Located in the New Territories and surrounded by beautiful nature and scenery, Shing Mun Reservoir has numerous trails that are suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.
A circular route around the reservoir requires about 1.5 – 2 hours to complete. However, it takes longer to hike along the reservoir, although people with basic fitness levels can manage it. My friends and I spent 4 hours completing the circular route. Half of it was pavement, half of it was a hiking trail. Many trails are under the shade of trees, suitable for hiking in sunny weather, but the reservoir views are mostly hidden by tall trees and branches.
Hikers usually take the minibus 82 from Tsuen Wan to the starting point. Getting off any buses passing through Lei Muk Shue is another option as getting up to the starting point takes only around 20 minutes only. I walked along the road to the reservoir with an old lady who made it all the way from Shek Yam. She walks up to the reservoir almost every day and is a regular hiker to the reservoir.
My friends and I started walking up the stairs from the left. We passed through Pineapple Dam, then the entrance to the Butterfly Garden Nature Trail after 20 minutes, followed by the Waterside paperbarks. The distinctive papery barks from the tall trees on the sides offer a picturesque setting for photo-taking. They are not particularly spectacular on a cloudy day but make the path cool and pleasant to walk along.
After around 1.5 hours, we reached the Tai Shing stream surrounded by lush forests. We then turned to the shaded hiking path which seemed endless. After another 2.5 hours, we reached the Gorge Dam of Shing Mun Reservoir. This tallest dam is 84m tall and was built by the British Empire. A beautiful spot to take a selfie.
As we walked towards Lei Muk Shue, we added another 30 minutes to our trip. The bus stop provides a few more bus options than the starting point of the reservoir. By the time we arrived at Tsuen Wan, we were starving and we only wanted to sit down and eat.
Try the inexpensive curry rice at Bentoya on the ground floor of The Mills which is now a shopping complex revitalized from a textile factory in Tsuen Wan. The Taiwanese eatery Cha Fan at 8 ½ in Tsuen Wan has a variety of bubble teas and fruit teas that instantly quench our thirst and satisfy our palate.
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