Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Go to Tai Long Wan!! (HK's Best Beach)


About a month ago, our family hiked to Tai Long Wan Beach, arguably the most beautiful beach in Hong Kong located in the Sai Kung area:

We went with several other friends and it was an extraordinary day. The sky was even bluer than it is usually, which made for some pretty pictures on the way:

Getting to the beach can be a little tricky. First we took the MTR to Ma On Shan and grabbed a taxi to Sai Wan, where we started on the hiking trail. You can also take several buses if you don't want to pay the taxi fare. (or get off at the Wu Kai Sha MTR station and take a bus to the roundabout near Sai Kung, then another bus to Sai Wan.) It's about a two hour hike in from Sai Wan. On the way, about an hour in, we stopped at a waterfall where we had fun Cliff jumping (pun intended-watch this 15 second video):

We made it to the beach and had lunch at one of two local restarants (see them in the background, gotta love the bridges!):

All the dishes are local fare and will run you about HK $40-$100 (US $6-$12) each. After filling up, we spent the next few hours playing in the ocean and hiking on the rocks. It was picture perfect; I felt like I was in a movie scene from Bali. The water is the warmest I have ever been in. So exotic. The nicest thing is that the natives apparently don't get into the whole hiking/beach thing very much, so this huge, sand beach was pretty empty:

Rather than walk back, we hired a power boat (ask the restaurant owners to call for you):


Though a bit costly--HK $110 (US $15) per person, the ride was pehaps the best part of the adventure!  With a 20hp motor, this baby flew, eliciting lots of screams from the 20 or so people on board every time we hit a big wave, nearly setting us airborn. The driver was having a grand time. Fewer regulations here: no life jackets to be seen and when we landed in Sai Kung 30 minutes later, the driver just held the boat nose against a set of cement steps and waited rather impatiently while we tottered over the nose and onto shore. This was by far my best day here!

To find other hiking/beach adventures, be sure to check in at this site:
http://www.urban-outdoors.com/

If you are even thinking that living overseas might be a possibility for you...just do it and don't look back....
 

3 comments:

  1. I love this one Tricia! This was one of the most exciting days for Clayton and me as well :)--Sydney

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  2. My son and his wife and their two boys ages 3 & 1 are moving to Hong Kong in the new year. I sent her the link to your blog. They live in Boston right now.

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  3. Thank you so much, Rhondi, I hope they enjoy it!

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