Kayaking in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park

At Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park
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Location

Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park is located in the New Territories in the northern aspect of the Sai Kung Peninsula. The Marine Park was established in 1996 and occupies roughly 260 hectares of sea area. It is a sanctuary promoting the growth of many species of coral.

Getting There

We left the confines of the hotel in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island, in the early morning, to be chauffeur-driven in a BMW to Sai Kung Country Park. We cruised under Victoria Harbour, to emerge in Kowloon before winding our way to Sai Kung. A journey of about an hour in peak hour traffic. Our chauffer, Grace’s uncle in actuality, had arranged permits for parking in the Country Park. Whilst Sai Kung is accessible by public transport, it is faster and more comfortable to drive there. The only difficulty with driving is that you need a permit to enter and park your car in the Park, and to get a permit you need to know someone who lives in the Country Park (or know someone who knows someone who lives in the Park). That person can then apply for a permit that will allow you to enter and park in the Park. Such a restriction is to limit the impact  of human encroachment upon the environment.

Map of the Marine Park
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Gear Hire

Having collected our permit we meandered along winding roads until we finally pulled aside and parked under the shade of trees in front of some local homes. It was a short walk past the “Warden Post” to the “View Restaurant”, a small eatery that doubles as the place to hire kayaks.

• Hire: All day (no half-day available).
• Double kayak: $HKD 150. 
• Single kayak: $HKD 100.

• Shoe hire: $HKD 20.
  

  Serene Islands in Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park
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• Shower (to freshen-up afterwards): $HKD 5.

Ocean-going footwear, for use in the kayaks, can be hired from a nearby stall, unless you have large feet. I approached the stall and a row of shoes, in various states of decomposition, laid before me. I spotted a pair of large boots, with the sole almost worn through, that may fit. As I pulled, nay, stretched, them over my feet, the shoe-hire-guy soon motioned violently for me to stop. “You wreck them”, he exclaimed. If you’ve got big feet I’d recommend you bring your own footwear.

Ensuring the kayak won't sink in the future
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We followed the young attendant down a narrow paved path, collected our kayaks and carried them to the shore. The kayaks were fairly old, and a bit cramped for tall people, but were otherwise sea worthy. Life jackets were supplied.

On the Water

Once we were on the water it was a tranquil contrast to the frenetic activity in Kowloon or Central. The ocean was calm and it was an easy paddle from the shore. We wandered aimlessly for a while, before passing a jetty and finally landed on a small deserted “beach”. A great time to have some chilled and diced fresh fruit to eat.

With Uncle David
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There was a group of us and we found that the double kayaks were easier to paddle and manoeuvre. Those in the single kayaks had a harder time paddling and tired more easily. If you’re somewhat weak and inexperienced (like us!) we’d recommend a double.

We then left and paddled past some small islands before arriving at our second deserted beach. As it’s mid-Autumn festival, it was an opportune time to re-energise with some mooncake. We were not alone. A malnourished bull, and a cow and her calf were there to welcome us. They soon became bored with our company and wandered away.

A bit of a squeeze!
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By now our arms were tired and we decided to paddle back leisurely to our launch point. A few other kayakers were out on the water, some of whom were apparently having a lesson. Another 45 minutes or so and we were back on shore. Overall, we spent nearly 3 hours on the water and had a thoroughly enjoyable time.

Having settled the account, we showered and perused some of the “holiday homes” for rent ($HKD 1800/month), alongside the “View Restaurant”. A nice enough location, however, the places were Spartan and would require some maintenance before being liveable.

See you later
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Eating in Sai Kung

We then drove to Sai Kung town for lunch. Sai Kung is a quaint seaside town. Lots of places to eat. We settled on the “Corner Café Bar and Restaurant”, which overlooked the harbour. It is decked out in a Mediterranean style and serves typical Hong Kong style café food for a reasonable price. I dug into a bowl of stir-fried spaghetti and chicken. An ice-cold tall cup of “Yin Yeung” is highly recommended. It is a mixture of coffee and tea, which you can sweeten by adding liquid syrup to your desired taste.

View of Hoi Ha Bay from "place for rent"
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Dessert followed at “Sweetheart Desert Limited”, a short walk away through some narrow streets lined by shops on either side. This place is well known, for almost an entire wall of the shop is dedicated to photos of Hong Kong celebrities who’ve eaten there. A wide variety of hot and cold desserts are on offer. My favourite, “papaya and frog oviduct soup”, which Grace actually ordered was simply a bowl of soup with a variety of fungi and root vegetables. Fried ice-cream is available too.