As I write this, I am currently around 20,000+ up from the ground as I leave Hong Kong. It has been an amazing trip, although of course there had been some mishaps. This is my first time going out of the country hence a little clueless with certain things such using the MTR, going thru immigrations, and whatnot. Here's a bullet post to sum up my trip: Things I Learned from HK & Macau: * MTR is an efficient way to travel and go places around HK. The map looks a bit confusing but it really is simple. Buy an octopus card so that you won't have to buy tickets repeatedly. We loaded our card with $150 and we only consumed $97, the rest had been refunded in the airport. * Be aware of the weather! I thought HK has the same weather with PH, hence I brought summer clothes. Boooh! Current HK weather: 13 degree celsius! Brrr! * Don't trust Airbnb reviews and pictures. We booked a whole apartment with Airbnb expecting the room to be what it is in the picture, but when we got there, the room is so tiny we would bump into each other. It wasnt as clean as I expected, the lift and the building itself looks old, and the comfort room is way way wayyyy too quaint. The only thing I liked about it is the location, since it's near with the MTR, some Chinese restos and shops. * When travelling in Macau, there are shuttles you can use for free. These shuttles are sponsored by different hotels and casinos. I suggest you ride a bus going to Wynn Hotel, because it's just a few minutes walk to Ruins of St Paul and nearby tourist spots. Walk around the city and ride another bus going to Galaxy Macau, this place is awesome. Surely, we had to try playing in the Casino. I tried the slot machine, and voila, my $10 became $153. Beginner's luck, indeed :) After playing, we got out the hotel and walked inside another hotel called Diamond Hotel, they have this place wherein it has this amazing water fountain show you shouldn't miss. After it, walked out of the hotel and ride another shuttle going to the Venetian Hotel. * Never use a duffle bag for a 5 day trip. Hahaha. Silly me, I had to endure pain in my back, shoulder and arms. Argh. * Purchase your Disneyland ticket online! The ticket costs $539 if you buy it in Disneyland ticketing office, but we bought our tickets from Klook.com for only $480 :) * Use your most comfortable shoes. Touring is fun, but it requires lots of walking and if you want to avoid blisters around your toes, wear something comfy. * Chinese people aren't really good with English. But fret not, sign languages sometimes do work. Hahaha. * Ladies Market offers wide variety of souvenirs and clothes. Haggle for prices and you'd be surprised how a $300 watch could go down $150 :) * HK airport is so big we almost lost our flight. When we checked in, we had a little trouble finding the departure area. Little did we know that we had to ride the train to transfer from the check in counters to the immigration centers and then to the boarding gates. * If you're going to travel with kids, bring tons of patience with you. Hahaha. * Shop in Mongkok, stay in Kowloon. Aaaaand that's all for now :) We just landed in Manila and I'm about to get off the plane :)
