While there are plenty of activities to do in Sai Kung, visiting Tai Long Wan and Long Ke Wan easily takes the top spot if you’re a beach lover. Here you’ll find secluded, pristine white sand beaches with crystal clear, turquoise water with a mountain and island backdrop. And unlike many of the beaches in Hong Kong, all of Tai Long Wan and Long Ke Wan’s beaches are dog-friendly!
These beautiful beaches are accessible ONLY by either hiking or taking a speed boat from Sai Kung town, but it’s definitely worth making the trek here so keep reading for details.
Tai Long Wan translates to “Big Wave Bay,” something you’ll understand once you take the speed boat to or from these beaches, as it’s a wavy, rocky ride that is exhilarating and sometimes borderline scary if the waves are big (like an amusement park ride). But the 40 minute speed boat ride from Sai Kung Pier also takes you past absolutely gorgeous geological formations and islands, making it worth the trip (especially if you don’t want to hike). I have some tips for taking the speed boats later in this guide. Along the same route, you can also reach Long Ke Wan, which is the bay directly south of Tai Long Wan.
There are 5 beaches in Long Ke Wan & Tai Long Wan:
Long Ke Wan
- Accessible by 25 minute easy hike from High Island Reservoir East Dam or speed boat
- No restaurants or public toilets, so be sure to bring all the supplies you need with you
- Offers a long stretch of unspoiled sand and plenty of trees to hide in the shade
Sai Wan
- Accessible by 40 minute easy hike from Sai Wan Pavilion, 2.5 hour strenuous hike from High Island Reservoir East Dam, or speed boat
- Has 2 restaurants and public toilets
- Surf boards and camping supplies available
- One of the smaller beaches of Tai Long Wan, so you may find it more crowded than others given its more convenient location and access to facilities (which are also pros for visiting this beach over others)
Ham Tin Wan
- Accessible by 1.5 hour easy hike from Sai Wan Pavilion, 3.5 hour strenuous hike from High Island Reservoir East Dam, or speed boat
- Has 2 restaurants, Hoi Fung Store and On Kee Store, and public toilets
- Surf boards and camping supplies available
- Great for camping given the longer, wider stretch of beach and access to facilities, and generally a popular beach due to the facilities available
- You’ll want to head to Ham Tin Wan to get the money shot of Tai Long Wan pictured below
Tai Wan
- 10 minute additional flat walk from Ham Tin Wan; no speed boat, so you have to walk to Ham Tin Wan for the boat back
- You can access the path to Tai Wan by walking past Hoi Fung Store at Ham Tin Wan and turning right
- No restaurants or public toilets, though it’s an easy walk back to Ham Tin Wan facilities
- Longest beach in Tai Long Wan so it’s never crowded, though on a windy day you will feel the wind here more than the other beaches. The views here are arguably the best, and it’s the best for swimming since there are no speed boats coming into the water to watch out for
Tung Wan
- 30 minute additional hike from Tai Wan (must take the speed boat from Ham Tin Wan)
- No restaurants or public toilets so stock up at Ham Tin Wan
- I haven’t been to this beach yet, but it’s meant to be the most secluded since it’s the most difficult to reach
All of the beaches are dog-friendly and you can overnight camp on the beaches as well. There are no life guards though, so it’s best to be careful swimming, especially if you swim deep into the sea to go surfing. The good news is that the beaches have long stretches of shallow water so you can wade in the water quite safely. Just be careful of any cute sharks in the water! 😉
Tips for Taking Speed Boat to Tai Long Wan
While you can buy speed boat tickets from Sai Kung Pier or the restaurants in Sai Wan and Ham Tin Wan, I recommend prebooking the speed boat by sending a WhatsApp message to +852 6210 8776 so you can prepay (so no need to carry extra cash). During busy periods, the boats can also fill up, so booking ahead guarantees you a seat at the time you want. And if the last boat is full, your only way back home is to hike back so it’s best to avoid that!
As mentioned earlier, the waves can sometimes be pretty intense, so I always sit in the middle of the boat so you can hold on, though the views from the front are definitely the best. If the waves are too strong, the boats will not run, so it’s always best to WhatsApp them so you can also make sure the boats are actually running.
My ideal route is to hike to Ham Tin Wan to enjoy chicken wings, fried rice and black pepper udon at On Kee Store (pictured below), pick up a fresh coconut at the Hoi Fung Store next door, then walk to Tai Wan beach where it’s more secluded and a bit more picturesque, and finally walk back to Ham Tin Wan to take the speed boat to Sai Kung town for dinner (about HK$180 per person one way).
