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Hongkong Trip: From Cebu to Hong Kong

22. September 2010, 1:5322 comments    7,488 views    ©Edcel Suyo 2012

This will be a series of blog entries on how we got to Hong Kong from Cebu. Because of the information we got online was so helpful, this is my way of giving back to the community in sharing my experience for those people who might also need the information.

Hongkong Trip: Going From Cebu to Hong Kong
September 1-2, 2010

This was my first time to go abroad so I was apprehensive because I didn't know how many issues we would be facing that would prevent us from setting foot onto foreign soil.

There were three of us (Cindy, Logan and I) and we were all first-timers so this was something we've looked forward to ever since we booked tickets about a year ago. We paid only 1200 Php each for the round-trip ticket from Cebu to Hong Kong using Cebu Pacific's Piso Fare.

tsim sha tsui Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

It was crazy because supposedly, there would be 8 of us on the flight but due to personal and budget reasons, most weren't able to join. What's even worse about the flight was that this happened after the Philippine hostage crisis wherein Hong Kong tourists were taken hostage by a police officer who was discharged from his post. We didn’t know how we were going to be treated there.

However, that didn't stop me from pursuing the trip knowing that it took me a year's worth of saving on a monthly basis to come up with some cash for this vacation.

We rode a taxi from the city to the Mactan International Airport and presented our passport and eticket to security so we could get inside the terminal. After converting the etickets to boarding passes and paying the terminal and travel tax fees (Ouch!), we proceeded to the Immigration center for the staff to interview our purpose for traveling. The immigration officer told us that we needed to fill out the departure card and we had to go back to the counter to get the Departure Cards.

 terminal tax departure card 
Paying the terminal fee and forgetting hurrying up to fill out the departure card

cebu pacific to hongkongCebu Pacific Piso Fare flight to Hongkong at 1204 Php all in!

We also ate dinner prior to the flight so we wouldn't have to spend much on the airport. When we boarded the plane, there were about a third of the people who occupied the whole aircraft. I guess there were really a lot of those who postponed their trips because of the hostage incident. The flight was great, it took 2 hours for us to arrive at the Hong Kong International Airport. When we arrived and I finally put my feet on Hong Kong grounds, I was ecstatic.

cebu pacific seat arrival card
reading Cebu Pac’s Smile magazine and filling out our arrival cards for the Hongkong Immigration

We arrived at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) around 12:45am which was actually on time. My stomach was grumbling and there was a 7/11 store wherein we bought some noodles and a coke.

hongkong walkway information center
walkalator and information center at the airport filled with free maps! Yep, FREE!
Must-have Maps are (Hongkong map and the MTR station map!)

We spent the remaining hours at the airport because surfing the internet while I slept on their chairs because we forgot to buy a universal adapter for the electrical outlets. The sockets didn't match our standard plugs and I had no more battery left in my laptop. Cindy and Logan surfed while I recharged some energy on the airport chairs. It was a going to be a long day in the next few hours.

free wifi at hongkong hongkong outlet
surfing at the HKIA, buy a universal adapter so you can plug your devices in

sleeping at the airport
napping at the airport. it’s going to be a long day in a few hours

It was about 3am and we didn’t want to go directly to the hostel since we were on a budget and it would be expensive if we were to check in the Tai San Guest House right away knowing that it’s already morning. At least we saved a thousand bucks each.

Expenses:

1204 Php – Airfare ticket Cebu to Hong Kong (Back and forth using Cebu Pacific’s Piso Fare)
300 Php   –  Fare from Cebu Asiatown IT Park to Mactan International Airport
1620 Php  – Travel Tax
550 Php    – Terminal Fee

7 HKD      – cup noodles
8 HKD      – bottle of coke

* 1 Hong Kong Dollar at 6 Philippine Pesos

Check out my blog posts about my Cebu to Hongkong trip here:

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soloflightEd.com is a travel blog by Edcel Suyo. He enjoys performing headstands and crazy stunts during his trips in the Philippines and the rest of Asia. He just started his backpacking trip across Southeast Asia in order to live a life of a digital nomad. Read more about the beginning of his delusions of grandeur here.

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22 comments:

  1. The photoblogger, 22. September 2010, 2:19

    awesome experience! 

