We almost did not go to Sai Kung. Our plan was another day in Kowloon, and then a friend who had lived in Hong Kong for twelve years said, “Skip whatever you have planned and go to Sai Kung. You will not believe it is the same territory.” He was right. Within ninety minutes of leaving our Kowloon hotel, we were standing on a reservoir dam staring at tens of thousands of hexagonal volcanic rock columns rising from the sea, and the only sound was wind and birdsong. Jenice turned to me and said, “This cannot be Hong Kong.” But it is. Sai Kung is the green, wild, geologically extraordinary Hong Kong that most visitors never discover.
Sai Kung is Hong Kong’s outdoor answer to the city’s density — a UNESCO Global Geopark of hexagonal volcanic columns, 100km of MacLehose Trail, and a waterfront of live-seafood restaurants that constitutes one of the territory’s best lunches. It is 50-70 minutes from Kowloon by MTR and minibus, costs HKD 300-600 per person for a full day including seafood, and is the sharpest possible contrast with the urban Hong Kong most visitors know. Hiking gear is essential. Flip-flops are a mistake.
140 Million Years of Volcanic Geometry
Tens of thousands of perfect hexagonal rock columns rise from the sea at High Island Reservoir — the most improbable geological formation in Hong Kong.
The MacLehose Trail — Hong Kong’s Greatest Hike
The MacLehose Trail Stage 1 from Pak Tam Chung is the most dramatic coastal hike in Hong Kong, and it deserves every superlative. The path follows the edge of the High Island Reservoir before descending to Long Ke Wan — a remote sandy beach with no road access, reachable only on foot or by kaito boat. Along the way, the East Dam of the reservoir presents the hexagonal volcanic rock columns face-on from a viewing platform, and the sight stops you dead.
Tens of thousands of perfect hexagons rising from the sea like a natural honeycomb, hundreds of metres across. The columns were formed approximately 140 million years ago by the rapid cooling of volcanic rock — a geological explanation that does nothing to diminish the visual impact. We stood at the viewing platform for fifteen minutes, trying to process what we were seeing. The columns are so geometrically precise that they look engineered. They are not. Nature did this, and it did it on a scale that makes human engineering look modest.
The full Stage 1 hike from Pak Tam Chung to Long Ke Wan is about 10km and takes 3-4 hours at a moderate pace. We did a shorter version — the dam walk to the viewing platform and back (about 7km, 2.5 hours) — and it was one of the highlights of our entire trip. The trail is well-maintained but exposed in sections, so bring at least 2 litres of water per person, sunscreen, and a hat. The terrain is rocky in places and proper closed-toe hiking shoes are non-negotiable.
The Geopark — Why It Matters
The Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark covers much of the Sai Kung peninsula and the surrounding waters, and it contains geological formations that rival anything in Iceland or Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway. The hexagonal columns at High Island are the most famous feature, but the geopark also includes sea caves, wave-cut platforms, and coastal rock formations that tell the story of 400 million years of geological activity.
Guided geopark tours are available through the Sai Kung Geopark Visitor Centre and through operators on Klook and GetYourGuide. A knowledgeable guide transforms the experience from “that is pretty” to “I understand why the earth looks like this” — worth the HKD 380-600 investment if geology interests you even slightly.
Choose Your Fish, Name Your Method
Sai Kung's waterfront seafood restaurants let you pick your meal from live tanks — the freshest dining experience in Hong Kong.
Sai Kung Waterfront — The Seafood Lunch
The Sai Kung waterfront is a different experience entirely from the trail, and the transition from hiking boots to seafood lunch is one of the most satisfying gear changes in Hong Kong travel. A row of seafood restaurants faces the water, each with live tanks outside displaying the morning’s catch. You choose your fish, specify your preferred cooking method, and return to your plastic table while the kitchen handles the rest.
We ordered steamed grouper with ginger and spring onion (HKD 250 — the fish was alive five minutes earlier), salt and pepper prawns (HKD 100), typhoon shelter crab (HKD 200 — chilli and garlic fried crab, one of the great Cantonese dishes), and garlic butter scallops (HKD 90). With rice, vegetables, and two cold Tsingtaos each, the total came to about HKD 350 per person. Worth every dollar.
The trick to ordering is to agree the price before selection. The tanks display fish by species, and prices are calculated by weight. Ask the price per catty (approximately 600 grams) before pointing at your fish, or you risk an unpleasant surprise on the bill. The waitstaff at all the waterfront restaurants are experienced with tourists and will guide you through the process if you ask.
Lunch here extends naturally into the afternoon. We sat for two hours on an October day, watching kaito boats shuttle tourists to the islands, watching fishermen unload at the pier, watching the light shift across the harbour. The seafood restaurants close in the early evening, so plan for lunch rather than dinner.
