[HONG KONG] Budget and Itinerary (2)

FRIDAY: 10 May 2013

Taxi (Makati - NAIA 3) - 207.50

Rebook (Cebu Pacific) - 6,515.50

Travel Tax (NAIA 3) - 1,620.00
Le Bistro (Vanilla Milk Shake) - 165.00

Travel Tax (NAIA 3) - 550.00

Cebu Pacific (Manila - Hong Kong) - 2,150.00

PHP11,208.00

[HONG KONG] Tita Meryl Streep and the Foggy Peak

I was able to cover most of the popular tourist spots in Hong Kong when I came here two years ago: Ngong Ping, Disneyland, Ocean Park, Avenue of Stars. I decided to avoid The Peak because I remember arriving at the tram station and noticing a blockbuster queue which left me backing out. I have an aversion toward long lines. I was even more naïve back then and wasn't aware of alternative means to get there such as Bus 15 and its sisters 15A and 15B. Now I'm back, mostly for academic purposes but with a day or two to spare. While going back to Ocean Park to ride their new roller coaster was a tempting proposition, I decided to just give The Peak a chance. Being based at Causeway Bay, proximity is not really an issue. So, what did I see there? Aside from Tita Meryl Streep, nothing else but fog.

[HONG KONG] Budget and Itinerary

SUNDAY: July 17, 2011

Taxi (Makati - NAIA 3) - 117.00

Travel Tax (NAIA 3) - 1,620.00

Terminal Fee (NAIA 3) - 750.00

Cebu Pacific (Manila - Hongkong) - 1,038.00

Hot Chocolate (Cebu Pacific) - 80.00

Ham and Cheese (Cebu Pacific) - 100.00

PhP3,705.00

[HONG KONG] Ocean Park

If you want adventure and only have time for one theme park, then go to Ocean Park. Go to Disneyland if you want to reminisce your childhood. That shouldn’t be so hard because almost everyone has his or her own Disney story to relate to. Ocean Park has many facilities and attractions to offer not just for the thrill seeker but for the nature lover as well. A Giant Panda Park. The Grand Aquarium. A den of sea lions. A dancing fountain (laser light show ever 8 PM called Symbio). Cable cars. And thrill rides such as roller coasters and drops.

[HONG KONG] How to Disneyland

Disneylanding is easy and this article aims to give tips on how to enjoy Disneylanding. But before you Disneyland, you actually have to get to a Disneyland first, and the one in Hong Kong is not that hard to find. Just go to the nearest MTR station and press Disneyland on the screen of the ticket dispensing machine. It is somewhere on the left, pink line. You have to transfer trains at Sunny Bay station. Disneyland is the only station (aside from Sunny Bay) on that line. The ride won’t take more than 10 minutes. After that, you are free to Disneyland the whole day! You can Disneyland with your family. You can Disneyland with your friends. You can Disneyland with your ex. You can Disneyland with Mickey Mouse. You can Disneyland with anyone! How exciting! Hooray!

[HONG KONG] Ngong Ping 360

Tung Chung is the last MTR station to the west and that is where you get off to transfer to the cable car going to Ngong Ping. You can take the bus if you are acrophobic or simply strapped out of cash. You can also walk. I saw a trail going up the mountains that you could follow, but that would take a lot of time and energy. The view is fantastic up there, what with waterfalls and cliffs everywhere. Add the breeze and it’s almost heavenly.

[HONG KONG] Bright Lights, Busy Harbor

It took me an hour to cross the Hong Kong immigration counter. The queue was long, too many tourist arrivals at the airport. The three in front of me were also Filipinos. They were all escorted by an immigration official somewhere after taking too much time answering questions and presenting a plethora of documents to the officer. I thought it was also going to happen to me. Luckily, I was only asked how long I was going to stay. I showed my Macau - Manila e-ticket and I was good to go. Stamped, all done after five minutes. Now what?