A Day Exploring a Fishing Island
Follow me to one of Hong Kong's most quaint and chill islands
This is a leisure post about a recent day off I spent exploring Hong Kong, if these are well received I’ll keep posting more!
The more I stay in Hong Kong the more things I’m falling in love with.
I came for the food.
With over 28,000 restaurants Hong Kong has the highest restaurant per person density in the world.
Yes… in the world 🌍
This also makes it one of the most competitive cities to cook in. If you serve crap food or have miserable service, chances are you won’t be around long.
Factor in that real estate is the 2nd most expensive currently in the world and that all adds up to a ‘dog eat dog’, high energy, competitive environment.
Again, this is why i came to Hong Kong. To push myself. Max myself out. Dig deep and see a different part of the world.
What I wasn’t expecting were the limitless leisure options that Hong Kong offers.
When I arrived, one of the managing partners who brought me over took me on a day tour during which he remarked
“Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world that you can hike to a mountain top in the morning and then be on a beach in the water a few hours later”
I acknowledged it in passing but didn’t give it much thought; the outdoors weren’t on my mind much. When I first arrived (in winter) I was not used to the humidity and that day tour of walking around consisted of me sweating out my shirt and pants while everyone else was walking around not soaked in sweat 😂
Having spent a lot of time outdoors now I am slowly acclimating to the humidity.
Side note: I thought Bangkok or somewhere in SE Asia would be the most humid spot in Asia… nope. Hong Kong has been confirmed to me by every person I’ve encountered to be the most humid. My wardrobe now consists largely of linen and poplin to prepare for the summer 🙌
Back to the subject of this post.
I decided a month or so into my stay that given my limited number of off days I needed to purpose to explore around the Hong Kong area as much as possible.
It was then that I discovered the massive amounts of hiking trails, cycling routes and beaches that are all contained within Hong Kong and the close surrounding islands.
You can observe on this crude but effective map just how much topographical variety there is in Hong Kong. Add to that the land locked coasts with surrounding waters (aka beaches) and high peaks. Some of the most exhilirating and beautiful views in Asia can be found in my, now, back yard.
You can also take a high speed train and in 14mins be in Shenzhen, China which is one of the most recently developing and thriving cities on the Mainland with a focus on tech. The city is spotless, the food is delicious and the rates are a fraction of costs vs HK. Many people hop over for the day to do shopping then come back.
Lamma Island
On a recent day off I decided it was time to venture off Hong Kong and see one of the surrounding islands.
Lantau is the largest and most popular of the islands off HK’s coast with a plethora of walking/hiking trails, beaches and great restaurants.
I opted for something more chill so I hopped the ferry to Lamma Island, a smaller land mass that is known for its fishing and maritime industry. Seafood is a huge part of this micro-economy.
From Hong Kong’s central pier you can take the ferry to either Sok Kwu Wan (~45min journey) or Yung Shue Wan (30 mins).
The cool part is that there is a hiking trail that connects both of these villages so you can literally take the ferry, get in a nice hike, take in the views, stop at a beach then finish opposite of where you started and take the ferry back. 🙌
Sok Kwu Wan is a smaller more remote village whereas Yung Shue Wan has a bit more development; make no mistake, both are pretty rural.
I wanted to start in Sok Kwu Wan and finish in Yung Shue Wan but the ferry schedule would’ve had me waiting almost an hour to depart so I took the Yung Shue Wan ferry (which was leaving immediately.
Yung Shue Wan is full of local seafood restaurants as well as other cuisines now. A few HK restaurant and bar groups have even sprouted up a few outposts including Turkish and Middle Eastern eateries, western cuisines with some cocktail spots too.
Some places will take credit cards but it’s a good idea to pull cash or use an ATM upon arrival.
From Yung Shue Wan just a twenty minute walk will have you at Hung Shing Ye Beach.
This is a gorgeous spot equipped with changing rooms, restrooms and some BBQ picnic table areas.
Again, I hit this spot first because I started in YSW, if I had been able to start in Sok Kwu Wan I would have been able to do my hike first, then end at the beach to relax, take a dip, with jsut a 20 mins walk to the ferry to get back home.
Oh well, noted for next time and I’ll plan better
Here’s the layout for the pier to pier hike. It’s almost 12km and takes at least 2.5hrs or longer due to the inclines, gradients and steps… and don’t forget, the humidity! 😂
Once you pass the beach from Yung Shue Wan, everything is very clearly sign marked on concrete paths. Then you get to the “Lamma Island Family Walk”.
The name would imply a simple and relatively easy hike.
Well, I found the stairs, hills and gradients to be more challenging than the name implied 😂 . only after when talking to a work colleague who told me when he takes his kids he ends up having to give them piggy back rides intermittently. 😆
You are rewarded at the top of the peak with some really outstanding and marvelous views. I took more than a few mins to enjoy the breeze and take in the views; the pics from my phone don’t really do it justice.
You’ll also end up passing through some very rural small villages where you can see old dilapidated structures as well as new modern developments being built. There are also the Kamikaze caves which I didn’t get out to but I will visit next time I jump across for a morning trip.
Overall it’s a very peaceful and chill place. Funny how a 30 min boat ride can take you from one of the busiest cities to a serene and peaceful environment. 🙏
Upon arriving at Sok Kwu Wan I was sweaty, thirsty (take water with you!) and… hungry!
Sok Kwu Wan is a much smaller and less touristy spot than Yung Shue Wan and in the middle of the afternoon most restaurants had owners relaxing in chairs waiting for a dinner crowd to come later.
I hit up a seafood market that let you pick your selection and then cook it to order for you. The seafood was pristine 🤤
Prawns, geoduck, razor clams, crabs, large scallops in the shell, fish of all sorts and abalone (one of my favorites).
I briefly talked with the server who was a friendly guy and had plenty of time on his hands.
I decided on scallops, abalone and razor clams.
The scallops were steamed with simply garlic and little rice vermicelli. The abalone were steamed with soy sauce and dried orange peel. Finally the razor clams were stir fried in a black bean and chili sauce.
The seafood was really good… really really good. The only issue was the scallops were slightly over steamed but the flavor was still great, just more of a textural issue.
The abalone was very nicely prepared and the clams were spot on!
Aside from a huge chilled bottle of sparkling water I sipped on some hot tea and waited for the next ferry to take me back home looking out on water.
Just a 30 min hop on the ferry brought me back to central with some great views coming into the central pier.
There’s an interesting story about one of the buildings in the last picture but I’ll save that for another time!
Please comment if you’d like me to drop more lifestyle and leisure posts from this side of the world as I continue to explore.
Stay tuned for the next recipe drop: Vietnamese Pho… you don’t want to miss!