Hong Kong was one of those places that I had always wanted to visit. We flew through Hong Kong airport many a time, on the way to or from Europe or Asia, but never quite managed to get there. And now, thanks to my husband hosting trail running camps on Hong Kong island we have been lucky enough to visit three times. And we still haven’t run out of things to see and do there! The first two times it was just the two of us and our little girl (she was 13 months on our first trip, and I was pregnant with our second baby on the next trip) and this time we returned with our 11 month old son in tow as well. Luckily Hong Kong is a very family friendly place (aside from trying to drag a pram up or down the plethora of stairs!). But more about that trip later, for now let me return to our last trip where we explored another of Hong Kong’s amazing islands. One of our favourite things to do there!

Cute, quirky, unique Lamma Island is a short ferry trip, and a world away, from the hustle and bustle and sky scrapers of the city. I like to think of it as Hong Kong’s hippy outpost, with leafy villages, lovely temples, lots of great eating options – from traditional seafood to vegetarian fare, and a wonderful walking trail that takes you from one side of the island to the other. It is the perfect spot for a day trip, or would make a great base to spend a few days if you were wanting to experience a quieter side of Hong Kong. And a great place to let the little ones stretch their legs and expend some energy (until they get tired and decide they don’t want to walk any further!).

We started our trip at the Sok Kwu Wan Ferry Terminal, which is the island’s fishing village (if you have any little ones along for the journey it may be useful to note that there are toilets and a little playground at the terminal!). We had decided to walk to the other side of the island via the Lamma Island Family Walk, where we would a friend for lunch. If you are a seafood fan though and ready for lunch I would highly recommend stopping at one of the many restaurants here for some fresh fish.

Lamma Island Family Walk
We love going for family walks, but it is not always easy with a nearly three year old who definitely loves to start off walking herself, but can soon get tired and refuse to budge if she is not carried! So this walk was pretty perfect for the three of us (although it did have a few steep hills which were a test for this pregnant mamma, especially in the heat. Prepare to get a bit sweaty!). The walk passes colourful temples, tiny villages, ascends to viewpoints over the surrounding sea and the coastline of the island, meanders through forests before descending down to picture-perfect Hung Shing Yeh Beach. Unfortunately we didn’t have time for a dip but the water looked very tempting so if the day is warm I recommend packing your swimmers!

We continued on to Yung Shue Wan to meet our friend for lunch. It is not always easy to find vegetarian food in Hong Kong so we were happy to dine at the cute Green Cottage cafe. There were plenty of options from salads to more hearty meals, and lots to keep our toddler happy too! I would have loved to have a meander along the main street and hunt for souvenirs but we were due back in the city for dinner engagement so had to put Lamma Island back on my list of places to return to! I would happily come back to this cute little island again. It is the perfect place to see another side of hustling, hectic Hong Kong.