Tai O Infininty Pool

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I can't believe I have been here for this long and have only just discovered this place. I had a co-worker of mine come to HK for the week to conduct interviews and such and get a grasp on what I have been doing for the past 8 weeks. I asked a mutual friend who is also based here in HK if he wanted to come meet us for a beer in Mui Wo. He was unable but said "Make sure you take Andy to the infinity pool outside of Tai O." I looked into it and I was instantly hooked! Sept 9 is the Mid Autumn Festival which is a national holiday so nearly everyone had the day off work. We were unable to gain access to the airport on a day like this, so we were off early that morning. We took the usual 1 hr and 30 minute bus to bus commute to Tai O which is a fishing village that I had already visited before and was quite fond of. The blog I read about the pool stated it was about a 3 mile hike so we started as soon as we got to Tai O. The walk was easy for the first few miles as the trail just hugged the coast line. There were a few pretty views, but we were too busy looking out for banana spiders than enjoying the beautiful coast. The last half a mile or so was pretty much up, but the views were getting amazing. The trail hugged one side of the valley which for some reason gave the feeling of really hiking in an Asian jungle. It was hot and humid as usual so by the time we made it up to the pool we were certainly ready for some cool water. There is of course a sign that says that it is illegal to swim in the pool, but that didn't stop the other 10 people in there already, so it sure wasn't going to stop us. The infinity pool is a catch basin for drinking water. The damn was build with a round top edge and it gives the illusion of the pool never stopping as you can see in the photos. Andy and I got there early and the water was actually refreshing. I wouldn't dare call the water cold, but it was the coldest water I had been in for about two months so I was in heaven. Andy and I both remarked that this was the coolest place either of us had ever been swimming. We had the pool to our selves for a little while, but the visitors were showing up in groups. By the time we left, there must have been 75 or more people in and around the pool. I jumped off a few rocks and one relatively short cliff, we swam and relaxed for a few hours and then we decided it was time to leave. We headed back to Tai O, had some snacks, walked around the village, and then headed back to Tung Chung and eventually back to the Auberge in Discovery Bay. If anyone reading this blog ever makes it to Hong Kong and you enjoy swimming in somewhat natural bodies of water, do yourself a favor and make the adventurous trek out to the Tai O infinity pool. You will not be sorry!

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