Discover Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, Sai Kung

Hoi Ha Wan is one of the most interesting places to visit in Hong Kong. Located in the north of the Sai Kung West Country Park, it is one of the six natural marine parks (the others are Yan Chau Tong Marine Park, Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, Tung Ping Chau Marine Park, The Brothers Marine Park, and Cape D’Aguilar Marine Reserve) with high biological value and significant marine biodiversity. The marine park was established in July 1996 and covers an area of about 260 hectares.

Aerial panorama of Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park

The variety of marine life makes Hoi Ha Wan one of the best areas in Hong Kong to go snorkelling and kayaking! And its beautiful waters and remote location, make it a perfect destination to spend a summer day.

How to get to Hoi Ha Wan

Hoi Ha Wan (which literally translates to ‘Bay Beneath the Sea’) is located in the north of Sai Kung West Country Park, 16 km from Sai Kung town. Its remote location means that no matter where you start from, prepare for a long journey!

Only green minibus number 7 plies between Sai Kung town and Hoi Ha village. You can also take a green taxi from Sai Kung town to Hoi Ha, which should cost you around HK$ 120.

Hoi Ha Village, Hong Kong

Once you arrive at the village, follow the path between the houses to reach the bay and Sandy Beach.

Things to do in Hoi Ha Wan

The marine park is a protected area containing 60 types of hard coral and 120 species of coral fish. And there are a few ways to explore this marine life, such as kayaking and snorkelling.

Snorkelling in Hoi Ha Wan

I personally think that Hoi Ha Wan is the best location in Hong Kong to go snorkelling. The water is relatively very clean and there are 3-4 coral communities within the marine park, one of which is very close to the village.

We enjoyed our day snorkelling in Hoi Ha Wan

Snorkelling equipment can be rented from one of the shops in the village and the price usually depends on the season and day of the week. It’s usually around HK$ 30 to 40. We definitely advise that you rent or carry snorkelling shoes because of the corals.

To get to the best snorkelling area next to Hoi Ha village, walk for about 5 minutes in the direction of the Hoi Ha Marine Life Centre. Take the steps down to the pier to arrive at the area with the coral community. You can climb down from the steps on the pier or from the rocks next to it.

Unfortunately, our action camera decided to not work on the day but the variety of coral and fish in this area is undeniably beautiful! And it goes without saying, please do not step on the coral!

Lot’s of corals and fish in this area

Rent a kayak

The best way to appreciate the vast expanse of Hoi Ha Wan is by kayaking around the bay. Using a kayak you can also visit some of the other coral communities that are further away from Hoi Ha village.

So many kayaks at Hoi Ha Wan

As Hoi Ha Wan is a sheltered bay, there are no waves here which make kayaking an easy activity.

There are a couple of establishments on the Hoi Ha Sandy Beach and in the village from whom you can rent a kayak or a paddleboard. The shops also rent lockers to keep all your belongings.

Visit the Marine Life Centre

The Hoi Ha Marine Life Centre is a 500 walk from the village

Another fantastic way to appreciate and learn about the marine park is by visiting the Jockey Club HSBC WWF Hong Kong Hoi Ha Marine Life Centre (or simply the Hoi Ha Marine Life Centre).

The Hoi Ha Marine Life Centre offers plenty of educational material on the area and you can also book one of their Eco Visits and hop on board a glass-bottomed boat for a coral observation trip around Hoi Ha Wan.

The Hoi Ha Wan Marine Life Centre

You can learn more about the Marine Life Centre on its website.

Relax on a beach

The Sandy Beach at Hoi Ha Wan isn’t much to talk about. Sure, it’s a lovely beach and you can rent a beach umbrella to just relax on it. But as you’ve probably realised, Hoi Ha Wan is best appreciated through activities such as snorkelling or kayaking.

But if you want to take a break from all the activities, you can find yourself a spot on the beach next to Hoi Ha village.

During high tide, the beach gets divided into three sections. But as the tide recedes, it becomes a single large beach. The beach furthest away from the village is the largest, but it also offers no shade.

However, if you’re looking for a more secluded beach, we highly recommend walking to the beach at Nam Fung Wan. It’s a 1.5 km walk from Hoi Ha village on a paved and shaded path. Here’s the walk to the beach mapped on Google Maps.

Although the beach is next to the Wan Tsai South Campsite, it feels completely cut off from the rest of the world. The only thing visible from the beach is Sharp Peak. The first time we visited Hoi Ha Wan, we spent our afternoon just lounging on this beach with a book.

Check out the lime kiln

There are four lime kilns in Hoi Ha of which only two are intact. These historical remnants ceased operation during World War II.

The lime kiln at Hoi Ha Wan

You can spot one of the lime kilns next to the path on the eastern shore of Sandy Beach.

Hike from Hoi Ha Wan to Tai Tan

And finally, if water activities don’t excite you, why not hike from Hoi Ha Wan to Tai Tan on the Tai Tan Country Trail?

The Tai Tan Country Trail connects the two villages in Sai Kung and is one of the most beautiful coastal hikes in Hong Kong, in my opinion.

One of the most scenic trails that we’ve been on

You can learn all about the hike on the Tai Tan Country Trail in this post. Just remember to reverse the directions if you start at Hoi Ha Wan.

Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park

We hope you found this guide to Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park informative and that it helps you plan your day to this remote location in Sai Kung. You can learn more about the marine park on the official AFCD website.

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