Your guide to kayaking the Ting Sam Kok Delta in Tai Po

Situated near Long Mei Beach, Ting Kok has long been a hotspot for water sports newbies because the waves are not strong enough to make things difficult. Water activities centre SUPway has taken advantage of these calm conditions to offer double kayaks and SUPs. Kayaks require less strength to operate than an SUP and have faster speeds, which suits the relatively long journey of paddling around Ting Kok’s waters. Don’t forget that double kayaks can also make for a romantic outing! 

In comparison, SUPs are slower but you’d also be training your balance and core strength. These boards have caught on on social media recently, and are great for sunrise or sunset paddles when the water becomes a sheet of golden ripples – standing in the middle of it all, you can enjoy the view to the fullest.

The Ting Sam Kok Delta refers to the three areas of the mangrove swamp, Ma Shi Chau, and the Sam Mun Tsai floating fish farm. This area features Hong Kong’s fourth largest mangrove cluster, measuring approximately 87,700sqm. When it’s high tide, the water level covers the muddy swamp and mangrove roots, and visitors can kayak among the trees. At low tide, the SUPway guides can bring visitors out into the mangroves on foot, where there’s a multitude of wildlife to be seen.

Since you’re out on the waters of Tai Po, you might as well go for a spot of island hopping. Check out Ma Shi Chau, which is part of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark – when the tide goes out, a tombolo linking island clusters is revealed. Yeung Chau – whose name in Chinese means goat island – is an uninhabited island just off the coast of Ting Kok. As the name suggests, there are herds of little black goats that you can visit if you kayak up to the island!

The Ting Sam Kok Delta tour normally takes around five and a half hours to complete, but rest assured that the adventure will end on a chill note. The final destination on this kayaking day trip is the Sam Mun Tsai floating fish farm. Being out on the sea on simple wooden platforms is a great way to really disassociate from the bustle of urban living. Visitors can choose to either do some fishing – they sell all the related supplies – or stretch out on their benches to rest up before continuing on the return journey home.

The Ting Sam Kok Delta kayak trip ranks about medium in difficulty. At five and a half hours, this is considered quite long for a kayaking journey, though since they are doubles it is a little less taxing than going at it by yourself on a single-person kayak. The waters in the area are also calm enough even for complete beginners. The coaches are there the entire way, so safety scores top marks.

To get to Ting Kok in Tai Po, alight at Tai Po Market MTR station and change to the 20C or 20E minibus; get off at Ting Kok Tsuen. Head along Ting Kok Road and turn right towards Hung Wan BBQ – continue on until you reach a building with a little red roof, which is SUPway.