Undoubtedly one of the nicest beaches in Hong Kong, with its silky white sand and crystal blue waters! We did a nice little weekend getaway here to kick off the New Year.
Cell Service: 5/5
Instagrammability: 5/5
Accessibility: 2/5 (The beach is only accessible via speedboat or hike. There are no restaurants/shops on the beach, you need to come fully prepared with enough resources. There are also no toilets, so you need to be prepared to rough it out in the wild a little bit!)
While there is a short, 30-min hike to the beach from East Dam, we chose to take a speedboat this time round, as we were camping with a large group of people and we did not pack very light (see below)!
How to get there:
You can usually find stalls right at Sai Kung Pier that offer boat trips to Long Ke Wan ($150 for one way), but we recommend booking in advance as they may fill up on weekends. You can Whatsapp Frankie at 63306039 to book your trip.
*Also note that the speedboats aren't always available especially when it is windy, but Frankie is usually good with telling you the forecast and availability a few days in advance.
Hiking Directions:
Another option to get to the beach is to hike there.
Take a green taxi from Sai Kung Pier to the end of High Island Reservoir East Dam (~$120-$150).
From there, look for a sign that points to Long Ke Wan.
Follow the trail and it will directly lead you to Long Ke Wan. It's mostly paved and downhill, so it's a nice and convenient option too!
Another perk of hiking is you get to see the beach from above, along with the token hexagonal columns of East Dam, which is stunning!
About the Campsite:
Finding a gorgeous beach in Hong Kong always comes with a price, this one being the lack of toilets, shaded areas and shops. Still, if you're well prepared, we would say it's definitely worth it. Not only do you get beautiful views in the day, but you also get to see the sky filled with stars at night, which is rare in Hong Kong.
We would recommend coming here in the cooler months, when the weather is between 15-20 degrees. Since the campsite is right by the beach, it gets very cool and humid at night, so we would avoid going in the peak winter months unless you're ready to brave the cold.
One perk of this campsite is that there are barbecue pits on the right side of the beach (when facing the water). You would need to come prepared with coal, fire starters, etc in order to make use of it, along with several flashlights, as there aren't any lighs on the beach. We'd also recommend carrying a portable stove, just in case you don't manage to build a sufficient enough fire to cook all your food!
While there is an official campsite on a grassy area at Long Ke Wan, we chose to set up camp on the beach itself, and build our own fire in the sand (pictured above). This gave us a better view of the clear blue waters and the sunrise (pictured below). Technically this isn't allowed, but there were a few people patrolling the beach who told us that as long as we cleaned up after ourselves, it would be fine.
Lastly, be wary of wild animals! We were graced by the presence of wild boars late at night, as well as several cows going through our bags in the morning. In order to prevent them from getting too close, be sure to not leave any food out through the night. They're mostly harmless, but best to stay away.
We had a spare sun tent which we used as a makeshift pantry (pictured below). It worked out really well, as when a cow did decide to come and drool over our bags, it stayed away from our food!
To get back to Sai Kung, you have the same options of hiking to East Dam and then taking a taxi, or booking a speedboat. We'd recommend booking your taxi a little bit in advance, as it can be difficult to find a taxi at East Dam.
As you can't rent tents on this island, you need to bring your own. We bought ours from Decathlon, but you can also rent yours from an online store called Rent-A-Tent (http://www.rentatent.hk/) with pick-up from Diamond Hill. You can text them on Whatsapp (90653163) and book a day in advance!
We know packing for a camping trip can get overwhelming sometimes, so we have prepared this cheat sheet, listing out everything you would possibly need, from the essentials, to food and decor ideas too!