continue on the trail in the woods until the view broadens. Descend the slope carefully, and you will be greeted by the boundless ocean and distinctively stratified shale bed, with Cham Keng Chau on your right. The spur, originally attached to the island, broke off from continuous erosion, and a natural corridor took shape. Walk along the passage between the sharp cliffs and enjoy the refreshing cool breeze. Photo credit: laughtraveleat.com

Ending Point — Tai Tong Village

Most of the villagers on Tung Ping Chau have moved out, but some of them return to the island during weekends and public holidays to run stalls for day-trippers. On your way back to the pier, you can stop by and see if any are open for a hot meal, fresh seafood dishes, snacks or cool drinks. Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

Click here for a better resolution of Tung Ping Chau Trail map.

Info:
Area: Tai Po District
Starting point and Endpoint: Tung Ping Chau Public Pier
Average hiking time: About 3 hours
Distance: Approximately 5 km
Replenishing stations: There is nowhere to buy food or drinks along most parts of the route, so stock up before setting out. Meals are available on weekends and public holidays at Tai Tong Village near the pier.
Difficulty: Fairly Easy - Relatively flat terrain with occasional wet and rough rock surfaces

How to get there:

• To the starting point:
  From MTR University Station Exit B, take a taxi to Ma Liu Shui Ferry Pier and board a ferry. The journey takes around 1.5 hours. This ferry service operates only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
  
  From the endpoint:
  Board a ferry at Tung Ping Chau Public Pier. There is only one ferry back to Ma Liu Shui each day, so don’t miss it. This ferry service operates only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
  
  For the ferry service schedule, please refer to the Transport Department website.

 

With thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board and discoverhongkong.com for the content.