Justin's Journey

View of the skyscrapers from Victoria Peak

Since Cebu Pacific opened its direct flights from Iloilo to Hong Kong and Singapore back in 2012, the first thing that came into my mind was to "get a passport"! I am from Iloilo and I just glad that our humble city is now a hub - now that's more reason for me to travel with less time spent (i hate staying long in airports).

Since 2013 up to 2015, I (together with my friends and family) have visited Hong Kong thrice. We love Hong Kong that we keep on coming back. Plus, visiting there is quite cheap as compared to other modern cities like Singapore and Japan. Sometimes I even think that HKG is cheaper that going to Manila.lol

Strolling around Causeway Bay - one of the major shopping districts

Like I said, going there is super cheap - AS LONG AS YOU DO A LOT OF RESEARCH! Personally, I always consider the following:

Book promo tickets (always check out your preferred budget airline)
Check out the best hotel deals. I always check Hotel Combined since they post a lot of online booking options.

Consider staying at the following places: Mongkok and Causeway Bay. Some would tell you Tsim Sha Tsui hostels offer better deals but just make sure that you check first the available hostel(s) depending on your taste (or if you're not too picky, then go ahead). Tried staying there once and there's not a lot of food options after 12:00am.

Once you have the first 2 items ready. Plan on where to go and what to do.

3 full days is enough to visit all of the major attractions. But if you want to extend a little longer, that's still okay. Make sure to not miss the must-visit places like

Mongkok (for dimsum food-tripping and thrift shopping), Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway and Central (for shopping and sight-seeing).
Disneyland - If you're a Disney fan, then this is a must-visit for you. You will definitely feel that you are in a different place from the train ride, to the actual park.
Ocean Park - I am not really a fan of adult rides, so I never got to enjoy this place. But you may opt to visit this if you want to see live pandas and dolphins!
Additional shopping tips: If you want to shop for branded stuff like Coach, Prada, and other off-season stores, then visit the following places:

Ap Lei Chau - for Prada outlet store.
Citygate - this one's near the airport. For me, this is the best place to go on shopping for signature-yet-cheap brands. Check out their website, you might find the brands that you are looking for!