Outlying Islands
From World travel guide
Hong Kong's Outlying Islands are a generic label for the other 234 islands, islets and rocks in the territory. For tourists the most popular are Lamma, well known for its seafood and only 3 km south of the main island; Cheung Chau, a small island off Lantau that used to be a pirates' den but now houses mostly windsurfers and sunbathing daytrippers.
Contents |
Understand
Hong Kong's islands have been and to some extent continue to be Hong Kong's hinterland, home to rustic fishing villages battered by the occasional typhoon, monasteries run by hardscrabble monks and little else.
Get in
Ferries to the islands impose a peculiar 50% surcharge for travel on Sundays and public holidays. It's cheaper, and less crowded, to visit during the week or on Saturdays.
By boat
The obvious way of getting to an island is to take a ferry. Ferries for practically all islands of interest depart from the Outlying Islands pier in Central, to the west of the Star Ferry terminal. The largest operator is New World First Ferry.
- Cheung Chau: Pier 5, $10.50 (slow) / $21 (fast), every 30 minutes
- Lamma (Sok Kwu Wan): Pier 4, $13 (fast only), every 90 minutes
- Lamma (Yung Shue Wan): Pier 4, $11 (slow) / $16 (fast), every 30-60 minutes
Get around
On the other islands you're pretty much restricted to walking, renting a bike ($10 an hour or $30 a day is typical) or catching a kaido (small ferry) from one pier to the next.
See
Do
- Windsurfing and sunbathing are prime draws on the beaches of Cheung Chau.
Buy
There aren't many shopping bargains to be had on the islands, however beach-going items tend to be resonably priced there.
Eat
- Lamma and Cheung Chau are well known for seafood.
Drink
Aside from a few pubs on Lamma, the nightlife in the islands is pretty quiet.
Sleep
Accommodations in the islands are fairly limited, consisting mainly of guesthouses (a few of which call themselves hotels).
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