Sunshine poured in from the window across from our room. The view of the mountains from the balcony was clear, in HD and beautiful. Instantly I felt awake, and thought myself crazy that I wanted a few more moments in bed. Besides, we were going on an adventure today - to Lamma Island!
Lamma Island is the third largest island in Hong Kong, behind Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island. It is located southwest of HK island, and a 20 minute ferry ride from there. The island boasts great seafood, relaxing atmosphere and beautiful beaches! According to Wikipedia, the name 'Lamma' was given because of the shape of the island - it resembles a fork of a tree. In Chinese, Lamma Island is called 南丫. The first character 南 means south and the second character 丫...is not really a character in Chinese. However, it is still used and is pronounced as 'ah'. Lamma Island can also be translated to 'Southern Peninsula'.
The adventurers of the day were Jordan, Chris (our frequent travelling buddy), Grace, her friend Scarlett and me. The transit there was smooth - we got to enjoy the seabreeze in the open area of the ferry that took us from Central to Lamma. In no time, we were there! Many people, including us, stopped to look at the map that displayed the walking trail down the island. Soon, we set off to our first destination - the Yung Shue Wan 榕樹灣 village.
The village had a relaxed, laid-back vibe associated with it. In addition, it felt quite different than any average street you would find in Hong Kong - it seemed geared towards the ex-pat population. There were organic shops, coffee shops, and Meditterrean bars with English graffiti on their outside walls. The racks at the ferry terminal were filled with an assortment of bikes. This was a pretty important fact; we soon learned that automobiles are not permitted on the island except for ambulances and firetrucks. Therefore, many of the residents would meander around the island on their bicycles or on foot. In addition, any buildings higher than 3 storeys are prohibited, giving this island a relaxed atmosphere.
Like the Cheung Chau Family Walk, the path along this island was smooth and relaxing. The surrounding areas offered us many different environments to explore - from newly erect houses to old, tattered buildings with broken windows. Tall trees and scatter bushes stood alongside the path, providing the scenery with lush green colours and shade for the walkers. Potted and hanging plants were also a frequent scenery addition.
The ferry approaching the island.
One of the ferry terminals on the island -
Yung Shue Wan Ferry Terminal 榕樹灣渡輪碼頭
The path departing the ferry terminal, filled with bikes and people on foot.
Some of the shops and residential housing in the area.
Welcome to Lamma Island!
One of the main roads of the island (Yung Shue Wan Main Street - 榕樹灣大街)
One of the first things we saw in the village was friendly graffiti! On the walls surrounded the houses from the water were "Welcome to Lamma Island". We indeed felt welcomed!
Our goal during this trip was to be able to visit the 2 of the beaches on this island. We were told the beaches here were quite enjoyable and not so crowded. So, from the Yung Shue Wan road, we continued Southeast on the island along the Lamma Island Family Walk (南丫島家樂徑). See Google maps for the view of the island.
We managed to get our feet out of the sand and water, unstick seaweed from between our toes and get on our way to our next destination. Hong Kong and it's surrounding islands boasts many location for beaches and leisure areas. However, not all of the beach have waters that are deemed safe or desirable for swimming. The Hong Kong Government provides a good map of the ratings of the water at their beaches here. For example, the 2 beaches on Lamma is rated 'Good' while the waters at Clear Water Bay beside our university is rated 'Fair'.
After a few kilometers walk, we were at the next beach! This beach is called Lo So Shing Beach (盧鬚城泳灘) and is a popular tourist destination. There were nice flowers alongside the stairs that descended to the beach and a couple of ice cream places surrounding the perimeter for people to enjoy eating and the view.
After the long romantic walk along the shoreline, we made our way back up the trail to continue our trek. This part of the trail was full of trees, bushes and lush green nature; it was an area that was untouched by developers and builders. We took our time taking pictures of some of the plants and trees when we discovered these little colourful and uniquely shaped creatures chilling out on the tree bark.
Although we didn't know what they were called at the moment, I later found out that they are named 'lantern bugs'. I'm not quite sure why, as they don't emit light. The lantern bugs come from a family called fulgoridae bugs, where are a large group of hemiptera bugs (an order of bugs comprising of leafhoppers and other types of bugs). The Wikipedia page doesn't provide too much more information about it but there are other sites that has other great pictures and information. Along the way, we also saw some banana trees with unripe bananas dangling from its stump.
We continued walking along the shoreline to Sok Kwu Wan 索罟灣, an area known for its seafood restaurants and tourists hubs. This area has a few caves that were said to be dug out by the Japanese during the war to either hide their kamikaze boats or store ammunition (Wikipedia, 2013). These caves were named Kamikaze Grottos.
As we came upon an open area beside the water and boats, we got a whiff of strong sea salt smell. We soon learnt that the smell came from the process of drying seaweed! Tons and tons of seaweed were shipped from nearby boats and spread along side drying racks for the sun rays to dehydrate them. The smell of sea salt and fish continued to waft to our noses as we passed by this interesting and picturesque area of the town.
We made our way to the stretch of restaurants that boasts amazing and delicious seafood. After a day of walking around and basking in the sun, we were definitely hungry! We met up with 2 of our other friends, Jean and Lucas, where apparently had sped walk from the other ferry terminal in order to meet us for dinner. We were set to ingest some of the yummy food that we have been hearing about for so long. So, we settled down in one of the restaurants with an outdoor patio beside the water and order a slew of seafood dishes.
The view was beautiful; the mountains provided an impressive backdrop behind the calm water and drifting boats. As it was late afternoon, the sun made its descent eventually hiding behind the mountains and dimming our light. We spent a while enjoying the delectable seafood and talked about our adventures of the day.
