Traveling abroad for the first time can be a nightmare for many. From applying for a passport to buying tickets, booking a hotel, and learning how to get there. All the small details can get daunting.
I remember the first time I travelled abroad, I was cool on the outside but a thousand “what ifs” were running in my mind. Luckily however, there are destinations that are easy for first time Dabawenyo travellers and one destination that ranks high in the easy to travel and explore list for Filipinos is Hong Kong.
Easy transfers
Just a mere hour and a half by plane from Manila or three and a half hour via Cathay Dragon’s soon to be launched Davao to Hong Kong direct flight, Hong Kong is one of the best places to visit for fledgeling travellers. Since the territory has just one airport, there is no chance of booking your flight into a different airport. There is also just one arrival terminal making it easier to find one’s bearing in an unfamiliar airport.
Getting to the city center is easy from Hong Kong International Airport. If you have money to burn, then take a taxi, the fare should be around HK$300 to get to Kowloon. For those on a budget, I highly suggest taking the bus. There is a board mapping out the routes of the busses and the corresponding fares. All you need to do is to look for the bus terminus and alight on the correctly numbered bus and pay the fare. Note however that the bus only accepts exact amounts and does not give change.
A trick is to purchase and load an Octopus tap card at the Airport Express terminus to use on the bus ride. The Octopus card is also the key to easy and convenient travel on Hong Kong’s vast MTR system which allows one to get from point-to-point quick and fast.
Fill your bucketlist
For many, Hong Kong is THE place to shop. With a tax-free environment, many things in Hong Kong tend to be more affordable even with the current lower value of the peso. One place to shop until you drop is Hong Kong’s Harbour City. The largest shopping mall in the territory, it hosts hundreds of stores from luxury brands to affordable labels, carrying anything from food, clothes, electronics, books, perfumes, and almost everything under the sun.
But if you are tight on the budget, there are still many things to see and experience around Hong Kong thanks to its many theme parks, public parks, street markets, and creativity centers such as PMQ, which houses around 100 design and creative enterprises in a revitalised historical site as well as the newly opened Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts which was built on the grounds of the former Hong Kong prison and police station now turned into an arts complex.
Hotel options
There are many options when you are looking for a place to stay in Hong Kong. There are affordable guest houses as well as tourist hotels that are clean and close to most of Hong Kong’s attractions, although the rooms are small in size, they are good enough to sleep after spending a day out exploring the city.
If you do have a budget though, I would suggest going for a proper hotel such as the Marco Polo Gateway Hotel. Located along Canton Road and right on top of Harbour City mall, the Marco Polo Gateway is the best jump off point for every Hong Kong trip since it is just a short walk to the MTR Tsim Sha Tsui station as well as a short walk to Hong Kong’s Star Ferry which connects Tsim Sha Tsui to Central and Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island. The complimentary Handy smartphone where one can tether their mobile phones get free unlimited internet access to also helps one navigate the city’s winding streets.
Of course coming back to the hotel after a while day of explorations is expected. Upon entering Marco Polo Gateway’s guestroom one is greeted by plush beddings, elegant appointments, and a comfortable space to unwind and relax.
Hong Kong may be a relatively small and compact territory, but what it lacks in space, it makes up in aces when it comes to experiences for fledgeling travellers.
