Ap Lei Chau, a small island connected by a bridge to the south of Hong Kong. The name Ap Lei Chau is derived from its long and narrow shape that looks like the tongue of a duck. It is now a busy harbour and a base for fishing vessels and sampans, while old temples, shipyards and many residential high-rise blocks are built along the island shore. But we are here not for these man made structures but for coastal wall climbing.

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Coastal wall climbing is essentially a combination of rock climbing and coastal scrambling. I have travelled a lot and so far Ap Lei Chau together with Ap Lei Pai is only place I know that allows such thrilling activity.

Ap Lei Pai is a small island just outside of Ap Lei Chau in the southside of Hong Kong. It is connected to Ap Lei Chau via a narrow sandbar that makes this hike feels like an exploration to the remote ends of Hong Kong.

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The area is fabulous for thrill seekers as you could choose and combine the most suitable trail or activities you wanted to do that is appropriate to your skills. You can decide the duration of the hike, whether it is a half or full day hike, or the intensity of the adventure, just hiking or coastal scrambling with an injection of rock climbing. If you are really short on time and stamina, or if you wanted to maximize the time spent on adventuring, you could even take a boat ride back to Aberdeen (~ 15 mins) on your return journey.

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I went to Ap Lei Pai twice to cover the different trail and I have created 2 separate post to share our journey. The current post (see Map 2) shares the wall climbing trail from Horizon Plaza to the sandbar connecting to Ap Lei Pai, and an easy 30-mins comfortable hike to the Ap Lei Pai Lighthouse.

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This trail requires a bit of climbing and balance. As shown in the above pictures, this section should only be attempted by advanced walkers who are comfortable with heights, as this trail involves walking along narrow pathways and planks along the high cliff wall! A good hiking shoes is a must. Ample amount of water and gloves is also recommended.

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The starting point of the trail is located at the end of Lee Nam Road near Horizon Plaza. There are busses that arrive Horizon Plaza : NWFB 95 from Shek Pai Wan and City Bus 671 from Diamond Hill Station. Alternatively, you could take the train to South Horizon Station. and it is about 15 mins walking distance from the Station Exit C.

Initial 20 mins hike is relatively easy. You just need to have good balance while maneuvering your steps on the rocks. There are ladders and rope to guide you on some steep sections. Nothing too dangerous or risky until this point.

An exciting section with high coastal walls appear halfway through the trail. From afar, you can see a line of hikers walking slowly along the high coastal well. Look like little ants to me.

We waited for a while to allow other hikers to clear this section first. Seems like most hiker tends to choose hike the trail from the other side. Despite the pictures of this section looking quite dangerous, I find the crossing not too difficult. As long you are comfortable with heights (~ 6 meters high), the trail itself felt safe with ropes and sturdy planks. Have a look at the video below to see if this is acceptable to you.

The high coastal wall section is probably the most challenging section. The rest of the way is a combination of walking on rock ledge and a bit of climbing up and down using ropes and ladder.

The last section is quite beautiful and easy to cross. From here you will see the Ap Lei Pai island and the sandbar that connects the 2 island together. When we were here during sunset (on our second trip), the color of the rocks and the atmosphere are truly amazing. There are also many people here trying rock climbing.

Just a word of caution. When weather is bad, the waves could rise above the wooden planks. The first time we were here, the waves was pretty strong and we got wet up until the waist. So do bring some additional trousers and socks, just in case.

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This is the channel that connects the 2 islands. We reached the sandbar area in an hour from the starting point. This spot is perfect for photo taking. Surrounded by seas on both sides is interesting . If you come during the evening, the sunset view will be awesome.

If you don’t feel like continuing the hike you could actually take the boat from here back to Aberdeen pier. But you need to call the them first as there is no ready made structure for boarding.

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Once you crossed the sandbar, there are 2 trails to choose from. On the right is the coastal scrambling trail which I covered in another post. Choose the trail that goes up in the middle of island for a comfortable 30 mins hike.

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The view is spectacular once you reached the top of the small Ap Lei Pai hill. You could see the steep trail going up to Mount Johnston and also Aberdeen Pier. On your left, you will see the coastal climbing trail that we have just hiked.

Finally reached Ap Lei Pai Lighthouse in roughly 2 hours. This includes many stops taking pictures and setting the video camera. If you are not in a hurry, I would highly recommended you to stay until sunset. The changing hue makes the whole scenery so romantic. If you are concern about hiking in the dark on your return journey, you could take the boat back either from the lighthouse or near the sandbar. It is a bit expensive (~ 40 hkg per person) but it’s truly worth the price.

The boat ride is very short around 15 mins. It does has some great views along the way. A look back to the lighthouse as well as the trail, sandbar, Ocean Park and Aberdeen harbour. All in all, a fun and thrilling 2 hours with spectacular views.