26 March 2011
Lamma Island
This afternoon I took a ferry to Lamma island, which is Hong Kongs 3rd biggest island, off the southwest coast of the main Hong Kong island.
It takes about 20 minutes to get there on a big modern ferry, which costs the grand sum of $2.
Lamma island is unique in that no cars allowed, its quite bohemian and backwards. Apprently theres quite a few expats living in tents in the jungle there who couldnt cope with business life in Hong Kong and go there to slowly die as failures.
Despite that, its popular for day trips, the walking trails are fantastic, and the beaches are nice.
The beaches are shadowed by a huge power plant as you can see in the photos, theres also a wind farm near the other beach which I didnt get to.
The popular route, which I took, is to get off the ferry at one end of the island, in a village called Yung Shue Wan, then walk for what the sign says will take 90 minutes but took me 50 even though I was stopping to take photos to the other village at Sok Kwu Wan.
I had a great time, the weather was perfect for this kind of thing.
Heres my ferry, its a good thing I lined up 10 minutes early as they had to turn people away. Its a bit of a shame theres no outdoor part for you to sit and look and take photos, as the amount of oil tankers, container ships, junks etc. is bewildering.
Many of them are just anchored in groups out in the sea, possibly for years by the looks of it.
Arriving at Yung Shue Wan.
Lots of people commute on the ferry each day, and since theres no cars allowed on the island, theres over 9000 bicycles chained up near the ferry terminal.
I believe this is the russian girls rugby 7's team. They have come to an island where the only activity is to go hiking, with all their baggage, 2 and 3 big bags each.
I have no idea what they plan to do now.
The main street in the village of Yung Shue Wan, its mainly seafood restaurants, but some silly souvenier type shops as well.
Heres one of the beaches, this one has a fetching view of a gigantic power plant.
After walking over and around the mountain you get to this view of the floating village of Sok Kwu Wan, its fairly impressive looking, different to anything I have seen before.
This cave is full of wizards, ghosts and snakes.
Heres a half assed attempt at a temple. It looks cheap and nasty.
The seafood restaurants all have the produce in these tanks. Some strange looking stuff in there.
The floating village.
When last I was here, they were just starting this project which is I think to move the ferry terminals into a shopping centre style complex. It seems to be slow going by asian construction standards.