Going to Hong Kong thread [Merged]

[mazdamazda]

Thanks for the tips guys. Potek... lamig pala ngayon dun. :cold:

Re: currency exchange... what's better? PHP-to-HKD or USD-to-HKD? Planning to use my CC na lang to purchase electronics.

[boybi]

Magpapalit ka na ng konting HKD dito para may magamit na kayo agad pagdating sa HK. Then magbaon nalang kayo ng USD just in case need nyo pa ng additional na pang shopping.

Sa CC, ang ok na gamitin, if you have 1, is HSBC. Mababa ang conversion rate nila sa HKD-PHP

[smooth]

i don't know if this is OT but while we're in the subject of hongkong...

i'm sure you guys have seen the phil ofw's converging in certain parts of hongkong on sundays. nagkikita-kita sila at nagkekwentuhan kapag day off nila para magkwentuhan at magpalipas-oras. sabi nila, they do this para nga naman makatipid, upang mas malaki ang maipadalang pera sa pamilya nila sa pinas. ang tanong ko: can't the phil government provide them a better venue? i took a snapshot while riding the bus kaya lang hindi ako marunong mag-post ng pic. kanino ko ba pwede i-pm ang pic para ma-i-post dito? thanks.

sa ganang akin lang: sobrang laki ng naitutulong ng remittance ng mga kapatid nating ofw's sa hongkong. sana man lang ay makapag-provide ang gobyerno natin ng magandang lugar kung saan maidaos nila ang kanilang weekly na pagtitipon ng maaliwalas.

[Isuzoom]

sir ok yan idea mo pero ang problema chinese territory ang HK wala jurisdiction ang pinoy government.....ang kung meron man walang malasakit ang pinoy government natin sa mga hero na OFW...yung mga diplomats lang natin ang busog.

[ale828]

I will be going to HK this december.
I was wondering if anyone who just came from HK know the exchange rate for Euros is there? i am planning to bring Euros instead of US dollars. Might get a little bit more if i use Euros.
Does anyone know the large building which houses lots of Cellphone tiangge shops in Mongkok? forgot the location in mongkok.

[mazdamazda]

Magpapalit ka na ng konting HKD dito para may magamit na kayo agad pagdating sa HK. Then magbaon nalang kayo ng USD just in case need nyo pa ng additional na pang shopping.

Sa CC, ang ok na gamitin, if you have 1, is HSBC. Mababa ang conversion rate nila sa HKD-PHP

Thanks for the tips!

[onedayoldchick]

kapag dito ka bibili ng HK dollar P5 someting lang. kapag dating dun P7=$1hkd na

OT: kung mamimili ako mga electronics etc... etc. dun then ill ship it through Balikbayan box wala ba magiging problema sa customs? ddeclare ko nalang mga 2nd hand items. bubuksan paba un?
kapag kasi galing US wala naman problem kapag nagpaparating ako using balibayan box.
balak ko kasi bumiyahe, mamili. den padala ko nalang ng balikbayan box.

[mazdamazda]

HK peeps... open na ba ulit ang Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail?

Thanks!

[ghosthunter]

CARGOBOY wrote:

Guys,

I owe my kids a trip in hongkong by end of February.
The itinerary include 1 day in Disneyland and 1 day in Ocean Park. This would be 3 nights trip in Hongkong.

Now i need some help on where could we booked for this trip? I just need a hotel not expensive but not too cheap as i cannot sacrifice comfort for my family.

Do you have any suggestions?
By the way, How far is Disneyland from Ocean Park?

Thanks in advance to your help

I would suggest any hotel near a MTR station.

As for Disney... if your starting point if Admirality MTR station, it would probably take you around 45 minutes to get to Disney via MTR.

For Ocean Park, starting from Admiralty MTR station, you can take the bus from the MTR station and it would take around 30 minutes.

http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/index.jsp

http://www.oceanpark.com.hk/eng/main/index.html

http://park.hongkongdisneyland.com/h...?name=HOMEPage

I suggest you use the MTR subway system as it is the most convienient way of getting around Hong Kong. The "Octopus Card" can pay for the trains, bus and even taxi cabs. It can also be used to pay at 7-11 stores, McDo and KFC as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_card

http://www.octopuscards.com/consumer/en/index.jsp


As for the actual booking, I would suggest trying at a travel agent, it might actually come out cheaper than booking by yourself.

Here's a travel agency I usually deal with:
Multi-Destination
Tel: 252-8451; 2528452; 252-8453; 252-8454

[tsokolate]

you should also try goint to THE PEAK. kitang-kita talaga ang buong HK.

[Galactus]

Yup, ganda ng view from the Peak. Better try riding the double decker going UP, bibilib ka talaga sa mga drivers, kasi 2 lane road lang pero kasya sila kahit may kasalubong na kotse.

Going DOWN, try the tram, just for the experience. Personally, I wasn't bowled over by it. Less than 10 minutes yung ride, and no spectacular views (just trees and slanted buildings, tapos hindi pa air-conditioned).

[mazdamazda]

Ganda nga ng view from The Peak, here's my noob shot of it:

[Puchok]

Ok ba yung mga package na offer na travel agency like 3 nights & 4 days ksama hotel accomodation & tour?

Anyone knows kung saan travel agency mura package nila? any Idea of the rates?

Thanks!

[Altis6453]

Was in HK recently. Guys, its freaking cold! Averaging about 10 deg. Celsius during the day and even lower in the evenings. Tapos ulan pa (di malakas pero dagdag nginig). When I close my umbrella, the water runs through my fingers and its like dipping your hands in ice water. It's winter in China kasi.

