Sai Kung East Wilderness

Img: Sharp Peak from near Nam She Au.

One of the "three peaks" in Hong Kong, it is considered to be the most challenging one. In reality, it is not as challenging as it might seem and can be easily attempted by anyone with a bit of hiking experience. The peak sits close to MacLehose trail section 2 and can be easily accessed by public transport, most commonly from Pak Tam Au (bus route 94). Access from To Kwa Ping and Wong Shek Ferry Pier is also possible with a slight detour, and the initial part of the trail is less steep compared to Pak Tam Au.

MacLehose Trail: Pak Tam Au -> Chek King -> Tai Long Au

It starts at Pak Tam Au bus stop, following sec. 2 towards Ham Tin. The whole trail towards Ham Tin is paved with smooth concrete surface, making it weatherproof and easy to walk on (yet rather uncomfortable and boring). 

The first settlement along the track is Chek King, a calm seaside village. A store is usually open on weekends selling hot food, drinks and snacks. Much of the village is already abandoned, being gradually reclaimed by nature. It is possible to walk into some abandoned buildings and explore around, though some are quite structurally unsafe and walls had to be supported with wooden reinforcements.

There are a total of 3 warning signs. The difficulty is slightly exaggerated on the signs, and thus all the vandalism in response to this.

The view of the eastern beaches and coastline shows up shortly after the ascent. Ham Tin and Tai Wan are easily seen, while Sai Wan hides slightly round the corner of Ham Tin. On a clear day High Island Reservoir is also visible.

The climb is very exposed, rocky and sometimes slippery, but it is not hard at all. Simply get a pair of shoes with good grip and it is not an issue. There are always mid-age aunties and uncles on the route, some getting scared and some exhaused. It is no way hard if the right route is chosen- pick the one with the least gravel surfaces, even if it means a more rocky climb.

There is great scenery at the back along the climb, from the coastline to the wilderness areas. Yet it doesn't change a lot along the climb until summit is reached. The scenery towards the north comes up towards the end of the summit.

Nam She Wan(Bay) is the smaller one towards the left (kinda feels like Cairns :D)

There is a small space to the north below the summit, offering great views to the above beaches. The ribbons indicate the end of the north ridge summit route.

We took the descent down to Mai Fan Teng, on the opposite side of where we went up. Mai Fan Teng is a ridgeline with multiple peaks, the highest one at 363m. The trail is simply constant downhill and uphill and can be demanding during the hotter seasons- bring enough water. Bypass routes around the peaks are also rarely used or seen. There are also trails branching off the main ridge towards Mai Fan Tsui or Bate Head/Tuen Tsui, for some attempting the longer route including all three capes.

Some other hikers also proceeded beyond Sharp Peak to this ridgeline, yet it is a less popular route and traffic became significantly less beyond the peak. This is where the tranquillity of the countryside is best felt.

Left 2: mid-Mai Fan Teng & end of Mai Fan Teng towards the summit (rear: Tung Wan Shan)
Right: beginning of Mai Fan Teng from Sharp Peak, rear after mtn pass: Tung Wan Shan and Cheung Tsui

Looking back at Sharp Peak from here seems less spectacular. The peak simply looks like another normal hill, with its rocky appearance gone to the other side.

The best view of the day is at Tung Wan Shan, not Mai Fan Teng. Once down from Mai Fan Teng there is a trail which leads to Tung Wan, and a trail that leads up to Tung Wan Shan. The downward trail gets to the campsite and the beach where one can end the day through a hike to Tai Wan with a trail back to MacLehose trail. It is possible to bypass Tung Wan Shan but the detour route is heavily overgrown and poorly signposted- the summit route might end up being faster and more direct.

The trail towards Tung Wan Shan is also full of gravel surfaces and very slippery. The mini "steps" of the grass are very useful, so is the patches of rocks where all the gravel is blown away by wind.

The actual summit of Tung Wan Shan is off the track but it is definitely worth the detour. The unobstructed views from the top are simply breathtaking.

Left top: the trail down from Mai Fan Teng. See how eroded it is, full of loose rocks and gravel.
Left bottom: The detour to the actual Tung Wan Shan summit.
Right: the ascent from the base

The trail down from Tung Wan Shan joins Cheung Tsui, the next bit of the journey.

