bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Martin Williams

Mui Wo: backwater with waterfalls
Why: Mui Wo, aka Silvermine Bay, was the main entry point for Lantau until the establishment of Tung Chung New Town. Today, it's something of a backwater but is still well worth a visit with its beach, hamlets amidst greenery and two splendid waterfalls.
What: stroll towards the beach and, just past Silvermine Beach Resort, you can turn left to follow a route leading up and over Butterfly Hill. Nearby, the lower waterfall plunges down the foot of the hills. It's a popular place and has a viewing pavilion.
To find the second falls, walk uphill past the entrance to the abandoned silver mine. The path then enters a valley. Cross the footbridge, walk up between some small farmhouses and look for a dirt path at the base of a steep, wooded slope. Follow this and you will arrive at the upper waterfall which cascades down a rocky slope.
In winter, there isn't much of a flow here, but the dry conditions make rock scrambling easier should you wish to climb the left side of the fall to the base of a plunge pool. This is a beautiful, tranquil corner of the world.
Getting there: take a ferry from Central Pier 6 or bus 3M from Tung Chung. Instead of walking from Mui Wo, you could hire a bicycle from near the pier.
 


Pui O:how now, brown cow
Why: though the village along the main road is scruffy, Pui O boasts a fine beach, great scenery and former paddies roamed by feral water buffalo.
What: walk the narrow road from beside Bui O Public School and you'll find the old paddies to left and right. You should see buffalo here too, maybe loitering near the road. Though they are huge and can look intimidating, they are used to people, and are intent on a daily routine that mainly involves munching grass, wallowing in muddy pools and, on hot days especially, afternoon dips in the sea.
The beach of dark, fine silt is good for summer; on cool days it's best for viewing hills plunging to the south coast of Lantau. Turn right and there's a patch of scrub and flowers that can attract many butterflies. A concrete footpath leads through marshy fields back to the village.
Turn left at the beach and there's a campsite that was in the news in 2012 when mainland tourists and Hongkongers competed for space during Golden Week. Perhaps Billy the cow will be hanging around hoping for handouts.
Eastwards, beyond a stream mouth you can paddle across at low tide, a quiet road leads over hills to Shap Long. Here there are buffalo fields, a stream and a beach. Few people know Shap Long, so it's a good place to admire bucolic scenes of buffalo grazing.
Getting there: all buses from Mui Wo pass through Pui O, but it's cheaper to take bus 1 (to Tai O) or 4 (to Tong Fuk), or bus 3M (to Mui Wo) from Tung Chung.
 
Cheung Sha: strolling the long sands
Why: Cheung Sha has the best Hong Kong beach for strolling. This is partly because, as the name meaning Long Sands suggests, it boasts the most extensive beach in Hong Kong. In reality it is two beaches separated by a tiny headland. Also, there's a relatively wild stretch that is backed by greenery and facing the South China Sea.
What: start at the western end, near the building with showers above a government managed strip of "gazetted beach" that can be a top option for summer swimming.
Walk east and the road is lost from view. There are open vistas of hills, sand, sea and sky. Often, there are few people here - fishermen, sun-loving men, glamour photographers with models, and picnicking families.
There's a watersports centre, and outdoor enthusiasts might be bodyboarding or even arrive by paragliders after leaping from slopes far above.
Across the headland, at Lower Cheung Sha, is the eastern beach. Here, too, there's a gazetted beach as well as restaurants.
Getting there: take the number 1 or 4 bus from Mui Wo, or the number 11 (to Tai O) from Tung Chung; buses to Ngong Ping also pass here but are a little pricier.
 
Shui Hau: mudflat marvels
Why: set in a shallow, sheltered cove, the Shui Hau mudflats are silty rather than sticky and teem with marine life.

What: when the receding tide exposes the flats, you can explore in search of shellfish, hermit crabs, regular crabs and horseshoe crabs. The latter are "living fossils" that indeed look like they're from a long lost era, with broad, gently curving shells hiding bodies and legs, and ending in tail spikes. Horseshoe crabs are rare in Hong Kong and some schools rear juveniles that are released here.
Hills including Lantau Peak serve as a backdrop to the flats. On summer weekends there may be dozens of people digging for clams but if you find space away from the diggers or visit on a week day, this can be a sublime place, especially at dusk.
Getting there: take the number 1 or 4 bus from Mui Wo; or number 11 from Tung Chung.
 
Tung Chung Bay: a slice of wilderness
Why: although it lies beside Tung Chung new town and the airport, this area remains a slice of wilderness featuring mangroves, mudflats, a historic temple and a fishing village with echoes of bygone days.
What: walking from near Yat Tung Estate, you pass an old banyan complete with shrine. Further on, by the shoreline, is Hau Wong Temple. Built around 1765 it honours a general who strived to protect the last emperor of the Song Dynasty from pursuing Mongol forces.
There's a footbridge over Tung Chung Stream, where you might find kingfishers or herons. In 2004 there was considerable hoopla over villagers illegally excavating rocks from the streambed. Restoration work followed, but the government is planning far more environmental damage here in the form of an expansion of the new town.
The planned reclamation will also affect the bay. But for the time being, you can still enjoy the remaining natural areas.
After crossing the bridge, follow the stream channel out into the bay. Unless it's high tide, you can head on to mudflats, which on warm days come alive with mudskippers and fiddler crabs waving their outsize claws. Mangrove trees are adapted to life in the tidal zone, and there are small beds of eelgrass, which is one of the few flowering plants which is at home in the sea.
At the east of the bay is Ma Wan Chung, which was once the main settlement on north Lantau but is now a remnant village amidst urbanisation. The small pier here is a prime site for taking sunset photos, maybe before dinner at a neighbouring restaurant.
Getting there: from southeast Lantau, take bus 3M; from southwest Lantau, bus 11. Alight as you arrive near some high-rises and cross a footbridge. Or, take the MTR or a bus to Tung Chung centre and walk past Yat Tung Estate. To reach Ma Wan Chung from the western bay, walk north through the estate.
 


Drink in Focus: Durian’s Consent at Peridot

Your Hong Kong weekend food guide for January 30-February 1

Why yakitori chef Yoshiteru Ikegawa treats grilling like an endurance sport

Hong Kong bar trends in 2026: comfort, classics and mindful drinking

Explore Hong Kong

Lantau lowlands offer a peaceful getaway

Pui O. Photos: Martin Williams

Pui O beach has an impressive backdrop. 

Waterfalls at Silvermine Bay are easily accessible on foot.

Cheung Sha beach offers a peaceful evening stroll.

Ma Wan Chung was once the main settlement on north Lantau.

Horseshoe crabs, rare in Hong Kong, can be found in Shui Hau.

Magazines

48 Hours

There's much to see and do on Hong Kong's largest island. Here are some places that won't disappoint, writes Martin Williams


There's much to see and do on Hong Kong's largest island. Here are some places that won't disappoint, writes Martin Williams.


Lantau lowlands offer a peaceful getaway

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}There's much to see and do on Hong Kong's largest island. Here are some places that won't disappoint, writes Martin Williams

There's much to see and do on Hong Kong's largest island. Here are some places that won't disappoint, writes Martin Williams