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Hong Kong > Hong Kong Guide > District Guides > Repulse Bay
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Repulse Bay is located on the southern side of Hong Kong
Island, halfway between Shouson Hill and Stanley. It’s a popular base for
expats. In common with the rest of the southside, Repulse Bay offers cleaner
air than residential areas in the city, and access to plenty of good beaches.
Attractions
It’s the coastal lifestyle that attracts many families to Repulse Bay. Many flats have sea views, the beach is easily accessible and pleasure craft may be moored near Middle Island.
Repulse Bay Beach is one of the most popular weekend destinations in Hong Kong. Unless crowds are an attraction, it’s best visited midweek. Facilities include showers and changing rooms, lifeguards, and beachfront shops and cafés.
The beach at Deepwater Bay to the north is equally well used, especially by weekend barbecue parties. Wakeboarding boats can be hired here. Further south, the sands of Middle Bay and South Bay are much quieter, mainly because they have no public transport.
Joggers, dog walkers and anglers make good use of the Seaview Promenade which follows the coast from Repulse Bay to Deepwater Bay and beyond.
For more leg-stretching, Tai Tam Country Park occupies the hills surrounding the bay, and hiking trails lead towards Wong Nei Chung and the Tai Tam reservoirs. The long-distance Wilson Trail takes in most of the higher peaks in the area.
The Repulse Bay, a recreation of the colonial hotel which once stood on this spot, makes an attractive centrepiece for the area. Essentially a high-end shopping centre, it features restaurants, antique shops, pre-schools and a spa. The lawn is a popular venue for weddings and other large parties.
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club maintains a small base at Middle Island, reached by sampan from the promenade. Moorings for junks are available in the bay. The rather exclusive Hong Kong Golf Club is also present, its course taking up most of the land behind Deepwater Bay.
Ocean Park, a marine theme park with fairground rides and animals such as sharks, dolphins and pandas, is ten minutes’ drive away. The cable car which runs between the lowland and headland areas is a great way to see some of the southside from a more elevated perspective.
Accommodation
The newer flats in Repulse Bay are generally found in apartment complexes. Most of these feature amenities such as swimming pools. Older flats are more low-rise and usually include car parking spaces.
Every year, new and larger developments rise behind the beach. Only the scarcity of land stands in the way of Repulse Bay becoming a Miami lookalike. Rents are at the high end of the scale.
Shopping
Supermarkets and dry cleaners can be found at the Dairy Farm Shopping Centre on Beach Road and at The Repulse Bay. The former mall also has video rental and chemist shops, while the latter has gifts and home furnishings outlets. For warehouse-style furniture shopping, residents head for Horizon Plaza at Ap Lei Chau.
Eating Out
Top of the pile are the restaurants at The Repulse Bay. The Verandah recalls the dining room at the old hotel, which was a popular haunt of dandies from the 1920s onwards, and pains have been taken to recreate that ambience. Spices, serving Asian cuisines, has a shaded outdoor courtyard for dining.
Nearer the beach, there are several more casual outlets serving Chinese food, pizza and the like. Many more Western-style restaurants can be found at Stanley.
Downsides
A daily commute is required to reach offices. Some apartments are uncomfortably close to the main road, which suffers from heavy traffic.
Schools
Hong Kong International School has its junior campus at South Bay Road. There are several kindergartens for toddlers.
Connections
Repulse Bay has no MTR or rail links. Many residents choose to commute by car, although some developments operate their own private coach services for residents.
The Aberdeen Tunnel is the most direct route into town. Otherwise, the narrower Repulse Bay Road crosses the heights of Hong Kong Island to reach the city. Public buses follow both routes.
More locally, buses run to Aberdeen, Wah Fu and Cyberport, and in the other direction to Stanley, where connections may be made for Redhill and Tai Tam.
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