An excellent route including tons of caves, dramatic cliffs, jumping spots, waterfalls. Only suitable for really confident swimmers/coasteers.

  • Beauty/fun: 9.5/10.  A nice beach Long Ke style and even more spectacular rock formations a la East dam would be missing for a perfect score. Otherwise, it has it all, even stream hiking within a coasteering route.
  • Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 9.5/10 Only difficult emergency exits possible. I have been caught once en route by a sudden lightning storm and the exit was not fun, very perilous scrambling/climbing. Waves can be high easily with no land mass protection on the East and partly South. There are a lot of swimming sections even if you try to scramble as much as possible. With several insurmountable cliffs, perpendicular and extremely high. In our case over 200 meters the longest swim. You need to be relatively fast too as you depend on the ferry schedule.
  • The map (how to download to your phone)

See full screen and the Garmin track.

Ferries depart (2020) from Sam Ka Tsuen and Shau Kei Wan typhoon shelter, next to the Sai Wan Ho MTR station. First departure around 8 something, last return around 17:30 towards SKW. Check the time tables the day before. In any case, you will have max 8 hours to do whatever the route you decide to attempt. So plan carefully.

You will need to buy a return ticket and tell them which ferry you are planning to return on. The boat ride will take you 35-45 minutes till Tung Lung Chau. You can go down on the North Pier and walk towards the main hiking path.

In our case, we started coasteering here.

The hiking path almost connects with the rocky beach. You could start even further South, marked on the map with the green line.

Soon you will find the first climbing walls. With chalk marks and bolts for the climbing ropes. Also your first cliff jumping points and swim sections.

Already in this initial part you can enjoy the beauty of the place. The first caves and the main climbing areas. Most of the hiking paths you see marked on the Opencyclemap are access points to those walls.

The scrambling can be tricky if not with the best grip shoes (it was my case).

You will need to swim more if not ready.

On the map I have marked the clearest early exit that I have tested. Through this cave tunnel (watch the video for further visual clues).

There were ribbons (2018) guiding you up and the GPS track was accurate. Nevertheless this path did not look like hiked often and therefore the bush was really dense till it connected with the upper more frequented route.

Continuing on the seashore you will find more perpendicular cliffs.

Enjoy the swims or the scrambling.

There are quite some caves to explore too. My diving torch was quite handy for some, as deep and darker.

Once you turn “the corner” and start heading West direction you will find streamlets falling to the sea.

Initial one small. Not so the second one. Huge waterfall.

Watch the video with Tyler’s drone footage. You will be able to climb a little part of it. But you can go up a significant part of the next stream marked on the map.

Several 3 – 4 meter high waterfalls till the slope starts to reduce.

I did not go to the top, but in a case of an emergency you might be able to continue up and connect through heavy bush with the hiking paths above. Otherwise carefully go down back to the sea.

A little bit more of coasteering and swim

and you will arrive at a little pebble beach.

From here you could connect with the main path to go back to the pier. In our case, we continued on the Southernmost tip of the island. The Nam Tong Mei Radio Station is situated on top. There are nice views of the coastline that you have coasteered and some WW2 ruins. Down you will have more dramatic cliffs and finally strange white walls. They look painted but still we do not know the reason why.

Last jumping spot.

Video of all the previous.

Find your way up the dirty beach up to the main path.

Continue on the concrete with a bit of uphill and downhill later. In our case, running the last part to catch the second last ferry out. If they are not full, even if your ticket is for a later time they allow you in.

If you are not in a rush, there are some shops in this area where you can have some food and drinks.

Everything you should know before coasteering.