The Shek O Beach and Its Rocky Waves
The Shek O Beach would not be “lesser known” to Hong Kong people because it is one of the most popular local beaches. It comes with soft, fine white sand, a beautiful coastline, and crisp clean waters. But what impressed me on this visit were the waves rocky enough for surfing.
The waves “pushed one after another” as the common Chinese saying goes. I have visited a few beaches in Hong Kong in this past year and the waves at Shek O Beach really feel different. There were indeed quite a number of surfers at the beach. I was intimidated by these strong waves. Therefore I decided to sunbathe instead.
We went to Shek O on this early autumn day, when the summer heat has waned quite a bit. Surely, the sunshine was generous and we would call it a warm weather. Yet there was no urge for us to take to the shore, unlike in our previous visits to the beaches during the peak of the summer. We comfortably sunbathed this time for a whole afternoon. By around 4pm, it turned cool enough that we thought we had better leave.
The beach overlooks a petite island not far away and the view of the island was very pleasing to me. It is named Ng Fun Chau. An online search shows people scaling this uninhabited island for an adventurous day. The things to see there are rocks and eroded caves.
Photos: Views of Ng Fun Chau with high waves
Nearby Shek O are quite a few other very popular outing options. The Tai Tau Chau (Urn Island) is an islet that is connected to Shek O at a very walkable distance. Then there is the famous Dragon’s Back trail, and the beautiful scenery of Cape D’Aguilar. There are also wartime relics in the neighbourhood but I will save that for a later day. Finally, there is also the Big Wave Bay Beach, but I picked Shek O because of its nearby hangout spots. We found the Happy Garden for a delightful long lunch.
Happy Dining at Happy Garden
There are many eateries in Shek O with all ranges of budget and cuisine. We had our lunch at Happy Garden, a Thai Restaurant with an upper deck that overlooks the entrance of the beach. But when we inquired they told us that the upper deck would remain closed until downstairs seating reach maximum capacity.
But the food was so good you would be busy eating more so than savouring views. We went all out and ordered four dishes for the two of us. We had a peppercorn soup, wok fried morning glory, salt and pepper prawns and a fried dry noodles. Dining at the beach front is always my favourite thing to do, and we certainly took our time at this restaurant.
A Memorable Movie-Making Spot for the King of Comedy
Fans of comedian Stephen Chow would find it home in Shek O as the King of Comedy was filmed here. The site of filming is the Shek O Health Centre. You will see it when you get off the bus.
All in all, I had a great day at Shek O Beach. There will be more visits in the area to explore other options for outdoor activities.
Hiking in Shek O
Close to the Shek O Beach is the path to Tai Tau Chau (Urn Island). Also a bit of a way up north lies the Big Wave Bay, where you can hike via the Pottinger Peak to Chai Wan.
How to Get There
On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, bus X9 departs from the Star Ferry Pier in Central and has a final stop at Shek O. On other days, take Bus 9 from the Shau Kei Wan bus terminus and get off at the final stop. There is also a red top minibus from Shau Kei Wan to Shek O and its final stop is the neighbouring Big Wave Bay.
