Long Ke Wan, Sai Kung

Long Ke Wan in Sai Kung is a bay nestled between the volcanic hills of Hong Kong’s Geopark. The beach, often called Long Ke Wan Beach or Long Ke Beach, has been referred to as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by CNN. With such a claim, it’s hard not to want to visit this beach.

An aerial panorama of Long Ke Wan, Sai Kung

How to get to Long Ke Wan

There are plenty of ways to get to Long Ke Wan from Sai Kung town. And given the distance to the beach, we recommend budgeting sufficient travel time.

By speedboat

The easiest and fastest way to get to Long Ke Wan from Sai Kung is by speedboat. Tickets are available at the kaito and speedboat operator kiosks along the Sai Kung promenade.

The speedboat and kaito operators at Sai Kung promenade

A one-way ticket can cost anywhere between HKD 100-150 depending on the season and demand. The journey can take about 20-30 minutes. And the advantage of taking a speedboat is that it drops you right off at the beach.

However, the speedboat isn’t recommended for everyone. The ride can get extremely choppy and people with back problems or those who are pregnant should avoid taking this mode of transport.

Return tickets can only be bought at the beach itself. If you can’t find the person, you can call him on 63306039. His name is Frankie Cheung.

The frequency of the return speedboat is about once every hour.

Here’s a quick tour of Long Ke Wan, along with clips from our speedboat ride to the beach

By taxi

The second easiest option is to take a taxi to the end of the East Dam on the High Island Reservoir. From here, it’s a 25-minute walk downhill to the beach.

The end of the road on top of the High Island Reservoir East Dam

If you plan to take a taxi back, make sure to reserve one beforehand. Or call one of the taxi operators in advance as the wait at the East Dam for a taxi back to Sai Kung can be hours!

By bus

From the Sai Kung Bus Terminal take Bus 94 or minibus number 7 or take Bus 96R from Diamond Hill MTR Bus Terminal on Sundays and public holidays to Pak Tam Chung stop at the start of the High Island Reservoir. From the bus stop, walk along High Island Reservoir to the East Dam, and then finally down to Long Ke Wan Beach.

The walk should take about 2-3 hours.

Hiking

Long Ke Wan is located at the end of Stage 1 and the start of Stage 2 of the MacLehose Trail. So, keep that in mind if you want to add it to your list of stops.

Explore Long Ke Wan

Personally, I think that Long Ke Wan is often overshadowed by its neighbouring beaches in Tai Long Wan. It’s hard for a single beach to compete against four equally beautiful beaches.

Long Ke Wan, rustic, raw, and beautiful

And unlike Tai Long Wan, there’s no civilisation here. The beach has no restaurant or any type of establishment. The vendor who sells speedboat tickets back to Sai Kung also happens to sell beer, water, and other drinks.

But having said that, I personally enjoyed the lack of crowds at Long Ke Wan Beach.

Long Ke, the white sand beach

So as you can probably tell by now, Long Ke Beach’s charm lies in its raw, rustic feel. You will be greeted by white sand and crystal clear water and no civilisation.

There is a drug rehab close to the beach, but it’s completely hidden from sight.

The drug rehab facility at Long Ke Wan

When you visit Long Ke Wan, come with the mindset to do nothing. Just enjoy the peace and quiet. While we were on the beach, we just sat there for hours, reading our books without a care in the world.

However, the peace can be disturbed if one of the resident cows decides to attack your food! Speaking of which, make sure to carry your own supplies – food, water, etc. Pack a picnic, or carry food from Sai Kung. But you’ve been warned about the cows!

The resident cows of Long Ke Wan

Also, the waves here aren’t that strong. So, swimming at Long Ke Wan should be no problem. However, if you’re looking for bigger waves and surfing, Tai Long Wan is a better option.

Campsite

Given that its hidden location and peaceful surrounding, Long Ke Wan makes for a perfect campsite.

Just keep in mind (again) that you’ll need to bring your own equipment. Unlike camping at Tai Long Wan, there are no public toilets and restaurants. Nor are there any places from where you can rent camping equipment. There are however open-air toilets for campers.

Fortunately, this means that as a campsite, Long Ke Wan is definitely less crowded than Tai Long Wan.

The Surrounding Rocks

The rocks that surround the bay of Long Ke Wan form part of the Hong Kong Geopark and are a sight to behold. These hexagonal rocks were formed about 140 million years ago due to volcanic activity in the region.

Although you can admire these rocks from the beach, the best place to get a closer look at them is at the East Dam of the High Island Reservoir.

High Island Reservoir

If you haven’t visited the High Island Reservoir and the East Dam, I would recommend that you combine them with your visit to Long Ke Wan. It’s not only a chance to see the largest dam in Hong Kong but also explore the columnar joints and volcanic rock formations of the Hong Kong Geopark.

The S-shaped columnar joints at the Geo Trail

After you’re done admiring High Island Reservoir, make your way down to the beach to cool off.

A gem of a beach in Sai Kung

Long Ke Wan may not be as popular as Tai Long Wan, but its rustic, non-commercial nature attracts a different type of crowd. And the surrounding hills, with their volcanic rocks, add a cosy feel to the beach.

If you’re looking for a peaceful beach with white sand and clear water in Sai Kung, look no further than Long Ke Wan.

We’d leave to hear what you think in the comments below. And feel free to share this post with anyone who you think would appreciate this beautiful beach.

Nestled between the volcanic mountains lies Long Ke Wan