Po Kwu Wan 曝罟灣 is a peaceful little bay in Sai Kung, located close to High Island Reservoir West Dam 萬宜水庫西壩 & Tsam Chuk Wan 斬竹灣. There is a semi-circular concrete embankment used by fishermen in the past for fish farming, it is now a beautiful spot for hikers to come relax by the bay and taking instagram pictures. Well, it is still a great spot for fishing.
The serenity of Po Kwu Wan 曝罟灣 is what I enjoyed the most, being there it feels like the world has slowed down, you can totally unwind yourself from the busy life and breathe in the fresh air from the bay. It’s a place that help putting all your senses back together.
This weathered historical monument gives Po Kwu Wan 曝罟灣 the soul and walking on the embankment crossing from one side to the other is the thing-to-do when you are there. Be extra cautious when you are crossing it, don’t fall into the water, hehe!
Tai Tun 太墩 is a small hill at 317 meters, located at Sai Kung West Country Park offers a spectacular panoramic view of Tsam Chuk Wan 斬竹灣 Bay and the surrounding islands. Get on top and let the “Thousand Islands View” make your jaw drop! I would rate the view in my Top 5 Most Stunning View of Hong Kong!
You should go check it out yourself, the unrivalled view of the archipelago of Tsam Chuk Wan 斬竹灣 from Tai Tun 太墩 is like no others.
My Trail:
” Pak Tam Chung 北潭涌 > Hei Tsz Wan 起子湾 > PO KWU WAN 曝罟灣 > Hei Tsz Wan 起子湾 > Pak Tam Chung 北潭涌 > TAI TUN 太墩 (317M) > Cheung Shan 長山 (165M) > Sai Kung Training Camp 西貢戶外訓練營 ”
Distance: 10 KM
Duration: 4.5 hours
Elevation Gain: 580M
Difficulty: 2.5/5
View: 4.5/5
How to get there & return:
1. Take MTR Kwun Tong Line to Choi Hung 彩虹 station.
2. From MTR Choi Hung station, proceed to the C2 exit. Take the green minibus #1A to Sai Kung.
3. From Sai Kung Pier bus terminal, take KMB bus #94 heading to Wong Shek Pier, get off at Pak Tam Chung 北潭涌.
4. Your relaxing hike begins there! (there is a public toilet)
5. You will finish your hike getting down to Sai Kung Training Camp 西貢戶外訓練營, walk to the bus stop across the road and you can get on any bus to return to Sai Kung pier. (On Sunday, you can get on KMB bus #96R to go directly to MTR Diamond Hill station, the bus departs from Wong Shek pier.)
6. From Sai Kung pier, you can then get on KMB bus #92 to go to MTR Choi Hung & Diamond Hill station, OR the green minibus #1A to go to MTR Choi Hung station.
Hike Overview:
After you get off the bus at Pak Tam Chung 北潭涌, follow Tai Mong Tsai Rd. towards the High Island Reservoir direction for just about 200 meters and then pay attention to your right. You will see the sign to Hei Tsz Wan 起子湾 village, follow the direction and you will be on Pak Tam Chung Nature Trail.
Po Kwu Wan 曝罟灣 is just approximately 2 kms away. There are 3 splits before you get there. At the first split you will see the sign, just stick to Hei Tsz Wan 起子湾 village direction, which is your left.
Soon, you will arrive at the second split, turn left off the concrete path and walk on the mountain trail. The concrete path on the right will lead you to Hei Tsz Wan 起子湾 pier.
Then, you will come to the 3rd split, this time you have to take your right side, breaking off the trail and go down to Po Kwu Wan 曝罟灣. You will see colorful ribbons tied on the branches, it is very obvious.
In just less than 10 minutes and you will be down there. Enjoy the peacefulness and take a lot of pictures.
“ You need special shoes for hiking – and a bit of a special soul as well. ”
– Terri Guillemets
Next, walk on the embankment and cross over to the other side. Get on the trail and then take your left turn when you get to the first split. Follow the trail and return to Pak Tam Chung 北潭涌, where you started.
Now, the second part of this trail is Tai Tun 太墩. Walk to the end of the carpark at Pak Tam Chung 北潭涌 and look for the trailhead to hike up to Tai Tun 太墩. Look for the ribbons as usual!
From this point, the distance is about 1.5 kms to the top with the elevation of 317 meters. The trail is pretty straight forward all the way up as it is quite a popular trail to many hikers. You will be seeing ribbons along the way and most likely hike with the other hikers.
The view of the “thousand islands” will slowly reveal as you go higher. And it will only get better and better. Once on top, you can’t help screaming out your excitement to what’s laid in front of your eyes.
Tai Tun 太墩 is known for the spot for viewing sunset, so you may plan your time to be there and wait for the sunset.
To go down, you can either take the same path to Pak Tam Chung 北潭涌 or you can hike to Cheung Shan 長山 with the altitude of 165 meters and then finally get down to Sai Kung Training Camp 西貢戶外訓練營, your choice. The latter one via Cheung Shan 長山 is double the distance (3 kms) but offering a different view.
This is a very relaxing trail with stunning sceneries, both at Po Kwu Wan 曝罟灣 and Tai Tun 太墩. It is suitable for all levels of hikers.
