As requested, Backpackers' Basic Guide to Hong Kong!
I have been to Hong Kong 5 times already but it's as intriguing and fascinating as my first visit. My family, friends and I always take a direct flight from Cebu to Hong Kong via Cebu Pacific Air. You could check Cebu Pacific Airfares on www.cebupacificair.com and book your tickets there.
TIP: A Cebu Pacific Agent told us that on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest flights on most Cebu Pacific Destination. And before boarding, you will be paying a terminal fee of PHP550.00 and Philippine Travel Tax of 1620php per person.
And before flying to Hong Kong you should remember to book a Hotel or Hostel. For budget travellers like me and my friends, we choose to stay in a hostel since its cheap and its the best way to mingle with other backpackers and tourists from around the globe. We always stay at Ah Shan Dragon Inn Hostel in Mongkok which costs 100HKD per person per night for a 4-bed-room(if you are travelling with 3 other companions) or 180 for a single bed room. It's best to book a 4- bed- room for 400HKD (updated rate 08-08-09) per night for the entire room if your travelling with 3 other backpackers to save. Book by clicking Ah Shan Dragon Inn. This hostel has been highly recommended for most tourists since it's in the heart of downtown Mongkok, probably the center for night markets(tiangge) and its very near the MTR station. Amenities include, free Internet Access( 2 Desktop Computers on the common room), Rooms has hot water bath, free drinking water, fridge, AC, TV, Fresh towels daily and slippers. You could also book a hostel of your choice at www.hostels.com.
TIP: Check in and check out time for most hostels in HK are at 1PM. But you could stay in the common area til check in Time.
Before flying, its important to bring the basics during travelling
1. Medicine kit ( Paracetamols, Loperamide, Pain relievers, Salompas, Menthol rubs(vicks), bandaids and etc.) -- Its important to bring Loperamide( Diatabs/Imodium for Diarrhea) since you will be eating food that might be unfamiliar and might cause diarrhea. During your travel you would also do long walks and your feet and legs will surely hurt. So be sure to put on very comfortable and light shoes while travelling. And if you'll be partying during the night you could put a pair of party shoes on your travel bag. A menthol rub, like vicks would be very helpful to soothe those tired and aching legs and feet. Salompas would also be helpful in soothing your aching back.
2. Travel toothbrush, Shampoo sachets, Shaver, Soap, deodorant etc....
3. Travel Documents - Passport, Plane TIcket and 2nd Identification Card(Driver's License, Postal Id, SSS ID, etc.) before travelling, you need to make 2 photocopies of your passport and identification card and keep a copy on your travel bag and 1 for your family in the Philippines. this is important because you will be bringing your passport with you anywhere you go while your travelling around HK and you might loose your passport and for faster processing of your affidavit, you'll have a spare copy of your travel documents with you.
Cebu Pacific Flights from Cebu to Hong Kong arrives at HK International at around 12:45AM and since there's no MTR transport after 12MN, we would sleep at the airport and wait for 6AM for the Airport Express to Central Station.
TIP: If you are planning to sleep in your booked hotel/ Hostel right after you arrived at the airport and you arrived after 12MN, your only choice of transport is a taxi or hotel bus. A Taxi will cost you HKD400 from the airport to Kowloon, thats around PHP2400.00. Hotel buses are free. And if you will be riding the public transport, which runs from 6AM to 12MN, be sure to purchase the 3 Day Electronic Unlimited Octopus Card for HKD300.00(updated price 08-08-09) inclusive of roundtrip airport express and 3 day unlimited MTR rides.HKD50 will be refunded upon surrendering the octopus card upon leaving HK International Airport which could be claimed at the Airport Express counter on the ground level of the HK Intl. Airport. That would save you much money on transportation when going around HK. And If you are staying for more than 3 days, you could purchase a HKD55.00 (updated price 08-08-09) 1 Day Unlimited MTR Ride.You could keep the MTR Card after as a souvineer. The 3 day unlimited card could just be tapped on the MTR Station entrance and for the 1 way ticket and 1 day unlimited cards, you need to put it on the card slot and get the card back because you need it when you exit the station. For more information on Octopus Cards you could visit
http://www.kcr.com.hk/eng/train/products_index.html
Be sure you get tourist maps at Map stands inside the airport to guide you on where to go when your in Hong Kong. Don't worry they're free! Maps at 711 shops are for sale, so be sure you get your free maps inside the airport before lining up for immigration.
