Lamma Island is an island located south west of Hong Kong. It is well-known for their laid-back atmosphere which is a stark contrast to the busy streets of main island Hong Kong. You can find lots of “East-meets-West” fusion such as the food choices, shops and cultural landmarks.
The moment our ferry docked on Lamma Island, we felt as if the clock slowed down and we were excited to go on an adventure to explore scenic trails on the island.
Direction to pier
Lamma Island is a 30-minute boat ride away from Central Pier (located on Hong Kong Island) and the most popular traveling route to get to Lamma Island.
After alighting at “Central MTR”, look out for the signs indicating “International Finance Center” or IFC. That will be the direction you would be heading.
After reaching IFC, follow the signs to the pier. Head towards pier 4.
Sok Kwu Wan or Yung Shue Wan
At pier 4’s entrance, you would need to decide if you want to head to Sok Kwu Wan or Yung Shue Wan.
Both towns are in Lamma Island and they are connected by the Family Trail. Choosing either one as the starting point would mean the other would naturally be your end point.
The only difference between the two towns is that Yung Shue Wan is a bigger town as compared to Sok Kwu Wan. Not to mention, cultural attractions are located in Yung Shue Wan. Attractions such as
So the deciding factor between the two towns is actually time.
- If you are going off early in the day, I would suggest Sok Kwu Wan as the starting point, this would allow you to take your time to walk on the Family Trail and eventually reach Yung Shue Wan at noon to visit the shops. Lunch could be at the pier or head back to Central for a nice yum cha (Afternoon tea).
- If you are leaving Central at noon, Yung Shue Wan would naturally be your starting point. Visit the shops before it closes and end off with seafood dinner at Sok Kwu Wan.
We choose Yung Shue Wan as we woke up late and had a slow Dim Sum breakfast before heading to Lamma Island.
You can find the ferry timing schedule here:
Yung Shue Wan
After a 30-minute boat ride, and using our Octopus card to pay the fare, we arrived at Yung Shue Wan pier. The place gave a nostalgic vibe, as if we stepped back in time into an 1980’s Hong Kong Drama scene.
About 100 metres away from the pier, take a photo of the notice board showing the map of Lamma Island (just in case you lost your way, having a copy of the map on your smart phone may help). A digital form of the map can be found here.
Take some time to look at the map and decide which attractions to head to. Eric and I decided to head to the shopping street followed by the wind turbine.
Yung Shue Wan Shopping Street
The shopping street has a unique blend of traditional family-run cafes and young hipster cafes. Unfortunately, we went on a weekday so most of the shops were closed. Locals told us the shops would usually be open on weekends. 🙁
So we decided to hike towards the windturbine a.k.a Lamma Winds.
Many of such sign posts litter along the Family Trail to ensure that tourists wouldn’t get lost!
Lamma Winds
Following the trail and a short hike up the hill, we finally reached the famous Lamma Winds. The wind turbine was standing proud and tall at the top of the hill. It symbolised the start of Hong Kong’s exploration into renewable energy.
Upon reaching Lamma Winds, there was a little garden where you can rest and take a look at the exhibits. Once rested, we headed back on the Family Trail and made our way to Hung Shing Yeh Beach.
Home-made soy beancurd
Along the way to the beach, you will come across a home-made soy beancurd make-shift store! Do check out my other post on 5 food a must eat in HongKong!
In short, the bean curd tastes out of the world and is a must try!!
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
This stretch of beach is one of the popular beaches among both locals and foreigners alike.
It is shaped like a crescent moon and the area was watched over by the local lifeguard. So if you would like to take a swim, this would be a good place as there are toilets and changing facilities at the beach.
Lamma Island Family Trail
After spending time at the beach, the sight-seeing trail starts from this point onward.
As we hiked up the winding road, heading higher onto the hill top, we were treated to a nice view of the power station. Look just how massive it is.
Sok Kwu Wan
Finally after an hour or so, we got to see the 2nd town in sight.
Halfway towards the town, there would be an intersection leading to Lo So Shing beach. The beach was mentioned in many blogs as being more beautiful than Hung Shing Ye Beach. Unfortunately, the skies were turning dark and to avoid hiking in the dark, we decided to head to town straight. If you happen to explore Lo So Shing Beach, please share your photos with me!
At the town, we are greeted with a stretch of seafood stores, all wanting to take your orders. We took a slow walk through the shops and scanning through the menus for a cheap seafood restaurant. In the end, we decided on “Peach Garden Seafood Restaurant” for our dinner. We felt that since we had our wedding banquet in Singapore’s Peach Garden, why not try Hong Kong’s “Peach Garden”? Hahahaha.
Piers to Aberdeen or to Central
After dinner, we noticed there were 2 different ferries at the pier. One heading to Aberdeen and the other to Central.
The ferry heading to Aberdeen has a shorter frequency but it is not near any MTR station where the ferry docks. We would have to take a bus to Central (approx 1 hour bus ride). Aberdeen would be a good choice if you would like to visit the largest floating restaurant.
Heading straight back to Central was a more viable option for us.
Afterword
Overall, Lamma Island hike was easy and straightforward. I would recommend this hiking route to any families with kids or couples who would like to enjoy a nice simple hike. The scenery is lovely and the good walk makes you feel good about eating all that additional dim sum.
Do check out my other article on Lion Rock if you are keen on exploring the different trails in Hong Kong!