Discover Sai Kung, Hong Kong

Sai Kung is the most beautiful part of Hong Kong! It’s where the city goes to unwind, vacation, or explore nature! And that’s why it’s no surprise that it becomes the busiest and liveliest place in all of Hong Kong every weekend.

Everyone from across the city comes to the district to enjoy its hikes, beaches, country park, and other natural attractions. In fact, there’s so much to explore in Sai Kung, that you can keep coming back here every weekend and still have something new to discover!

Over the years, we’ve been to Sai Kung on countless occasions. For first-timers, it’s probably a good idea to stick to exploring the main town. But, for those who want to go further, or seek an adventure, there’s a whole world waiting to be discovered! Sai Kung honestly feels like a vacation in your own city.

We’ve put together this guide to help you decide on what to do in Sai Kung.

How to get to Sai Kung

There is no MTR connectivity to Sai Kung. So, your only options are a bus, minibus, or taxi. Depending on your location, there may be plenty of ways to get to Sai Kung which may involve switching modes of transport multiple times. I would advise you to check the fastest way on Google Maps.

Keep in mind that getting to Sai Kung can be a long journey especially for those living on Hong Kong Island. And it can also be a painful journey on weekends when the buses run full, and taxis are hardly available.

The queues for buses and minibuses can be extremely long with waiting times of 30 mins or up. So, come prepared!

But now, let’s talk about what’s there to do in Sai Kung.

Explore Sai Kung Town

For first-timers, Sai Kung offers plenty to explore within the town itself. From walks along the pier to restaurants, boutique shops, and quaint cafes. You can easily spend a day discovering Sai Kung town. Also, there’s always something happening in Sai Kung over the weekends. So keep an eye out for that.

We always recommend walking on the main promenade. The views never cease to amaze, and it’s quite a fascinating experience with dog adoption drives, pesky speedboat salespeople, and colourful restaurants.

Restaurants in Sai Kung

Speaking of restaurants, if you’re searching for the best restaurants in Sai Kung, avoid the ones next to the waterfront. They are quite bad and very touristy. There are plenty of good restaurants within Sai Kung to waste your time at the waterfront restaurants.

If you’re in the mood for local food, head on down to Loaf On, or Sing Kee – two of the best seafood restaurants in Sai Kung.

2084 is a good vegan option that serves up some of the best fusion food that we’ve eaten in a while. Definitely try their meatballs, curry momos, and tacos!

We’ve also visited Pepperoni’s where we were pleasantly surprised by the variety on their menu. Not to mention that their serving sizes were also very generous. Pepperonis’ Pizza & Cafe is a good alternative if you’re not in the mood for local food and want to grab a pizza, pasta, or even a steak.

And of course, if you just walk around the town you’ll come across plenty of cafes and restaurants.

Shopping

If you enjoy boutiques, handicraft shops, or quaint cafes, we’d highly recommend getting lost inside the alleys of Sai Kung town. These alleys we speak of are hidden between Yi Chun Street and See Cheung Street.

Here, you can even take candle making classes or cane weaving workshops at the shops. We were pleasantly surprised to see many people participating in the workshops!

Once you’ve seen enough of the Sai Kung town, why not make a day trip to one of the natural many attractions beyond it?

Plan a Staycation in Sai Kung

One of the best ways to truly discover and experience Sai Kung is to live there! Of course, for those of us who live in the city, it means planning a staycation.

Until recently, Sai Kung really didn’t offer any luxurious staycation options. But with the opening of the WM Hotel, that has changed.

The WM Hotel is located in main Sai Kung town, making it easy to access via all public transport options to Sai Kung. It’s right on the promenade and less than 5 mins walk from all the restaurants and shops. And because it’s located so far away from the main city, it feels more like a vacation and less like a staycation!

Book a room at the WM Hotel

The rooms are very spacious and comfortable. You can choose between mountain-facing and sea-facing rooms. And in case you didn’t know, WM stands for Water and Mountains. An apt name for a hotel situated in between the two.

The hotel also has a massive swimming pool on its roof and a beautiful chapel that it offers as a wedding venue.

However, as of writing this at the end of 2021, WM Hotel is still incomplete. It’s opened partially, which means that the rooms are available, the gym and pool are open, and there is one cafe serving food. The rest of the hotel is still under construction.