Places of Interest and How to get there:
1. DISNEYLAND www.hongkongdisneyland.com
(1 Day Pass Price: HKD 350) (updated price 08-08-09)
(Open daily from 9am to 7pm)
MTR and interchange for the Disneyland Resort Line at Sunny Bay Station.
- Only 23 minutes from the Hong Kong International Airport, MTR Airport station,
- 22 minutes from MTR Kowloon station
2. Po Lin Monastery (Giant Buddha) No Fee
Alight at Tung Chung MTR take Exit B, and then take bus 23 from Tung Chung Town Centre.
or take the Ngong Ping 360 Cable car.
3. OCEAN PARK www.oceanpark.com.hk
(Price for 1 day adult pass HKD 250 and 3-11yrs. old 1 day pass is125HKD)
Open Daily from 9Am to 6:30PM
Address: Aberdeen, Hong Kong Island
Route: City Bus 629 in Admiralty MTR Station
4. Victoria Peak
(Peak Tram round trip around HKD50.00)
Take the MTR to Central and make your way to the J2 exit of the Central MTR station.
Turn right, through Chater Garden, cross Queen's Road Central and make your way up
Garden Road. You will pass the Bank of China Tower and Citibank Plaza on your left and St John's Cathedral on your right before arriving at the terminus, which is to your left.
5. Repulse Bay HK Island (no Fee)
Take Bus 6, 6A, 6X, 66, 260 from Central (Exchange Square) Bus Terminus and alight at Repulse Bay
6. Kuwan Yum and Tin Hau Temple
a 5 minute walk from Repulse Bay(Follow Repulse Bay's instructions). If facing the beach, walk towards your left
6. Avenue of Stars (Symphony of lights is 8pm Daily) No Fee
Alight at Tsim Sha Tsui MTR then take Exit F towards subway East Tsim Sha Tsui KCR station and take Exit J and follow the signs.
7. Wong tai Sin Temple (2HKD donation/fee when entering the garden)
How to Get There: Take Exit B3 on Wong Tai Sin Station
8. Knutsford Steps
How to get there: MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station Exit B1, turn right and go straight along Nathan Road until you reach the Miramar Shopping Centre. Then, turn right into Kimberly Road and walk up the steep hill on your left.
TRANSPORTATION MAP (MTR ROUTE)
click map for a better view
CLIMATE IN HONG KONG click a season for the readable version
Below is the Itinerary I made and my friends and I used during our last year backpacking trip with my friends complete with the expenses. Please take note that this was last year(2008) and prices may not be the same at this time.
Hong Kong- Shenzhen-Macau Itinerary
November 13-21, 2008
| November 13, 2008, Thursday |
| 7:00pm | Mactan International Airport | Flight no. 5J238 | Airfare: 7,542php Travel Tax: 1620php Terminal fee: 500 |
| 9:45pm | Depart Mactan Intl. Airport |
| 11:55pm | Arrive at Hong Kong Intl. Airport | | |
| November 14, 2008, Friday |
| 12:00mn | Hong Kong Intl. Airport | Sleep at airport until 5am |
| 5:01am | Eat breakfast, brush teeth, |
| 6:01am | Go to Monkok to leave bags @ hostel |
| 7:00am | Wong Tai sin Temple | Wong Tai Sin station |
| 8:30am | Mongkok (hostel) | Ah Shan Dragon Inn to Check In HKD 390/day for 3 persons = 801php/day per person |
| 10:00am | Disneyland Hong Kong | HKD 295 = 1770php |
| 7:00pm | Watch fireworks |
| 9:00pm | Mongkok (hostel) | Sleep |
| November 15, 2008, Saturday |
| 9:00am | Mongkok (hostel) | Assembly Time |
| 10:00am | Mongkok | Group Breakfast |
| 11:00am | Tsuen Wan | Ferry to Macau Turbo Jet 1 way : HKD 146 = 950php |
| 12:30noon | Jetfoil Terminal Macau | Macau |
| 1:00pm | Sanva Hostel | Check in Hostel Double regular room = 100HKD/ person/day 600php/person/day |
| 2:00pm | Venetian Hotel | Late Lunch at the Venetian |
| 5:00pm | Macau Tower | Watch Fireworks |
| 6:30pm | Sanva Hotel | |
