Sai Kung Travel Guide

One of the best places to take a step back from the frenetic pace of central Hong Kong lies out to the east of the city, towards Sai Kung Town. This pretty little town, on an east-facing bay just before the Sai Kung peninsula, has an almost Mediterranean feel. It has long been a local fishing village, but since the 1980s has made itself known as the prime spot for fishing and boating trips – as well as for swimming, hiking and cycling. That has earned it the name 'the Leisure Garden of Hong Kong'.

The focus of most visits here is the beautiful coast, with its many beaches and little harbours. Many Hong Kong locals come to Sai Kung to hire a boat to go fishing, or to explore some of the many islands scattered along this the coastline. You can get a passenger ferry to many of the larger islands, like Kau Sai Chau or Kiu Tsui Chau (Sharp Island), if you want to go further off the beaten track.

But if your sea legs are not that great, you can always get a taste of it at the harbour. Here you can buy some freshly caught seafood from the sampan boats moored at the harbour. Or try it cooked, according to the local cuisine, at one of Sai Kung's well-reputed restaurants.

As well pretty white-sand beaches at their feet, the hills around the town offer many inviting tracks for exploring the wooded slopes. One place worth visiting, a little way along the Sai Kung peninsula, is the High Island Geo-area. This is about 20 kilometres west of the town itself, in the Sai Kung East Country Park. It displays some remarkable volcanic rock-forms, where molten lava has cooled slowly to form tall regular hexagonal columns. The whole area is of geological interest, and has a sign-posted trail to inform visitors as they trek around the site.

But for most visitors to Sai Kung Town, it is enough to be out of Hong Kong, enjoying wide open spaces, uncluttered by tower blocks, skyscrapers and busy roads. Sai Kung Town gives a taste of the rural haven of green islands, coral beaches and azure seas of Hong Kong’s past.