It’s not a bad thing, but the biggest impact it had on our staycation was that most of the exits and entrances of the hotel were shut. Which meant that we had to walk around the entire hotel just to get to the promenade behind our room.

But even with that, the WM Hotel offers the best staycation option in the heart of Sai Kung!

Book a room at the WM Hotel

Visit the High Island Reservoir East Dam

High Island Reservoir’s East Dam showcases Hong Kong’s volcanic past – hexagonal rock columns, sea caves, the Global Geopark, and the Geo Trail hikes. Budget enough time for the East Dam because it is far (even from Sai Kung), and the only way to get there is via taxi.

Everything you need to know about the High Island Reservoir’s East Dam is in this post.

Discover The UNESCO Global Geopark

Visiting the High Island Reservoir will only get you a glimpse into Hong Kong’s UNESCO Global Geopark. Perhaps the best way to discover the Geopark – the hexagonal volcanic rock columns and coastal erosion landforms – is to do it via a boat tour. This way you can truly admire the beauty of the Geopark that can be difficult or impossible to access on foot.

But of course, you can also see part of the UNESCO Global Geopark from the East Dam of the High Island Reservoir.

Explore Sharp Island

Sharp Island is probably one of the easiest islands to access from Sai Kung Pier. A short kaito ride from the Sai Kung pier gets you to an island that has two beautiful beaches, and a hiking trail.

Read more about Sharp Island in this post.

Wander Around Yim Tin Tsai

Are you a fan of old abandoned villages? What about a tiny island that has not one, but two UNESCO merited landmarks – a chapel built in 1890 and a functional salt farm?

If yes, then I highly recommend checking out Yim Tin Tsai, a small island only 15 minutes away from the Sai Kung Pier by ferry. It’s less than 1 km square can be explored within a day.

Its historical landmarks include the St Joseph’s Chapel, a working salt farm (that was once a main source of livelihood), and an abandoned Hakka village.

Click here to discover and explore Yim Tin Tsai.

Hop Over To Grass Island

Grass Island (or Tap Mun) is one of Hong Kong’s most pristine and untouched islands. Mostly overrun by cows, the island is known for its plateau that is…grassy. Grass Island is a popular destination for those who seek to get far away from city life to enjoy a picnic or camp.

Read more about Grass Island in this post.

Spend A Day At Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park

Hoi Ha Wan is one of five marine parks in Hong Kong. It is a protected area that contains 60 types of hard coral and 120 species of coral fish. Hoi Ha Wan offers visitors plenty of activities from snorkelling, to kayaking, and even short hikes.

Read all about Hoi Ha Wan in this post.

Relax At Tai Long Wan

Sai Kung is synonymous with some of Hong Kong’s most beautiful beaches.

Head down to Tai Long Wan, a beautiful bay with four stunning beaches located on the eastern edge of Sai Kung Country Park. There you’ll be greeted by Sai Wan, Ham Tin, Tai Wan and Tung Wan beaches. You can read all about Tai Long Wan in this blog post.

More Beaches in Sai Kung

There are a few more beaches located closer to Sai Kung town. There are two beaches on Sharp Island and Trio Beach near Hebe Haven.

However, if you want the beauty of Tai Long Wan but with peace and quiet, head down to Long Ke Wan Beach.

Hikes in Sai Kung

As you’ve probably already realised, Sai Kung is the perfect location for hiking. It’s a massive country park, with numerous hiking routes that traverse through forested hills, beaches, and natural rock formations. There are plenty of hiking trails for you to discover, but some of our favourite ones include:

1. Buffalo Hill and West Buffalo Hill
2. Sharp Island (hike from one side to the other)
3. Tai Long Wan (hike to the beaches)
4. Grass Island (hike around the island), and of course
5. The MacLehose Trail

Hire A Junk Boat

Sai Kung is possibly the most beautiful area in Hong Kong, and there is no better way to explore its beaches, and waters than on a junk boat. Hire a public junk boat if you’re on a budget, or get a private one with your friends. Obviously, getting a large group of friends and hiring a private charter is the way to go!

Guide to exploring Sai Kung

We hope you enjoyed our comprehensive guide to discovering things to do in Sai Kung. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or share this post on the social media channel of your choice.