The Sai Kung Peninsula has many islands within it and these islands are part of Hong Kong’s geoparks. The landscape in Sai Kung has been formed from millions of years of volcanic action and the islands that you see now are a result of the rise in water levels from the end of the last Ice age about 6,000 years ago. The Sai Kung geopark features many beautiful rock formations that have come about as a result all these volcanic activity. It is worth going on a boat ride to admire these amazing works of nature. All you have to do is turn up at Sai Kung ferry pier and hire a boat. There are usually many available for rent.
I had been wanting to go to the geoparks so I organised an outing with some friends and colleagues two weekends ago. Some of them couldn’t make it at the last minute, so it ended up being only six of us. We hired a boat for four hours for HKD1700 – very affordable. Here are the pics!


C and I decided to go for a swim at a cove in Sharp Island, while the other four remained on the boat as they didn’t want to go swimming for one reason or another. But me? I’m a total water baby and I couldn’t resist the call of the water. The water was also too inviting to resist.


Nothing like a lazy boat ride admiring such lovely scenery on a sunny Saturday afternoon.


Spot beaches, waterfalls and sea caves as you sail along.


You’ll be able to see many sea caves formed by thousands of years of erosion as you sail around the islands.


The Nine Pins group of islands (果洲) on the left. It was named the Nine Pins by the British because the islands looked like bowling pins to them. The Chinese, on the other hand, name them 果洲 (literally translated ‘Fruits Islands’) because the islands looked like they were a platter of fruits that had scattered down from heaven.


Town Island has a white cross at the top of one of its hills and the island houses a drug rehabilitation centre.


At Leung Shuen Wan (糧船灣), we stopped to buy a drink. Those who are hungry can also grab a bite at the small seafood restaurant there. During winter, it’s the place to go to have raw sea urchin. The place is actually a sea urchin farm!


Having a quiet, pensive moment to myself at the bow. My colleague took this shot of me without me knowing. I like it – good for Facebook profile pic. Haha.


When we got back to Sai Kung ferry pier, the pier was buzzing with fishermen selling live seafood from their boats and customers looking to buy at the jetty. We had a wonderful and relaxing day out and this is only something you can do in summer as in winter the wind direction changes and the waters become too rough to go out to sea during that time. So grab the chance to get out in the sun while summer’s here!