My husband and I have been traveling together for 5 years, some with friends, and sometimes just the two of us. Rarely do we travel with our families. It has always been my dream to travel with my family and relatives hence when the opportunity came to book cheap flights to Hong Kong, I gladly took advantage of the seat by Cebu Pacific. The timing was also perfect since my sister from the UAE was scheduled to go home and have a vacation. There were 15 of us plus 1 infant. Quite a big group and probably the biggest group I ever traveled with so far. Since the group consisted of many titos and titas, and 1 infant, I made sure that our itinerary is simple and easy-to-the-kneesy.

We arrived in Hong Kong around lunch time and damn was it hot. If I am not mistaken, summer in Hong Kong starts around September. Thankfully, our van driver was already at the airport when we arrived. One my aunt travels back and forth to Hong Kong hence she knows who to contact when it comes to hiring a van. We hired 2 vans to take is to our accommodation located Chungking Mansion in Tsim Sha Tsui. The travel time was around 40 minutes, and we paid HKD 300 for both of the vans. That’s around HKD 40 (PHP 280) per passenger.

When we arrived in Tsim Sha Tsui, I was surprised that it was full of tourist. Apparently, this city was the tourist hub of Hong Kon hence the many hostels. Inside Chungking mansion were many shops owned by Chinese, and migrants from India and Pakistan. Locating the correct elevator system/block was difficult at first. Luckily, the shop owners were very eager to help. We booked our accommodation (Bohol Hotel) via Traveloka using the vouchers worth PHP 3,500 we won from a photo contest (Thanks Traveloka!). Mind you though, the photos posted in the website looks way different compared to the actual rooms. The rooms were very small, barely enough to fit an average sized family. It is cheap I’ll give them that but you really get what you pay for. There’s also a 15% resort fee (whatever that is) that you have to pay upfront. Our hostel was located on the 17^th floor which was the topmost floor. Though waiting for the elevator took some time, being on the topmost floor meant that the elevator would be empty. It would’ve been a pain in the bum if our rooms were located somewhere on the middle floors.

Our first day in Hong Kong really just about exploring Tsim Sha Tsui. There were many shops, restaurants, tea bars, and cafes in the city. There were many interesting subjects and alleyways too which is perfect if you are into street photography. Kowloon Park is also located here. If you visit the part early in the morning, you will see many elderlies doing Tai Chi/meditation. There is also an aviary and a pond in Kowloon Park which I am sure kids would love.

Follow my husband’s Instagram account for more street photography!

Day 2: Disneyland.

Going to Disneyland via the MTR is quite easy. The hard part is knowing which train line to take. Just make sure to follow the map which you can get from the information desk. We actually made a mistake and exited prematurely which cost us HKD 25. An expensive mistake but hey, just charge it to experience.

Here ‘s the step-by-step instruction on how to get to Disneyland from Tsim Sha Tsui.

1. From Tsim Sha Tsui, purchase a ticket going to Disneyland (HKD 23 each), and head down the escalator going to where the train lines are. Line 1 is the one that you need to get on to.
2. Get off at Lai King station and transfer to the train that passes by Sunny Bay.
3. Get off at Sunny Bay and from there, take the train going to Disneyland.

If you are wondering where we get our discounted Disneyland tickets, please contact Cisz Francisco. Check her on Facebook.

We arrived at Disneyland around 11 a.m. The sun was scorching hot hence don’t forget to wear caps, and apply sunblock if you plan to visit this time of the year. Vouchers can be converted to tickets at the guest relations office.

A couple of days prior to visiting Disneyland, it was hit by a typhoon. We were worried that the place would be a mess but to our surprise, it seemed like nothing happened. No trace of the typhoon whatsoever. That’s the magic of Mickey for you folks! There were many attractions for kids and kids-at-heart alike. I really enjoyed the Festival of Flights and the Festival of the Lion King. Since Disneyland is quite a massive place, be sure to get your hands on the resort map so you won’t get lost. It’s also a good way to plan your itinerary for the day. Food and beverage inside the resort will cost you an arm and a leg so if you can manage to bring snacks and bottled with you, that would be great. There are drinking fountains inside the resort so don’t throw those bottles away. Better yet, just bring a tumbler.

