Sai Kung and the High Island Geo Trail

Sai Kung is where Hong Kong goes to breathe. On a peninsula in the eastern New Territories, most of it protected as country park, it combines a lively harbour town with some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in southern China. Sai Kung Town is the base: a waterfront promenade lined with seafood restaurants, where fishermen sell their catch from boats moored along the seawall, and small kaito boats wait to take visitors to beaches and islands that cannot be reached by road. The great natural sight is in the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, and specifically at the East Dam of High Island Reservoir. Here, around 140 million years ago, a supervolcano erupted, and as the lava and ash cooled they split into enormous hexagonal rock columns, some of them several storeys high, which now rise from the sea in tilted ranks beside the dam. The High Island Geo Trail is a short, easy walk from the dam along the coast to see the columns up close, with information boards explaining the geology, and the sight of the grey columns against the turquoise sea is one of the most remarkable landscapes in Hong Kong. The Volcano Discovery Centre on the Sai Kung waterfront explains the geology and the park before you go. Further afield, beaches such as those around Tai Long Wan, reached by long hikes or boat, are among the most beautiful in the territory, and the offshore islands have sea caves and sea arches best seen from a boat tour. A visit to the East Dam costs only the transport, and the waterfront town is free to enjoy, with lunch or dinner of fresh seafood as the reward. This is not an attraction with ticket gates; it is a landscape, and it rewards visitors who plan their transport and respect the rules that protect it.

Getting to the East Dam: from Sai Kung Town, take a taxi to the East Dam, which takes around half an hour along a country park road; private cars are restricted in the country park, so taxis are the practical choice. Arrange your return before you leave, as taxis can be scarce at the dam, especially at weekends. Alternatively, take a kaito or tour boat from the Sai Kung waterfront, which often combines the hexagonal columns with sea caves and islands seen from the water. Getting to Sai Kung Town itself is by bus or green minibus from Choi Hung or Hang Hau MTR stations, about half an hour.

Rules and safety: the East Dam has become very popular, and the authorities have warned visitors about overcrowding and about the dangers of climbing on the rock columns or walking on slippery rocks near the water, where waves can be dangerous. Stay on the marked trail, do not climb the columns, take your rubbish away, and avoid the area in rough weather or when a typhoon signal is up. Public holidays bring large crowds and long queues for taxis; weekdays are much better. There is little shade and no food at the dam, so bring water and sun protection.

Making a day of it: visit the Volcano Discovery Centre in the morning, take a taxi to the East Dam, walk the geo trail, then return to Sai Kung Town for a late seafood lunch on the waterfront. Couples and families can end the day strolling the promenade and watching the boats come in. Keen hikers can tackle sections of the MacLehose Trail, which starts in Sai Kung, on another day.