A quick island getaway in Hong Kong

You can be smothered by pollutants and pampered by sun, sand and sea in Hong Kong on the same day. This is the love-hate relationship I am having with this city. I hate it, yet I love it.

I haven’t been to Lamma Island since I was a little kid. I don’t have many recollections of this green haven but I have a feeling that it hasn’t changed much. It has kept its village character of having no skyscrapers but just low-rise buildings everywhere. Cars are not allowed on the island and all you can see is rows of bicycles locked by the railing near the ferry. People walk everywhere and you’ll see kids on bicycles, skates or scooters. There are no chain supermarkets or restaurants, nor do they have any big brands that you normally see in the city. The only familiar logo you’ll see is HSBC but the bank is operating on a holiday mode as well and only opens a few days a week. It’s a thriving community with expatriates and locals who prefer to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Thanks to my friend who owns an apartment on Lamma Island, I was given a full tour of the village including the Main Street, Power Station Beach, Tai Ling (where the wind power station is), the Pavillion, Hung Shing Yeh Beach and also a nice, quiet spot where we could view the scenery of the island. This photo of me with my friend’s dog was taken there, with the village houses in the background. Because of a big non-Chinese community there, there are also quite a few restaurants and shops selling western vegetarian, vegan and organic foodstuffs, such as Bookworm Cafe, Green Cottage and Just Green. All these are just a 30-minute ferry ride from Central and walk from the pier. It’s almost unreal.

This island is perfect for a flower child like me. It is vegan friendly, environmentally friendly and health nut friendly. I am in love with Lamma.