I have to say, Lamma Island is one of my favorite places in the world.
I’m back here today after two weeks or so in China and I’ll be going back to Guangzhou this weekend. But in the meantime I have a few quiet days on Lamma Island and I have to say, I really love this place.
Sure, sure, not everyone shares that sentiment. If Hong Kong were New York, then Lamma Island might be New Jersey. It’s most prominent feature is the giant coal power station whose three smoke stacks turn Yung Shue Wan into some Springfield caricature. Doesn’t help that the public beach is located practically in their shadow.
The island feels down right rural compared to the futuristic metropolitan areas of Hong Kong Central. There’s no McDonald’s on the island. Heck, there isn’t even a 7-11! You heard me. No 7-11. In fact, the only “chain” store on Lamma Island is the HSBC branch and that’s only open for three days of the week. And that’s not the mention the giant man-eating centipedes, the huge spiders, the snakes and all the other nasty horror stories we tell people to keep them off our island sanctuary.
But despite all of that, or perhaps partly because of it, I’ve still fallen in love with Lamma Island. I’ve yet to find such a lovely place to live so close to a world class city. What are the advantages? A short list would include: great restaurants, a public beach in walking distance, no cars, great trails for hiking or biking, lots of open, green space, a vibrant (and sometimes eccentric) diverse community, and cheap rent. On any day, I could take a swim in the sea or grab a ferry into central Hong Kong. Everything is accessible.
And it’s been an absolutely fantastic place for Maeli to grow up these last two years. She has more friends on the island than I can count. She has a safe place for her to run round and explore and play. Banyan House has been a wonderful school for her and its right here on the island.
So despite the exciting adventures ahead for our family, in China and in the United States, I know we’re all looking back at Lamma fondly. The future being what it is, we’re still hopeful to be back here next year, with an addition, but these sort of things are difficult to divine.
In any case, for those interested in exploring this island retreat of ours, I’ve collected photos from our time here and put them into a sort of tour of the island. In particular, I wanted to include the snake path which can be difficult to find if you don’t know about it. And don’t forget to check out the ever-resourceful Lammazine for the latest island happenings.
§Commentary