A Hike around Lamma Island (Hong Kong)

Well, I’m on holidays in Hong Kong, it’s New Year's eve, and I’ve packed my hiking shoes as Hong Kong is a bit of a hiking Mecca, just like Sydney. There are many walks you can do all around Hong Kong, and it’s easily accessible islands. I’ve decided to catch a ferry to Lamma Island, the third-largest island in Hong Kong. There is a walk there where you can walk from one ferry pier to another on the other side of the island. Sounds great.

So I’m at the Central Ferry Piers in Hong Kong Central, and getting a ferry to Lamma Island is pretty straightforward. I find a spot on a fairly new ferry and settle in for the ride over. The ride is pleasant and offers great views of Hong Kong Island.

After a while, the ferry pulls into Yung Shue Wan, a small town on the western side of the island. This is the start of the hike. I wander through the pleasant fishing village. I could just stop here and spend the day relaxing, but I push on through the narrow streets. It’s not too long before I see the transportation on Lama Island. These petrol buggies. The island has no cars, so they use these buggies to travel around. They load these up with boxes and whatnot and travel all over the place.

The start of this hike is mainly wandering through the narrow streets. Eventually, the houses start to disappear, and we are in the bush. The hike is paved, and this is for the entire length of the walk. Guess I won’t be getting my new hiking shoes dirty. This will make Customs back in Australia easier. Everyone entering Australia must present their hiking shoes at Australia Customs. They usually clean any dirt on them and return them. I’m happy they’re looking out for our flora and fauna.

The bush is thick sub-tropical scrub with little stands of bamboo and some rare pines. After 30 minutes, I walk into the picturesque beach town of Hung Shing Yeh Beach. The shops have beach chairs and umbrellas set up for weary hikers and tourists. Again, I could stop here and call it a day. Who doesn't love a remote beach village only accessible by hiking? There is accommodation here, which I did think about.

I walk past the surf club and start walking up the hill into the bush. From the trail, you can see the power station on the island. The island has only recently gotten power and running water. There is a singular windmill, but it’s not enough to power the island. There are also nice little lookouts down to the waters edge and views out into the South China Sea. You can also see the tallest mountain, Mount Stenhouse (353m), in the distance.

I find a little side path to a pavilion with views. The pavilion has some useful grid coordinates for hikers, which is a nice feature if you’re lost. I read a plaque explaining that Lamma Island had lost all it’s woodlands to logging and fires and that the island now has a secondary woodlands (The Succession of Woodlands).

After walking up to and over a saddle, I’m now on the east side of the island. I walk through the tiny village of Lo So Shing Beach. I pass two tunnels (Kamikaze Grottos) cut into the mountain during the Second World War by the Japanese. They planned to hide speedboats in these tunnels, but fortunately, the war ended.

From the beach, I can see the fishing village of Sok Kwu Wan. There are many boats and traditional floating fishing platforms. I arrive at Sok Kwu Wan, passing a temple with large water Lily pots. The fishing village has many seafood restaurants and a Ferry terminal that will take me back to Hong Kong Central later in the day.

I pass through the village as the hike now does a large loop of the south half of the island, returning back to Sok Kwu Wan. I check the ferry timetable, and I start walking clockwise around this section. I pass a cliff face where some people are rock climbing. Then a person running, coffee in hand, trying to catch the departing ferry passes me. They would have come from the next town, Mo Tat Wan. I see the very steep path to Mo Tat Wan and decide to skip it.

I cross over the island again, passing through Mo Tat New Village and Mo Tat Old Village. The story goes, termites made an entire row of houses collapse. So the entire village moved 45 meters south. I’m now on the far east side of the island, and this side of the island is much more remote. The vegetation has changed to a healthy sub-tropical rainforest in parts and a swamp. I spot a casuarina pine native to this area. Same long leaves, but that’s where the similarities end.

I start to see some butterflies, which turn into many different species of butterflies. Blue ones, yellow, and various different ones. I start counting species, but quickly lose count.

Eventually, I see some dramatic rocks in the ocean and arrive at the very remote fishing village of Yung Shue Ha. The beach here is amazing. And there are pockets of brown volcanic granite in the ocean and on the land. The sand here is nice and is worth a swim. I walk to the other side of the beach, where the second town, Tung O, is.

This beach village reminds me of the movie trope where the hero of the movie is hiding away in a remote beach village in lands far away. This village is also very inaccessible, so it also meets that criteria. I see a house for rent and ponder.

After walking through the mostly abandoned Tung O village, the walk starts climbing up over the mountain. This is the steepest part of the walk, still paved. I pass a wild boar foraging in a swamp. It hadn’t noticed me. As soon as I made a sound, it bolted out of sight.

Soon the bush thins and Mount Stenhouse appears and a hill top pavilion. The landscape is littered with volcanic granite and short shrubs. I eventually arrive at the pavilion to be greeted with amazing views of Hong Kong and its islands. I also see the path that leads up to the summit of Mount Stenhouse. I look at my watch and see I’m already 3 hours into this hike, and decide to get the next ferry rather than summit the mountain. The path up looked fun and steep, and no doubt you’d be rewarded with even better views.

I slowly descend down the steps to Sok Kwu Wan. Passing an old cemetery. I start to see other hikers again, and I take in the views of Sok Kwu Wan. I arrive at the ferry where there are many people waiting. Restaurant guests as well as other hikers from Yung Shue Wan. The ferry arrives, and I find a comfortable seat on the Sea Star for the ride back to Hong Kong to enjoy the festivities of NYE and welcome in 2026.