Guide To Tai O Fishing Village

Tai O fishing village is a picturesque and popular tourist destination in Hong Kong. It attracts numerous visitors who come to spend their day and soak in the village’s idyllic life, admire the traditional stilt-houses, and savour local treats. It’s a great place to spend your day and discover a very different part of Hong Kong.

The fishing village is located on an islet by the same name on the southwest side of Lantau Island. The Tai O River splits and engulfs this tiny islet before flowing into the sea. The old fishing village is built on the banks of this river, and that’s how it gets its name – Tai O meaning large inlet.

So before we get into the main attractions at Tai O, let’s figure out how to get there.

The alleys of Tai O, a fishing village in Hong Kong

Things To Do In Tai O Fishing Village

Now that you know how to get to Tai O, let’s discover things to do and see in this fishing village. Here’s my list of things to do that range from exploring the islet on foot to discovering local delicacies.

But first, check out this video

1. Savour Local Street Food

The Tai O market is abuzz with vendors who sell delicious local delicacies. The village is particularly famous for its traditional egg waffles and bakeries. Head to Tai O Egg Waffle Uncle who makes his waffles over a traditional charcoal stove. You’ll always find a line outside his shop.

Speaking of lines, you’ll find one outside the Tai O Bakery on Kat Hing Street where people are eager to grab a delicious Tai O Donut.

Try the Tai O Donut at Tai O Bakery

However, if you’re in the mood for something meatier, try Tai O’s famous Husband! As confusing as the name sounds, it’s just a shrimp and pork pizza roll.

Tai O’s famous Husband – shrimp and pork pizza roll

Those are just some of my suggestions. But why not explore the Tai O Market on your own? You’ll see numerous other food vendors selling everything from barbecue seafood, frozen fruit popsicles, and freshly made juices. The variety of street food is simply amazing!

Delicious local snacks in Tai O Market

2. Explore Tai O Market

The Tai O Market is more than just food stalls. What it’s famous for its dried seafood, especially the traditional salted fish. No wonder the whole market has a very strong fish smell!

Salted fish drying in the sun in Tai O village

As you walk around the village, you’ll see seafood drying in the sun and shops full of the final product. Villagers have been selling dried seafood in Tai O for over two generations.

Today, many villagers have expanded into selling other related products such as shrimp paste, and even pearl jewellery; all locally made of course.

Souvenirs from Tai O Market

3. Eat At A Local Restaurant

If you’re in Tai O around lunchtime, there are plenty of restaurants to pick from. Our favourites are the Tai O Crossing Boat Restaurant on Kat Hing Street, and 肥妹燒烤小食 – Shop no. 21 on Tai O Market Street (sorry, no English name). It’s hard to miss the latter as they always have delicious looking baked lobsters, prawns, or scallops on display.

肥妹燒烤小食 – Shop no. 21 on Tai O Market Street

If you’re in the mood to grab a cup of coffee, relax, and appreciate the beauty of Tai O fishing village, there’s no better place than Solo Cafe. Grab a seat on the terrace that overlooks the river, and the Triple Lanterns Cafe (which is also a great cafe). From here you can wave to the visitors who pass below in the boats.

Triple Lanterns Cafe, Tai O

If you looking for something more classy, why not head down to the Tai O Heritage Hotel. Enjoy dining in the hotel’s Tai O Lookout restaurant that has a beautiful glass roof. And then after that, you can stay back for the afternoon high tea.

The entrance to the Tai O Heritage Hotel

4. Go On A Pink Dolphin Boat Ride

It’s hard to ignore the signs for pink dolphin (aka the Chinese White Dolphins) boat rides the moment you step into Tai O. The boat rides cost HK$ 25 and it’s easy to be coaxed by the operators who promise to show you the elusive pink dolphins.

Unfortunately, you’re not going to see any pink dolphins on their boat ride. This 20-minute boat ride on the river gets you a close-up view of the stilt houses. After that, it speeds away into the sea, circles and returns.

So, take this boat ride to appreciate the stilt-houses, and get a view of the village from the Tai O River. But not to see the pink dolphins.

If you’re serious about seeing the pink dolphins take the official tour organised by Hong Kong DolphinWatch. It costs more than HK$ 25, but at least they guarantee that you spot a pink dolphin. And if you don’t, you’re allowed to go on the tour again. Read about our experience on the Hong Kong DolphinWatch Tour.

5. Visit The Tai O Heritage Hotel

The Tai O Heritage Hotel is a former police station situated on a small hill next to the Tai O Ferry Pier. The building was converted into a hotel in 2012 and includes nine colonial-style rooms and suites with sea views and a roof-top restaurant.

Visitors are allowed onto the property between 11 AM and 6 PM.

The Tai O Heritage Hotel

Its colonial charm and remote location make you want to run away from the city and spend a relaxing weekend here. I guess that’s why it’s no surprise that the hotel is high in demand, and booking a room for the weekend can be a challenge. So, make sure to book in advance.

We spent a night at the Tai O Heritage Hotel and you can read all about it, and our review in this post. Spending a night at the Tai O Heritage hotel also means that you can explore Tai O at night.

6. Walk To Fu Shan Viewing Point

The western coastline behind Tai O fishing village consists of a small hill. A short hiking path runs behind the village, and up the hill from where you get beautiful views of the South China Sea. From here you can see aeroplanes take off from the airport, and the beautifully hideous Hong Kong-Macau bridge (click here to open the hiking path in Google Maps).

Fu Shan Viewing Point, Tai O with the Hong Kong-Macau bridge in the distance

There’s also a pink dolphin viewing point on top of the hill. Although the vantage point looks in the direction of the pink dolphins’ nesting spot, it’s might be difficult to spot them without a pair of binoculars.

From the Fu Shan Viewing Point, you can either choose to return from where you came or continue on the trail back to the village.

7. Visit Local Temples

There are 3 temples on the islet of Tai O, all within walking distance. My favourite is the Yeung Hau Temple, located on the western end of Tai O fishing village on Kat Hing Street. This 17th-century temple is popular for its strong association with the Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade.

Yeung Hau Temple, Tai O

Don’t forget to step down into the basin of the creek in front of the temple. This area is filled with fiddler crabs!

8. Visit The Tai O Infinity Pool

If you’re feeling more adventurous or want to do something a bit more off the beaten path (pun intended), why not hike to the Tai O Infinity Pool?

The Tai O Infinity Pool and the waterfalls

The hike is relatively easy and fun, and it showcases a very different side to Tai O. All the details about how to get to the Tai O Infinity Pool can be found in this post.

Book A Guided Tour Of Tai O

Beautiful mural in the Tai O main square

Many visitors choose to combine a trip to Tai O fishing village along with a visit to the Big Buddha, and Po Lin Monastery. The Lantau Cultural and Heritage Insight Tour is a popular guided tour of these major landmarks in Hong Kong. If you think you’ll be more comfortable taking a guided tour, I’d recommend this one.

With so much to do in such a small village, it’s no wonder that Tai O fishing village is such a popular destination for a day trip. Whether you plan to go on your own, or with the guided tour, make sure you don’t miss seeing the “Venice of Hong Kong”.