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TravelTips24 : Asia : East Asia : China : Hong Kong : Outlying Islands

Outlying Islands

Hong Kong's Outlying Islands (離島) are a generic label for the other 234 islands, islets and rocks in the territory. For tourists the most popular are Lamma, well known for its seafood and only 3 km south of the main island; Cheung Chau, a small island off Lantau that used to be a pirates' den but now houses mostly windsurfers and sunbathing day trippers.

Culture and History

Hong Kong's islands have been and to some extent continue to be Hong Kong's hinterland, home to rustic fishing villages battered by the occasional typhoon, monasteries run by hardscrabble monks and little else.

However, the last decade or so have seen some some changes. Lamma island [1] has become increasingly popular with longterm Western visitors, who have created their own community in Yung Shue Wan with bars, restaurants and cafes, making it a popular destination for Hong Kong residents on a day trip.

Discovery Bay on Lantau island[2] is a middle class housing estate for both locals and expats. It is also popular with flight crew.

Cheung Chau [3]still has a traditional local community, based on fishing, and a small but growing expat community.

Tap Mun Chau , also known as Grass Island, is in the North East of the territory. It has about 100 residents, mostly fishermen.

Po Toi is around 3km south of Hong Kong island.

Peng Chau has quite a large population, including fishermen and city workers, and can be reached by regular ferry from Hong Kong island.

Tung Lung Chau is found off Clearwater Bay.

Soko islands are found to the southwest of Hong Kong.

Tung Ping Chau is found in the North East of Hong Kong in Da Peng Wan.

Waglan island, near Po Toi, is famous for its lighthouse .

Travel to Outlying Islands & Visa Requirements

Ferries to the islands impose a peculiar 50% surcharge for travel on Sundays and public holidays. It's cheaper and less crowded to visit during the week or on Saturdays.

By boat

The obvious way of getting to an island is to take a ferry. Ferries for all major islands of interest depart from the Outlying Islands pier in Central, to the west of the Star Ferry terminal. The largest operator is New World First FerryNew World First Ferry and the Hong Kong and Kowloon FerryHong Kong and Kowloon Ferry Company. Some ferries come in "slow" (or "ordinary") and "fast" versions. The slow ferry is generally available every other departure, so if the fast ferry comes every thirty minutes, the slow ferry will come every hour. When time tables show an asterisk beside a departure time, it usually means that a slow ferry is available in addition to the fast ferry.

  • Cheung Chau: Pier 5, $10.50 (slow) / $21 (fast), every 30 minutes.
  • Lamma (Sok Kwu Wan): Pier 4, $13 (fast only), every 90 minutes.
  • Lamma (Yung Shue Wan): Pier 4, $11.80 (slow) / $16.80 (fast), every 30-60 minutes. There is also a local ferry[4] from Aberdeen to Lamma Island (Mo Tat and Sok Kwu Wan).
  • Tap Man Chau: Ferry from Wong Shek Pier in Sai Kung [5] or from Ma Liu Shui Pier near Chinese University.
  • Po Toi: One boat a day leaving from Aberdeen, via Stanley. Chuen Kee Ferry.
  • Peng Chau: Public ferry from pier number 6 in Central.
  • Tung Lung Chau: Ferries from Lei Yue Mun pier in Kowloon, and from Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong island. Tel 2560 9929 for more information.
  • Soko islands: Hire a sampan from Cheung Chau.
  • Tung Ping Chau: Limited service from Ma Liu Shui pier taking 90 minutes.
  • Waglan Island: Permission is needed first from Marine Department.

Tours & Getting around Outlying Islands

On the other islands you're pretty much restricted to walking, renting a bike ($10 an hour or $30 a day is typical) or catching a kaido (small ferry) from one pier to the next.

Outlying Islands attractions and sightseeing

Cheung Chau (長洲)has no cars except for some small carts used by emergency responders. There is a walking tour available around the island with scenic views and temples; look for the tourist map near the ferry station. Only visit in good weather. If it rains, there's nowhere to wait it out because nearly everything is outside. While famous for its Bun Festival Bun Festival in early May, young men no longer climb the towers to snatch buns ever since an accident in 1978.

Lamma Island is worth seeing for a glimpse of an alternative Hong Kong. Be sure to check out the Western settlement of Yung Shue Wan, the row of seafood restaurants in So Kwu Wan, the small agricultural village of Mo Tat, and the very small Tung O whose residents appear to always play mahjong. It is a nice day trip to take the ferry to Yung Shue Wan followed by an easy walk to So Kwu Wan to tuck into some delicous seafood before hopping onto the ferry back.

