A a lot more updated version of this post can be found here:
Hong Kong travel Guide
First Time Abroad: airport Guide
Our trip to Hong Kong was filled with first times. For starters, it was my family’s first trip abroad. It was also my first time in Hong Kong. It was their first time to ride the plane and first time to stay at an airport. imagine the excitement of my mom, sister, niece and nephew. That’s why even though our flight was scheduled at 5:40 am, we were already at the NAIA terminal 3 as early as 3am.
What to Do Upon checking In
Cebu Pacific Air’s check in counter opens at around 4am so we had a full hour to kill. We made a decision to check the crucial items that we needed to bring. I’d like to share with you our check list!
Passports
Cebu Pacific Air tickets/itinerary
DSWD travel clearance (only if you have minors whose parents are not opting for you)
Valid IDs (just to be safe. The passport serves as an ID already)
Credit cards (in case we made a decision to splurge)
Money (in us dollars)
Maps of Hong Kong
Our travel plan in Hong Kong
A sheet of paper where we wrote crucial contact numbers and addresses (Important!)
Pero!
You might be thinking, “Why must I bring a pen?” Well, you will need it. In fact, one of the first things you must do is to find a stack of immigration forms at the check in counter. accomplish the immigration form by supplying personal information and the address of the hotel where you will be staying. thus the sheet of paper with addresses and contact numbers in the check list. You must also accomplish forms for the children with you. You will need to present these forms with your passport and ticket upon check in.
After filling out the forms, we fell in line and when it was our turn, we handed the check-in agent our documents. We made a decision not to check in any baggage considering that we were traveling light. but apparently, my sister brought an umbrella. Umbrellas are not allowed to be hand-carried in the Philippines so we had to throw it away. poor umbrella.
Travel tax and departure Fee
After the check-in agent processed our boarding passes, he asked us to pay the travel tax and departure fee first (the counter for this is at the near end of the airport).
Travel tax — P1,620
Departure fee — P550.
After paying, we returned to the check-in counter and secured our boarding passes. (We didn’t have to fall in line this time. The check-in agent just handed them to us.) We then headed to the immigration Booths to have our passports stamped. Yipee! may tatak na naman passport ko! basic joys, sorry. 😛
And then of course, the final safety check.
During the Flight
Our plane departed at exactly 5:40am as scheduled. My niece and nephew couldn’t believe they were on a plane. They kept on looking outside. It was sunrise and the clouds entertained the kids.
At one point during the flight, flight attendants distributed arrival cards to all passengers. We accomplished it.
Don’t forget to fill out these forms because you will have to present it at the Customs/Immigration booths in Hong Kong.
Arriving at Hong Kong international Airport
Our plane landed two hours later, on schedule. However, we were quite saddened by the rain. It was raining so hard when we arrived.
Because our plane parked in the far end of the terminal, we had a long walk to the immigration Counter. We walked really, really fast because we kinda expected the long lines at this point considering that the immigration Officers would be asking routine questions to tourists.
When we approached the immigration Counters, we presented our passports and immigration cards (the forms we submitted on the plane). As expected, the immigration Officers asked us routine questions like “When is your flight back to Manila? Where will you stay? Do you know any individual in Hong Kong?”
Another crucial thing to remember is that taking pictures around the immigration area is prohibited.
Hong Kong tourism Board visitor information and Octopus Cards
After going through Immigration, we chose to drop by the Hong Kong tourism Board visitor information to get complimentary brochures and maps. Yes, it’s complimentary so don’t be shy grabbing some.
We also gotten Octopus Cards for each of us. It was wise to get Octopus Cards because every form of transportation we would use accepted Octopus Cards. We didn’t have to worry about coins or change. All we need to do was flash the card when boarding the bus or train.
The standard Octopus Card costs HK$100 plus HK$50 deposit. There is a special rate for children: HK$20 load and HK$50 deposit. The deposit for both standard and children’s cards is refundable when you surrender the card. To learn a lot more about Octopus Cards, visit their official web site here.
Exchanging Currencies (PHP or US$ to HK$)
While we were planning the trip, we learned from online communities that although the exchange ratE na letisku boli dobré, meniče peňazí v Tsim Sha Tsui (centrum) používali lepšie ceny.
Naším pôvodným plánom bolo len vymeniť malé množstvo, dosť na raňajky a cestovné autobusy, a potom previesť veľa našich amerických dolárov na HK dolárov v Tsim Sha Tsui. Našťastie sme to nemuseli robiť vzhľadom na to, že sme už mali chobotné karty a to bolo všetko, čo musíme ísť do Tsim Sha Tsui.
Z letiska po Tsim sha tsui
Náš hotel Tai San sa nachádza v Tsim Sha Tsui. Presne je to v 15. poschodí, Burlington House, 91-94 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Dostať sa tam z letiska trvá iba jazda autobusom. Bolo skvelé, že dážď trochu ustúpil.
Vyhľadajte túto značku, ak beriete autobus do Tsim Sha Tsui. Vyhľadajte známku A21. (Airbus 21)
Moja neter pózuje pre vačku, keď čaká na autobus. Hongkonskí miestni obyvatelia s ňou stále hovorili a hovorili nám, aká roztomilá bola!
Moja neter sa teší z dlhej jazdy!
Aby sme sa tam dostali, nastúpili sme na Airbus 21, dvojitý autobus Decker. Bola to dlhá jazda, ale nespali sme. Nechceli sme preskočiť našu zastávku. Vedeli sme, že autobusová stanica TSIM Sha Tsui bola 13. zastávkou (pričom letisko je prvé), takže hlúpo, ako to môže znieť, skutočne sme spočítali počet zastávok. (V skutočnosti sme to nemuseli robiť, pretože názov zastávky bol zobrazený na obrazovke vo vnútri zbernice.)
Viac nápadov na YouTube ⬇
Súvisiace príspevky:
Tsim sha tsui do Disneyland Hong Kong od MTR
Rodinná cesta v Hongkongu: zhrnutie, cestovný plán a rozpočet
Hongkong a Macau: Sprievodca cestovným rozpočtom
7 bezplatných vecí, ktoré musíte robiť v Hongkongu
Hongkongský cestovný sprievodca s plánom cestovného rozpočtu
Hongkong Disneyland: Zľavnené lístky a cestovný sprievodca
Itinerár Hongkongu: 12 najlepších vecí, ktoré môžete navštíviť, a miesta na návštevu
Opätovné otvorenie Hongkongu Disneyland: Zoznam nových usmernení o zdraví a bezpečnosti