Best island in Hong Kong for: Coastal rock scenes and beautiful beaches 

How to get there: By boat from Sai Kung or by kayak from Pak Lap Wan

One of the most picturesque of the city’s islands, Sha Tong Hau Shan or Bluff Island as it’s colloquially known, is situated within the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark. Comprising eight areas in eastern Hong Kong, it features stunning examples of honeycomb patterned, ash-coloured rock formations that were the outcome of the dramatic volcano that created Hong Kong 140 million years ago. For Bluff Island that means some of the city’s tallest cliffs, standing at 140 metres high, which shelter an untouched beach with white sands and beautiful coral — the island was also zoned a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1979 to protect the marine life. Visitors can venture to the uninhabited island either by chartering a boat from Sai Kung or by kayak from Pak Lap Wan. Wild Hong Kong runs kayaking day-trips through dramatic sea arches and caves to idyllic and remote beaches that are perfect for snorkelling, for $800 per person.

Lantau Island

Best island in Hong Kong for: Beaches, Buddah statues and traditional fishing villages 

How to get there: Ferry from Central to Mui Wo or MTR to Tung Chung

From the Big Buddah and Po Lin Monastery, that can be reached by cable car from Tung Chung, to the traditional fishing village of Tai O that’s famous for its stilted houses, Qing Dynasty Tin Hau Temple, and pink dolphins, there’s plenty to draw you to Lantau, the largest of Hong Kong’s islands. In terms of hikes, there’s the challenging Sunset Peak trek, that’s (no surprise here) is the best place to see the sun go down from the third highest mountain in Hong Kong. Or walk from Mui Wo to Discovery Bay via Lo Fu Tau, passing through Mui Wo village, past Silvermine Waterfalls and a bat cave before embarking on the trail that journeys through organic farms that enjoy impressive vistas. For a more laid-back day, take the ferry to Mui Wo then either a bus or taxi to one of the island’s many beautiful beaches. There’s Lower Cheung Sha, where water buffalos join sunbathers, and sleek beach restaurant Bathers provides instant holiday vibes, overlooking the South China Sea. Mui Wo’s small cooked food market is worth a visit too, where local-favourite Wah Kee serves up fresh seafood and Cantonese dishes. 

Yim Tin Tsai

Best island in Hong Kong for: Abandoned villages, salt farms and a UNESCO recognised chapel 

How to get there: Kaito (small ferry) from Sai Kung Public Pier

Literally translated as ‘Little Salt Pan,’ Yim Tin Tsai on the northeast of Hong Kong, is a derelict island originally populated by a family from Guangdong in the 1740s, whose descendents made a living selling salt. The business later moved to Vietnam and China, and the residents, many of whom were from the Hakka community, turned to farming and fishing. There’s very few people that remain on the island, but remnants of the island’s past are all around. The most distinct structure is a church that was built in 1890 by Catholic missionaries that was recently renovated after Josef Freinademetz, a missionary who lived in Yim Tin Tsai for a stint in the 1800s, was canonised and it became a site of pilgrimage for Catholics. In 2005, the white-washed church was awarded the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation. Since then, the salt pans have started functioning again, while the rest of the island is dominated by deserted 19th century houses, thick jungle and mangroves, with the glistening blue ocean seen everywhere you go. 

Cheung Chau

Best island in Hong Kong for: Seafood and sampan rides

How to get there: Ferry from Central 

Charter a sampan, a flat-bottomed Chinese wooden boat, or take the ferry from Central to Hong Kong’s foodie island. It’s most well-known for it’s annual Cheung Chau Bun Festival, a week of colourful celebrations normally held in May outside the Pak Tai Temple, that first started in the late Qing dynasty when islanders built an altar to their god Pak Tai to drive off the evil spirits besieging the island in the form of plague. This evolved into an enormous bamboo tower speckled with buns. Now, year-round, locals and visitors alike can buy ping on bao (peace buns) — white buns filled with either sesame paste, lotus-seed paste or red-bean paste — from the Kwok Kan Kee Cake Shop, which has been supplying the tasty treats for more than 40 years. As a functioning fishing village, Cheung Chau is also famous for its fishballs — head to Kam Wing Tai for the best ones — and seafood restaurants that line the waterfront. So Bor Kee serves up an extensive list of excellent Cantonese-style seafood, but the same is true of a whole host of red-and-white-table-clothed restaurants serving popular dishes to the crowds that come at the weekends. Sweet treats include huge frozen watermelon on sticks and mango mochi from Wan Sing Dessert, while trendy Japanese-inspired cafe Heima Heima is the place to go for tea, or head to Valor for coffee – it’s tropical coconut ice-dripped brew is served in a whole coconut. Aside from food, Cheung Chau’s temples, beaches, and even a pirate’s hideout — Chinese pirate Cheung Po-tsai, who once led a fleet of 600 ships, hid his booty on the island — make this an excellent island for a day trip. Wind-whipped Kwun Yam Wan is best for windsurfing, while 70-year-old Hing Kee Beach Store on sands of the same name, is the spot to grab a local craft brew and some delicious home-cooked food while looking out to the ocean.