Cheung Tsui

The cape leads towards the easternmost part of Hong Kong's mainland. The easternmost point of Hong Kong as a whole is Tung Ping Chau, an island lying northeast of Hong Kong in Mirs bay, which is closer to China than to Hong Kong. It is a remote, isolated bit of land barely touched by many hikers. Most people heading off here are campers (there is a campsite there) getting some quiet time out of the city, with some occasional day hikers.

While it is a cape (Tsui) in Chinese, it feels more like a peninsula given its size. There is also slight yet obvious elevation difference in the headland (as seen in the right pic), feeling more like being in another isolated world. It is also a very exposed place with few trees. The cow that resides here is probably the easternmost cow in Hong Kong.

Two trails cover the headland in a loop shape. We headed out and back on the northern one, a more direct route to the memorial. The end of the headland feels like an odd part of the country park- rocky shores, cairns with weird shape.

Got up the small hill (above right pic) for photos of the headland. Rocky eroded shores to the north and extending a bit to the south, and the slight elevation difference of the headland now appears like a small mountain range.

We started the return journey shortly after reaching the memorial plaque. 

Bottom right is the Cheung Tsui campsite, and after that we headed back through the same track down to Tung Wan, beginning our journey back home.

The trail down to Tung Wan is also fairly easy. It follows through the contour line along Tung Wan Shan, then descends down to the beach. Doing it the other way (Tung Wan to Cheung Tsui) might be slightly harder as the start of the trail is hard to spot, lying somewhere along the beach marked by only a few ribbons.

Tung Wan, Tai Wan, Ham Tin

Tung Wan is the easternmost beach of the three, a small beach just below Tung Wan Shan. Further west is Tai Wan, the largest one, and Ham Tin, the most popular one. Few hikers go beyond Ham Tin to Tai Wan and Tung Wan and these two beaches are the best places to feel the calm vibe surrounded by steep mountain ranges. It's best near sunset where you see the sun making its way down slowly without anyone obstructing your view (by doing so: be prepared for night walks or camp in nearby campsites).

From Tung Wan to Tai Wan there are multiple trails over the headland. There is an easier one via the campsite and a shorter one further along the shore. The shore route has a short scramble section around the shoreline and up the hill but after that, it remains fairly easy. Follow the orange rope as a landmark.

and then Tai Wan. The hiking trail simply follows the beach, from one end to the other.

Tai Wan to Ham Tin is not very far- just a short headland to go across. There are many routes over it, and most end with a steep descent down to the beach. Several stores operate at Ham Tin, running late into the night offering hot food and drinks. Many camped on the beach in Ham Tin, and there is also the iconic wooden bridge over the creek.

Prices of stores in Ham Tin are slightly higher than that in urban areas, but not crazy expensive. After all, supplies have to be transported by boat. During summer seasons speedboats operate from Sai Kung, unloading passengers in the middle of the beach (as there is no pier).

From Ham Tin we made the way back through MacLehose trail sec. 2. The trail passes through the abandoned village of Tai Long, then uphill to Tai Long Au. The slope up is rather gentle until a short steep zig-zag at the very end of the ascent.

Ham Tin sunset on another day. Sharp Peak at the back reminds you of where you came from.

Then we are back at Chek King, and up towards Pak Tam Au.

This is the least polluted bit of skies in Hong Kong, lying away from the dense urban cores. Still, it is brighter than usual and stars can only be seen but not captured.

Route 94 runs at a 30min headway at night, serving hikers and villagers along the road.

Many ways of getting back to urban- once we took the ferry. From Chek King Pier a ferry goes to Wong Shek Pier and further onto Ma Liu Shui. It's operated by Tsui Wah Ferries- timetables and stop locations available on their website.

In addition, lots of speedboat owners will be touting around offering competitive prices for a ride. Similar to red minibuses, there's no guarantee for immediate departure as they might wait to fill up the boat before heading off. It's a quick boat ride after all, 10-15mins to Wong Shek Pier.

Sai Wan

This place draws a lot of visitors due to its close proximity to vehicle access (from Sai Wan Pavillion). From the bus stop it's a 30min-1hr walk to the beach. It's easy to find pristine wilderness here due to the lack of trash from the ocean, but more from tourists around these days.

Good tofu pudding where the shop owner starts to profit from mainland chinese tourists through renting of tents.