The largest is Tai Wan ('Big Bay') separated from Ham Tin village by a small headland. It is apparently dangerous for swiming because of strong rip currents. In the photo below I think we can see two places with gaps in the breakers and deep blue channels in the sand where the rip currents run. There is lovely camping on the grass above the beach, but no toilets or shop so we chose to camp at Ham Tin.
Traveling in style -one of the many big cruisers moored in the bay. I'm guessing these are 2 'banker boats' on the right, and the customers' boat is the one on the left. A popular outing for the 1% is to cruise in their 'gin palaces' to remote and tranquil beaches and then roar up and down on jet-skis.
Ham Tin village has 2 beachside restaurants, the Hoi Fung and the On Kee Store, and a lovely beach just across a small creek.
Ham Tin beach is safer for swimming, and is more popular for camping since it has official campsite with a toilet block. Good food and refreshments are available at the 2 restaurants. There is also 3-bar 3G reception so you won't need to suffer withdrawal from your i-phone addiction (as long as you bring spare chargers).
By the late afternoon, there were about more than 200 people camping on the beach, swimming, frolicking and playing beach volley-ball, and a steady stream of young men carrying cold beers across the bridge from the store.
In the evening we were joined at our campsite by a party of Americans with their chinese girlfriends, who pitched their 5 tents next to us in a wide cycle around a campfire.
Hannah, Rika and I enjoyed a lovely dinner at On Kee Store restaurant, and then twilight on the beach. We went to bed at 9pm when it got dark. I'd read that there was nothing to do except relax, unwind and listen to the sound of the waves.
Our young American neighbors held a lively beach bonfire, and kept everyone in the party mood with music and fascinating conversations about Facebook until 2:30am. When it got too quiet and we were in danger of nodding off, they'd set-off fire-crackers, and everyone could share the joke. Although I didn't record any of the fire-crackers, this video captures the ambience.
Video: Ham Tin beach - idilic sounds of silence.
We woke at dawn at 6:30am to the sound of birdsong and a remote-control model plane doing circuits of the beach.
Our grey tent in the foreground and our new neighbors in the blue tent 1.5m to our left.
6:30am. Flying remote-control model-aircraft on the beach in the still dawn air. This plane is powered by an powerful internal fan, and flies like a real jet. An impressive but rather noisy toy.
Hannah and I had a lovely ealy-morning walk, and I found the beach just above the waterline was firm enough do a few sets of TaiChi.
Hannah was feeling sick with a return of her cough, fever and sore tummy.
Video: Ham Tin campsite in the morning
So we cancelled plans to go hiking to the rock pools at Sai Wan beach or climb Sharp Peak. Instead I booked a speedboat out in the afternoon through Carol Lai at the Hoi Fung store. Then we lay in the shade on the beach, caught up with sleep, and had a very pleasant lunch at On Kee Store.
4:30pm boarding the speed-boat at Ham Tin beach
Tai Wan from the sea.
The 20min speedboat ride was really fun with great views of the islands around Port Shelter and their impressive basalt formations.
Video: speed-boat from Tai Long to Sai Kung
Looking south-west from off Long Ke Wan. We were soon at Sai Kung and got a taxi home by 6pm, and had an early night.
All in all a good camping trip although rather a Curate's Easter egg, with some good lessons learned for our next trip. I'm keen to return and try camping at Tai Wan, and to hike over Sharps Peak.