Peng Chau has eight temples, including a Tin Hau (1792) Temple, hosing a whale rib, and Lung Mo Temple. Outside the Tin Hau Temple, there is a stone monument warning about pirates. Finger Hill has views of Disney and the Tsing Ma Bridge. Po Toi[6] is famous for its rock formations, such as Tortoise Rock, Buddha's Palm Cliff and Monk Rock. There are also some prehistoric carvings.

Soko Islands are known for the 'rock forest' that surrounds the islands. Tai A Chau also used to have a Vietnamese refugee camp.

Tap Mun has a Tin Hau temple built between 1662 and 1721, housing a bronze bell made in 1737, and a very large swordfish bone.

Tung Lung Chau has historic stone carvings (700 years old) and a fort (demolished in 1810). There are also sea caves around the island.

Tung Ping Chau has a 250 year old temple and deserted villages.

Waglan Island is famous for its lighthouse built in 1893.

Outlying Islands city tours

  • Windsurfing and sunbathing are the prime drawcards on the beaches of Cheung Chau.
  • The Cheung Chau Bun Festival [7] is a popular annual event. Ferries are very crowded on the day though, so expect long queues if you intend to go.

Outlying Islands souvenirs & shopping

  • There are not many shopping bargains on the islands; however, beach items tend to be more reasonably priced there.
  • Peanut Candy is available in So Kwu Wan, Lamma Island.
  • Fish Sauce is sold in many locations, including Cheung Chau.
  • Wine & Food shop on Peng Chau Island, is a nice shop selling Western deli goods at very good prices. Discovery Bay residents flock in their numbers just for the tasty produce.

Outlying Islands Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Lamma and Cheung Chau are well known for seafood.

Lamma

There is a strip of seafood restaurants in Sok Kwu Wan. Expect to pay around HK$100 - 150 per head for the set meals, which will include fried clams, lobster, crab, prawns as well as fried vegetables, rice and drinks. A steamed fish will cost around HK$100 depending on weight.

  • Bay, Mo Tat Wan (20 min walk from Sok Kwu Wan). Restaurant and bar, which specialises in Western style seafood.
  • Peach Garden. Smaller family owned seafood restaurant.
  • Rainbow. Large restaurants, which has its own ferry service to Central.

Other restaurants of note include:

  • Han Lok Yuen, near Hung Shing Yeh beach. Recommended for their speciality, pigeon.
  • The Bookworm Cafe, Yung Shue Wan. Great ambiance and tasty vegetarian food, it also provides free internet.
  • Pizza Milano, Yung Shue Wan. Munch on a slic at this Italian eatery.

Peng Chau

  • Finger Hill. Portuguese food.
  • Peng Chau One [8] 40 Wing On Street, Peng Chau. Tel: 2983 1183. Perfect for a relaxing day out on the most authentic of Hong Kong's outlying islands. Peng Chau is close to Discovery Bay and easily reached by fast ferry from Central Pier 6. Run by two patronising English expats, Peng Chau 1 serves great pizzas, pastas and other international cuisine at reasonable prices. Good for vegetarians too. It is usually crowded with junk trippers and day-trippers from Discovery bay. Book to avoid disappointment, especially at weekends.

Lantau

  • The Stoep, Cheung Sha village. A South African restaurant located right on the beach.
  • There is also the Po Lin Monastery, a vegetarian restaurant serving up wholesome food.

Outlying Islands nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Aside from a few pubs on Lamma, the nightlife in the islands is pretty quiet.

On Lantau, there is the China Bear in Mui Wo, and in Discovery Bay [9]there are several bars such as Mcsorley's Ale House and the Beer Bay which are all good for nursing a drink or two.

In Tung Chung near the airport, there is the Aviator bar and restaurant which is a good night out.

Outlying Islands cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

Accommodation on these islands is fairly limited compared to Kowloon and Hong Kong island and consists mainly of guest houses (a few of which call themselves hotels).

On Lantau, there is the Silvermine Beach Hotel[10]. This is a 2-3 star hotel, in the relaxing town of Mui Wo. There is not much of a beach though.

There are also many small guest houses, with advertisements for them at the ferry pier on Mui Wo. On weekdays they are cheap but at weekends and on holidays the prices go up, and they are often filled with local teenagers getting drunk and singing karaoke.

On Cheung Chau, there is the Warwick Hotel[11]. Similar to the Silvermine Beach in facilities. Be warned that the beaches on Cheung Chau are very small, although the island itself is quite interesting.

Lamma island has several small hotels, guest houses and hostels.

This page was last edited at 00:06, on 13 November 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Jani Patokallio, MHC, Christian Hartmann, Elmer W. Cagape, Rob Napier, Adam, Ann, Jian Huang and Eva A, Wikitravel user(s) MarinaK, Morph, WindHorse and Hkpatv, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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