Overall, our stay in Disneyland was truly a magical time. We ended the day with the light show along Main Street.

Day 3: Ngong Ping 360

Ngong Ping 360 and visiting Ngong Ping village was the highlight of this trip for me. I get motion sickness when I ride cars but riding Ngong Ping 360 cable cars was a breeze. The view from inside the cabin was fantastic. I did not imagine that we would go so high up but still, it was really fun. The tallest tower on Ngong Ping 360 is Tower 2B at 55 meters high! A great experience for the family. The ride will take you from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping Village, and vice versa. We purchased our Ngong Ping 360 tickets via KKday. I suggest you do this as well if you don’t want to wait in line for a long time. We only paid PHP 1023 per head for the round trip standard cabin ride. Much cheaper compared to other booking apps! Crystal cabins (where the floor of the cabin is transparent) are also available but it would cost you more. We chose the standard ones since my mom, and my aunt is afraid of heights. The ride from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping village lasted for about 25 minutes.

Hurry! Download the KKday app now at https://www.kkday.com/en-ph/product/4360?CID=6355 for a hassle-free booking and to avoid the long queues. 

Unlike Tsim Sha Tsui, Ngong Ping village is really laid back. There were many beautiful architectures and little shops which were very picturesque. Free roaming cows were also present. They were quite friendly but you are not allowed to touch them. You wouldn’t want to be touched by a random person, do you? There are also bars, restaurants, and café in the village should you want to take things slow and just relax. You may opt to visit the big Buddha statue located at the top of a mountain as well if you are feeling energetic. Get ready for a hike though as it would take you 268 steps to get there. I recommend that you do visit the Buddha as the view from the top is really outstanding.

Getting to Tung Chung via MTR is similar to the getting to Disneyland. The difference is that instead of getting off at Sunny Bay, you get off at Tung Chung station instead.

After our cable car ride and Ngong Ping village tour, we decided to go to Mongkok, which is along the way going back to Tsim Sha Tsui. It is actually just 2 stations away from Tsim Sha Tsui. The Ladies Market is located in Mongkok. This is where you can buy all sorts of cheap items such as bags, clothing, toys, watches etc. Also, if you want to try Hong Kong street food, this is the place to be.

Day 4: It was our last day in Hong Kong. Time to buy some pasalubong for friends and family. A good place to buy pasalubong is at Best Mart 360 which is located not very far from Chungking Mansion. Chocolates, candies, dried squid, fish, beef jerky, you name it! Everything is there and the items are quite cheap as well.

Click here to view the price list of Best Mart 360

Overall, our trip to Hong Kong was really fun. Visiting Disneyland was a dream come true, and Ngong Ping 360 was unforgettable. There were many places that we did not go to such as the Ocean Park, and we could’ve gone to Macau as well but hey, this gives us a reason to go back!

TIPS:

• Bring an umbrella or wear a cap if you plan to visit Disneyland at this time of the year. Bring a water tumbler, as well as bottled water, is very expensive inside the resort (HKD 28).
• Food is quite expensive in Hong Kong. If you are running out of cash, there’s always 7/11.
• Consider buying an octopus card if you plan to do a city tour. This way, you won’t have to buy tickets every time you ride the MTR or a bus.
• Book Ngong Ping 360 tickets in advance via KKday
• Best Mart 360 is the place to be to buy pasalubong
• Download the MTR app or secure an MTR map to avoid getting lost

Contacts:

HK Van Rental (JJ)- +85294772071

Cisz Francisco (discounted HK Disneyland) – 09455087685. https://m.facebook.com/gutsygarb

KKDay PH – For hassle-free HK – Macau bookings

You can also try booking your accommodation via Airbnb. Click here and you’ll get ₱1,600 off your first trip.

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FULL ITINERARY AND BUDGET BREAKDOWN