Tai Long Wan

Tai Long Wan, Big Wave Bay, is a stretch of the eastern Sai Kung coast holding four beaches in a row, Sai Wan, Ham Tin, Tai Wan and Tung Wan, backed by hills and reached by no road at all: the choice is an hour's walk in over a hill from Sai Wan Pavilion, a longer trek on the MacLehose Trail, or a speedboat from Sai Kung town. The sand is white, the water is clear, and the exposure to open sea gives the only consistent surf in Hong Kong. A handful of village shops at Sai Wan and Ham Tin serve noodles and drinks and rent boards, and a rickety plank bridge crosses the stream at Ham Tin.

The landscape

• Four beaches in a row - Sai Wan, Ham Tin, Tai Wan and Tung Wan.
• The only reliable surf in Hong Kong - the open eastern exposure.
• The Ham Tin plank bridge - the makeshift crossing over the stream.
• Village shops on the sand - noodles and board hire at two of the bays.

When to go

October to April for walking and clear water; the surf is biggest with autumn and winter swells. A day. Weekends are busy and the boats and taxis fill early.

Practical notes

There are no lifeguards and the currents and rips are dangerous. Everything must be carried in and rubbish carried out. Village shops are cash only and limited. Weekend boats are crowded and expensive.

Nearby

Sai Kung town is west; the MacLehose Trail passes behind the bays.