Sharp Island — The Hidden Beach
Kaito boats from the Sai Kung pier serve the outlying islands and beaches throughout the day. Sharp Island takes about ten minutes and costs HKD 20-30 each way, and it is one of the most beautiful short trips available from the Sai Kung waterfront.
The island has a tombolo — a natural sandbar connecting two land masses — that is exposed at low tide, creating a walkway between Sharp Island and the smaller Kiu Tsui Island. We timed our visit for low tide and walked across the sandbar with clear water on both sides and the green hills of Sai Kung peninsula in the background. The snorkeling off the eastern shore is the best we found in Hong Kong — clear water, small reef fish, and healthy coral formations visible from the surface.
Bring your own snorkeling gear (there is nowhere to rent on the island), sunscreen, and water. There are no facilities on Sharp Island beyond a basic changing area. The last kaito back to Sai Kung departs around 5-6pm — do not miss it unless you want an unplanned overnight on a deserted beach.
The Wilderness Next Door
Thirty kilometres from Kowloon's towers, Sai Kung's country park unfolds into forested mountains, empty beaches, and a silence that Hong Kong's urban core has forgotten.
Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park — Coral in Hong Kong
Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park on the north coast of the Sai Kung peninsula has some of the best snorkeling in Hong Kong — healthy coral colonies, abundant tropical fish, and water clarity that surprises visitors who associate Hong Kong with harbour shipping. The park is less accessible than Sharp Island (no public bus — you need a taxi or arranged transport from Sai Kung Town, about HKD 80-100 each way), but the effort is rewarded with a marine environment that feels Caribbean rather than South China Sea.
We visited on a Tuesday when the park was almost empty, and the snorkeling exceeded our expectations entirely. Brain coral, staghorn coral, and at least fifteen species of reef fish visible within swimming distance of the beach. If you have any interest in marine life, Hoi Ha Wan is essential.
Where to Eat in Sai Kung Town
Beyond the waterfront seafood restaurants, Sai Kung Town has a surprisingly good food scene for a place most tourists visit only for the hiking. The streets behind the pier have Cantonese restaurants serving excellent dim sum (HKD 80-150 per person for lunch), Thai restaurants (a consequence of the local Thai community), and Western-style cafes. We had dim sum at a local teahouse on a Sunday morning — har gow, siu mai, char siu bao, and custard tarts — for HKD 95 per person, and the quality was comparable to anything in the city.
- Best time to visit: October to April for hiking — cool, clear, and low humidity. The geopark hexagonal columns are visible year-round but summer haze reduces visibility. Avoid hiking in typhoon season. Seafood is excellent year-round.
- Getting there: MTR to Diamond Hill (Kwun Tong Line), then Green Minibus 1A from Exit C2 to Sai Kung Town (25 minutes, HKD 11). Octopus card works on the minibus. Total journey from Kowloon is 50-70 minutes.
- Budget tip: The MacLehose Trail and geopark are free. Kaito to Sharp Island is HKD 20-30 each way. The main expense is seafood lunch (HKD 200-400 per person) — agree the price per catty before selecting your fish to avoid surprises.
- Insider tip: Take Bus 94 from Sai Kung Town to Pak Tam Chung for the MacLehose trailhead — it is cheaper than a taxi and drops you at the start. For Sharp Island, check the tide table and visit at low tide for the tombolo sandbar crossing.
Where to Stay
Most visitors day-trip Sai Kung from Kowloon or Hong Kong Island hotels, and the transport connections are good enough to make that practical. If you want a base in the area, Tseung Kwan O (on the MTR line, one interchange from Diamond Hill) has newer hotels with easy access. Sai Kung Town itself has a few guesthouses, but options are limited and booking in advance is essential for weekends.
Practical Information
A full Sai Kung day takes 8-10 hours from Kowloon. Start by 8:30am to maximise daylight on the trails. Bring at least 2 litres of water per person for any hiking — the MacLehose sections are exposed with no shade or water sources. Hiking boots or trail running shoes are essential. Do not hike in flip-flops or sandals — the terrain is rocky and the descent to Long Ke Wan is steep.
Cantonese is the primary language. English is understood at the waterfront restaurants, kaito boat operators, and the main visitor facilities. For the seafood restaurants, basic pointing at tanks and asking “how much per catty?” in English works perfectly.
Sai Kung changed our understanding of what Hong Kong is. Before we went, we thought of Hong Kong as a city. After the MacLehose Trail, the geopark, and the Sharp Island tombolo, we understood it as a territory — one where world-class wilderness exists within ninety minutes of the world’s densest urban grid. It is the day trip that every Hong Kong visitor should make, and the one that most visitors do not know exists.