Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir Hike HONG KONG
Prior to actively searching for off the beaten path places to explore on the Hong Kong Island, I was unaware of Tai Tam Tak Reservoir. Nestled in between Quarry Bay and Stanley in the middle of Hong Kong Island, the large reservoir is a great place to spend an afternoon to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Easy to navigate, no monkeys for distractions or added on anxiety, the serene walk around the reservoir boasts of lush greenery and both natural and manmade waterfalls. Mixed in are also beautiful bridges and infrastructure for the dam dated back to the early 1900s.
The hike is structured in a circular path around the reservoir. We started ours at Tai Tam Tuk Country Park South entrance and hiked north up to Tai Tam Upper Reservoir.
Getting to Tai Tam Tuk Country Park Southern Entrance
There are various ways to get to the Reservoir and hike. We entered through the Southern Entrance of the Country Park via taxi but there are also buses that can drop you off as well.
Taxi: drops right next to the Southern Entrance, where you can begin your hike. We took it from western district on Hong Kong Island and it took about 20 minutes and $145 HKD ($15 USD)
Bus:
Bus 14 from Sai Wan Ho MTR station towards Stanley. Get off at Tai Tam Reservoir North Stop
Bus 16M or 16X from Chai Wan MTR station towards Stanley. Get off at Tai Tam Reservoir Stop
Key Facts
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Length: 3.3km to complete the hike from Tai Tam Tuk Park South Entrance to Tai Tam Tuk Upper Reservoir round trip
Duration: we completed the hike at a very leisure pace and stopped to take photos and observe the surroundings. We spent about 2 and a half hours total at the park
Points of Interest
(1) Main Reservoir Area with Beautiful Mountainous Greenery as Backdrop
(2) Tai Tam Bridge
In close proximity to the Southern Entrance, the small pedestrian bridge, reflecting across the reservoirs provide a great spot for photos.
(3) The Dam
Sneak peak of the dam from afar
(4) Sheung Tam Stream
Be sure to pay attention and look around you as the stream is the first half of the hike, once starting from the Southern Entrance!
(5)Tai Tam Upper Reservoir Masonry Aqueduct
Pillars from the aqueduct makes it an interesting focus in photo composition!
Towards the end of this hike, if you begin the way we did at the Southern Entrance. The architecture of the aqueduct with the green waters created by the shadows of the vegetation surrounding it makes it a beautiful location for photos.
(6) Tai Tam Upper Reservoir Scenery
I didn’t find out about a few other major key point of interest, including the Tai Tam Mound Waterfall, until after the hike! What a pity! It’ll just mean I have to go back sometime soon and will report back when I explore them next time!
