Ham Tin Beach (Tai Long Wan) the EASY way

Everybody knows Tai Long Wan is Hong Kong’s best beach. But not everyone knows how to get there without the 1 hour hike which makes you want to give up on life in the 100% humidity 30+ degree Celsius Hong Kong summer.

get your bearings: Tai Long Wan is in Sai Kung, northeast of Hong Kong’s New Territories

Basically Tai Long Wan is comprised of 4 beaches connected to each other via short trails. Ham Tin Wan (salty field bay in Chinese) is probably the most popular of the four, thanks to its facilities (you can eat and rent boards here as well as camping equipment).

creating my space in Ham Tin

[2020 Update] There’s a faster way from Mongkok by minibus! Direct to Sai Kung Town, take the red minibus from Dundas St in Mongkok, by Kwong Wah Hospital. From Kennedy Town you can take the red minibus to Mongkok from the terminus beside Shoreditch restaurant; ask the driver to drop you at the Sai Kung Minibus stop.

How to get to HAM TIN the EASY way (No hiking!):

1. MTR Hang Hau (purple line) Exit B – trust me, this is the easiest way. Choi Hung is a nightmare interchange, we got lost in a wet market trying to find the minibus to Sai Kung. In Hang Hau you just get off and the minibus stop is right outside the exit.
2. Green minibus 101 to Sai Kung Town
3. Sai Kung Pier – ask any of the water taxis to take you to Ham Tin Wan. It should cost HK$130-150 per way per person. They’ll overcharge you if they can; it’s cheaper if you share the boat with many people. Usually there are a lot of people to share with during summer anyway. The boat fits around 21 people max, I would say.
4. Book your trip back from the shop/restaurant at Ham Tin if you haven’t booked a round trip from Sai Kung Pier. The last boats usually go at 6pm.

And voila! You’re there.

My friend Angelica on Tai Wan Beach, walking distance from Ham Tin Beach Tai Long Wan Hong Kong

The boat ride to and from, by the way, is such a pleasure. The wind in your face, the sun/sunset, seeing the different islands, wakeboarders, windsurfers, yachts… makes that $150 extra (instead of hiking for free) so much worth it.

Getting the boat back

[2020 update] Since the growth in visitors to Tai Long Wan recently, especially since public beaches were closed during Covid, there have been so many new speedboat transfer companies sprouting up. The best way is to book a roundtrip from Sai Kung Pier because if you wait till the last minute you might run out of spots on the boats.

Otherwise you can book your ride back at the shop or even at a small stand on the beach side of the bridge on Ham Tin. They both also rent out umbrellas at around HK$100-150 plus HK$100 deposit.

Schedule depends on the demand for the day and weather conditions (if the waves are too big, the last boat will be around 5pm; on a less choppy summer day when the sun sets late, they they go as late as 7pm or beyond.

Sunshine Speedboat Ltd +852 9800 3601 / +852 6210 8776

Sai Wan Club Speedboat Service +852 9319 6209

Hoi Fung Store +852 9618 2461

sun-hiding with a library book