This 6-hour (and 12km) kayaking trip took us on an adventure to the most beautiful uninhabited islands and untouched beaches. If you're interested in going on this adventure on your own, keep reading for complete directions and tips!
Difficulty Rating: 8/10
Duration: 6 hours (This includes the time we spent relaxing or having lunch on the beaches)
Cell Service: 5/5
Instagrammability: 5/5 (Stunning blue/green waters everywhere you look!)
How to Get There:
If you'd like to drive to Sai Kung, we'd recommend parking at Mei Fuk Street Parking. It's a 5-minute walk from Sha Ha beach and costs $160 for full-day parking.
A few must-have items to pack before you decide to embark on this kayaking journey:
Lots and lots of water (at least 2L). It's a long journey and you'll constantly be under the sun.
A hat - You'll thank us later.
Water-proof bag to keep your belongings dry. This dry bag from Decathlon is our favourite!
A packed lunch. You won't come across any restaurants at the beaches and islands.
Lots of sunscreen - Remember to keep re-applying every couple of hours. Sunburns are bad, but when you're on the water, they're much, much worse! (We realised this a little too late)
Waterproof phone case
Kayaking Directions:
Once you get to Sha Ha Beach, you'll see a kayak rental shop. You can rent your kayaks from there, it costs $180-200 to rent a kayak for the day. We'd recommend going as early as possible as you have to return the kayaks by 4:30pm.
Also, if you decide to go on a weekend, we recommend calling ahead and reserving kayaks as they sometimes run out. You can contact Ah Kwok Water Sports Centre at 9170 7513.
Our kayaking route took 6 hours, including time spent swimming at the beaches. We went to four beaches, through a mangrove and a cave.
From Sha Ha beach (point 1), we kayaked towards Pak Sha Chau (point 2). Pak Sha Chau is a narrow beach with water coming in on both sides.
Then, we went around Sharp Island, through the mangrove behind Yim Tin Tsai, towards Whiskey Beach (point 3). This stretch was the longest, as we had to paddle against the current.
Whiskey Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches we've ever seen. We recommend taking your lunch break here, surrounded by soft sand and crystal clear water.
Next, we paddled towards Sharp Island. Here, we came across a small cave (point 4) that we paddled through one by one. Be sure to not crowd the cave with more than one kayak as it's very easy to get stuck if the tide isn't high enough.
We then passed Hap Mun Bay beach (point 5) and went towards Kiu Tsui Beach (point 6). Before getting to Kiu Tsui Beach, you'll cross over the Sharp Island Sand Levee. When the tide is low, you can walk across this narrow patch of sand, with the ocean on either side.
At Kiu Tsui Beach, there are a few vendors selling cold drinks. We'd recommend stopping here for a cold beer or juice to cool you down from the long day.
Then, we head back to Sha Ha Beach. This final stretch was relatively easier as we were paddling with the current. However, if you notice that the current is against you, we'd recommend leaving the beach a little earlier to give yourselves enough time to get back.
Leave a comment below letting us know how your Sharp Island adventure went. Happy kayaking everyone!