Long day stream hiking and coasteering on a cute island with a couple of well-known beaches, good scrambling and extra fun.

  • Beauty/fun: 7/10 the main stream doesn’t have big waterfalls but it has decent flow and crystal clear water, the coasteering offers good scrambling with intermediate fun: a couple of streams with bigger waterfalls, nice beaches, a few shallow caves.
  • Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 6/10 long route including varied terrain and difficulty level areas, no early exits possible but by hiring your own boat, very protected from usual swell & wind waves, clear navigation with relatively easy water entry and exits. 2022 update: there are “ferries” going to Kau Sai village. This ould simplify/shorten a lot the outing
  • The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)

See full screen & the Garmin track

You could make this a pure A to B coasteering route if you hire a speed boat in Saikung. Start at Hung Shing Temple at the small fishermen village and return pick up at Whiskey Beach for a shorter day out or to have the possibility of longer exploration in the Southern streams.

In our case we did a full loop using “public transportation”. The island is known for its Jockey Club golf course. There is a fast ferry heading there every 20 minutes. We had called beforehand to ask if we could use it for coasteering the Southern part and we were told that there was no problem. Once on the pier the employees there told us that the ferry supposedly was only for those going to play golf or to eat in the restaurant, not for hikers. Ehhhh… A bit of discussion, trying to explain that we were not going to get close to the golf course at all, that we have called beforehand and to talk with their manager, blah, blah, blah. Finally we got in.

Land at the pier, let them know that we didn’t need the mini bus ride to the golf course itself, and start the coasteering. Very easy initially.

Arrive at the above small estuary and time to go up the stream.

It was early December, rains long gone. So not bad flow for those conditions. In summertime it must have way more. Making the pools and waterfalls look better. Not very big anyhow.

The exit was extremely bushy. I could see in the GPS that there was a path very close to the end of the stream in straight line. We should have gone just a little downstream and find another exit that I found once up 🤷‍♂️

The aforementioned path is a concrete one. Initially still within some vegetation, later clear open. I tried to find the path marked down towards 滘東坑 stream, but it seemed completely overgrown. I could not see much water in it and we decided to continue on the path down to the fishing village. It seems that on weekends there is a restaurant open there (?) Weekday for us so we just saw a couple of guys SUPing, no more.

By the way, that day’s tide and wave forecast.

Far from real wave wise. Almost completely flat full route long.

Set all the coasteering gear ready and easy scrambling start

before arriving at Kau Sai Wan. Really nice beach and a little stream with waterfalls and several water constructions.

The route was going to be long enough for Odelette and she went directly to rest on the beach meanwhile I did a fast check up the stream. Almost no flow, but in summertime must be nicer than the initial. Higher waterfalls.

Continue on the beach and the first high scrambles and short swim

before arriving at the second stream. She climbing to the spot where we would have our lunch with a high waterfall just next to us. I checked very little up. More flow than the previous, but less interesting excluding the initial fall.

A little further a not especially deep but picturesque cave.

Nice rock scrambling and short swims.

And little by little the

scrambling becomes easier, less high. Arriving at Whiskey beach (Pal Sha Tsui)

Very close to the water fast scrambling moving forward.

The sunset was approaching. Therefore Odelette swam shortcut the estuary section while I jogged and waded it.

She coming out of the water with the setting sun. Walk to the pier, show the receipt of the morning payment and return to Saikung village.

December 2022: Our initial plan was to coasteer Jin Island. But it was too windy and cool, so boat to Kau Sai village (there are kinda ferries at 9 am and 10 am on weekends) and fast coasteering from there to the golf ferry instead.

The Garmin track (with Denvy getting too cold in Speedy Gonzales mode 😉).

Everything you should know before coasteering.