A good initiation stream hike conveniently located in Hong Kong island.

  • Beauty/fun: 5.5/10. Very accessible easy path with a big pool to dip into. None of the waterfalls is spectacular but will help you get ready for more complex routes.
  • Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 3/10. All the waterfalls are climbable, but you have alternative dry options. Short and with tons of exits.
  • The map. First meters not recorded by the GPS and last part one of the multiple exit options, marked with the Google maps walking tool.

A better map (how to download to your phone offline maps)

See full screen and the Garmin track.

The easiest way to arrive here is by taking the MTR to North Point station, exit B1. Go up the stairs on the right up Aroma Walk.

Stairs and more steps for ten minutes.

Walk on the Braemar Hill road up till its end. Blue fences mark the entry to the concrete path.

In no time you will arrive at the point to exit it, ten meters down the stairs.

Kinda trespassing… There is a fence, I guess set by the “Mansions” below. There is a hole in it and actually you won’t really go down to their ground, so no big deal… Update June 2021: see comment below by Mr. Cool. If you are worried, you could go up the stairs a bit and find your way down again. No fence, but you will finish exactly in the same place and more complicated… In a minute you will be among the vegetation

and into the stream. BTW its name is 小馬坑 Siu Ma Stream. The Small Horse stream. The name comes from the ridge in the area.

The widest high waterfall is at the very beginning.

All this initial section you can hike it without getting wet if you just cross carefully, left and right, the stream.

The slope is steady

and finding your way is easy.

If you walk in the water is more fun.

But not necessary.

The city clearly behind all the way up.

Arriving at the first crossroad. Sir Cecil’ s Ride path.

You could exit here, take the path parallel to the stream or continue within. If so you will need to get wet.

Connecting with the previously mentioned parallel path and little shelter.

New section. You can walk on the sides of the stream, easy route, or within.

And in bit more than 10 minutes you should be in a nice pool to dip into.

This waterfall is climbable too. Your backpack should be fully waterproof though as the stream will cover you in the initial steps.

Stairs like waterfall, not much climbing skills required.

Continue up,

slowly,

it can be slippery otherwise.

Soon the slope decreases and

the stream becomes a quite tiny creek with different tributaries. From here on you have different options. You could go back down to Braemar Hill, marked on the map above. In our case, we went up to Jardine’s Lookout and down to the WW2 tunnels. Otherwise outpaths, jungle, bigger waterfalls in Tai Tam mound, or tons of other routes for a long day out.

Update July 2022: A long day hiking different streams starting from Tai Koo ended with downstream Siu Ma. I brought a 20m rope to be able to safely jump from the bottom waterfall to the pool before heading out into the city. Several ribbons are set around the fence. Easy to navigate

Everything you should know before stream hiking.