Just a tip. Bring your heavy weather clothes, preferably a long coat or trench coat, leather jacket and sweater to wear over a long sleeved shirt. Boots would be a plus, but if you're doing a lot of walking, rubber shoes would do --- just make sure your socks are thick.

[mazdamazda]

Ok ba yung mga package na offer na travel agency like 3 nights & 4 days ksama hotel accomodation & tour?

Anyone knows kung saan travel agency mura package nila? any Idea of the rates?

Thanks!

For a HK trip, I suggest that you just book (online preferably) & plan on your own (instead of being confined to a guided tour). It's quite easy to go around HK because of the MTR & well-labeled streets and tourist attractions (plus just get a brochure or two of the tourists destinations at the airport, but do research & plan in advance).

[marv25]

guys and gals,

balak ng family (8 adults, & 5-yr old boy) pumunta hongkong next month, 4th week siguro ... bigay naman kayo ng tips for a diy tour ... 3D/2N lang siguro ...

1. plane fare - mura daw cebu pacific? but some members of the family wants cathay pacific, gusto ko yung umaga ang flight para sulit yung first day and night return trip ... your thoughts?

2. hotel - maganda siguro yung tsim-sha-tsui area ... which do you recommend with reasonable price and good service?

3. sightseeing - what are the nice places for sightseeing and kodakans? maganda ba yung space museum nila? ano ba yung mga must-see places? most people say victoria peak and ocean park, what else? i don't think we have enough time for shenzhen, unless we end up with 4D/3N arrangement.

4. shopping - saan murang damit, electronic stuff (say pda, digicam accessories, pc components)?

afaik, expensive na rin mga bilihin sa hongkong so i'll probably concentrate on being the self-appointed tour specialist and photographer ... so i need some help to make the trip hassle-free as much as possible ... dami na rin info from the net but your tips from personal experience are also welcome ... especially from hongkong-based tsikoteers dba?

eto pa, looking at some maps in the web, i find that MTR from airport do not connect directly to tsim-sha-tsui station but rather the kowloon station which is some distance from tsim-sha-tsui ... so how we travel from kowloon station to hotel in tsim-sha-tsui area? by bus? taxi? or maybe a bus from airport to hotel directly?

thanks in advance ... i'm sure meron pa akong tanong later

We've been there twice ever since HK Disneyland opened. First time was the first friday disneyland was opened, and the last one was last summer vacation.

1. Plane fare - on both trips, we took philippine airlines. Yes cebu pacific is cheaper but you arrive in HK in the middle of the night and transportation to the hotel will be a problem. Sayang ang day because you will be sleepy. The airport is very far from HK proper.


2. Hotel - Our first stay was in "Knutsford" in Tsim Tsa Tsui... Walk 2 blocks to the nearest MTR Subway station. 7-11 store right beside. But that hotel has been closed down na. On our 2nd stay, we stayed in Shamrock Hotel in Jordan. MTR station is just a few steps away from the entrance of the hotel. There is Mcdo nearby. Night market is also nearby.

3. Sightseeing - Disneyland and Ocean park. Night market, harbor something...

4. Shopping - clothes and some electronics are in the "night market" which is only open at night. quite crowded, and cheap. Its near Shamrock hotel but i forgot the street. Its one stretch of road filled with tents. As for cellphones, cameras, etc. there are many electronic stores along nathan road (maraming neon "sony" sign")(and when shopping, dont look to "rich" coz they will increase the price when they see that your rich. and bring the price to the lowest possible. when they say thats the lowest na, sabihin mo "okay" then pretend to leave. They will immediately chase you while shouting lower prices.



As for the MTR from the airport, the MTR from the airpoirt will stop at a certain section which is a bridge. You can get off the train and get on another one which lane is going to your destination. All the MTRs connect to each other, but there are many different lanes. In our case, we took the bus... (travel agency)...

[vctradingcubao]

Ganda naman ng pic ni mazda2 sa Peak. sayang, na miss ko yan last december when we went there. Sarap sa HK, gusto ko nga bumalik; ipon muna uli!

[AnuVaYan]

Whew! 31 pages... tinyaga ko basahin hehe. Planning to go to HK din. Hinahanap ko yung ymca na $70+ lang / head pero hindi ko makita, di na din nag w-work yung provided na link.

Anyway, another concern naman bukod sa rooms... nakita ko ito sa virtual tourist, mahirap daw maghanap ng toilet sa HK? Pero yung latest comment ay 2005 pa, ganun pa din ba? Syempre kailangan prepared pati sa mga emergency call of nature hehehe, mahirap na baka madisgrasya.

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel...ts-BR-1.html#0

[boybi]

Mahirap magbook sa YMCA, always fully booked.

May mga malilinis na CR naman sa mga big department stores and malls. Kung nasa kalsada ka, try to look for a hotel, sigurado naman malinis CR sa hotel.

[mazdamazda]

Nahirapan din kami makahanap ng CR while shopping in Mongkok... nag Starbucks muna kami in a medium sized mall pero yung CR nila ay pang tenant lang (kailangan pa ng susi). What M2K & another lady did is to wait for an employee to open the said door.

Malapit sa harbor, may CR "daw" according sa sign... potek nung sinundan ko sa likod ako ng building napadpad... wala naman. I had to ask a caucasian tourist for the nearest restroom (sa loob ng McDo).