Lamma Island

Lamma is the third largest island in Hong Kong and has no roads: villagers move goods on small electric trolleys, and everything else is walked. Two settlements anchor it, Yung Shue Wan in the north with a lane of shops, cafes and a long-settled mix of local and foreign residents, and Sok Kwu Wan in the south, a row of seafood restaurants on stilts over the bay. The Family Trail links them in about an hour and a half of concrete path over a low ridge, passing Hung Shing Yeh beach, a pavilion viewpoint and, unavoidably, the three chimneys of the power station that supplies much of Hong Kong island. A single wind turbine stands on the hillside above.

History

Archaeological finds show people living on the north and east of the island around 4000-3000 BC, in the Middle Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Yung Shue Ha, one of Lamma's earliest villages, was settled in the early 19th century by a clan from Bao'an County in China (Wikipedia, Lamma Island).

What you'll find

• A car-free island - paths and trolleys instead of roads.
• The Family Trail - the ninety-minute walk between the two villages.
• Stilt seafood restaurants - the row over the water at Sok Kwu Wan.
• Hung Shing Yeh beach - the swimming bay below the power station.

When to go

October to April for comfortable walking; summer is hot and humid with sudden downpours. Half a day. Ferries run frequently but the last boats back are early evening on some routes.

Before you go

The power station chimneys dominate the view from the main beach and there is no avoiding them. The trail is concrete throughout, not a wild path. Weekend ferries and restaurants are crowded. Sok Kwu Wan seafood is priced for visitors.

Nearby

Central is across the harbour; Peng Chau lies north-west.

Key facts