Really beautiful stream full of high waterfalls and small pools, very close to the city. Only BIG con: completely polluted and full of trash š
- Beauty/fun: 4/10 with clean water and no trash this would be a solid 8/10. Easy transportation, beautiful waterfalls, fun scrambling with different difficulty options, everything concentrated in a short route, herons & other fauna… But in the current state is painful to see & might be dangerous for sensitive skins…
- Difficulty (check this link if new here, this is not your standard HK hiking web): 6.5/10 several sections of very slippery wet rocks, a few high scrambles, trying to avoid getting too wet with the polluted water. Several potential early exits.
- The map (how to download to your phone offline maps)
See full screen & the Garmin track.
Little Hawaii Trail is a well known family walk not far from Po Lam MTR station. I had trail run around a few times before and checked the stream and some waterfalls, but I had never explored it thoroughly. In early May, just after a heavy rain day in the area (200+), I went to do so. On my own, testing carefully my supposedly fully recovered sprained ankle.
I took the MTR and jog to this bridge (walking approx 20min).
I was checking if there was a way down and realized that there was an easier entry just a little bit further. Just go up the stairs on the right, walk very little on the concrete and find your way down to the stream. Video.
There is nothing significant in this section. It could be nice, but the water was slightly smelly and I could start to see some trash.
Beware of the fork (2). The left tributary to be explained later. First the main right tributary. In (3), the last pic above, exactly connecting with the concrete path, is where the real fun starts. The first significant waterfalls. You can find quite some people taking pictures here, even picnicking.
Easy path on its left side (0:35).
Cross to the right side and the easiest way up is through the roots of the trees on that side (0:49). The waterfall itself felt quite slippery + due to the water quality I decided not to give it a try.
Later there are some semi-slabs (1:02) where I found cracks to go up through before the second high waterfall.
The first time I had climbed it on the left side. But the flow was too strong the second time and I just scrambled on its right. Significantly easier. Atop another Instagramy spot with the stream, waterfalls, and the city below (1:23).
There can be queues sometimes here to take a pic š¤·āāļø With the bridge of the main path just a few dozen meters above.
Continue on the stream and a little later you arrive at a dam.
And a little later a very impressive tree conquering a man-made wall. Just after the trash amount increased…
There are old man-made walls and some nice waterfall sections. But the water quality is bad… Once atop you see why, with a full village throwing their, I guess, unfiltered sewage water to the stream…
Clear Water Bay road on top with a bus stop for easy transportation back. In my case, I jog down for a second round. The Left tributary is way cleaner. Although the housing construction on top is not the most promising… At the bottom, it looked and smelled way better and I decided to give it a wet try. I entered here (7)
Video.
In at least one section getting completely wet felt the safest option. If bringing a machete or with patience and pruners you might be able to open your way through the side jungle otherwise.
After the long concatenated high waterfalls section there are a few pools and waterfalls before you can find a faint path out (8). I continued, but the next section is not recommended. Flat and with significantly more vegetation. Eventually, I arrived at the small village on top. Several cranes and other machinery building new houses and possibly more untreated water coming into the stream soon…
From there I took the road (Wilson Trail section 3) down.
And I jogged to the MTR station.
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