I can't speak to camping here, though from what I have observed, it's really a nice place to camp…read more If you've got the supplies for it, then you'll have an awesome time here. Every time I've visited, there were always groups of people camping overnight. Maybe one day, when I come back to Hong Kong, I'll go camping here with my friends. I learned about this beach from previous coworkers, who probably heard of this beach from someone else. My typical journey to Long Ke Wan involved me traveling from the Education University to University MTR Station, then taking a New Territories taxi cab all the way to East Dam. This taxi ride will take about an hour, but it's still much faster than attempting to bus there (and eventually having to late take another streamlined mode of transportation, i.e., a taxi or a motor boat). Once you arrive to East Dam (after what is probably the most terrifying car ride you will ever experience, as you go up a mountainside road that is oftentimes wide enough for only one car), be prepared to hike for fifteen minutes down to get to the beach. The real tricky hike is the one back up to get home (especially tricky if you leave after sunset). On that note, remember to bring bug spray, sunscreen, and drinking water. Phone service here is spotty at best, at least mine was. When approaching the beach, you will notice how white the sand is, how blue and clear the water is, and just how awesome it is to be at a mountainside beach, relatively secluded from the rest of Hong Kong. You are in fact in a country park, a place meant to preserve pristine natural beauty. If you're lucky/privileged to go when there aren't as many people, it's paradise. If you go on a weekend, don't be surprised if you see party junk boats in the water, crowding it up and blasting their music: water and noise pollution. Even then with the trash that gets swept to shore, I have had relatively little to complain about at this beach. Another mammalian species to take note of would be the cattle that roam freely in the area. They will smell your food and be drawn to it on the beach, so just be prepared in case your belongings get surprise frisked by bovine. Also, plenty of potential for cow feces on your hike to the beach. What's truly breathtaking is being able to watch sunset from the beach, as the sky turns pink and reflects into the water. My first sunset here was by accident, when a couple of my friends and I wanted to try to swim to some mountainside sea caves. I was on an inner tube that saved me from drowning in the open ocean. It was one of the most terrifying and nerve wracking moments of my life, being constantly at risk of my inner tube deflating and ending me and my career. Thankfully, it survived the whole trip to and from the cave, so I survived as well. I arrived back to shore when the sun was dipping below the horizon, allowing the sky to take on a pastel pink hue. It felt like the perfect end to the day. Going up the mountain at night is another story however. Expect to take breaks often, especially if you're in a group. Going up a mountain is never forgiving, so take your time and be safe. Taxis are usually opportunistically waiting at the other end of the hike, back at East Dam, to pick up travelers looking to go back to Sai Kung Town or wherever else they want to go. While we were waiting at the East Dam taxi stand in the dark, we observed a troupe of more elderly Hongkongers exiting their cab, seemingly coming to camp/hike at Long Ke Wan at night. One particular gentleman let rip one of the longest and loudest farts I had ever witnessed. Right in front of us. Old people just don't need to care anymore.

After two weeks in Hong Kong, the skyscrapers and unlimited shopping malls of Hong Kong Island,…read moreKowloon and Mong Kok quickly became tedious and I started researching hiking trails on different outlying islands. Mind you, I am not a hiker. But so desperate was I to get away from what someone nicknamed Time Square on Steroids, I started to looking at alternative activities to make my stay there a little bit more enjoyable. When a local colleague heard me asking for suggestions, she said, "I know a place but it's really hard to get to. But totally worth it." Immediately, I heard Barney Stinson's voice in my head saying, "Challenge accepted!" And that is how I found myself a day later waking up at 6:00AM to get to Tap Mun or Grass Island. Be warned! Getting to Tap Mun is quite the challenge. My colleague recommended two sequential routes. After much research, I decided to make up my own route. It ended up being slightly more expensive than making the four to six transport transfers my colleague recommended but it was totally worth the extra expense. I went there first thing on a Friday morning and ended up being one of only two foreigners on the island. It felt like I had the place to myself. It has grassy, rolling hills and a very small and elderly population. Apparently it also has a history as a smuggling and pirate haven. I went on a clear sunny day and the panoramic views were stunning. This was totally worth the hours of research and early wake up call. I did a circular hike all around the island and climbed to its highest publicly accessible point. The whole hike took roughly an hour and the only people I met along the way were a handful of campers and some local residents. It was so great to finally be far far far away from tall buildings and just see nature. Tap Mun is far enough that while on the island, I was closer to mainland China than I was to Hong Kong SAR. I finished my hike with a meal at a local eatery where two women old enough to be my grannies made me the islands famous ice-less iced milk tea and sea urchin fried rice. Here's how to make the roundtrip journey to Tap Mun: - Get on the MTR from your closest stop and make the necessary transfers to arrive at University Station in Ma Liu Shiu. - From University Station to Wong Shek Pier, take a green New Territories (NT) taxi. It's cheaper than the red Urban Taxi (UT). The taxi stand is right outside the University station. It takes roughly 30 minutes early in the morning. It cost HK$137 and is totally worth the scenic drive. - The first ferry from Wong Shek Pier leaves at 8:30AM. My recommendation is to take this because the island is least crowded at this time and will guarantee you don't have to rush. There are more ferries on the weekend than on weekdays. Make sure to leave by 3:00PM so there's no chance of you getting stranded overnight. On the return journey you can either take the same way back (ferry-taxi-MTR) or take a direct ferry from Tap Mun to the Ma Liu Shiu pier next to University Station. That ride is a bit longer but also scenic.

It's crazy how big this area is. They have just about everything you could every want in a camp…read moreground. They have halls with function rooms, rock climbing walls, archery ranges, cabins for camping, fire pits for BBQing, basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts, a big field for soccer and a track that goes around it, the list just goes on and on. I'm not sure how open to the public it is, but it would be a great place to take children. Be aware of the mosquitos though! I was barely there for two hours and got 10+ bites!