Most of you might have known Hong Kong for its shopping, eating and nightlife, but you might be surprised by the less well-known side of Hong Kong - its nature! Visitors to Hong Kong might not have much time to visit outside of the city center, but there are actually 40% of Hong Kong that is covered by country parks and nature reserves! This time I want to feature a beautiful camping spot to everyone, let's get out and spend some time outdoors!

Located at Lantau Island at the West of Hong Kong, Pui O boasts its two beautiful beaches – Cheung Sha Beach (one of HK's longest beach) and Pui O Beach, which is a perfect spot for watching the sunset. This place is a part of Lantau South Country Park, and is valued for its "ecologically important streams" as the small rivers at Pui O form an estuary of Wetland, a breeding ground for wildlife.
For those who would like to spend a night or two away from the city, Pui O is an easy choice, as there are local convenient stores (opens daily from about 10am - 9pm), large bathroom with showers, sink with clean running water and tables/chairs. If you don't want to cook your own meals, you can easily eat from the local restaurants at the area.

Upon arriving the Pui O Campsite, you will have to first register with your personal ID (even visitors can register with your traveling document) at the campsite office (image above) to indicate the length of your stay. Then, you will be assigned one of the 52 designated spots in the campsite; each "spot" is separated by wooden fences, so you will have your own privacy throughout your time here. Each camping spot will also have a picnic table, extremely convenient for cooking and dining. You can even build your own camping tarp and make the area more cozy and fun! If you are not fortunately enough to get an official camping spot, you are still allowed to camp on the grass area by the BBQ stoves, but surely there will be less privacy.

On the opposite side of the tenting spots are public barbeque stoves that are open for all. You are more than welcome to visit Pui O for a day trip and enjoy some BBQ here! No registration is needed and it is first come, first serve. So be sure to come here early for a spot on popular weekends.

The sand of Pui O beach is very soft and the place is great of sunset, you won't want to miss that! Here is what I got from the sunset I witnessed.

As the campsite have a lot of wooden fences/structures, campers also love to bring their hammocks to tie them up. What better way to spend your weekend!

Other than swimming at the beach, there is also another activity you can enjoy at Pui O – clam digging! Yes, all you need is your own bucket and sand shovel (or trowel) and you can go dig up your fresh dinner for the night! If you don't want to bring you own set, you can even get a set from the convenient store at the campsite. But of course, timing is crucial for clam digging. Do some research before hand to see which day is low tide, then you will have a much better chance at getting those clams!

Overall, Pui O is the place to go if you want an easy, relaxing getaway from the city! If you are looking for something more raw and challenging, stay tuned! I will try share other special spots of Hong Kong next time!