Introduction
For our first trip abroad, we chose Hong Kong in February 2024. It’s only a 2.5-hour flight from Manila, and Visa is not required. It was a last-minute trip, mainly to visit Disneyland and roam around.
Accommodation
We booked the Rumber Oasis Hotel six nights in advance on bookings.com. From the international airport, it is one hour by public transportation. We took the “Airport Express” to Tsing Yi Station and then the Minibus 88F to the bus stop “Rambler Crest Tower 3”.
The Rambler Crest is a complex with hotels, condominiums, grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and much more. We took public transportation, which took about fifty minutes to get to downtown Hong Kong.
Public Transportation
Google Maps was the easiest way for us to navigate in Hong Kong. We preferred buses and minibuses. Bus number 42A has a bus stop close to our hotel, and with some planning, it took us to the city in only fifty minutes. In the town, we occasionally use the metro or trams. But buses are still more unique. There are double-deckers; if you sit in the front, you have a great view of all the towers and lighting while driving through the city!
Another link for more information about public transportation.
Food
We had breakfast daily at Café Coral next to our hotel. For Lunch, we bought groceries and made sandwiches to eat during activities. In the evening, we had dinner at a restaurant in the city. We preferred Chinese restaurants where local workers eat.
Our favorite is HoY Yuet Restaurant. It is a Hong Kong-style café. They are called “Cha chaan teng” 茶餐廳. They serve local cuisine and Western dishes. The menu is only available in Chinese, but it’s worth a try and decent if you are on a tight budget.
If we liked to try street food when we went to Temple Street.
Activities
The first activity we did was riding the Observation Wheel. There we got great pictures of the city. In the evening we like to go to the Avenue of Stars. It is a wide waterfront promenade. In the evening you can enjoy the short light show.
Another day, we took The Peak Tram to a historic hilltop at Victoria Peak.
Other memorable places you should check out are the K11 Mall and a Man Mo Temple.
Disneyland
The main highlight of our trip was to visit Disneyland Hong Kong. We bought a day pass with a lunch, meal, and snack included on the Klook App. The opening was at 10:30 AM, and we took the metro to go there at 09 AM.
Before we entered the park, we installed the park app on our phones. It’s easier to navigate and shows queue times of rollercoasters and much more. Wi-Fi in the park is available but is relatively slow because of the number of guests.
Food, as in every theme park, is overly expensive. We prepared sandwiches and snacks in the hotel, so that we can eat while queuing up for attractions. We redeemed our lunch voucher for a burger with fries at the snack bar.
The park has eight themed areas, but Tomorrowland and Grizzly Gulch were our favorites.
Joan liked the roller coaster “Grizzly Mountain Runaway” the most. For me, a simple handshake with Iron Man blew me away 😊.
Nightlife
For two evenings, we stayed in the city until midnight. For nightlife, we went to Lan Kwai Fong. There were lots of bars, and we had a glass of wine.
Tips
We bought a SIM Card directly at the airport. There are cheap options if you only need data.
To wash our clothes, we went to a Laundry Yup near our hotel. It has self-service machines and operates 24 hours a day.
Expenses in Hong Kong Dollars
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Return Flight Ticket from Manila to Hong Kong $2'655
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Rambler Hotel for 6 Nights $1'740
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Train from HK Airport to Tsing Yi Station $130
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Meals at restaurants $1'265
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Groceries & Snacks $844
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Public Transportation $363
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Disneyland Ticket & Included Lunch with Snack $1'510
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SIM Card with 50 GB Data $33
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Various Activities $411
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Laundry & Dryer $66
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Disneyland Goodies $318
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Total: $9'335
Conclusion
Hong Kong is a lively city. People come from all over to travel or work. The city is clean and coordinated. We liked the hidden local bars; the prices are cheap there. In general, Hong Kong is very expensive. Two days might be enough to do what you want. We did it in a week.
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