D.I.Y. Hong kong Tour... HOW?

HEYAH! Where to spend a vacation? Probably you are thinking of going to the beach, or out-of-town, or might as well go overseas. But then, thinking of the hassles, flight bookings, hotel bookings, and planning itineraries are the things that concern you. You don't want to waste your time because time isn't all you've got! haha! I got the same problem back then that's why I decided to get tour packages  ( for me & my husband ) from a travel agency, unfortunately, didn't go well, our money and the travel agency were nowhere to be found. Anyway, after that my husband decided to DO It Our Own!

"DIY means Do It Yourself....simply no tour guides!"

I want to share with you how to plan a DIY Hong kong Tour.

• First off: Choose your best date! (literally, month, day and year and who's coming with you! haha! ). Also consider the best time to go there. They said that climate in Hong kong are characterized by hot, humid summer and cool, relatively dry winter.

March - May, generally warm days and windy. June - mid September, the hottest time but also their Rainfall Season. October - December, their autumn season. Ours were last week of July ( July 26-29, 2012 ). Check different airlines, they may have sales and promotions. We booked our flight in Tiger airways. Good thing they were on sale, but we have to go to Clark International Airport.
HOW TO COMMUTE:
Just ride any Philtranco Bus going to CLARK. Check their websites.
For us, since the nearest and convenient route is going to Mega Mall, we rode the bus from there. They have a bus station at Mega Mall Bldg A ( on the back, near Supermarket and Watsons ). Please be advised of the time the bus arrives. From there, the bus will head straight to Clark International Airport.
Bus Fare: 400PHP
Travel time: 3 hours

• Do the research.

Check online for a good place to stay. If you have endless budgets, stay in a Classy hotel, (Lucky You!) but it's okay to stay in budget hotels ( affordable yet clean ) Choose clean & accessible locations. Read comments. Better check their prices first before making an online booking. ( of course you will need a Credit Card ) Be sure of your chosen date. Others have policies that require down payments. Most of them require you to enter your Credit Card numbers. Also, check if they have promotions or on going "weekdays off" prices. Some hotels are more cheaper during weekdays. Compare to save money. We chose SILKA FAR EAST HOTEL in Tsuen Wan. Accessible to train station, just 5 minutes walk. ( Line 1 MTR - Tsuen Wan Station ).

2. Check for places you want to visit. Prices, how to go there, what to ride, transportation, best time to go, where to eat, where to buy BARGAIN stuff, and a lot more! If you have limited time, for example 3-4 days, I recommend that you really need to plan ahead of time. There are lots of places to visit in Hong kong. 4 days  is not enough. ( I will elaborate our trip in my next blog. )

 3. Write Down and complete your ITINERARY!

Make a list and don't hesitate. If you have things to buy there, better search the stores/ places / locations first on the internet so you have less chances of being lost and you can save time.

Write down:  ( it may sound like an obsessive compulsive thingy but I assure you this will help! )

1. Things you need to bring.
2. Things you need to buy before leaving the airport ( e.g. OCTOPUS CARD - can be used to pay public buses, MTR, some stores also accept this card for you to buy stuff...reloadable )
3. Where and what to ride from the airport to your hotel, from hotel to your destinations, vice versa.

•  Monetary

We decided to bring US dollars. Anyway, there are lots of money changers in Hong Kong. Change your dollars before leaving the airport ( HKG Int'l airport).  In case you didn't spend all your US dollars, it won't be a problem since we also have lots of money changers here in the Philippines. But if you want to bring HKD, it's fine. There are banks here that buy Hong Kong dollars, but as far as I know you have to call them first to make reservations.

D. I . Y. tour is not that difficult and complicating as it looks like. But aside from YOU being a traveler, you will also learn new things and will boost your confidence. It's fun to be a cowboy. Go & Explore!

• YOU ARE ALL SET! happy trip! Hope these help.... HEYAHSINT! : )

Next: OUR D.I.Y. HONG KONG TOUR PART 1
http://heyahsint.blogspot.com/2013/01/our-diy-hong-kong-tour-part-1.html