| 7:00pm | Group Dinner | |
| 9:00pm | SanVa Hostel | Sleep |
| November 16, 2008, Sunday |
| 8:00am | SanVa Hotel | Assembly |
| 8:15am | World Heritage | |
| 11:30pm | |
| 12:00noon | SanVa Hostel | Checkout |
| 1:00pm | Casino Lisboa | Watch Grand Prix |
| 3:00pm | Fisherman’s wharf | Macau |
| 5:00pm | Jetfoil Terminal | Leave for Hong Kong Turbo Jet 1 way : HKD 146 = 950php |
| 7:00pm | Tsuen Wan | Hong Kong |
| 8:00pm | Mongkok | Check in Hostel HKD 390/day for 3 persons = 810php/day per person X 4 nights = 3240php for 4 nights |
| 9:00am | Sleep |
| November 17, 2008, Monday |
| 9:00am | Mong Kok (hostel) | Assembly Time |
| 10:00am | Aberdeen | Ocean Park Admission: HKD 208 = 1352PHP |
| 6:30pm | Leave for Victoria Harbour | Tsim Sha Tsui |
| 7:00pm | Victoria Harbor | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Tsim Sha Tsui | Symphony of lights |
| 9:00pm | Mong Kok (hostel) | Sleep |
| November 18, 2008, Tuesday |
| 8:00am | Mong Kok (hostel) | Assembly |
| 9:00am | Leave for Shenzhen Tsim Sha Tsui East Rail | Fare one way: HKD 35 = 227.50PHP |
| 10:00am |
| 12:00noon | Shenzhen | Lo Wu |
| 1:00pm | WOW Shenzhen | Admission: CNY: 120 = 720php |
| 8:00pm | Leave for Lo wu |
| 9:00pm | Lo Wu | To Hong Kong Fare one way: HKD 35 = 227.50PHP |
| 11:00pm | Mongkok (Hostel) | Sleep |
| November 19, 2008, Wednesday |
| 9:00am | Mongkok (Hostel) | Assembly Time |
| 10:00am | Ngong Ping Village | Roundtrip cable car: 88HKD= 572php |
| 2:00pm | Leave for Victoria Peak |
| 4:30pm | Central | Victoria Peak Roundtrip Tram Ride: 48HKD = 312php |
| |
| |
| 8:00pm | Monkok | |
| 8:30pm | Shopping at Night Market |
| 9:00pm | Sleep |
| | | |
| November 20, 2008, Thursday |
| 9:00am | Mongkok (Hostel) | Assembly Time |
| 10:00am | Kowloon | Kowloon Park |
| 12noon | Repulse Bay | Picnic Lunch @ Repulse Bay |
| 6:30pm | Sunset |
| 7:00pm | Mongkok (Hostel) | Walk at the night Market |
| 8:00pm | Mongkok (Hostel) | Get Bags |
| 10:00pm | Airport | Check In |
| November 21, 2008, Friday |
| 12:05am | Hong Kong Intl Airport | Flight no. 5J239 Depart |
| 3:05am | Mactan Intl. Airport | Arrival |
| | | |
Will be posting tips and guides to Macau and Shenzhen soon! : )
Jurong Bird Park is one of my favorite attractions in Singapore. If your planning to go here, I advise you to alot 1 whole day for Jurong Bird Park. To get to Jurong Bird Park by public transport, you can take either the MRT or by bus. I took the MRT and alighted at Boon Lay Station and transfered to SBS number 194 or 251 at the Boon Lay Bus Interchange. You can also take the bus serviced by Bushub Services PVT. LTD., for more information pls. click here.
Jurong Bird Park boasts 4 Free Flight Aviaries: African Waterfall Aviary, Jungle Jewels Flight Aviary, Lori Loft and Southeast Asian Bird Aviary.
African Waterfall Aviary is inspired by African Tropical rainforest which is home to 50 species of birds, comprising of Starlings, Turacos, Carmine Bee-eaters, Rollers, Red and Yellow Barbet, Whydahs, Weavers, Parrots, White-Faced Tree Ducks, Helmeted Guinea fowls, South African Crowned Cranes and Egyptian Geese to name a few other special features include: two Observation Posts also part of the shelter area, where one can sit and take a leisurely break from the climb. From these posts, one can view the waterfall and observe exceptionally shy birds at close proximity. African roots take pride in this lovely and scenic walk-in aviary, considered until today the worlds largest. Visitors can make a choice of arriving on foot or via the African Waterfall Aviary station.