Before we left however, we had one more adventure to try. Chris suggested us to get some ice cream from a nearby convenience store. It wasn't any ordinary ice cream - it was banana flavoured ice cream shaped, well, like a banana that you can peel and eat...like a banana. Each of us enjoyed a nice banana lollipop to commemorate our awesome time on this island.
Lamma island is a great island if you are looking for a quiet, relaxing getaway from the crowded, busy streets of Hong Kong downtown. It's a short ferry ride away and has sandy shores for you to sun tan, enjoy the scenery and play around in the sand. The seafood was also amazing and the snack were savory and enjoyable. It was definitely a fun adventure and a good way to enjoy the nature while experiencing part of Hong Kong's culture :)
I decided the backdrop of the washroom was a good place for Jordan to pose for a shot.
Some of the stores along the Yung Shue Wan road.
Although it wasn't a particularly busy day, the merchant continued their business and set their products on on the streets for tourists and locals to pick. There were gift shops, pet stores, coffee shops and food places. I stopped at one of the beverage places and ordered a plum juice drink. The drink is sour and sweet drink made from dried plums and is quite popular in Asia. It was delicious! We also appetized our stomachs by trying out some of the snack places that served squid and curry fish balls.
I GOT SQUID. It was delicious.
The narrow but uncrowded residential streets.
One of the apartment buildings
An older building disintegrating into the ground.
Temporarily hiding out in the shade of the trees
A undeveloped area shaded with trees and plants.
The road took us down to one of the first beaches - Hung Shing Ye beach (洪聖爺). Before we hit the beach however, we were distract by a sweet smell coming from one of the foods stands. A woman was barbecuing pineapple! We had to try it. The pineapple was fresh off the grill and as impatient as I was, I nearly burnt my tongue. The grilled fruit was savoury, sour and...hot. It was interesting combination of flavours and each of us devoured the pineapple readily.
Hiyaahhh, pineapple!
The rocky shores of Hung Shing Beach.
We dabbled our feet and shins in the cool water.
Seaweed!
Get away, weed!
An outlook area providing a vast view of the trees and ocean
After a few kilometers walk, we were at the next beach! This beach is called Lo So Shing Beach (盧鬚城泳灘) and is a popular tourist destination. There were nice flowers alongside the stairs that descended to the beach and a couple of ice cream places surrounding the perimeter for people to enjoy eating and the view.
Bright purple flowers alongside the beach
The sandy shores of the beach
Taking a leisurely stroll
We collected some seashells :)
After the long romantic walk along the shoreline, we made our way back up the trail to continue our trek. This part of the trail was full of trees, bushes and lush green nature; it was an area that was untouched by developers and builders. We took our time taking pictures of some of the plants and trees when we discovered these little colourful and uniquely shaped creatures chilling out on the tree bark.
Although we didn't know what they were called at the moment, I later found out that they are named 'lantern bugs'. I'm not quite sure why, as they don't emit light. The lantern bugs come from a family called fulgoridae bugs, where are a large group of hemiptera bugs (an order of bugs comprising of leafhoppers and other types of bugs). The Wikipedia page doesn't provide too much more information about it but there are other sites that has other great pictures and information. Along the way, we also saw some banana trees with unripe bananas dangling from its stump.
A host of bananas.
Jordan pretending to be a banana
A sign describing the cave's history.
Standing inside the small cave
A lookout area on Sok Kwu Wan
Another Tin Hau Temple!
As we came upon an open area beside the water and boats, we got a whiff of strong sea salt smell. We soon learnt that the smell came from the process of drying seaweed! Tons and tons of seaweed were shipped from nearby boats and spread along side drying racks for the sun rays to dehydrate them. The smell of sea salt and fish continued to waft to our noses as we passed by this interesting and picturesque area of the town.
We made our way to the stretch of restaurants that boasts amazing and delicious seafood. After a day of walking around and basking in the sun, we were definitely hungry! We met up with 2 of our other friends, Jean and Lucas, where apparently had sped walk from the other ferry terminal in order to meet us for dinner. We were set to ingest some of the yummy food that we have been hearing about for so long. So, we settled down in one of the restaurants with an outdoor patio beside the water and order a slew of seafood dishes.
Clams in black bean sauce. I love clams. It was amazing.
Deep fried squid with chilli and salt.
Fried shrimp (notice the absence of clams on the plate in the background. We destroyed them.)
Deep fried pork with onions
Fish with soy sauce and spring onions
The view was beautiful; the mountains provided an impressive backdrop behind the calm water and drifting boats. As it was late afternoon, the sun made its descent eventually hiding behind the mountains and dimming our light. We spent a while enjoying the delectable seafood and talked about our adventures of the day.
The ferry terminal which we would be departing from.
Before we left however, we had one more adventure to try. Chris suggested us to get some ice cream from a nearby convenience store. It wasn't any ordinary ice cream - it was banana flavoured ice cream shaped, well, like a banana that you can peel and eat...like a banana. Each of us enjoyed a nice banana lollipop to commemorate our awesome time on this island.
Lamma island is a great island if you are looking for a quiet, relaxing getaway from the crowded, busy streets of Hong Kong downtown. It's a short ferry ride away and has sandy shores for you to sun tan, enjoy the scenery and play around in the sand. The seafood was also amazing and the snack were savory and enjoyable. It was definitely a fun adventure and a good way to enjoy the nature while experiencing part of Hong Kong's culture :)
No comments:
Post a Comment