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Lamma vs Cheung Chau vs Peng Chau

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jun 2019
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    Lamma vs Cheung Chau vs Peng Chau

    So suppose you have a choice to choose between the three most popular outlying islands without car access in HK: Lamma, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau, which will you choose? Start with Lamma first, the biggest of the three and known as a haunt for expats with a hippie-like disposition, what's good about it? What's bad about it? Then how about Cheung Chau, famous for its annual "bun" festival and the home of HK first's Olympic Gold medalist, windsurfer Lee Lai Shan. What's good about it? What's bad about it? And finally Peng Chau, the smallest of the three islands here. That little piece of land off Discovery Bay and across from Trappist Monastery. What's it like there? How does it compare to Lamma and Cheung Chau?


  2. #2

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    Size - Lamma is the biggest and an hour's walk can get you into isolation. It has a 'mountain' - Mt Stenhouse which is a steep climb. Some isolated beaches as well. So, possible to live on Lamma and still get away from the crowds. Cheung Chau - smaller and more built up, but still has parts with fewer people. Peng Chau - tiny - but I suppose just a small hop from Lantau which you can explore (but then why not just live on that part of Lantau?

    Coolboy likes this.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by drumbrake:
    Size - Lamma is the biggest and an hour's walk can get you into isolation. It has a 'mountain' - Mt Stenhouse which is a steep climb. Some isolated beaches as well. So, possible to live on Lamma and still get away from the crowds. Cheung Chau - smaller and more built up, but still has parts with fewer people. Peng Chau - tiny - but I suppose just a small hop from Lantau which you can explore (but then why not just live on that part of Lantau?
    Wasn't there a geoexpat poster living on Peng Chau?

  4. #4

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    Original Post Deleted
    Why am I not surprised in the least.

  5. #5

    Day trip - OK. To live - yuck.

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  6. #6

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    I have considered living on one of the islands - Lantau (south side), Lamma and Cheung Chau, but never have. I think it is mainly the commute that puts me off (although ferries to Central are quite frequent and fast) as well as the number of visitors (and noise) at weekends. On the other hand, I live in the middle of the city, and have a very quiet (touch wood) environment. What would tempt me to live on an island - a larger apartment with a view and close proximity to a beach (but I have a feeling that these are few and far between), and also less of a need to go into town every day (so if I could work from home / was semi retired, perhaps island life would be an option). A fast internet connection is important (although I think that is more possible on the islands these days). I also like the anonymity of living in the middle of the city. I have a feeling that if I lived on Lamma or Cheung Chau, or in Mui Wo, then life would not be so anonymous.

    rkenia852 likes this.

  7. #7

    Join Date
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    So I loved Peng Chau for its views of the sea, when I first moved in 2011, only 7500 for a 500 square foot ground floor flat with 600 square foot garden, every window a sea view- when I moved back in 2018, was 2nd floor and roof balcony, same size but renovated, for 13000. Can't beat the price. You get used to the commute and you always get a seat and it would relax me to look out the windows and see the sea. From Central, I walked to work in Sheung Wan or, when it was too hot, took the bus and walked to the ferry after work. Monthly pass- 600 dollars, can't beat the price- coworkers commuting from Kowloon paid more on the MTR. Big supermarket at the pier (no supermarket on Lamma) and a little bit of an economic boost during the pandemic as Peng Chau is not as popular as Lamma and became a better destination. When I first moved there, was about the only gweilo, at first the ferry people tried to show me other ferries thinking I was on the wrong boat. Didn't bother me in the least, everyone left me alone. Now some hipster cafes have opened and I was so happy to see that because it's so lovely there- had a lovely view of Lantau and the Trappist Monastery. Roof balcony had the best views of just about anywhere I have seen in HK. We had an inter-island ferry that went to Cheung Chau and Mui Wo. Our tiny church had a brank in Mui Wo and the priests lived there and came over to our tiny church on the ferry. Beautiful nature walk along the sea right by my flat, never crowded. Yes, if you want night life, bars, etc. it's not there but so easy to get to it all in Central, if that's your thing. Lots of interesting local festivals as well, including Cantonese opera for free for a couple of weeks (they build an outdoor theatre out of bamboo). The coolest funerals ever, right at the ferry exit.

    It's not for everyone but would rather live there working in Sheung Wan than the equivalent rent on the Kowloon side. They also built some huge townhouses, you can get 4-5 bedrooms for about 40k really big.

    drumbrake, emx, Coolboy and 2 others like this.

  8. #8

    Have lived on all three and both ends of Lamma.

    Yung Shue Wan and surrounding villages are great if you are young and new to the territory, much to remind you of home as well as its own distinctive local culture, a pleasant respite from the city. Hung Shing Ye beach is an even pleasanter respite from YSW if you are young and sufficiently fit for the hike or cycle ride to/from YSW in peak hot weather. There's a tendency torwards a lot of bad blood and old grievances between various cliques in the entrenched older expat community so I'd recommend getting out before you hit 30.

    Mot Tat Wan and Sok Kwu Wan are both idyllic and more suited to the 30-40-somethings. If in Mo Tat Wan be fit enough for the even tougher hike to SKW than HSY to YSW. Extremely good close knit community spirit between both local and expats, the kaido to Aberdeen and late night san pan taxi rides home make for very memorable moments. For those working from home and hardy enough for a serious hike to the ferry, then the Shek Pai Wan beach on the south side is about as away from it all as you can get in Hong Kong, and the rawness of nature there is practically spiritual. Sea Food Restaurant prices in SKW come down considerably once you are established as a "local".

    Peng Chau has much the same community spirit as the SKW/MTW end of Lamma, but its smaller, flatter and easier to navigate if you are pushing 50, plus you're on an island with a supermarket at last and you don't need to haul a week's worth of beer up a hundred steps unless to choose to. Communal plastic seats are provided outside the pier that everyone uses to get together and have a natter from time to time. Some tasty and cheap local eateries if you are not too fastidious about the decor (or hygiene tbh).

    Cheung Chau is better still if you are well over 50 with multiple supermarkets, convenience stores and yet still a booming mom n pop selection of cheaper stores, banking, doctors, dentistry all a stones throw away, restaurants galore but not so cheap as on other islands, however rents seem slightly better. Excellent ferry schedule by comparison with the other islands.

    If you have a petrified level of disdain for big spiders and snakes or really really big snakes in the case of Mo Tat Wan then you might give Lamma a miss. If cockroaches give you the heebee jeebies then stay clear of both Peng Chau and Cheung Chau, if you dislike rats then keep away from Peng Chau.

    ByeByeEngland likes this.