Ho Pui Reservoir Family Walk

The Ho Pui Reservoir Family Walk is a scenic, peaceful, family-friendly walk around the Ho Pui Reservoir in Tsuen Wan District. The walk is perfect for a lazy day, or when you want to explore a new part of Hong Kong but without a hike.

How to get to Ho Pui Reservoir

Getting to Ho Pui Reservoir is perhaps the toughest part of the excursion. You need to first get to the Ho Pui village bus stop and then walk for 25 minutes to get to the reservoir. Unfortunately, there is only one minibus to the village.

The green minibus number 71 plies between Yuen Long (Yuen Long Tai Hang St) and Ho Pui village. You can catch the minibus from Yuen Long Tai Hang Street, Kam Sheung Road MTR Station, or Tai Lam Tunnel Interchange which are some key interchange points. Once on the bus, alight at the last stop, which is Ho Pui Tsuen.

Alternatively, you can take a taxi from Kam Sheung Road MTR Station, or Tai Lam Tunnel Interchange to Ho Pui village.

Or you could even walk to the Ho Pui village bus stop from Tai Lam Tunnel Interchange. It’s a 20-min walk along the Ho Pui Tsuen Road.

Ho Pui Village bus stop to Ho Pui Reservoir

Whether you take the green minibus, taxi, or walk it to the Ho Pui Village bus stop, you will need to walk 1.5 km to reach the start of the Ho Pui Reservoir Family Walk. Along the walk, there are a couple of points of interest that we’ll point out.

From the bus stop, continue along Ho Pui Tsuen Road. The road runs in-between the village houses, and past Happy Gathering (a small eatery/restaurant), before starting its incline next to the last row of houses.

Once you start the incline, turn left to stay on Ho Pui Tsuen Road. The views from the road of Ho Pui village, Kai Kung Leng, and everything in between is spectacular! Most notable in the view is the MTR Pat Heung Maintenance Centre.

At the halfway point, you’ll arrive at the Ho Pui Campsite. Here, you can take a quick 30-metre detour up ahead to check out a mini waterfall.

After that, return to Ho Pui Campsite and continue walking uphill towards Ho Pui Reservoir (follow the sign).

Shortly after the campsite, you’ll arrive at The HKFYG Organic Farm. Although the farm was closed when we visited, we could still buy organic vegetables at the entrance.

And finally, right behind the organic farm is Ho Pui Reservoir.

Ho Pui Reservoir Family Walk

Once you arrive at the reservoir, you’ll notice two entrances – one to your left, and one up ahead. Honestly, it doesn’t matter which side you enter from because the Hoi Pui Reservoir Family Walk is essentially a loop around the reservoir.

The loop is a 2.1 kilometre uneven but flat dirt trail. But it’s worth noting that the entire walk (bus stop to the reservoir, the reservoir loop, and then walk back to the bus stop) is a little over 5 km.

We found the Ho Pui Reservoir Family Walk to be quite relaxing, and found a couple of scenic spots along the way. I’ve listed down my favourite spots along the walk below.

But first, here’s a quick video from Ho Pui Reservoir.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

The Ho Pui Reservoir Dam

Depending on which side you enter the loop from, this is either the first attraction or the last.

Unlike most dams, the Ho Pui Reservoir Dam has a peculiar wavy shape which gives it a unique look. When you stand on the dam wall, you can see the entire reservoir, with the tiny island in the middle, and its surrounding lush hills.

The stillness of the water acts as a mirror and reflects the surrounding hills. It reminded me of Lake Matheson (Mirror Lake) in New Zealand, which also has a very similar loop around a water body.

You can even walk down to the base of the dam and see the water spillover from the reservoir like a waterfall. And if you face your back to the reservoir, you can see Shenzhen in the distance.

I honestly loved this unique dam and the views from it!

The Bamboo Grove

Somewhere in the middle of the Family Walk is a small bamboo grove. This path with bamboos on either side reminded me of the bamboo forest in Arashiyama, Japan but on a much smaller scale.

While we were among the bamboos, the sun was shining right through them giving the path a beautiful glow!

The bamboos are also lined next to the steps in this area, which gives it a very regal look!

This mini bamboo forest along the Ho Pui Reservoir Family Walk was a very pleasant surprise!

Peaceful spots along the shore

Along the loop, there are plenty of spots for one to step onto the shore. The stillness of the water, and the mirror-like reflections, really makes the experience even more peaceful.

However, there is one spot, a nook at the back of the loop, that I found particularly peaceful. The nook is located at the end of a closed-bend in the reservoir, which means that the views of the reservoir are limited. And to add to that, it’s shaded by trees with low branches. The spot has a very cosy and picturesque vibe.

Bridges, rocks & waterfall

Apart from the attractions listed above, there are a couple of mini-bridges along the loop too.

We even found a rock that resembles a tent, or a sloped roof.

And don’t forget the waterfall next to the Ho Pui Campsite!

Finish the walk

Once you’re done with Ho Pui Reservoir, return to the village bus stop to complete the walk. However, be prepared to wait for at least 15-30 minutes for a bus, especially if it’s the weekend.

We decided it was more convenient for us to walk for 20 minutes to Tai Lam Tunnel Interchange and catch a bus from there.

Also, many choose to combine this walk with a visit to the neighbouring Tsing Tam Reservoir. To get to the Tsing Tam Reservoir, continue walking straight from the Ho Pui Campsite, towards the bridge with the mini-waterfall, for another 30-35 minutes.

A peaceful reservoir walk in Hong Kong

We hope you enjoyed our guide to the Ho Pui Reservoir Family Walk. If you do enjoy a stroll around a reservoir, we highly recommend a visit to Lau Shui Heung Reservoir and Hok Tau Reservoir in Pat Sin Leng Country Park. Both are also small, beautiful reservoirs. In fact, you can catch the leaves changing colour at the Lau Shui Heung Reservoir in the winter months.

But if you prefer longer trails around bigger reservoirs, we recommend the walks around Tai Tam Reservoir or Shing Mun Reservoir.

Or why not hike to Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, popularly known as the Thousand Islands Lake? There are plenty of reservoir walks and hikes that you can explore in Hong Kong.

Anyway, feel free to share this post on the social media channel of your choice, or leave us a comment below.

If you enjoy our work and photography, follow us on Instagram 🙂

---