The bus by the way is operating 24 hours. During day it has A and N at night.
A double decker bus wherein you can just leave your baggage at one single area to avoid hustles and bustles along the corridor. Worried it may get lost? Need not since that area is secured with a CCTV and you just can take a sit anywhere in the bus.
The usual mode of transportation in HK are buses, taxis and the MTR. You can either pay in cash (must be in exact amount since they will not give you any change) or you can use the so called Octopus Card.
You can have your Octopus Card at the Customer Service at the airport which opens from 6 am to 10 pm. It is a reloadable card with a deposit of 50 hkd which you can get back if you surrender the card. During our 6-day stay, 250 hkd was enough, including the 50 hkd deposit. You can have it reloaded at 7/11 stores and you can use it to pay not only for transportation but also at some stores like 7/11, McDo to name some.
The bus fare was around 34 hkd. You tap the card once when you enter the bus at the front. When you tap it, the screen lets you see how much the fare is and how much your remaining load is.
It was a 45 minute to an hour trip. It somehow served as a mini tour in HK minus the tourguide. You can appreciate the bridges and the infrastructures of HK while on the bus.
Buildings were everywhere. People were everywhere. As they say you can never get lost at HK, now I know why, because signs are everywhere. You just need to know where you want to go and have some map and viola! you can know where you are going.
Our hostel reception was located at Mirador Mansion on the 13th floor. We were lost as to where Mirador Mansion is, thanks to the signs and a little help of the police, we were able to know where it was. A big building only a few steps from where our bus stopped. When we were at the reception area, we were told that check in was still at 2 pm and it was still 11 am. So we decided to just leave our bags at the reception and come back.
Buildings were everywhere. People were everywhere. As they say you can never get lost at HK, now I know why, because signs are everywhere. You just need to know where you want to go and have some map and viola! you can know where you are going.
Our hostel reception was located at Mirador Mansion on the 13th floor. We were lost as to where Mirador Mansion is, thanks to the signs and a little help of the police, we were able to know where it was. A big building only a few steps from where our bus stopped. When we were at the reception area, we were told that check in was still at 2 pm and it was still 11 am. So we decided to just leave our bags at the reception and come back.
We were excited to stroll around, see Hong Kong in the dimming lights of the cloudy morning. Hong Kong with its busy streets with busy people.
We walked and walked, mind you there is so much to see when you try to walk and besides walking is the main way to get to places in a short distance ofcourse.
There are a lot of stores in the area of Tsim Sha Tsui. From Chinese herbal products to high end designer wear, everything is just a walking distance and some money to splurge.
Hong Kong is also rich in culinary taste. You can never go hungry once you are in HK. Food is available almost at every corner. It was already lunchtime and we decided to have our first taste of HK. I have also searched for places to dine, budget places in particular. First bite goes to Cafe de Coral.
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Cafe de Coral has budget combo meals ranging from 26 hkd to 40 hkd. Complete meals with your choice of drinks. I particularly love their cold milk tea! My favorite in HK. It is available anywhere, just like any fast food chains we can find here in the Philippines.
After having our lunch, we were already able to check in at our hostel. We bought everything from our hostel --- tickets to Disneyland, Ocean park, Macau. It is your choice whether to buy from your hotel or anywhere convenient. Prices may range, it's up to your convenience.
Our room was located at their extension building, Chungking Mansion. And yes, blogs are right about the place, never stay here. The environment is not convenient to pass by especially at night, many foreigners are selling you everything. But we survived 6 days staying here. Early to go out in the morning and early to come in at night. Just remember safety should be prioritized in foreign lands.
Our room was okay, small but clean. The comfort room was too little, water splashing everywhere when you take a shower. But overall the stay was good, they have a water dispenser and the staff were friendly. And we get to have a 20% discount when we come back!
There are a lot of places to stay in HK, from budget hostels to high end five star hotels. It is all choice, your convenience and ofcourse your budget to whichever you want to stay.
aysasia
