Ditch the smog and packed streets of the city, and enjoy all Hong Kong’s back garden has to offer instead.

An old fishing village, Sai Kung town has become a Mecca for seafood lovers. The main pier still fills with fisherman ready to sell their day’s work at the fresh markets. Visitors can stroll around the town’s market centre, explore the intriguing back lanes, visit the Tin Hau Temple (Po Tung Rd), and feast on cuisine from around the world. The surrounding country park offers both walking trails and picnic sites; and the district council-run public sports area has a large swimming pool, as well as tennis and squash courts. Sailors are catered for at the Shelter Cove and Hebe Haven Yacht Clubs, while Hong Kong’s only public golf course lies at Kau Sai Chau, a 20 minute sampan ride from Sai Kung town.

The vibe
Sai Kung is in many ways the antithesis of Hong Kong, with its sparse population, clean air, and abundance of vegetation. It’s become this city’s green defence, so when we’re accused of living in an urban concrete jungle, we can proudly reply, “But there’s Sai Kung”. Expats nostalgic for space flock here and it’s increasingly become a fashionable, coveted area to live for all Hongkongers. As a result, prices are somewhat higher than you would expect given its distance from Central. Over the weekend, Sai Kung is popular with tourists who come for the top-notch seafood, famous from the town’s old days as a fishing village. A further highlight is Sai Kung town centre, which has kept its old world charm with its intriguing back lanes, Tin Hau temples, and souvenir-selling grannies.

Property
Sai Kung is littered with real estate agencies eager to rent you property. If you’re not searching for convenience, you’ll get more bang for buck the further you are from the town centre. Property in these semi-rural areas mainly consists of villa complexes and village houses. That’s one of the main charms of the area; for the most part it lacks the high-rises ubiquitous in most other parts of the city. The villas come in all shapes and sizes, while the village houses, restricted to a maximum of 700 sq ft per floor and three floors, all feature a tacky yet familiar Spanish design. If budget isn’t a problem, there are many high-end developments in the surrounding areas, including Floral Villas (Tso Wo Rd), Giverny (Hiram's Highway), Silverstrand (Fuk Man Rd), and The Portofino (Pak To Ave), which all boast outstanding sea views. In sum, the attraction of living in Sai Kung is space. Living in a detached or semi-detached house with a yard – or even a 700 sq ft apartment with roof – is a luxury compared to being cooped up on the Island, even if it does make for a longer commute.

Dine
Sai Kung has no shortage of great places to eat. Favourites like Jaspa’s (13 Sha Tsui Path, 2792 6388), Cru (18 Wan King Path, 2791 1792), and the original Honeymoon Dessert (G/F, 9-10 Po Tung Rd, 2792 4991) all have locations in town. For a length lunch or dinner, enjoy the day’s fresh catch at one of the many seafood restaurants that line the waterfront. For a set price, your party can enjoy a number of different selections, including baked lobster and fried clam. The Mushroom Bakery (26 Yi Chun St, 2792 6826) and Ali Oli Bakery (G/F, 11 Sha Tsui Path, 2792 2655) both sell delicious breads, homemade meat pies, and pasties (the Scotch eggs alone at Ali’s are almost worth making the move to Sai Kung). For a hearty meal, head to Anthony’s Ranch (28 Yi Chun St, 2791 6113). They smoke their own ribs, grind their own US chuck, and churn their own ice-cream for their dee-lish chocolate chip pancake, ice cream sandwiches.

Drink
In the morning or for a mid day pick me up, seek out Colour Brown Coffee (G/F, 34 See Cheung St, 2791 7128). This inviting shop is neatly decorated with large prints of adorable mutts. Enjoy a snack from their selection of cakes or international tea menu, while perusing their extensive, if old, collection of National Geographies. Later on, head over to Steamers (Shop 5, G/F, 66 Yi Chun St, 2792 6991). Their wraparound bar, high tables, and blue granite patio, is the perfect setting to enjoy a cold pint as the day winds down.

Entertainment
To locals, a day in Sai Kung, which is at most only an hour and a half away from most urban areas, provides the means to recharge and get ready for another long week of eight hour work days and six hour nights of sleep. Of the more popular (but also crowded) areas are Silverstrand Bay Beach and Clearwater Bay Beach, which are almost always full during summer weekends. If you’re looking for a more secluded and quiet location, albeit harder to get to, try Sai Kung East Country Park, where famous beaches include Sai Wan, Ham Tin, Tai Long, and Tung Wan. It is accessible by car or from the Sai Kung bus terminus, where the minibus routes 7 and 9 and the KMB number 94 take you to the park entrance. Also located in the park along Sai Kung Man Yee Road is the Chong Hing Water Sports Centre (West Sea Cofferdam, 2792 6810). Featuring surf canoes, kayaks, pedal boats, windsurfing boards, and sailing dinghies, the centre has a lot to offer residents. If water sports are not your idea of relaxation, try Hong Kong’s only public golf courses on Kau Sai Chau (Kai Sai Chau Island, 2791 3388), which is just a ferry ride from Sai Kung town.

Shop
The high percentage of expats here has led to an impressive array of trendy boutiques selling everything from apparel to jewellery to homeware. Eco-friendly stores are particularly popular, tapping into Sai Kung’s market of nature-lovers. Organic cotton clothes and food are sold at The Green Earth Society (5 Sha Tsui Path, 2792 0106). Pet shops also abound. After all, the true badge of a local here is having a dog – just head out to the waterfront in the evenings to see what we mean. One of the best stocked is Pet Central (Shop 4, 66 Yi Chun St, 2792 0833). Walking through town, you’ll also notice many furniture stores. Ming Tai Zu (Shop A, M/F Kam Wah Bldg, 18-32 Chan Man St, 2792 5037) is an attic stacked high with beautiful chests, chairs, and cupboards. You can also pick up some mahjong and chess sets there to join the locals for a game in the old town square. Similarly, Old House Chinese Classical Furniture (G/F Sai Kung Bldg, 24 Chan Man St, 2792 7271) has a large selection of coffee tables, bookcases, and accent pieces.

Transport
Due to its popularity as a place to live, many bus routes are available. From Hang Hau MTR station catch green mini-bus route number101. From Choi Hung, catch KMB buses 92 or 96R (available on Sundays and public holidays only) or green minibus 1A or 1M. There is also a red minibus from Mong Kok to Sai Kung that goes from Dundas St, close to the junction with Nathan Road and near the Yau Ma Tai MTR. All of these MTR stops are accessible from Central MTR within 15-30 minutes, and will cost less than $15. A taxi from Central to Sai Kung centre will cost around $220.

Read our property guide for:
Tai Po
Sai Kung
Shek O
Mui Wo

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Paying the rent