Take a Hike: How to hike to Little Hawaii Waterfall via Razor Hill

Overview & fast facts

How to get there

There are just as many locations to begin your Razor Hill adventure as there are ways to get to them. As it runs along several villages, there are many uphill points that join up to the main path which is convenient if you live in the area. You can also do this hike in reverse, starting from Po Lam up to Pik Uk.

For the purposes of this guide, we recommend starting your hike at Pik Uk, a village along Clear Water Bay Road that also lends its name to the nearby correctional centre. There’s a bus stop right outside the starting point, where a petrol station and a supermarket serve as a recognisable marker.

From Diamond Hill:

1. Take the Kwun Tong line to Diamond Hill Station (Exit C1).
2. Board bus 91 to Clear Water Bay.
   
3. Alight at the Pik Uk stop along Clear Water Bay Road.
4. Head to Razor Hill Road (Pik Tsui Road), marked by the petrol station.

From Hang Hau:

1. Take the Tseung Kwan O line to Hang Hau Station (Exit B1).
2. Hop on minibus 11 for Choi Hung. If you’re confused by the similar minibus routes nearby, ask before paying the fare. You can also take this minibus from Choi Hung if that’s closer to you, as it’s a circular route.
3. Alight at Pik Uk and head to Razor Hill Road.

The hike

The beginning of this trail is mostly gentle, and you’ll reach the final part of the summit after about 20 minutes when you see a rope left behind by locals that’ll help you on the steep 50-metre climb up. Hold onto the ropes and make your way up, being careful not to slip on the moss and dirt. The ropes take you up through the woods to the ridge of the hilltop and right ahead is the range pole. This is where Razor Hill opens up to spectacular views of Port Shelter, as well as Sai Kung, Hebe Haven, and Trio Beach. Reward yourself with a break at the peak before you begin the much longer but gradual descent.

Follow the stone steps that snake along the ridge as you walk away from Razor Hill Peak. These steps gently slope down and will allow for amazing views of HKUST campus in Clear Water Bay on the left, High Junk Peak straight ahead, and the bustling Tseung Kwan O on the right, all just above the short bushes and trees.

As you continue to descend, the sights of Sai Kung and the gorgeous Clear Water Bay coast disappear, and you find yourself back in the woods, although the trail in this patch of woods is much less slippery, and more clearly marked. The hike ends when you reach a cross junction along the concrete path. You can choose to end your hike here, by going forward along the path down to Po Lam Road North, or turn right at the junction to continue onto Little Hawaii Waterfall.

As you cut about the woods you will come across another crossroads. Take the right again to join the Little Hawaii Trail, and walk ahead following the signpost for O Tau. You’ll know you’re on the right path when you hear the bubbling and gurgling of the stream. After about half an hour from the first junction, you’ll find yourself next to the peaceful Little Hawaii Waterfalls.

We recommend visiting Little Hawaii after a rainy season to truly enjoy the cascades, but when the falls aren’t flowing as greatly, it’s much easier for visitors to climb the rocks for the best pictures. We admit, it’s not the most impressive waterfall in Hong Kong (and boy, do we have a lot of them), but it’s definitely the most easily accessible.

And now for a little history lesson: The trail and falls got its name in 1946 when the Tseng Lan Shue village chief renamed the old reservoir and dam as the Little Hawaii Swimming Centre. Why was there a reservoir and dam in the woods behind a village you may ask? Well, in 1906, a Canadian businessman by the name of Alfred Ronnie set up a mill in Tiu Keng Leng and built a small reservoir for water storage as well as a 100-foot dam to generate electricity. Unfortunately, he died shortly after the opening of the mill and the villagers nearby turned it into a private pool. The swimming centre was closed shortly after as well after a tragic accident, and you can still see the reservoir walls along the trail.

If there are too many people at Little Hawaii, venture down to another waterfall downstream called Lin Yuen Terrace Falls. From the bridge, walk about 10 minutes back downhill along Little Hawaii Trail until you reach the four-way junction again. Turn right and walk for another five minutes. Here‘s where you’ll find the Lin Yuen Terrace Falls cascading over a cliff. It’s crazy how all of this splendour is right in our backyards!

When you’ve snapped all the photos you need, retrace your steps back to the cross junction, then turn right to follow the steps down to Tseung Kwan O Village. The closest MTR station from there is Po Lam, and there are conveniently heaps of eateries in the area and inside Metro City Plaza. There you go, you’ve finished a beautiful hike and seen two waterfalls. How rewarding! Now go home and keep doing your part in social distancing.