Nice stream (Shui Lo Cho – 水澇漕石澗) and very picturesque infinity pool in the SW of Lantau.

  • Beauty/fun: 7/10 Several big waterfalls, the pool, views behind with the sea below. It does not need excessive rain in previous days for being at its best.
  • Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 5.5/10. Some ribbons to guide you. A couple of early exits. One main high cliff that you need to scramble around, but relatively easy and well marked with ribbons. If doing it completely you will need to navigate through the bushes to arrive at a “civilized” path. UPDATE: In late 2018 a fence at the left entrance of the pool was built. You can easily pass it on its further left, but supposedly it is illegal. If you are scrambling the waterfalls on the right you would not even know that it is so.
  • The map

And a more detailed map that you can download to your phone.

See full screen.

First of all, you would need to arrive at the fishing village of Tai O.

The easiest public transportation would include MTR to Tung Chung and bus to Tai O.

The road is very winding, so consider it if you get easily carsick. Once couple of fellow hikers decided to cancel their hike to Man Cheung Po and walk back to Tung Chung through the northern path just to avoid that road again…

Once out of the bus just walk to the West and you will find this nice passageway which connects with the other side of the villeage and later the Lantau Trail itself.

The way here is very simple. Mostly on concrete and with some gentle ups and downs next to the coast. Arriving at Yi O Bay.

On the way you will see some rock stairs going up. Marked on the map above as alternative route in blue. This would take you directly to the pool. Instead, if you continue for some 200m more you will arrive at this bridge where you can decide to remove your shoes.

If you want to avoid getting them wet 😛

Or now (update Oct 2017) you have a path on its right to avoid it. From here on you will go up the stream next to several

waterfalls.

Some of the climbs can be slippery, so be careful. But with patience the path is kind of easy to navigate here.

More waterfalls with pools where to swim on a hot day.

You will need to climb on the left side of this waterfall through the little jungle. There were (Sep 2019) quite some ribbons guiding you. It is not difficult but not for those with vertigo. As you will be almost on the verge of that cliff on the left of the waterfall.

In my case I prefer to walk in the water, but definitely you can avoid doing so.

Clear water all the way up.

There are quite some ribbons set up now and some of them can take you quite far from the stream. Try to be close to it all the time, which will require climbing just next to some of the small waterfalls themselves. This one for example.

Finally you will arrive at these series of waterfalls. On the very top you can see the dam. I have climbed on the right side of the wall before.

But it is way easier just to go to the left side following the ribbons and you will arrive at the infinity pool. Before you could walk on the left side

and you will have the pic you might want (depending on weather conditions).

As you might have guessed with the word dam, this is not a natural pool. Man made to provide water to the villages around. Some years ago, with tons of people getting their fancy selfies in all social media, it got too famous and crowded with people who did not care at all of polluting around. So since then, the Water Supply Department set guards to avoid anyone swimming in. The maximum punishment is a HKD50,000 fine and a two-year jail term. In late 2018 they a fence on the aforementioned left side entrance.

And tons of signs saying that there are 24 hour cameras recording… You can easily pass the fence on the left side. You can take the pic (do not swim) and continue your ascent. The stream continues being worthwhile hiking. Here, even with no rain in previous days, the twin waterfalls.

You can just after take another alternative exit route, marked in blue again in the map above.

Or continue into the gorge next to the stream SE-S direction.

You will still (2018) find ribbons marking your way.

And more waterfalls next to which to climb.

Little by little the stream becomes less steep though and therefore the vegetation makes hiking more complicated.

Unless you, finally, give up and just walk in the stream 😀

Bit of bush walking.

And you will arrive at the Lantau Trail section 5. You can walk North direction then and go back to Tai O again. Or in our case we detoured a bit to see the cute Lung Tsai Ng Yuen garden.

And back to the road to take the bus back Tung Chung or Mui Wo direction. In peak season the buses might be full, so try to arrange all the outing to arrive relatively early to the end.

Pics and video of the last visit in September 2019.

Everything you should know before stream hiking.

Any feedback, please, leave a comment below. Your contribution with the latest update can be relevant for other readers. If any information seems wrong we will try to check the route and update the information as soon as possible.