Sai Kung Nature Guide (Hong Kong)

Sai Kung not only has a Geological Park with hexagonal columns, it is also a marine park with the best water quality in the whole of Hong Kong. Because it cannot be reached by MTR or rails, and many areas have restricted access, it means that it is less polluted and developed. It is also the start of the MacLehose Trail, which spans over 100 km in Hong Kong. But there are also many trails that are lesser-known, some I haven't even covered on my blog!

This guide includes 37+ unique islands/beaches/hiking trails, with details on how to get in and out, a hand-drawn overview map, and a .gpx you can download for the hiking trails.

Who am I?

Hi, my name is Nam and I've been living 20 minutes from Sai Kung since I was 9. I spent a lot of my life before 2015 studying in the UK, graduating with an MSci of Geology, and an appreciation to mountains and nature.

I moved back to Hong Kong after graduation and have been discovering Sai Kung, the most beautiful 'back garden' of Hong Kong. It is arguably the prettiest region in the whole of Hong Kong and I spend almost every weekend going to pristine beaches, on stunning hikes, and visiting hidden islands. While I've been writing all about Hong Kong's many nature spots on my blog, I realise that I want to dig deeper and make a comprehensive guide for people who want to go deeper, too.

The whole thing took longer than I thought but I'm so excited to share 36+ islands, beaches, and routes in this guide. And I'll strive to add to it as I explore my turf some more.

What is in the guide

Sai Kung Overview: 

• How to use the hiking guide - including tables of contents and other useful links
• Essential Information - when to hike and how to stay safe & know where you are when hiking
• Hiking Gears - the gears that you definitely need, should need, and a checklist before you go!
• Getting Around - what transport options there are to Sai Kung and how to get around once you get to Sai Kung.

Sai Kung inner islands:

• How to reach and what to see on 4 inner islands in the Port Shelter: Sharp Island, Half Moon Bay, Yim Tin Tsai, and Jin Island.

How to get to, get out with hand-drawn maps:

• Sharp Peak
• Tai Wan Beach
• Ham Tin Beach
• Sai Wan Beach
• Four Consecutive Pools and Falls
• Kam Kui Shek Teng
• Tai Yue Ngam Teng
• Long Ke Beach
• Po Ping Chau
• Tai Cham Koi
• Pak Lap Beach
• Tai She Teng

Hoi Ha Area

How to get to, get out with hand-drawn maps:

• Tai Tan Country Trail
• Hoi Ha
• Ocean Point
• Wong Mau Chau
• Grass Island
• Lai Chi Chong
• Sham Chung
• Yung Shue O
• Lui Ta Shek
• Tai Tun Shan
• Sheung Yiu Country Trail

Ma On Shan Area

How to get to, get out with hand-drawn maps:

• Ma On Shan
• MacLehose Trail Stage 2
• Buffalo Hills
• Nui Po Shan
• Luk Chau Stone Forest
• Madai Stream

Clear Water Bay Area

How to get to, get out with hand-drawn maps:

• High Junk Peak
• Lung Ha Wan Country Trail
• Green Egg Island
• Ninepin Islands

To make it easy to find what you want, I've also included:

• themed hiking list
• full list