Tai Tam Road
Tai Tam Road is a very scenic drive located in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. The journey is a plesaant surprise.
The road is located within the Tai Tam Country Park. The drive is definitely worth it. A drive not to be missed! It’s 8.3km long and links the Quarry Bay downtown business district (north side of the island) to the south side of the island (Stanley, Repulse Bay, etc.). The road is asphalted and was cut through solid granite with steep rockfaces on both sides. The drive is framed by the surrounding hills such as Mt Butler and Jardine's Lookout.
This winding road has a well-deserved reputation for being dangerous because of landslides. The road is heavly trafficked in weekends. The most challenging part of the drive is over the Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir Dam. It’s a one lane section impassable for 2 heavy vehicles at the same time. The dam is known by locals as the “ultimate driver’s test” because of its narrow 5 meter width.
The dam was built in 1912 by the British colonial government. It still remains an adrenaline-pumping journey and is definitely not for the faint of lungs, heart, or legs. Because the road is carved out of the mountain and were never made with the enormous public and tourists buses in mind, driving on the narrow section can be harrowing.