The third largest of the outlying islands, and somehow less well known both to visitors and to Hong Kong residents, is Lamma. Although it is just over 13 square kilometers (five sq mi), Lamma is rich in green hills and beautiful bays. But because of its rugged terrain, there is only a very small area of farmland. Rocky and bare hilltops dominate the island's grassy lower slopes. Archeologists have associated it with some of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong .

Lamma is an island devoted to fishing, with a population of around 8,000 people. Among them are a surprising number of Europeans, who value the peace and quiet of the rural lifestyle of Lamma, which like several others of the outlying islands has no cars. Although the island has a regular ferry service, it has remained relatively undiscovered, much to the joy of those who have moved out to its peaceful ambience.

Yung Shue Wan
Yung Shue Wan ( Banyan Bay ), at the north end of Lamma, is one of two ferry gateways to the island. This village, popular with expatriates trying to get away from the noisy crowds of Hong Kong , has a number of restaurants and bars. Its narrow main street is lined with shops and fresh seafood stands. Following the main street through the small village, it is only a short stroll out into Lamma's empty countryside.

Sok Kwu Wan

Sok Kwu Wan lies on the eastern shore of a long fjord-like inlet known as Picnic Bay and is the Lamma village closest to Aberdeen . It is the haunt of Hong Kong 's "Weekend Admirals" or "Saturday Sailors" the nautical names given to the colony's pleasure-junk captains.

Picnic bay is brimming with floating fish and shrimp farms, all tended by a picturesque fleet of assorted boats of various sizes and ships. The nautical products, fresh as can be, of the seafood industry find their way to markets and tables throughout Hong Kong . As can be expected from a fishing village, Sok Kwu Wan also has its own 150-year-old Tin Hau Temple .

Sok Kwu Wan bustles with a long string of seafood restaurants, even more charming in the evening when each establishment tries to out-do its neighbour with bright lighting displays and the marvelous aromas of fresh-cooked fish, shrimp or prawns, lobster, shellfish, and other seafood.