Second visit to MacLehose Trail Section 2

The child’s father and his university roommate agreed to hike the first section of the MacLehose Trail four years ago, and he has always wanted to continue to the second section. Last May, we accompanied a friend who was about to leave Hong Kong Island to complete the second section of the MacLehose Trail, walking the entire 17-kilometer route. The weather was very good on Saturday. Although the temperature was not low, at 33 degrees, it did not shake our hiking plan. The second section of the MacLehose Trail is located in Sai Kung East Country Park and is 13.5 kilometers long. Passing through Long Ke Wan, Sai Wan Shan, Tai Lang Sai Wan, Ham Tin Wan, Tai Lang Au, Chek Keng to Pak Tam Au. We got up and packed up at six in the morning, and woke up the child twenty minutes later. He already has four years of hiking experience. After breakfast, I bought some bread and fruits and took the MTR to Sha Tin for 30 minutes. After meeting up with my friend, I took a bus to Pak Tam Chung for about 50 minutes, and then changed to a taxi to reach the East Dam of High Island Reservoir for about 15 minutes. The second section of the MacLehose Trail begins at Huanyao Mountain near Dongba, where you can overlook the panoramic view of Long Ke Bay. The bay has clear water and white sand. Apart from the sound of the waves, there is no other noise. Yachts pass by, and you can feel the mountains and sea. After passing Langjia Bay and passing through the woods, you will climb the stairs and embark on the long and tiring journey to Xiwan Mountain. Although Xiwan Mountain is only 314 meters high, the terrain is not breathable and most of the roads are cramped, so it is easy to get heatstroke when traveling here in summer. Climb to the top of Sai Wan Mountain and look out over the High Island Reservoir below the mountain. You will feel how big the reservoir is. The natural scenery of the reservoir, mountains, fields and sky blend together, which is magnificent and shocking. Next is the approximately 2.5-kilometer downhill road, where you can enjoy the scenery of Dalang Siwan and Anaconda Peak. The mountain path is ups and downs and winding. Going down to Xiwan Village, there is a convenience store run by the remaining residents, providing convenient supplies for travelers. In Dalanxi Bay, you can see continuous mountain peaks one after another. The waves gradually approach the beach, splashing and dissipating, slowly retreating back into the sea. The original plan was to stay here for twenty minutes for the children to go into the sea, but because the sea water was so beautiful, the child’s father and his friends also took off their shoes and went into the sea, playing for a full hour! There is a small hill less than 100 meters between Xiantian Bay and Xiwan. After crossing it, Xiantian Bay with a wide beach will appear before your eyes. Compared with Dalangxi Bay, Xiantian Bay is wider and more beautiful. The white sand is very fine and soft. It is very comfortable to walk on it barefoot without hurting your feet. Walk to the shore, feel the waves hitting your feet, listen to the roar of the sea, and quietly enjoy the waves coming and going. Many tourists set up tents and camp here, and the convenience store at the entrance of the village is only a few minutes' walk away. To enter the store, you need to cross a special single-plank bridge, which was built by the store owner. There are no handrails or walls, only a small bridge made of wooden boards. Walk on it and feel the shaking of the bridge. It turns out that life can be so simple. After resting for half an hour at the Ham Tin Bay store, we continued along the village path and climbed up the 160-meter-high Dalangao from Dalang Village. The road on the mountain was a bit strenuous because I had already hiked for ten kilometers. I walked slowly, looked back at the hills I had climbed over and the beaches I had passed, and suddenly I had the motivation to move forward. It takes about an hour to walk from Ham Tin Bay to Chek Keng. Chek Keng has a long mudflat that presents a different style. There are thousands of small stones in the mudflats, as well as fast-crawling crabs. After passing Chek Keng, the trail will gradually turn up to Pak Tam Au. This will be the last uphill section of the second section of the MacLehose Trail. This section of the route is much less difficult than Xiwanshan and Dalangao, but because I was already tired at that time, it was still quite strenuous to walk. After passing the M046 marker post, the village path gradually becomes flat, and we embark on the last kilometer of the journey to the end of Beitan'ao. The child was very happy to reach the finish line, and he checked in with his father at the finish line marker to commemorate the moment. This was our second time to visit this route, and my friend also successfully challenged the hiking trail he had longed to take. The joy of hiking can only be known through experience! #hiking #hikingrouterecommendations #hikingplaces #hikehongkonghiking #maclehosetrailsection2 #longkewan #hamtinwan #saiwanshan