What to do in Sai Kung Hong Kong
SAI KUNG BOAT TOUR
In my previous article, I talked about how God made our timing just perfect. My friend Kay told me once before that she did a boat tour in Sai Kung and that it was worth a visit. Having spent most of the day already in Tap Mun island ,Tina and I had no plans on going on a boat tour.
When the bus arrived in Sai Kung coming back from Tap Mun, we saw a huge poster with interesting geological rock formations. Our curiosity led Tina and I to inquire, and found out that we were right on time for the last trip. We took a boat out to Sai Kung for HKD 80. This was definitely over our budget for the day, but it seemed like it was meant to be. So we went on and joined the tour.
The boat drove off to show us some of the most amazing rock formations.
The boat tour had two stops. The first was in Yim Tin Sai, a small island 15 minutes away from Sai Kung Pier which was once inhabited by the Hakka people. Just like in Tap Mun, people had left the village in search of better opportunities, thus leaving the island and the houses abandoned to nature.
Ghost Town, that’s how I describe it: the forest slowly growing and eating up what’s left of the village, the wild foliage giving out a creepy vibe. It didn’t help that for some reason, sounds or noise seemed to be a lot louder on this island. We got there around 5:00 pm. I was afraid to go around alone so we followed two people who were willing to explore, making them our “security blanket”.
The island’s main attraction now is St. Joseph’s Church. Despite its eerie atmosphere, it’s a good place to walk around in, it has forest trails that you can take. Perhaps, if we got here earlier in the day, I would have been braver, but there’s something about abandoned places that gives me goosebumps.
Our last Stop: Sharp Island
Sharp Island house two popular beaches, Hap Mun Bay and Kiu Tsui Beach. Aside from us and 6 other people in our tour, there were no others on the island. We got to appreciate the full beauty and serenity of it. As a bonus, it was low tide, meaning, it was the best time to view the tombolo (a bridge made of rocks) that connects two islands. Crossing the Tombolo felt as if we were Jesus parting the sea. According to the tour guide, this disappears during high tide, thus people who cross must make it back before the water comes in. It’s a short distance to walk, but probably a long way to swim.
Sharp island is also known for its pine-apple shaped rocks; these can only be found here.
This caps our long day. Tina and I were exhausted, so we went back to the pier, rode the bus, and slept the whole way back to Diamond Hill. Today was definitely an awesome day.
Ohh that ghost town looks amazing! I love seeing nature take over lost cities. Sounds like an awesome boat trip.
If you enjoy that type of places, you must pay this a visit..
The rock formations are really beautiful, but like you, I’m not so sure about the ghost town! Wouldn’t like to be left there alone with that foilage……
I felt the same way but then it was interesting to visit. Perhaps just don’t be there during night fall 🙂
Beautiful photos. Looks like a great place to take in the view.
I’ll say the boat tour was certainly worth a visit despite the ghost town
The boat tour to Sai Kung looks pretty amazing! I especially enjoyed the rock formations and the photos you captured. Very nice!
This sounds like an amazing day, obviously for the rock formations, the views and the pineapple shaped rocks, but myself and my husband really dig getting to explore abandoned places so this would be like paradise for us 😀 Creepy, yes, but it’s so fascinating and you find some of the coolest historical stuff if you’re courageous enough to go poking around 😀
So glad you enjoyed your day, I’m making a note on my bucket list!
Gorgeous, the rock formations are stunning … really makes me want to go back to Asia, seeing the warm, bright blue sea and the sunshine makes me miss tropical places – much better than the muddy North Sea and rainy days we are having here!
Wow, so cool. I never knew about this side of HK! What a difference. I have friends who live there now, so I will pass this on to them!
Yes you should. Hong Kong has a lot of places not known to a lot of people. I’ve been to Hong Kong several times before due to its proximity to our country but its only recently that I discovered a different side of it.
Thanks for this! Will come in handy when visiting Sai Kung!
Wow that Ghost Town looks amazing! I know it gives goosebumps but I think almost everybody likes this kind of thrill, even if it’s scary. Well, at least later you think how fun it was! Would like to do that definitely! 🙂
This is a great place to visit, especially for someone like me who enjoy beaches and tripping. Can’t wait to go Sai Kung. I’m going to be there this year, for sure. Thanks for this info.
Reminds me of Palawan. The rock formation looks fantastic! it also has the feel of Mediterranean from an angle. While the ghost town, sure gives some creeps!
Thanks for this nice article. Keep it up. 🙂