     
  2. Edcel, 22. September 2010, 2:49

    it's still the first of many entries! hehe 

     
  3. Abbie, 22. September 2010, 2:50

    We will be HK-bound this weekend. Thanks for posting your first day experience. Looking forward to reading more stories. :)

     
  4. Edcel, 22. September 2010, 3:19

    thanks abbie! ill do my best to post on a daily basis. hehe. took me some time to even write the first entry! haha. have 6 more days to go.

     
  5. Pam, 22. September 2010, 4:10

    Thanks for sharing. Pati yung sa expenses. Kailangan ko yun para malaman kung magkano talaga magagastos namin. Hehe. 550 lang yung terminal fee? :)

     
  6. Edcel, 22. September 2010, 4:31

    Hi Pam! dito sa cebu, yep 550 yung terminal fee/tax. pero meron ding Travel Tax worth P1620. :(

     
  7. antoy, 11. October 2010, 5:19

    anong part ng airport yun mga chairs na tinulogan niyo?

     
  8. Edcel, 11. October 2010, 5:30

    Hi antoy, dun banda sa exit going to the buses. in front of 7/11, beside Burger King.

     
  9. Bryan Karl, 31. October 2010, 1:02

    Wah I hope I can go back to HK. :) ) Tsk2

     
  10. Edcel, 1. November 2010, 2:30

    you should! haha. ako other trips muna. hehe

     
  11. Ric Pua, 1. November 2010, 14:45

    Hi! I'm Ric . We're planning to go to HK next March 2011 but getting hesitant due to fear of being maltreated as a result of the hostage taking. Did you experienced anything bad just because you were Pinoys?

     
  12. Edcel, 2. November 2010, 2:58

    hi Ric: nope we didn't. and we were there a week after the hostage taking. of course they were not happy but we were NOT maltreated in any way. we didn't even get to bring it up in any of our conversations. :D

     
  13. yen, 6. November 2010, 14:35

    hi, thanks for the blog..ill be traveling to HK alone, im also from cebu. this helped ease my anxiety a little...im just worried about the IO in HK since im a single female traveling alone

     
  14. Edcel, 6. November 2010, 19:38

    @yen: hi yen! no prob. glad to have helped somehow. we had a return flight ticket so we had proof that we're going back to the Phil. hehe. are you going for a vacation?

     
  15. menchie, 16. May 2011, 3:04

    hi...do you need to show money for the immigration?

     
  16. soloflightEd, 16. May 2011, 3:23

    @menchie: it usually depends on the scenario, it's a case to case basis. in our case, we just showed our return tickets at the immigration. we didn't show money anymore

     
  17. sarah, 21. September 2011, 15:15

    hi edcel...ask ko lang strict ba ang immigration sa cebu? kasi my bf just got his passport last july 2011 and sa december magpapa hongkong travel kami...share naman po if may idea ka...thanks...

     
  18. soloflightEd, 21. September 2011, 16:38

    @sarah: relative yang 'strict' na description. it usually depends on the situation. but usually you'll have nothing to worry about if you're not going to do anything except to travel and magbakasyon sa HK. So long as you know what you're going to do and have everything planned, then there shouldn't be any worry. they might ask for your hostel/hotel reservations and return ticket. but just be confident. you won't have to worry if you know there's nothing for you to worry about. :D

     
  19. Sarah, 22. September 2011, 15:40

    thanks for the advise...i really enjoyed reading your blog...kinda excited na po...actually sa taisan din kami magstay sa may burlington..400 HKD yung napili namin na ang travel eh dec.11-14...first timer kami eh...we plan to go to disneyland,victoria harbour,city gate,try the npong ping cable car experience...macau(day tour lang) pero wala pa kaming guide :) ...panu kaya namin pagkakasyahin ang itinerary hahahahha...dec.11 at 10 am arrival sa HK...taz uwi nmin dec.14 at 8am naman......thanks...

     
  20. Maricar B., 8. January 2012, 12:13

    Hi Edcel,I am I am Maricar from Cebu.My mother and I will be bound for HK this 26th,January 2012.I would like to ask where,were you able to buy Hongkong Dollars here in Cebu.Thanks

     
  21. soloflightEd, 8. January 2012, 18:10

    Hi Marocar B.: I did not buy HK dollars here, We bought USD and had it exchanged to HKD already at the Money Changers in HK. Our friend already had HKD bought from another friend who just came back from HK.

     
  22. Maricar B., 10. January 2012, 12:46

    Thank you so much,Edcel.I was just thinking I can get some cash before going to the airport.Your blog is really nice.I also work in I.T.park,though I am resigning.

     

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